Pitching

An important part of advising is being able to convey your security recommendations in a convincing way. This includes presentation skills such as clear articulation, using a logical threat narrative, connecting with your audience, and applying persuasion techniques. In the cybersecurity field, pitching is crucial: you must be able to "sell" your security proposal or risk mitigation strategy briefly and powerfully to executive leadership, the board, or clients who may have limited technical understanding.

The ability to convey security concepts is essential to create support – after all, good security advice has little effect if you can't convince decision-makers to allocate resources or implement changes. Strong presentation skills help you secure buy-in from stakeholders and get security investments approved.

Starting Points

Key Points

• Pay attention to speaking pace, volume, and intonation to maintain attention while avoiding unnecessarily alarming language.
• Support your security recommendations with examples or analogies that help non-technical listeners understand the risks and benefits.
• Pay attention to your body language and posture during presentation (eye contact, open posture, exuding confidence).
• Gauge your audience's reaction to technical content and adjust accordingly, translating security concepts into business language when necessary.