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It must be the thrill of the chase. The lure of snaring a big new client or landing that account that can then the fortunes of your business around. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that pitch meetings are simultaneously one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences you face as a business owner. Learning how nail your pitch and outshine the competition is an art, and an important part of doing good business – but the good news is, it’s a process which can be learnt and improved over time.
Show, Don’t Tell
You’ll naturally have spent a lot of time polishing the content of your pitch, but it’s just as important to realise that how you act is as big a sell as what you say. Many businesses fail to realise they are on trial not from the start of the presentation, but from the first moment a potential client interacts with them. Everything from the manner in which you answer the phone, to how long it takes to process an enquiry – even down to how well you listen, will factor into an eventual decision, sometimes implicitly and sometimes explicitly. Your clients know that you’re going to say all the right things in your meeting – but judging if you’d be a good fit for their organisation is another matter, and one where actions tend to speak much louder than words. So be punctual, polite and nice to the receptionist from the word go!
Make A Strong Set Up
You’re pitching because the company you’re hoping to land as a client has a problem that they need fixing. Use your presentation as a chance to cut to the chase and show how you will fix this issue. It’s always strong to start off with a demonstration rather than death by slides. For instance, if you are there to pitch for a rebranding and marketing work? Scan their website for key messages, write them on a bunch of table tennis balls and invite them to throw them at you. See how many you can catch. Let them know that this is what it’s like for their customer, being bombarded with marketing messages all the time. Let them know how you can help them combat this and create communications that stick and a strong visual identity. Pulling a simple stunt will certainly get you noticed. You need to back it up with the goods. Go and check out what Beautiful.AI can do for you to help create a killer presentation to combine with your opener. Now you have a memorable, beautifully presented pitch that gives them a solution to their main issue.
Don’t Have All The Answers
This one sounds counter intuitive – after all, you’re going in there to pitch a service that will make their lives easier, right? Well, the correct answer is that there can be no final solution without their participation – it’s a collaboration. If you come up with too many solutions in the first meeting, it can look like you’re dictating to them. You want to be seen as receptive. Be aware that even if you can see the heart of an issue already, the client may not see it like that yet. You’re aiming to go on a journey together, so show them that you’re easy to work with.