Life’s a pitch – so learn how to do it

As an entrepreneur, your mind is never far from money, and how to get it. Jobs, suppliers and partners all depend on cash coming in. One of the things that can be fundamental to bringing in new business, is the ability to pitch and pitch well.

Pitching is not easy. There are plenty of mistakes to be made. But whether you are looking for investment, trying to land a new client, asking for a pay rise or to put up your fees there are a few tips and tricks you can learn that should boost your chances of success.

Preparation is key

A good pitch starts long before you go into the meeting, so do your homework. Know your material, and try to anticipate key questions or objections that might be raised. Confident, swift responses can make all the difference – but don’t pretend to know the answers if you really don’t. Who is going to be at the meeting? This is important, so do your best to find out in advance. If it’s a big pitch with a new client or investor, ensure you have an understanding of the problem you are helping them to solve. Understand their decision-making process. What has to happen before they can say yes or no? It can vary a surprising amount.

Going solo or in a team

When it comes to the big day, there is no getting around the fact that pitching is nerve-wracking. You can pitch alone – but it’s usually a good idea to have a couple of senior colleagues with you, especially if you know the other team are coming mob-handed. Everyone who does attend needs to participate and have a clear role.

Get to love your slides

Treat your slides like your favourite music playlist. You know all the songs individually, but, once the first one starts playing, you also know instinctively which one is coming next. There is a natural flow and you only need to learn the transitions from one slide to the next. Don’t get too lost in the detail. People will only remember two or three points from your pitch, so focus on the key facts, not the minutiae.

Question time

Questions can be tricky. You want to be quizzed a bit – questions are a buying signal – but not so vigorously that it interrupts your flow and makes you lose momentum. If you feel you are about to lose your thread, try saying you’ll answer further questions at the end. Try to make your audience feel like you’re offering them a special deal, or privileged access that’s too good to miss – something that won’t last forever. It may sound like cod psychology but it really works. Beware the sneaky lift question; remember that a pitch isn’t over until you’ve left the building are no longer in conversation with anyone apart from your team.

Let your audience make the final jump

Finally, sell yourself hard but not too hard. Leave some space so that the audience can make the final jump themselves. A good pitch is about creating the dominant point of view, a kind of irresistible gravitational force. A great pitch may not quite be money in the bank, but it’s the next best thing.

Caroline Plumb is a contributor for AAT's member's magazine, AT.