No ‘Pitching’ – this is not an audition for the Apprentice
Your Authenticity: Feeling and Portraying Confidence
I personally don’t like the term ’pitching’ because it implies throwing ideas about and hoping that some will stick with your client or business partner. Whether you are selling ideas or products – the sales process is all about personal credibility and authenticity.
‘Pitching’ to me conjures up the unfortunate image of the ‘barrow boy’ or ‘pushy car salesman’ forcing themselves on unwilling buyers. Here, there are winners and losers. I don’t have a lot of time for that. The traditional approach to pitching or selling is really a zero sum game where one person to the detriment benefits, to get one over or take advantage of the buyer. That’s why I have difficulty with the traditional route to sales or when people make a pitch to me.
Traditional Sales is Pushing
When some people are selling, you can actually feel them invading your own personal and psychological space and most of us don’t enjoy the process. So why do they do it, and why is this still being used as the definitive sales model of ABC or as the salesman would say, Always Be Closing (ABC)?
When someone is in full sales mode they have their script, their short-term objectives, clever lines at the ready – they have worked through all possible objections to their proposals in advance and have rehearsed responses so that they can close this sale and move onto their next prospect in the chain. To my mind, that is short-term gain that leads to buyer remorse and a lack of trust in future transactions.
Selling is about serving not imposing your will on others
I like the way the Norwegians interpret the sales process – they refer to selling in Norse as ‘Selje’ – “ serve the needs of others”. This reflects their culture, and how they build personal and professional relationships. For me, this fits my ethical stance very closely and is much more effective for those whose role is to sell ideas, concepts, viewpoints, and even products and services. It becomes a much more facilitated or consultative process where all parties have to experience gain. There is a long term win-win game where trust is developed and relationships deepen.
But after saying this, we do know that the sales process is central to a great deal of commercial activity. In reality, without a sale there is no business. Central to many organisations is the view of retaining current clients, winning back past migrated clients and users, and acquiring new customers.
What about Selling in the Service Sector?
There are many occupations which still require individuals to achieve a sales mindset even where theyare not really selling tangible products or services. This is as true in the public sector as it is for Health professionals, the emergency services and the financial services sector.
Consider the Risk Manager, the Project Manager, Internal Auditor, IT and operations professional, Lawyer, HR, Finance, Healthcare specialists and those who provide public services etc. They all have a role involving selling ideas, concepts, viewpoints, recommendations and their personal services that support their professional credibility. Would they also benefit understanding the best in facilitated or consultative selling?
Demystify the Process of Selling or making your ‘Pitch’
Effective selling does not happen by accident, nor is it something people acquire at birth. It is a logical process which has firm principles and behaviours to create benefits for all parties in the process. Now just consider for a minute what would happen for you if we could remove those factors that inhibit your ability to sell your ideas and even generate new business. If I could demystify the selling process for you, how comfortable would that make you feel? What difference would it make to your effectiveness? Probably a lot.
What could happen for your business if we could take your people, their propositions and presentations to a superior level where you are in the top rankings and where you stand at least a 80% chance of achieving your personal or team effectiveness?
This is not guaranteeing totally that we can win you all your new business pitches and new customers, but we will guarantee that we will put you and your team in a stronger position and a different league from where you are now.
Create Personal Credibility
Personal authenticity and credibility is valued by those you are trying to influence. Gaining personal credibility requires developing win-win relationships and being able to build rapport with mutual trust.
Not everyone is gifted with the self confidence and ability needed to build rapport quickly. We have researched the subject, have applied the techniques and helped 000’s of people develop authentic self confidence and improve their personal effectiveness with others.
Authentic self confidence has to be built using your own personal values, rehearsing those areas of interaction where you are most uncomfortable, and ensuring your intent and strategies fit a win-win ecology for you and your client.
We know how to support you in building your personal credibility, and build and deliver your best value proposition to sell your idea. We have experience as independent consultants over 20 years, winning millions of pounds of consulting and training business. Many of these deals have been achieved despite being in competition with the strength of the big consultancy companies.
Winning Against the Big Players
We have worked extensively at senior levels with companies with GE, Lloyds, Case Corporation in the USA, Bass, TI, VWFS, NHS Trusts, Quango’s and Public bodies and many other businesses in Europe, the UK and the USA, and have won big contracts against major consultancies and industry big players.
