The Perfect Sales Pitch
Whether you’re making a pitch to try to win a new project, to make a sale to a potential customer, or for investment, there are some tried and trusted tips to help you pull off the perfect pitch.
1. Have an Outline
You may know everything there is to know about your product or business but this information has to be organised when making a pitch. Therefore an outline of your pitch is vital. Always follow the following tried and trusted approach:
Tell your audience what you are going to tell them / Tell them / Tell them what you told them
2. Dress to impress
This almost goes without saying but many people still dress far too casually when making a pitch. The first thing that your audience will notice are your clothes – with first impressions so important make sure your clothes are portraying the right image.
3. Be enthusiastic
Enthusiasm can be infectious – show that you have a passion about your product or business.
4. Create a ‘hook’
As Mill Valley speaking coach Dan Sapp says – “Hook your audience. A memorable slogan, concept, or pledge gives your audience a reason to listen to the rest of your talk.”
5. Don’t read from your slides
This is a common mistake. Many people put far too much information on slides and nervousness results in them simply reading them out. Keep the words on your slides to an absolute minimum to prevent this temptation. It’ll also give the audience more of an incentive to listen.
6. Don’t talk too fast
When people get nervous they usually talk too fast. Remember that during a pitch the audience is hearing it for the first time. Speak too fast and they’ll be left behind.
7. Remember to take pauses
Silent pauses are seen as something to avoid at all costs. However, during a pitch they are essential to allow the audience time to think about exactly what you’ve just said.
8. Watch your body language
Remember the advice from speaking coach Dan Sapp – “Keep your weight balanced on both feet; it conveys strength for both men and women. Think of the metaphor of people who have both feet on the ground.”
9. Make eye contact
Experienced speakers always speak about the need to make eye contact with your audience. This doesn’t mean staring at the same person throughout the pitch but try to make eye contact with a different person for each part of your pitch. It’ll help to convey yourself as being confident, trustworthy and honest.
10. Be honest
You see it all the time with people trying to bend the truth and bluff their way through questions put to them after a pitch. If you don’t know an answer be honest and say that you don’t. Similarly, don’t paint a rosy picture if there are in fact many obstacles in the way. As long as you believe in your product or business and you’re capable the audience will see through these problems.