How to deliver the perfect pitch!

Sociologist James Hughes said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”

Every pitch is essentially a milestone toward effective leadership. A successful pitch often depends less on what is said and more on how it is said.

Do you instil confidence when delivering your pitch? Are you able to communicate your ideas or your vision to your audience?

If you can’t answer “yes” to these two questions, then your pitch may fail.

Pitching is the most nerve-wracking part of the sales process, and few excel at it, but it doesn’t have to be so challenging.

Follow the seven tips below for the perfect pitch.

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Pitching is crucial for business growth and success, especially to close a deal. Professionals in our industry become accustomed to presenting their background and strengths, as well as campaign ideas and concepts to both potential and existing clients. Without doing so, our work would cease to exist.

That’s why it’s essential to do your best in every aspect of every pitch. Yes, every aspect, even the little things.

Here are some issues to keep in mind before your pitch:
• All content must be relevant, accurate and up-to-date
• Every suggestion is supported with reasoning and explanations
• Recommendations are made with the clients’ interests in mind
• Content is presented in an unbiased manner
• PROOF, PROOF, PROOF

Did you notice the emphasis on the last bullet point? Many prospect clients are so hard to convince about what we offer them, which is quite valuable and too good to be true!

Testimonials and videos from our existing clients provide strong evidence on how beneficial our services are, which enhances their trust in us.

2) Tell a great story, and make an emotional connection.

While some presentations are more formal and have rigid structures than others, pitches tend to be more flexible. Presenting your pitch as a story can be much more persuasive than an ordinary list of facts.

Making an emotional connection with potential clients and connecting with them on a human level can make a big difference in the effect of your pitch.

Remember: People tend to react emotionally first, and then rationalise. And although we believe that decisions are logical ones, they are also debatably that are based on emotion.

3) Promote yourself as a savvy business person.

Salespeople who have given the best pitches not only tell a compelling story but also promote themselves as smart, savvy salespeople. Potential clients want to invest in a mutually beneficial partnership by working with experts who are professional and can increase profits.

Start by introducing yourself and reveal your professional background before using your pitch to get acquainted with you and your expertise in the employee engagement field. Share some of your interests or hobbies because you might discover that you have something in common with your prospects, which will create a bonding experience.

Prospects know that the better their business associates are, the less work they’ll ultimately have to do. Use stories about your work ethic and dedication to convince them that you have what it takes to come up with innovative ideas and undertake business initiatives effectively.

4) Make the pitch flow naturally.

A sales presentation needs to flow smoothly to be successful. If you lose track of your general idea or jump from one idea to the next and back again, the prospective client will struggle to follow what you’re trying to say and the message will be lost.

The key is crafting a well-prepared pitch. To achieve this, you should focus on the outcome. What kind of reaction do you expect from prospective clients after giving your pitch? That may sound obvious to you, but don’t assume it’s obvious to them. You need to think carefully about what happens next and clarify your explanation while considering their point of view.

5) Make your presentation visual and interactive.

If giving a business pitch makes you think of PowerPoint slides and bullet points, then you’re doing it wrong. Successful business pitches derive from comprehensive visual and even interactive presentations. In many cases, introduce the actual products or, in our case, provide a live demonstration of the portal and navigate clients through its fields.

Sharing some personal experiences on the use of services (discounts on shopping, gym memberships or even GP consultations) would be a wonderful idea!
This will create a sense of engagement, and prospect clients can give their personal opinions on how convenient the portal is, providing all the information their employees need to have through a simple click.

6) Always maintain friendly eye contact & remain open, honest and courteous.

Eye contact is an essential yet challenging aspect of communication.
Whenever possible, try to organise the room appropriately for your presentation. The good news is that there is no right or wrong way to do this and, to a large extent, it depends on the number of people you’re pitching.

If you visit prospects at their whereabouts, make yourself comfortable and relax. Start with a friendly discussion and, ultimately, share the great offer that will change their organisations and reduce their staff turnover.
Clients comprehend the fact that no one is perfect and will generally agree that some questions or doubts may arise after the pitch. Therefore, there’s no point in trying to say things that clients want to hear.

It’s wiser to listen to what they have to say, comprehend it and try to respond accordingly, convincing them to make a purchasing decision based on their needs and requirements rather than your desire and determination to make a sale.

7) Plan a negotiation strategy.

You better do your homework before you pitch. Study the personal and professional profile, social media accounts, and investment background of every single investor who will be in the room. Request research on the prospect’s company and log into the Prospectbook to see the industry insights and get an idea of what this company is all about.

Make sure you understand what drives each of them so that you can adapt your pitch accordingly. Remember: Your pitch shouldn’t be the same for all prospective clients. Each organisation’s nature is unique; therefore, different types of treatments are necessary.

Know the key points of your presentation by heart and nail, at least, the first few minutes of your presentation where it’s just you doing the talking. It’s harder to fix a bad pitch than to keep the momentum of a good one going.

Sources:
hubspot.com, www.cision.com, affirmagency.com

How to deliver the perfect pitch!