Appeal Emotionally to Buying Behaviour
My success in this process is based on credibility as a Change consultant, being a successfully published business author, and with a strong platform of experience with blue chips at senior level, developing the most plausible and credible pitch and sales presentation that emotionally appeal to clients.
Death by PowerPoint
I know more than most on what influences most effectively. Working in partnership with my clients, we radically dismiss the ‘death by Powerpoint’ presentation style used by many of our competitors as their common platform and employ instead a tailored and authentic influential approach based on integrity and a common win-win orientation.
Retained, Volume, New Business
Too many people who get into ‘selling mode’ fly by their seat of their pants. They don’t do enough preparation, fail to identify the real benefits for their clients and state them in simple to understand emotional triggers to create a positive ‘win-win’ relationship.
Many rely on and use the most boring PowerPoint presentations or overly slick ones, and generally fail in their endeavours, learning little from their most effective, innovative and professional colleagues. They fail to address objections to their proposals and seem to know little of the psychology of influence and persuasion.
New Business Takes Years to Win & Minutes to Lose
Don’t kid yourself that you can rely on the strength of your brand, your personal reputation or your reputation in the organisation. Remember it takes years to win client trust, confidence and a positive relationship and minutes to lose it.
What matters in winning the business is the quality of your proposal, how it is presented and reinforced there and then on the day. The bottom line is down to the preparation, the credibility of the case and the impression you create.
This does not happen by default or accident. It is based on sound and intelligent marketing, and developing a winning sales pitch based on the latest research in influence, sales and negotiation.
I can help you improve the personal effectiveness of your selling or pitch by 50-80%
I can share my 20+ plus years experience in behavioural presentations and sales delivery and together with my colleagues I can design and deliver a strategy for you that works.
These skills are relevant in any business context.
This is what we can do for you…………
Contact Philip by email or through our contact form
I personally don’t like the term ’pitching’ because it implies throwing ideas about and hoping that some will stick with your client or business partner. Whether you are selling ideas or products – the sales process is all about personal credibility and authenticity.
‘Pitching’ to me conjures up the unfortunate image of the ‘barrow boy’ or ‘pushy car salesman’ forcing themselves on unwilling buyers. Here, there are winners and losers. I don’t have a lot of time for that. The traditional approach to pitching or selling is really a zero sum game where one person to the detriment benefits, to get one over or take advantage of the buyer. That’s why I have difficulty with the traditional route to sales or when people make a pitch to me.
Traditional Sales is Pushing
When some people are selling, you can actually feel them invading your own personal and psychological space and most of us don’t enjoy the process. So why do they do it, and why is this still being used as the definitive sales model of ABC or as the salesman would say, Always Be Closing (ABC)?
When someone is in full sales mode they have their script, their short-term objectives, clever lines at the ready – they have worked through all possible objections to their proposals in advance and have rehearsed responses so that they can close this sale and move onto their next prospect in the chain. To my mind, that is short-term gain that leads to buyer remorse and a lack of trust in future transactions.
Selling is about serving not imposing your will on others
I like the way the Norwegians interpret the sales process – they refer to selling in Norse as ‘Selje’ – “ serve the needs of others”. This reflects their culture, and how they build personal and professional relationships. For me, this fits my ethical stance very closely and is much more effective for those whose role is to sell ideas, concepts, viewpoints, and even products and services. It becomes a much more facilitated or consultative process where all parties have to experience gain. There is a long term win-win game where trust is developed and relationships deepen.
But after saying this, we do know that the sales process is central to a great deal of commercial activity. In reality, without a sale there is no business. Central to many organisations is the view of retaining current clients, winning back past migrated clients and users, and acquiring new customers.
What about Selling in the Service Sector?
There are many occupations which still require individuals to achieve a sales mindset even where theyare not really selling tangible products or services. This is as true in the public sector as it is for Health professionals, the emergency services and the financial services sector.
Consider the Risk Manager, the Project Manager, Internal Auditor, IT and operations professional, Lawyer, HR, Finance, Healthcare specialists and those who provide public services etc. They all have a role involving selling ideas, concepts, viewpoints, recommendations and their personal services that support their professional credibility. Would they also benefit understanding the best in facilitated or consultative selling?
