Speak to their why: #PitchPro Mark C. Perna

This episode of “Pitch Live with Amy Summers” podcast features Mark C. Perna, a nationally recognized generational expert, bestselling author, and founder and CEO of TFS Results. Mark is leading a powerful paradigm shift in education and workforce development through his national movement, “Education with Purpose and Employment with Passion,” which connects the critical pipelines between education, business, and economic growth. A captivating keynote speaker who has addressed audiences at Harvard University and beyond, Mark delivers more than 80 presentations annually and reaches millions of readers through his weekly leadership articles and videos on Forbes.com. His award-winning book, “Answering Why,” has redefined how educators, employers, and parents tap into the full potential of today’s younger generations.

 

Key pitching takeaways from Mark C. Perna on this episode of “Pitch Live”:

• Embrace the “no’s”—your pitch won’t be for everyone, and that’s okay. Every “yes” becomes a pleasant surprise.
• Use strategic vocal inflections to emphasize key points and keep your audience engaged.
• Start with the end in mind. Never open a presentation with “Good morning,” a joke, or your resume—kick off with a relatable question that gets your audience nodding in agreement.
• Flip the script: lead with your core message and close with your personal story. Opening with your story can feel like playing your “heartstring moment” too early.
• Before presenting, meet as many people in the audience as possible—people pay closer attention to someone they feel they know. Keep your focus on them, not on yourself.
• When pitching or presenting virtually, imagine you're speaking to just one person. That personal connection makes your message land with greater impact.

 

Join Amy Summers for #PitchLive with #PitchPro Mark C. Perna to access Mark’s pitching strategies and success stories that prove the power of #ThePitch ☎️🤩

 

Connect: 

Follow and connect with Amy Summers:

Instagram | Bluesky | TikTok | Facebook: @amysummersnyc 

X: @PitchAmy 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysummersnyc 

 

Follow and connect with Mark Perna

X: @MarkPerna

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_c_perna/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markcpernaspeaker 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markperna/ 

Website: https://markcperna.com/ 

 

Follow and connect with Pitch Publicity #PitchStars 

Instagram and LinkedIn @pitchpublicity 

 

Follow and connect with #INICIVOX for #VirtualMentorship 

Instagram | Facebook | X | LinkedIn: @INICIVOX

Website: www.INICIVOX.com 

 

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