Sociologist James Hughes said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”

Every pitch is essentially a milestone toward effective leadership. A successful pitch often depends less on what is said and more on how it is said.

Do you instil confidence when delivering your pitch? Are you able to communicate your ideas or your vision to your audience?

If you can’t answer “yes” to these two questions, then your pitch may fail.

Pitching is the most nerve-wracking part of the sales process, and few excel at it, but it doesn’t have to be so challenging.

Follow the seven tips below for the perfect pitch.

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Pitching is crucial for business growth and success, especially to close a deal. Professionals in our industry become accustomed to presenting their background and strengths, as well as campaign ideas and concepts to both potential and existing clients. Without doing so, our work would cease to exist.

That’s why it’s essential to do your best in every aspect of every pitch. Yes, every aspect, even the little things.

Here are some issues to keep in mind before your pitch:
• All content must be relevant, accurate and up-to-date
• Every suggestion is supported with reasoning and explanations
• Recommendations are made with the clients’ interests in mind
• Content is presented in an unbiased manner
• PROOF, PROOF, PROOF

Did you notice the emphasis on the last bullet point? Many prospect clients are so hard to convince about what we offer them, which is quite valuable and too good to be true!

Testimonials and videos from our existing clients provide strong evidence on how beneficial our services are, which enhances their trust in us.

2) Tell a great story, and make an emotional connection.

While some presentations are more formal and have rigid structures than others, pitches tend to be more flexible. Presenting your pitch as a story can be much more persuasive than an ordinary list of facts.

Making an emotional connection with potential clients and connecting with them on a human level can make a big difference in the effect of your pitch.

Remember: People tend to react emotionally first, and then rationalise. And although we believe that decisions are logical ones, they are also debatably that are based on emotion.

3) Promote yourself as a savvy business person.

Salespeople who have given the best pitches not only tell a compelling story but also promote themselves as smart, savvy salespeople. Potential clients want to invest in a mutually beneficial partnership by working with experts who are professional and can increase profits.

Start by introducing yourself and reveal your professional background before using your pitch to get acquainted with you and your expertise in the employee engagement field. Share some of your interests or hobbies because you might discover that you have something in common with your prospects, which will create a bonding experience.

Prospects know that the better their business associates are, the less work they’ll ultimately have to do. Use stories about your work ethic and dedication to convince them that you have what it takes to come up with innovative ideas and undertake business initiatives effectively.

4) Make the pitch flow naturally.

A sales presentation needs to flow smoothly to be successful. If you lose track of your general idea or jump from one idea to the next and back again, the prospective client will struggle to follow what you’re trying to say and the message will be lost.

The key is crafting a well-prepared pitch. To achieve this, you should focus on the outcome. What kind of reaction do you expect from prospective clients after giving your pitch? That may sound obvious to you, but don’t assume it’s obvious to them. You need to think carefully about what happens next and clarify your explanation while considering their point of view.

5) Make your presentation visual and interactive.

If giving a business pitch makes you think of PowerPoint slides and bullet points, then you’re doing it wrong. Successful business pitches derive from comprehensive visual and even interactive presentations. In many cases, introduce the actual products or, in our case, provide a live demonstration of the portal and navigate clients through its fields.

Sharing some personal experiences on the use of services (discounts on shopping, gym memberships or even GP consultations) would be a wonderful idea!
This will create a sense of engagement, and prospect clients can give their personal opinions on how convenient the portal is, providing all the information their employees need to have through a simple click.

6) Always maintain friendly eye contact & remain open, honest and courteous.

Eye contact is an essential yet challenging aspect of communication.
Whenever possible, try to organise the room appropriately for your presentation. The good news is that there is no right or wrong way to do this and, to a large extent, it depends on the number of people you’re pitching.

If you visit prospects at their whereabouts, make yourself comfortable and relax. Start with a friendly discussion and, ultimately, share the great offer that will change their organisations and reduce their staff turnover.
Clients comprehend the fact that no one is perfect and will generally agree that some questions or doubts may arise after the pitch. Therefore, there’s no point in trying to say things that clients want to hear.

It’s wiser to listen to what they have to say, comprehend it and try to respond accordingly, convincing them to make a purchasing decision based on their needs and requirements rather than your desire and determination to make a sale.

7) Plan a negotiation strategy.

You better do your homework before you pitch. Study the personal and professional profile, social media accounts, and investment background of every single investor who will be in the room. Request research on the prospect’s company and log into the Prospectbook to see the industry insights and get an idea of what this company is all about.

Make sure you understand what drives each of them so that you can adapt your pitch accordingly. Remember: Your pitch shouldn’t be the same for all prospective clients. Each organisation’s nature is unique; therefore, different types of treatments are necessary.

Know the key points of your presentation by heart and nail, at least, the first few minutes of your presentation where it’s just you doing the talking. It’s harder to fix a bad pitch than to keep the momentum of a good one going.

Sources:
hubspot.com, www.cision.com, affirmagency.com