Demystify the Process of Selling or making your ‘Pitch’
Effective selling does not happen by accident, nor is it something people acquire at birth. It is a logical process which has firm principles and behaviours to create benefits for all parties in the process. Now just consider for a minute what would happen for you if we could remove those factors that inhibit your ability to sell your ideas and even generate new business. If I could demystify the selling process for you, how comfortable would that make you feel? What difference would it make to your effectiveness? Probably a lot.
What could happen for your business if we could take your people, their propositions and presentations to a superior level where you are in the top rankings and where you stand at least a 80% chance of achieving your personal or team effectiveness?
This is not guaranteeing totally that we can win you all your new business pitches and new customers, but we will guarantee that we will put you and your team in a stronger position and a different league from where you are now.
Create Personal Credibility
Personal authenticity and credibility is valued by those you are trying to influence. Gaining personal credibility requires developing win-win relationships and being able to build rapport with mutual trust.
Not everyone is gifted with the self confidence and ability needed to build rapport quickly. We have researched the subject, have applied the techniques and helped 000’s of people develop authentic self confidence and improve their personal effectiveness with others.
Authentic self confidence has to be built using your own personal values, rehearsing those areas of interaction where you are most uncomfortable, and ensuring your intent and strategies fit a win-win ecology for you and your client.
We know how to support you in building your personal credibility, and build and deliver your best value proposition to sell your idea. We have experience as independent consultants over 20 years, winning millions of pounds of consulting and training business. Many of these deals have been achieved despite being in competition with the strength of the big consultancy companies.
Winning Against the Big Players
We have worked extensively at senior levels with companies with GE, Lloyds, Case Corporation in the USA, Bass, TI, VWFS, NHS Trusts, Quango’s and Public bodies and many other businesses in Europe, the UK and the USA, and have won big contracts against major consultancies and industry big players.
Appeal Emotionally to Buying Behaviour
My success in this process is based on credibility as a Change consultant, being a successfully published business author, and with a strong platform of experience with blue chips at senior level, developing the most plausible and credible pitch and sales presentation that emotionally appeal to clients.
Death by PowerPoint
I know more than most on what influences most effectively. Working in partnership with my clients, we radically dismiss the ‘death by Powerpoint’ presentation style used by many of our competitors as their common platform and employ instead a tailored and authentic influential approach based on integrity and a common win-win orientation.
Retained, Volume, New Business
Too many people who get into ‘selling mode’ fly by their seat of their pants. They don’t do enough preparation, fail to identify the real benefits for their clients and state them in simple to understand emotional triggers to create a positive ‘win-win’ relationship.
Many rely on and use the most boring PowerPoint presentations or overly slick ones, and generally fail in their endeavours, learning little from their most effective, innovative and professional colleagues. They fail to address objections to their proposals and seem to know little of the psychology of influence and persuasion.
New Business Takes Years to Win & Minutes to Lose
Don’t kid yourself that you can rely on the strength of your brand, your personal reputation or your reputation in the organisation. Remember it takes years to win client trust, confidence and a positive relationship and minutes to lose it.
What matters in winning the business is the quality of your proposal, how it is presented and reinforced there and then on the day. The bottom line is down to the preparation, the credibility of the case and the impression you create.
This does not happen by default or accident. It is based on sound and intelligent marketing, and developing a winning sales pitch based on the latest research in influence, sales and negotiation.
I can help you improve the personal effectiveness of your selling or pitch by 50-80%
I can share my 20+ plus years experience in behavioural presentations and sales delivery and together with my colleagues I can design and deliver a strategy for you that works.
These skills are relevant in any business context.
This is what we can do for you…………
- Construct a strategy to win your specific and follow on business
- Support you in writing proposals and using language patterns to create the right visual impression of your expertise
- Design your presentation
- Facilitate improvement in your presentation team
- Rehearse with the presentation team until they have the competence and confidence to handle any objections
- Make benefits specifically deliverable to the client’s bottom line, whether they are internal or external clients
- Support you in an influential presentation or sales delivery
- Improve your chances of repeat business with key partners
- Create a positive impression with your potential client or partner so they return to and depend upon you, time and time again
Contact Philip by email or through our contact form