Pitching Skill Workshop: Pitching Tips & Skills to Master
I find that creatives in the visual arts and spoken word are often the most challenged when it comes to pitching for sales or investment.
What they do is set aside all the creative skills they have, while attempting to be salespeople!
Their creativity, imagination, visualization skills get put aside when they attempt to create a pitch.
The opposite is what they should be doing.
The Opening:
A pitch is a story with an impactful start!
(I heard that most books are put down by page eighteen, never to be picked up again).
Get my attention immediately then hold it.
The End:
You have just watched a good movie or TV show for ninety minutes, yet you were disappointed as the ending was flat!
A pitch must end by impacting your listener, helping them to see the benefits you provide for them or their business.
In between the start and the finish there must be a structure that holds your listeners attention, informs them, educates them and builds excitement.
Doesn’t this sound like the script for a good movie or book, where chapter after chapter they are engaged and informed, with anticipation growing while building to an exciting climax!
Creatives, do not put aside your imagination in an attempt to be a businessperson.
No, rather use the skills you have to tell a great story that people will wish to buy.
Your job is not to sell; your challenge is to get people to buy into your creativity, while demonstrating that you have a business head on your shoulders.
In these times of short attention spans, both creativity and business acumen are required in order to succeed.
Note:
You need to teach prospective investors and partners how your world works; you know, they may not.
Question:
Do you need to target people who understand your marketplace?
Action:
The first and ‘Golden’ rule for anyone who presents is ‘Know Your Audience’.
To achieve a successful pitch, this is where a great deal of your planning must start and finish.
When these words appear on the screen in the cinema:
THE END
if people stay to read the credits and let the impact sink in, you know you have a winner.
The same applies when Pitching!
Tell us in the comments below – Have you experienced a presentation that didn’t hold your attention?
How did you feel?
