Four Steps in Creating a Good Pitch

Tim Rudkins, Small Business Coach & Solopreneur

I don’t know how many times I’ve developed the “perfect” sales pitch and found I had to throw it away the first time I used it on a customer. In my mind (and on paper) I had anticipated the way the call was going to go, all their questions and how I was going to answer them all. Then, the call started and before I knew it they weren’t asking the “right” questions and were asking things or talking about stuff that wasn’t in the script!

How can you go about developing a good pitch? Here are my four steps.

1. Determine the prospect’s problem/opportunity. 
   Think of the problem/opportunity that the customer has and how your product or service might solve it. If asked about my business I tend to start with the phrase “I help solopreneurs start their small business quickly and successfully.”  If not asked, I ask “How is your business start-up going?” Simple and to the point. Best of all, the pitch has that most important element in it – a question the customer can ask or answer.
2. Have a question.
   The “question” in the first case is, “What’s a solopreneur?” now we have a conversation going and from there I can continue to explain. In the second case, I asked the question and depending on their answer I know whether the person is a prospect or not.
3. Have some answers. 
   Once the conversation starts, the prospect usually has some questions and this is where I do most of my preparation. I say “most” because each time I think that I’ve got a good idea of all the questions they might ask, I am surprised by a bunch of new ones. This is why you can’t have the perfect pitch. It is something that grows and improves over time.
4. Follow-up in some way.
   Depending on how the conversation goes, I try to follow up in some way. If things are going great for them, I congratulate them and ask more questions. If there is some interest, I suggest that I send them something or follow-up with an email or call.  Again, no pre-set ideas, simply continuing the conversation to a logical end.

What are the lessons learned in this situation? Don’t try and perfect your pitch. Create one fast, try it out and make sure you learn each time you deliver it. Time and practice is what it’s all about!