How to Pitch
Hi all,
I hate the word pitch. It conjures up the prototypical "sleazy salesperson" and puts everyone on edge.
The best salespeople I've ever met didn't pitch at all. "Help don't sell" is what my old boss used to say to describe this technique, and he was right.
You young whippersnappers might not know Zig Ziglar, the world's most famous sales trainer. People used to tell Zig that he could sell ice to Eskimos. His response (and I'm paraphrasing) — "I can't sell ice to Eskimos, they don't need it. But I can sell them a darn good heater."
Good selling starts with the product period. If you're running for office, that product is yourself. If you're selling cars, you have to believe in the vehicles you're moving off the lot.
But the very next step is equally important. Your mindset ought to be one of generosity, not greed. Greed comes from fear — fear of loss, fear of not having enough.
Greed is not good. It has never been good.
Generosity, on the other hand, is terrific. As Seth Godin writes, "When you give something away, you benefit more than the recipient. The act of being generous makes you rich beyond measure, and as the goods or services spread…And yet, every day, successful people race to give away their expertise and to spread their ideas."
Ok, so let's pretend you believe me. Generosity > Good, and Customer Needs > Your Needs. What then?
Well, you'll still need to pitch at some point. But if you do it right, it won't feel like a pitch.
Who You Are
Why You're Doing This
Why It's Viable (if you're running for office — Why You'll Win)
The Ask
Thank You
Who you are — this could be as simple as "My name is Noah, and I raise money."
Why you're doing this — for most people, this will take some thought and evolve over time. But even if it changes, being able to articulate a purpose is critical. Have you ever been in a meeting and you didn't know why you were there? It sucks, doesn't it? If you don't establish a purpose (why you're running for office, why you started the non-profit, etc.), the interaction is difficult to salvage.
Why it's viable — the most important bullet point. No one gives to candidates who are losing. No one donates to non-profits that have no idea what they're doing. Instead, you can come up with a talking point that shows your path to viability. It helps if it has some metrics attached.
The ask — "Would you consider making a personal commitment to do X by Y date." That formula, word for word.
Thank you — Remember you're working from a place of generosity. Gratitude is an integral part of this, for psychological purposes, but also for pragmatic ones. If you say thank you to your customers they are more likely to buy again.
This same advice applies if you're pitching your manager on the new project, asking for a raise, or trying to convince the babysitter to stay an extra hour.
Even if you're not in sales, you're in sales.
Thanks for reading,
Noah