It’s no secret here at B Squared Media we Think Conversation, Not Campaign™, but we also have to communicate with confidence when selling our tagline, services and ourselves.
Sure, things like body language and speaking with enthusiasm help, but how do you constantly deliver your messages with gumption?
We’ve got an easy-breezy five-step process for the perfect pitch or presentation.
Write it, read it, memorize it and WATCH IT WORK!
Communicate With Confidence: The 5-Step Process
Nearly two years ago to the day, I admitted to something BIG here on the B Squared Blog. My pitch sucked!
No one really taught me how to pitch, much less gave me a step-by-step process for developing a way to communicate my business (with confidence!).
[bctt tweet=”Here are 5 steps to developing the perfect pitch — and how to communicate it with confidence.”]1. Describe
Describe the types of products you sell or the services you offer. Be brief.
In fact, try to sum up your products and/or services in around two sentences.
For example, I would say something like:
- Businesses hire me to strategize or consult with them about their online marketing needs.
- Companies also hire me/our team to manage their social media sites on their behalf.
That’s the meat and potatoes of what we do.
Yes, we do a lot more but there’s no need run through the laundry list with someone who’s given you a minute or two of their time.
2. Add Your Benefit Statements
[bctt tweet=”It’s not enough to tell people what you do, you have to sell them the experience!”]Take the two sentences you created and add benefit statements to them.
Mine would look something like this:
- Businesses hire me to strategize or consult with them about their online marketing needs. One of the best compliments I’ve been given was when a client with aggressive deadlines and no experience told me that working with me was like working with an agency at the enterprise level, and that my personalized and reliable attention is everything they hoped to get when hiring a consultant.
- Companies also hire me/our team to manage their social media sites on their behalf. We often find that too many businesses spend large amounts of time and money on social media without the assurance of results. It’s not your job to dabble and see what works; it’s ours. Our clients love that they can spend precious time elsewhere while we figure out the most efficient strategies for performance.
Depending on how interested the person with whom I’m speaking seems, I can cut those sentences way down.
You can see quite clearly how they add value and state the most obvious benefits our services provide.
Helpful Hint: Not sure what the benefits of your products or service are? ASK! Happy clients are always more than willing to share … at least that’s what we’ve found.
3. BE H-E-L-P-F-U-L
Because it’s about THEM, not YOU.
Create one sentence that sums up how your company/products/services help people.
Again, be brief. Try to use ten words or less.
Mine might look something like this:
- We believe that when you communicate with customers, the quality of those communications is paramount.
- Our mantra: Think Conversation, Not Campaign™. (The really brief version — 6 words!)
Obviously you can’t lead in with this statement. It’s only clear once you’ve described your products or services and added the benefits.
4. Qualify
Now you’re entering the part where your companion is either interested or not. You’ll be able to tell by body language and their enthusiasm.
If they’re still interested you can move to qualification — AND, you can communicate with confidence when it comes to the kind of client you’re interested in working with.
Give an example of an AWESOME SAUCE referral. And be specific (use context clues from your conversation!).
My example:
- Business owners who are finding Facebook irrelevant, hard, or not seeing a return on investment are a perfect fit for our social media management program.
Then give an example of a referral that wouldn’t benefit you; my example:
- We work with small startups all the way up to billion-dollar brands! We’d love to help everyone, but ideally our clients have a healthy monthly budget somewhere in the neighborhood of $500.
Now you’ve set boundaries (with confidence!). The person you’re presenting or pitching to knows:
- If they’re interested
- If they’re a qualified lead
- If they know of others who may possibly be interested in your business
5. Miscellaneous & Follow-Up
By now the conversation is flowing back and forth and you probably have a good idea of the interest level of the person you’re speaking to.
If all signs point to “KEEP TALKING!” you should take this time to ask questions that will help you custom tailor the end of your pitch.
Ask about (pertaining to your industry/business) their:
- Likes
- Dislikes
- Interests
- Responsibilities
From here you can really get a feel for follow-up … meaning you need to make a plan for what’s next!
Send a follow-up thank you, ask for a phone date or meeting, jump on a Skype session and demo your product.
[bctt tweet=”Don’t forget the often missed step of FOLLOW UP!”]From Mind To Matter-Of-Fact
Use this 5-step process to create as many mini pitches as you can.
Read them aloud. Memorize them. Improvise them.
Then? PUT THEM TO WORK!
Communicating with confidence is easy once you’ve given your plan a little insight.
How do you communicate with confidence when touting your business or brand? I’d love to know! Leave me a little love note in the comments section below.
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