A guide to developing a business pitch to match the needs of the job in hand. Pitching requires preparation and practice

1. How to deliver a really effective pitch
James Cracknell
SFEDI – Accredited Business Adviser
02 March 2017

2. What we want to achieve
By the end of the
session for you to be
better focused on what
it takes to:
1. Prepare a Pitch
2. Research a Pitch
3. Deliver a Pitch

3. Introductions
• Your name
• The name of your
business
• Why are you hear?

4. Pitching
What emotions
does it conjure up?

5. The
Opportunity
Two Parts
Delivery & Content

6. The Pitch

7. The Pitch

8. Your pitch needs to be as good as
your business

9. Why preparation matters

10. Prepare to Deliver

11. Preparation is
“Assembling your thoughts, your ideas, your
convictions, your urges” Dale Carnegie
Go deep

12. Capture your thoughts
• Ideas
• Strategies
• Dreams
• Values
• Outcomes
• Questions
• Research /
Learning
• Mortality

13. What does success look like?
Desired Future State

14. You are always ‘pitching’ so –
What outcome do you want?

15. Rule of 3
What is core to
the message?
1.The problem
2.The solution
3.The action

16. Pitch Power Erosion

17. Pre-mortem To think through eventualities
• Questions
• Objections
• Risks

18. Research your audience
•LinkedIn
•Networks
•Facebook
•Twitter Rapport

19. Research your offer
• Market size
• Target clients
• Existing market
activity
• Break-even
projections
• Forecasts
• Positioning

20. How to make a positive lasting
impression

21. Delivery
Rule 1 – Be yourself
Rule 2 – Build rapport
Rule 3 – Brevity but not speed
Rule 4 – KISS
Rule 5 – Focus on the end
game
Rule 6 – Prepare for the
unexpected
Rule 7 – Learn

22. Know your story

23. Know Your ‘Why’

24. Capture your thoughts
• Ideas
• Strategies
• Dreams
• Values
• Outcomes
• Questions
• Research
• Mortality

25. Getting to the core
Courtesy of Simon Sinek: “Start with
Why”, 2009

26. Let’s talk about ‘Why’
Simon Sinek’s – Golden Circle
What
How
Why
What: The way the sales
process normally starts. “Our
product is….
How: We then normally go onto
“How we are different or How
the product or service works” –
those benefits and features

27. Start with Why
Values Passion
Emotion Purpose

28. Rapport
Trust Building

29. Language
• Vary the tone and
volume
• Use specific clear
words – avoid jargon
• Hand and mouth
coordination
• Use ‘active’ rather than
‘passive’ voice
• Use a ‘power’
vocabulary
• Relate your experience
as evidence
• Empathise

30. Non-verbal
communication
• Posture – standing tall with
shoulders back.
• Eye contact – solid with a
"smiling" face.
• Gestures with hands and arms
– purposeful and deliberate.
• Speech – slow and clear.
• Tone of voice – moderate to
low.

31. Body
language
Thinking
Engaging
Listening
Emphasising
Distancing
Analysing
Agreeing
Including
Welcoming
Acknowledging
Loving
Comforting

32. If you can say it in 60 seconds –
The Art of Brevity

33. The Elevator Pitch Wheel
Lead with
your Why
How you are
unique – stories /
emotions
Finish with
what you do
– Call to
action
Henriettewebber.com

34. Your Elevator Pitch
1. What is your name and the name of your company?
2. State Why the problem you solve means so much
to you
3. Give an example of How this has / or could impact
a customer
4. What makes your approach so unique?
5. Call to action – What you are looking for

35. Thinking Ahead
Practice Emotional Control
• Breathe – In (7 seconds) – Out (11 Seconds)
• Get centred
• Avoid caffeine and excess sugars
• Envision the event – both good and bad
• Practice – Feedback – Refine (Loop)
• Don’t stop practicing

36. Now Introduce yourself but this time
– start with Your Why
I will go first…

37. Simplify
Language - Management and Geek
Speak
Clarify once
Rule of 3
Images

39. What do you want
them to
remember?

40. What’s in it for them?
Peace of
Mind
SolutionReturn
Sweet
Spot

41. Reflect – Record – Change – Act
Iterate

42. Content

43. AIDA

44. What in this world needs to
change to make it a better place?

45. Attention
• Ask a rhetorical question
• State something that your
audience will concur with
• Ask for help
• Amazing statistics
• A combination of the
above

46. Speak with passion

47. Interest
What is interesting?
• Novelty
• Relevance
• Concreteness
• Clarity & Coherence
• Happiness & Humour

49. Desire
• Put things is terms of
benefits
• Create a narrative that
resonates
• Use different mediums
• Testimonials –
someone has it ‘I want
it’
• Create scarcity –
become
oversubscribed

50. Action
• To Buy
• To Invest
• To Join
• To Partner
Your Call!

51. What sticks – or How to leave a
lasting impression
Chip & Dan Heath, Made
to Stick

52. Ways to be remembered
Six Principles that make things stick
1. Simple – soundbites
2. Unexpected – break a pattern
3. Concrete – put people in the story
4. Credible – evidence things
5. Emotional – feelings that resonate
6. Stories – as stimulation, simulation and
inspiration
Chip & Dan Heath, Made
to Stick

53. Pitch Presentation
1. Title
2. Problem statement (now and desired future state)
3. Value proposition - solution in a nut-shell
4. The Magic – Prototypes, Stories, Outcomes - Evidence
5. Business model - How are you going to create revenues
6. Marketing strategy – Build community, build brand and build awareness
7. Competitive landscape & Competitive advantage
8. The Team
9. Projections, critical success factors and measures
10. Use of funds and a time-line
11. Q&A
12. Contact details
https://guykawasaki.com/the-only-10-slides-you-need-in-your-pitch/

54. Timings
• Be disciplined
• Practice
• Brevity (10 Mins Max)
But do it in 8

55. Practice! Practice!
Practice
Suggested reading
• ‘How to Develop Self-
Confidence and Influence
people by public Speaking’
– Dale Carnegie
• ‘Stand out’ – Dorie Clark
• ‘Start with Why’ – Simon
Sinek
• ‘Made to Stick’ – Chip &
Dan Heath

56. Any
questions?
If you would like help in
shaping a pitch or going
through the sales
process then contact the
Colbea team on
01206 548833