Is Your Pitch As Powerful As You Think?
by Motivational Speaker and Strategic Storytelling Expert, Kelly Swanson
It’s safe to say that I have now been on the receiving end of hundreds of sales pitches in all shapes and sizes, from the chipper guy who calls at dinner, to the random ad on Facebook promising thin thighs in thirty days, to the LinkedIn connection that turns into a sales pitch (or marriage proposal) from the word hello. Very few (like only a handful) even get my attention, much less keep it, much less drive me to buy. The buying market is crowded, noisy, and very distracting. The internet opens us up to hundreds of pitches a day on every page we open. Now more than ever, we must make sure that our pitches have the power to stand out in a crowded market - to get attention and to keep it. Because chances are very good that your pitch is getting lost in the shuffle.
No matter what you’re pitching or to whom, the principles of a power pitch don’t really change much. Sure, your sales formula and process will be unique to you and your industry, but the art of getting attention is pretty much universal. It’s been my business for almost twenty years as a motivational speaker and strategic storytelling expert. Here is what I’ve learned, followed by a real life example.
Three Things Every Powerful Pitch Should Include
I’m not even going to bother going over the basics of a presentation or pitch. I’m going to assume that you know what you’re selling, what it does, and why it matters. So we’ll leave that to another article. I’m going to assume you already have some sort of pitch prepared that tells the buyer what they need to know. That’s basic communication - transfer of data - the core structure of your argument. (If you’re not really sure how to set up a persuasive argument, I have a template in my new book The Story Formula.)
Now let’s look at ways to power up that presentation and take it to a new level.
- Story - It’s not the data that compels us to buy, it’s the story of what that product will do for us. We don’t buy the pieces in a car, we buy the whole car. People don’t buy your product, they buy the transformation it brings to their own lives. Make sure your pitch tells a story.
- Emotion - People buy for emotional reasons and emotion is personal. The pitch must alter how they feel about you personally, and about the product personally. What it means to you, and what it means to them. The data does not have the ability to be personal. The story wraps data in human emotion so that it makes the necessary emotional connection. Make sure your presentation includes emotion.
- Urgency - If I know I have time to make a decision, I’m going to wait. Raise the stakes for me and I’ll act faster. Make sure your presentation shows them why it matters if they act now.
Story Makeover
Now that I’ve told you how to power up a pitch, let me show you. This is a pitch for a non-profit group (www.Chicktime.org) that I’ve been working with to teach the leaders how to power up their pitches to recruit more volunteers, raise more money, and increase awareness. This first story was written after they went through my boot camp and learned the Story Formula. The second story is after we powered it up. Look at how the three principles I discussed above made this story more powerful. (You might notice some other things we did to the story as well - like tightening it, and getting a more solid structure in place.)
Before:
I wasn’t exactly looking to start something new when Chicktime found me. Serving people however had been tugging on my heart. I wasn’t sure how and where to get started. I hope this doesn’t sound too bad, but I am currently in the throws of mothering young children right now, so the idea of volunteering my limited time to fold more clothes and cook another meal, sounded awful at this point in my life. I didn’t just want; I needed an outlet to make a meaningful connection with actual people. I hadn’t fully realized it until recently, but God has given me that passion to see other people thrive. To see them rip off those things that have been weighing them down. Their circumstances, the toxic people in their life that tell them they can’t, it’s impossible, you’ll never be anything more. The weight of ignorance. Of having a desire, but not knowing where to go or how to use it. Not knowing how to get started or who to ask for help. I have felt that in my own life. Having a desire, but lacking the skill. I have often thought “if someone would just invest a little time in me on this, I’d be forever changed!” Have you ever felt that? Because let’s remember, ,”God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”
Then, God (using social media) put Chicktime right in my news feed. I clicked and read through the website. There it was: “Chicktime encourages women to develop their passions and use their gifts to make the world a better place for the next generation.”
Incredible.
As I tried to sign up I discovered there was not a chapter in my area yet. Bummer. I REALLY wasn’t looking to START something. But as I’m reading, I learn that the model is such a doable and impactful approach to serving. One time per month. A new activity leader each month and you volunteer when you can. Just like that, we’ve cut through the red tape of getting face time with those that we wish to serve and it’s totally possible to make an impact whether you are able to volunteer each month or choose to lead one activity per year!
So here we are.
Partnering with Sojourn Shelter, we serve to connect the talents of women in our community to the needs.
I know what you might be thinking. “I don’t have any talents.”
Not true! (God didn’t forget about you) Are you good at budgeting? Writing? Crafting? Taking Pictures? Maybe you have excellent interview skills to share. Or some awesome D.I.Y. secrets. Maybe you love exercise and the effects is has on your mood and confidence. Maybe you have cooking skills or can make people laugh….
“I am already so busy.”
Come one time or all 12! Choose to lead or to be a helper. Prepare part of the meal and drop it off! Make some Christmas gifts for the women or school supply kits for the kids. Your time invested will not return void. And you just never know who is in the room that God called for you to qualify with your talents. If you would like to be a “Chick” with us and/or have questions reach out to me at (217)899-4514.
After:
As a mother of two young children, the idea of volunteering was the last thing on my mind. I was barely finding the time to serve my own kids, much less someone else’s. Don’t get me wrong. I love being a mom. But I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. I was craving a connection I wasn’t getting inside my house. Something more than just a night out with the girls. Something that actually fed my soul.
There are lots of ways to serve, that’s for sure. But my heart kept thinking about the women and children in my community – the ones who don’t have the things I take for granted. The ones who don’t have enough to eat. A place to wash their clothes. The ones who don’t have a place to sleep. The ones for whom safety is a luxury. There was a time in my life when I knew what that felt like. I couldn’t help feeling that they were whispering for help and I needed to listen.
And then God used social media to show me my path. Right there in my news feed. A Chicktime story. “This is it!” I thought. I jumped on the computer to find out more, but there wasn’t a chapter in my area. That’s when God whispered, “Then start one.” I thought He was kidding. Me? I’m barely qualified to be a mom, much less this!
But He doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. And I trusted those words.
So here I am. Standing in the middle of something so beautiful – to be part of a movement where lives are changed, and I get a front row seat.
Just like I was called that day, I know that He is calling others. Maybe this is your divine appointment. Your calling. Don’t worry about whether you’re qualified. Don’t worry about whether you have the time – He’ll provide the time. Don’t worry about whether you have the right gifts or talents. These families don’t need talent. They need people who care enough to show up. The rest is just icing on the cake. I went out to help women and children find meaning, and ended up finding my own.
If you feel led to be part of this amazing soul-shifting experience, go to www.Chicktime.org or call us at (217) 899-4514. Please don’t wait. Someone is whispering and you may be the only one close enough to hear.
Want Your Own Story Makeover?
This one Chicktime story can be used in so many ways. I picture her putting it on video and making it part of a social media campaign. It’s a great story to share at a fundraiser. Or to put on a postcard. The options are endless.
Now you may be looking at your pitch realizing it could use some work - that it could be more powerful than it is. And that making it more powerful can make you a lot more money. Maybe for you it’s time to power up your pitch so you can get the business you’re losing to someone else.
Whether it’s someone to come into your group and show you the power of story, teach your people The Story Formula, or work with you on an individual basis to power up your pitch, we can help. Just send an email to kelly@kellyswanson.net and we’ll schedule a FREE thirty-minute phone consultation.
When it comes to the power of story, too many people stop at “good enough” not realizing that with a few upgrades, that story can become amazing. And it’s amazing that sells, not good enough. kswanson