How Make The Perfect Pitch - Adrian Fleming

how to make the
perfect pitch

Because I’m an entrepreneur, I
need to be able to make money
based on results, not the amount of
time I put in…

…and in all sorts of situations, not just sales, a
pitch is essential, you can use it to present ideas
to staff and colleagues winning their buy in…

…you can pitch to suppliers which can be a really
clever move if you want preferential service or
rates…

…you can pitch for investment if that’s something
you need, and by the way, when people do this to
me I’m shocked at how badly they do it.

And of course you can pitch for business too, but
in each and every case having a simple but
proven way to pitch is critical.

By the way, if you really want to get in to the
psychology of pitching I highly recommend the
work of Oren Klaff and his book Pitch Anything.

Also you should realise that a pitch doesn’t need
to be made in person, you can pitch that way, on
video or audio and you can also use print too.

So pitching is done in physical and digital
environments, which should help you practice and
refine your pitch and skills because…

…if you follow my simple rules it’s much easier to
get the outcome you want from any pitch, in any
format and via any channel.

So now you have an appreciation of where you
could use a pitch it’s time to make sense of this
because many people are worried about a pitch
and this is the first mistake to make.

I appreciate that when you want to make a sale or
obtain investment you can be nervous, but the
reality is that this actually hurts you and…

…if you can distance yourself from the end result
and focus on your desired outcome then this will
come across in the pitch.

And if you have an entrepreneurial mind-set and
an entrepreneur’s system in place then a single
pitch isn’t going to matter in the grand scheme of
things.

So be confident, because you have complete faith
in what you are offering to the market.

Just also remember that the people you are
pitching to actually want or need what you have,
for example…

…financial institutions have to lend money to make
money, so this actually puts you in the strong
position.

Potential customers actually want what you offer,
otherwise you’ve done your marketing wrong and
the reality is you shouldn’t be pitching to them…

…so actually, if you’ve done your groundwork
right, the odds are in your favour, now all you need
to do is not screw it up.

What should you say and do in a pitch?

Well let me make this really simple and then tell
you how to do it.

The tactic is to compel your audience to do what
they are told, which is what your desired outcome
is, and by the way…

…I’ve been in situations where I’ve pitched and
during the pitch realised I actually don’t want to
work with the people or company in front of me…

…so it’s OK to change your mind, because it’s
100% your choice.

I say compel because if you are out to convince
people to do what you want, the chances are
you’re making it harder for yourself.

You want to dangle the opportunity in front of
somebody and let them bite, just like a fishermen
does with a fishing rod…

…getting the audience to bite and the way to
make them bite is to set out something irresistible
and compelling and just leave it there, in
temptation’s way.

So without using too many fishing analogies,
except maybe this last one, you need to use the
right bait and this is all about understanding the
needs and desires of your audience.

Your audience actually, even if they don’t admit it,
don’t actually care about you, in fact…

… they actually don’t even care about you when
you do your pitch, in reality if you were not
pitching to them they would probably care more
as this makes them feel less significant.

I know I’m being blunt here but it’s the truth.

People buy in to benefits and you need to present
them in you pitch quickly, clearly and in a way that
make them compelling and if you do that then you
will win more pitches than you miss out on.

Let me give you a typical example of what
happens when people pitch to me.

It goes something like this. I’ll give you my internal
monologue too and as I do that you can think
about it and what you would be thinking in my
position.

First they start with who they are, so I make a
mental and maybe physical note of this.

Next comes the introduction of what they’ve done
in the past and how good they at specific things.

Internally, at best, I’m listening and maybe giving
them 60% of my attention, but as this part goes on
it drops…

…until such time as I’m wondering how much
longer will they go on – they are loosing me
because I’m busy.

I then get the background to their proposition and
this is normally filled with statistics and information
that is absolutely relevant to them and their
situation…

…but my job is not to be a statistician, it’s to make
money.

Now some people like stats and information, but I
work very much on instinct and people who like
stats only really want to check them out once they
know they are interested.

People who want the mechanics behind a pitch
before getting the important part of the pitch I find
aren’t the right audience.

So again at this point, my interest is dropping and
my propensity to want to work with them drops too
and in the worst cases…

…I’ve moved on to a completely new subject. By
the way, if you see people playing with their pad of
paper or phone then this is more than a sign that
you’ve lost your audience.

So then we get to the actual pitch, and here is the
part that most people get wrong.

I get told that if I work with people then it will mean
that they can get the money…

…they will be able to learn from my expertise, they
can access my resources, book of contacts and
all sorts of other things which is quite frankly of
zero interest.

My internal voice is telling me that the person
pitching is looking to use me, which is fine, but
without appreciating my role in this relationship.

So here’s what I suggest you make sure happens
when you pitch.

First of all you control the situation, and so you
have to be the most interesting thing or person in
the room…

…so if there are potential distractions, like phones,
you have to make sure that you are more
interesting than they could ever be.

Second you need to come right out and say what
you will deliver to them.

So if you are looking for investment then you will
deliver a sizable return on investment.

Or if you are selling a product or service, funnily
enough, what you are offering is not dis-similar
because…

…you are able to deliver great value to them and
deliver clear and measurable benefits and do this
by making their lives easier too.

And only once you've opened up and made your
pitch, do you add information that supports your
statement, like statistics or your expertise.

But keep it short and to the point.

The faster you can get your audience asking
questions or wanting to know more, the better your
outcome should be.

So just remember, that a pitch is based on your
desired outcome and you need to clearly and
quickly…

…give compelling benefits to anybody you pitch
to and be the most interesting thing in the room
and when you do this…

…you’ll come out on top in most pitches you do.

How Make The Perfect Pitch - Adrian Fleming

How Make The Perfect Pitch - Adrian Fleming

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How Make The Perfect Pitch - Adrian Fleming