Pitching is one of the most important things we do in life. Many of the conversations we have are in fact, simple little pitches to others to get an agreement on something so we can move forward together. So it makes sense that we do it well. A pitch was the first thing you did when you were born. And you probably pitched someone in your family as recently as today. We’re all able to do it, but we sometimes freeze up in a business context.
In order to do it well all the time, we need to make it as human as possible. It needs to be a normal conversation. The technique I use to pitch is the same way you’d explain something if you didn’t regard it as a sell job. It’s simple and clean and it goes like this:
My Pitch Method:
You know how …
Well, what we do ….
In fact, …
We simply finish each of these sentences. You can see, it feels human and natural. And it is a super easy format to remember. The end of each sentence then informs the listeners of our proposition:
You know how … (the problem)
Well, what we do … (The solution)
In fact, … (insert crazy statistic or fact)
The closing fact should be the kicker on why this is a valid opportunity, or show progress that gets people excited. It works on pretty much anything. here are some examples using it on brands you know:
Tesla
You know how cars are a major contributor to carbon emissions and climate change. Well what we do at Tesla, is build all electric cars which outperform petrol cars on speed, safety and style. In fact, we have over 400 charging stations across the USA so you’ll never pay for petrol again.
Ikea
You know how stylish modern furniture can be expensive. Well what we do is sell furniture, flat packed for you to put together in the home to keep the costs way down. In fact, we’ve become the worlds biggest furniture company serving over 700 million customers just last year.
Google Self Drive Car
You know how millions of people die in road crashes each year, and that 90% are caused by human error. Well, the Google Self drive car solves this problem by replacing human drivers. In fact, our self drive cars have done over 1 million miles without a single incident.
Uber
You know how ordering a taxi is risky, because they say they’ll send the ‘next available’, well what we do is tell you exactly how many minutes it will be before the car arrives. In fact, if we can’t make that promise, we’d rather tell you that no cars are available. This has made us the biggest ride sharing service in the world.
You can see that these brand pitches different solutions and benefits could’ve been used. As the person giving the pitch, it is our job to give the angle we think will be most compelling to the person hearing it. We also have to remember that a good pitch isn’t about getting a decision, it’s about inviting a conversation on the topic. An invitation to explore.
The Pitch ->>> Engaged conversation on the topic
Now here’s an example of how you might use it with a family member on a household decision:
You know how we cook at home every night and it is exhausting, well there’s a new pasta house that has main meals for $10 each that we can go to. In fact, it could even be cheaper than buying the food to cook at home.
So there you have it. My simple pitching method which can be used in almost any situation. Practice it in life, and on brands you know and watch the dramatic improvement in your results. You can thank me later.
You should totally read my book – The Great Fragmentation.
