and how to win the next one.
REASONS
WHYYOULOSTYOUR
SALES PITCH
3
+ Cliff Atkinson

What’s the value of your next pitch
to you and your organization?
A S K Y O U R S E L F :
$0 $100,000 $100Million

.05% 1%.01%
What percentage of the value
are you investing on it?
A S K Y O U R S E L F :
<

PROPOSALRELATIONSHIP BUILDING STRATEGIZING
Many people treat the ACTUAL PITCH as an afterthought
3-6 months 1month 3 weeks
PRESENTATION PREP
1 week/overnight
“LET’S WING IT”

BIG MISTAKE!

You can have the best product or plan
but if you can’t communicate it well,
YOU WON’T
MAKE THE SALE

invest in your pitches and make
them as effective as they can be.
NEVER WING IT

THAT MADE YOU
TOP 3
DEADLY MISTAKES
LOSE YOUR BIG DEAL

MISTAKE #1
BANG!rather than a
a whimper
Starting with

LOOK FAMILIAR?
Agenda:
1. Our Company
2. Our Services
3. Our Clients
4. Case Studies
5. Recap
6...7...8...9...

It triggers emotion, frames your
story and maps the path forward.
A STRONG START IS CRUCIAL.

Lose the agenda slide and start with a story instead
START WITH SOMETHING FRESH,
UNIQUE AND INTERESTING

where someone like them faces a high-stakes
challenge and the way forward is uncertain.
TAKE THEM TO:
A DRAMATIC SCENE

triggers the brainstem of audience
members to feel connected, safe and
trusting of what you represent.
THE RIGHT STORY

It sets a solid emotional framework for the
rational argument you will make next.
FACTS, FIGURES, CASE EXAMPLES
MOTIVATIONS, EMOTIONS, RAPPORT

makes it easy for those in the room to
advocate for you when the pitch is over.
CLEARLY ARTICULATES
BENEFITS
APPEALS TO
EMOTION
MAKES THE AUDIENCE
THE HERO ( NOT YOU )
A WINNING STORY...

PITCHof the
NARRATIVE ARC
Losing control of the
MISTAKE #2

But too many will
CONFUSE
rather than
CONVINCE!
There may be many good
points you would like your
prospect to know .....

Make
STRUCTURE
your
STRATEGY

What are the three most important things
YOU WANT YOUR AUDIENCE TO REMEMBER
when they walk out of the room?

Write down the
TOP 3 REASONS YOUR
AUDIENCE WOULD SAY ‘NO’
to what you're proposing,
then make your
RESPONSE TO THOSE
CONCERNS the 3 major
sections of your pitch.

PREDICTtheir questions and....
them before they arise
ANSWER

This approach melds your persuasive strategy
into your pitch structure, and crafts one
seamless, POWERFUL LINE OF ARGUMENT.

PRIMAL roleof emotion in
decision-making
Neglecting the
MISTAKE #3

“Decisions are made on
- KEVIN DALEY
themselves.”
NOT ON THE FACTS
FEELINGS ABOUT FACTS

Profile each DECISION-MAKER involved in
the approval process, both inside and
outside the pitch room
MARY GEORGE JACOB ANNA ALVIN
SALES
DIRECTOR
FINANCE
MANAGER
CEO
APAC
MANAGING
DIRECTOR
HR
EXECUTIVE
45 39 34 42 46
BIGGEST
CONCERN:
RESULTS KPI FACTORS CULTURE FIT IMPLEMENTATION
ROLE:
AGE:
PRICE

THEN DISTILL AND TAILOR CONTENT TO THEIR NEEDS.
THINK:
1.What does my information mean to them?
2.Why does it matter to them?
3.How can it influence their decision?

“WHY SHOULD I CARE?”
Audience:
?
?
?

Not every presentation is worth THE TROUBLE OF
TRANSFORMATION, but when you have one that
is, IT’S WORTH THE INVESTMENT to make sure
you deliver the best one you've given in 5 years.

HIGHSPARKStrategic Presentation Agency
highspark.co
@High_Spark
Deck Concept by:

In collaboration with:
CLIFF ATKINSON
High Stakes Presentation Consultant
cliffatkinson.com
beyondbulletpoints.com

Inspired by these articles:
THROW OUT YOUR
SALES PITCH
GAIN THE EDGE AND WIN
YOUR NEXT PITCH

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