While on a flight to Montreal I met fellow passenger James Wilson and when I asked him “what do you do” he gave me the best one-minute pitch that I had heard, it was on bicycles and health and how he can help. It led me to ask more and more questions until I understood how his company “Obsession Bikes” was the place to go for a custom bicycle.
We then had a conversation about “how people communicate” in business and how so many organizations and people forget it is all about the customer.
Key Point: Get A Grabber!
A grabber gets attention and invites curiosity, invites the listener to ask questions.
Mine is “ I am a bid director”, the usual response is “what’s that” I then have the opportunity to respond.
Key Point: It Not About You!
It’s your story about ‘how you help others’
The purpose of a powerful ‘Pitch’ is to express what you do in such a way that the listener develops curiosity, then ask more questions or by starting a dialogue with you. Tell a ‘real’ story of how you helped another person with your service, product and how they felt because of it. Then be quiet and let the listener ask questions, if they don’t ask any questions, you either told to much or they can’t see themselves in the story, remember they have to ‘see’ themselves in the story.
Key Point: Be Real!
Authenticity is the key to success. Tell only real stories.
Your energy when delivering your ‘Pitch’ needs to be engaging, friendly and inviting, this will help build rapport between you and the listener. At all costs avoid suddenly changing your energy level, becoming an over the top presenter or any aggressive sales behavior, as this will destroy rapport very quickly. A great pitch feels like a conversation, not a sales rush.
Key Point: The listeners today are, very sophisticated and cynical.
The listener is interested in your values and what your actions represent. They listen clearly to what you say and how you say it. Remember sharing your ‘Pitch’ is a means of establishing rapport this is the beginning of the communication and sales process.
Ask yourself; what do your listeners would want to know about you and your service and or product? To prepare for your pitch, a simple strategy is to ask your current customers what they would like to know about you, and what they understand or believe about the service you provide. Then listen carefully, they know ‘why’ they come to you and may provide you with a great success story.
Leap of the Week:
Here three questions to stimulate your thinking as you develop your Pitch:
1. How do you help other people? 2. What is your best success story? 3. Why do you do what you do?
The best example of a great pitch man was the late Steve Jobs, remember to take care of what you say…