I want to arm readers with the tools I’ve used for may years to win over clients and create success.  Of course the definition of success varies depending on your desired outcome. In my experience successful pitches tell a story, and while we may not all be great story tellers, there are things you CAN do to win your audience over.

Before the story…

If a great presentation is a well delivered story then the ingredients need to be: 

1. Know your audience and understand what they are looking for
2. Craft a story or script that your audience can relate to or that they can “see themselves in”.
3. Speaking skills that not only convey your message but do so clearly and confidently
4. Props that enhance your story, slides, demonstrations, images, references
5. The ability to read the audience DURING the presentation so you can adjust your pitch
6. Closing the presentation for results.

I’ve created this list in what may be the order they occur but the importance of each ingredient will vary for you.  But make no mistake, if you nail all six ingredients you’re unlikely to fail.  To be clear then, you will need to alter your presentation a little each time you deliver it.  This is not at all a simple thing to do when starting out but practiced speakers do it quite naturally.

Let’s start with MOTIVATION?

I regard this as one of the most important ingredients because it sets the foundation for the story you’ll weave.  A successful presentation needs to motivate audience.  Trust, desire, satisfaction, relief are all desirable outcomes and I’ve even had a prospective customer cry with relief after seeing a solution presented that solved a longstanding and difficult problem. Conversely, poorly executed will easily stir the opposite emotions of distrust or dissatisfaction. 

It seems obvious but how can you generate emotion if you don’t understand the people you’re presenting to? Everybody has priorities, needs and concerns both personally and for their company and you need to address them. This becomes particularly difficult if you’re presenting to a group.  Imagine presenting software to the management team of a prospective customer.  The CFO is interested in cost and return on investment, while the CIO is skeptical of how the software will integrate with other systems, the business manager wants to be more productive and the CEO needs to meet corporate objectives.  Your presentation needs to speak to all of them.

Strategies for gathering audience knowledge is for the most part also good sales tactics. It may include;

• Asking lots questions.
  • What’s driving the purchase? 
  • Why now? 
  • Who is attending the presentation and their roles?
  • What is the timing and decision process?
  • Why do they think you can help? 
  • How did they hear about you?
  • What happens if you don’t buy something?
  • What else are they evaluating?
  • What do they have now?
     
• Linkedin research the individuals to ascertain their backgrounds and any mutual connections if relevant.  Understand their individual concerns not just the company ones.

• Annual reports and media releases are a great source of what’s driving the company and motivating the CEO.
   
• Social media and competitive analysis so you understand how they describe themselves their market and how well they stack up against their own competition.
   
• If this is a large deal you might also consider building a map of all the decision makers and their alliance with you.  Are the advocates, antagonists or neutral?

Sales is at it’s core about solving perceived needs. Whether that’s needing an investor new car, needing to be more productive or needing a vacation. As you collect information on the audience’s needs, take note of where you can help and where you cannot.  This will be used later as input for your presentation.

Next post we’ll cover crafting your story and then move onto the other ingredients. 

Whether you are pitching to raise money for your startup, presenting to your college professor or hoping to sell more, I truly hope you find something in here to help you on your own personal journey.