Pitching your business presents a two-fold opportunity — to differentiate your vision, capabilities and experience from competitors, and to persuade your prospect that you understand their needs and objectives better than anyone else. It’s an opportunity not to be wasted. Developing and honing that pitch needs to be a team effort…a brainstorm.
– For a brainstorm to be effective, include people from different departments. Your strategy and tactics will be the better for it. And don’t just rely on your leadership team– your most talented junior staff can provide a fresh point of view and suggest innovative ideas.
– Research your prospects before anything else. Study their past campaigns, read their latest news, and find out everything you can about the evaluators. The quickest way to get kicked out of the pitch is to recommend an idea that the prospect has already used, or to be unaware of any major news that affects their business. The quickest way to score points is to learn something about the people you are presenting to that ties them to you, your business or your other clients.
– Make sure the pitch team includes your project leaders. Clients want to know WHO they will be dealing with on a day-to-day basis. If the evaluators sense a bait and switch in the offing, your pitch will likely be for naught.
– Decide who will present what, and how each presenter will transition to the next person. The interstitial between pitch sections are just as important as the content, and they underscore the collaborative bond among team members.
– Develop “visual” stories that bring your proposal’s value proposition to life. Everybody has supporting data and past performance; winners tell relevant stories that bring their company to life and “stick” with the “buy” decision-makers.
– And finally: Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. Use a third-party to coach you through your team’s presentation style. They will provide objective feedback and offer constructive criticism. They can even help with team-building before your big day in the spotlight.