There comes a point in the life of any business where you find yourself having to make a pitch.
This is your chance to shine, to put your company front and center in front of others, and potentially make business deals that could ensure your company’s survival for years to come. Whether you are pitching your services to another business or a product to a retailer, the same concerns about getting it right can apply.
There is no surefire “perfect” pitch that you can cut out, insert your company’s details into, and then repeat. There are, however, four things that you can do to give your company the best chance of winning the pitch battle – provided you’re willing to put the work in to achieve them.
Step One: Make An Impression
The bigger the potential deal, the more effort you need to put into impressing the people you’re pitching to. So don’t be afraid to push the boat out and show a little flash; you want to be memorable, not just enough pitch that drones on about the numbers and projected sales. Instead, focus on selling an idea and a vision, working with AV companies and sign designers, to ensure that you wow from the off. However…
Step Two: Don’t Forget The Basics
In the midst of trying to create a memorable pitch, you can’t afford to forget the basics. You have to have your financial affairs 100% in order before you even contemplate pitching. You need projections, accounts, ideas of what working with you will cost the other company – it’s all got to be absolutely on point. There’s no point creating a wow factor if you crumble on the first question regarding costs.
Step Three: Tailor Your Pitch
You shouldn’t ever use the same pitch for different companies. Do your research about the people you’re going to be pitching too, focusing on the individual brand values. For example, if you’re trying to sell to a retail store with brand values of “family” and “inexpensive”, then tailor your pitch to meet those aims. If you then are taking your pitch to a company who target “youth” and “vibrancy”, you need to turn the volume up (perhaps even literally) when you pitch to them. The same core of the pitch can remain so you don’t have to completely rework it every single time, but you do need to be adding and subtracting details that are relevant to the company you’re pitching to.
Step Four: Remain Cool
Often, when we go into a pitch we have a sort of determination that it has to work out. That’s not a bad way to be; after all, pitches and their subsequent orders can make a big difference to our business growth. The only problem is, sometimes, that need and desire for the pitch to go well can actually have the exact opposite impact. You can come across as too desperate, too in need of things to go well, to the point where you actively put off the company that you’re pitching to. Practice your technique so you seem engaged and interested in working with them, but tone down anything that makes it sound like it has to work out for you – keep it cool, in other words.
