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Archive Archive for March, 2009

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Selling

Book Review: How to Win a Pitch

Posted by

Ian Brodie on March 31st, 2009.

If you're short on time, here's my review in a nutshell: Buy this book.

Before the full review though, an admission: I hate the word “pitch”.

Now don't get me wrong, I've been involved in more than my fair share of pitches; won (and lost) multi-million pound consulting contracts as a result of “beauty parades” and “bake offs”. And I've learnt what works for me by learning from my mistakes and watching true experts perform in the field. But for me, the word “pitch” brings up all the wrong images: slick haired, dark suited, fast talking professionals who pitch at the clients rather than engaging with them.

So in truth, when author Joey Asher offered to send me a review copy of How to Win a Pitch, I wasn't really looking forward to it. I was expecting the usual platitudes about dressing well, body language and performance skills.

I couldn't have been further from the truth.

What the book does deliver is a no-nonsense guide to the key fundamentals needed to win sales pitches. Page after page I found myself nodding in agreement, or occasionally thinking “great so far – but I bet he doesn't cover X” – only to find it explored in detail a few pages later. And I don't just mean coverage of the basics – there was plenty in here that was new to me – despite my years of experience.

Asher's five fundamentals are simple: ensure that the pitch is

Focused on a business solution
Simply organised
Delivered with passion
Interactive
Well-rehearsed

As he points out, so many pitches are done so badly that simply doing well on at least some of these fundamentals can significantly differentiate you from your competition. But the book doesn't settle for that – it delivers rock-solid techniques and methods to excel in each area.

Take the first fundamental: focusing the message on the business problem. Rather than just stating that this is important, Asher delivers a strong questioning methodology to enable this (and more importantly – highlights the importance of genuine listening over using techniques), and then gives multiple examples of solution focused pitches for the reader to learn from.

This is repeated throughout the 5 fundamentals. Strong advice, strong examples, elegantly and effectively communicated.

And make no mistake – these fundamentals are absolutely vital – but often overlooked. The number of senior professionals I've seen violating Asher's principle of rehearsal, for example, is simply staggering.

This book is one of those rarities that presents a simple framework that “beginners” will be able to understand and use – yet still crams in multiple gems of wisdom and insight that even highly experienced sales people will learn from.

If you get involved in sales pitches and presentations in any way (and if you want to sell big, there's no doubt you will) – then you must buy this book.

Ian

*** Update *** Joey has just emailed me to say that the book will be in stock at Amazon on May 17th. But if you want a copy now you can buy one at www.howtowinapitch.com.

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Mindset

Don’t Put Me On Your List

Posted by

Ian Brodie on March 21st, 2009.

A topic I've blogged about frequently is the importance of good follow-up and of nurturing relationships over time.

In The Importance of Good Follow-Up I highlighted the futility of the “Nice to meet you, if you ever need our services…” email follow-up to networking meetings and suggested a number of value-adding alternatives.

One trend I've noticed recently is the increasing use of email newsletters as a follow-up mechanism. It's a trend I whole heartedly applaud – my business is driven by email marketing. But only when you do it right.

And signing people up for your email newsletter without their permission is absolutely the wrong way to do it.

On at least half a dozen occasions recently I've found myself subscribed to email newsletters from people and companies who I've met briefly at networking meetings. I've given them my business card and they've plugged it straight into their email distribution list.

This is a follow-up mechanism that has the potential to add value if the newsletter is of high quality and relevant to me. But how does it make me feel to have my details “harvested” in this way?

To be honest, not great.

It feels impersonal. I've not had an email or call from them. Nothing mentioning any connection we made at the event and no thought from them on tailoring the message to my specific needs. I've just been fed into their email marketing machine.

I wondered whether I was the only one who felt this way, so I posed the question on Twitter to see how others felt:

As you can see from this sample of responses, people's feelings are almost universally negative. They range from “I want to *smack* them!” and “it sucks!” to at best, “my junk filtering can soon take care of them if they fail to send me anything interesting or useful”. And remember, these negative responses are to something as seemingly innocent as adding someone's name to an email distribution list after meeting them. For me, Kneale Mann summed up the sentiment best best when he replied: “A handshake does not make you a customer”.

Obviously, Twitter followers are not a sample that's representative of the public at large. But I do believe they represent an important and growing sensitivity to the appropriate use of information.

So what's the alternative?

Well, since you are interacting face to face with them, there should be ample opportunity to offer to send the newsletter and get their permission.

If the time isn't right when you meet them, then send them an email afterwards with a sample copy of the newsletter suggesting it might be of interest and giving a link to sign-up if they are. Personalise the emails – recalling topics you discussed or better still – add value by suggesting ideas for questions they posed or challenges they highlighted when you were talkign with them.

Now don't get me wrong, this is my opinion as to what you should do rather than something that is proven to have better results. I haven't done any testing to see what results in better long-term subscriptions, click throughs on the newsletter or eventually sales.

But for me that doesn't matter. If you want to establish a reputation as someone who can be trusted then you mustn't do anything early on in the relationship to suggest an abuse of trust. Auto-subscribing people to your newsletter without asking is hardly the crime of the century – but to many people it suggests that you will not treat them as individuals with their best interests at heart.

Personally, I'd rather lose potential newsletter subscribers than lose that reputation of trust.

Ian

PS Many thanks to all the Twitter users who replied to my poll on this topic – your answers were most helpful.

You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ianbrodie

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Mindset

The Magic of Helping

Posted by

Ian Brodie on March 10th, 2009.

Every year in February I make a pilgrimage to the Winter Gardens in Blackpool – home of the world's largest convention for magicians. It's been a number of years since I performed magic professionally – it's purely a hobby for me now, with the occassional close-up performance for charity. But I still visit Blackpool every year to look out for interesting new lecturers and performers and learn new tricks & techniques. But mainly I go to see old friends.

Someone I've shared more than a few pints with over the last few years is Leon Andersen. Leon is a Limerick based magician who recently set up Ireland's first School of Magic. The school helps kids build confidence, self-esteem and motivation by learning how to perform magic.

To help gain publicity and endorsements for this new venture, Leon has been speaking to some of magic's leading lights. From old masters like Eugene Burger to the new wave magic of Dan & Dave Buck. And there's a lot salespeople can learn from the way he has been going about this.

Leon's approach is simple: he offers to help. He spots what the person is most likely to need, and offers to help them with it.

For example, he met one famous magician who had spent a hard day working in the convention dealer's hall. Rather than doing the same as hundreds of other fledgling magicians – asking for a trick demonstration or an autograph. Leon asked if he could get the performer a bottle of water. When the hubbub had quietened down they got talking and Leon was able to mention his school.

Another example: he bumped into a legendary American performer early in the convention. The performer looked busy, so Leon simply said how much he enjoyed his work, and that he'd love to share a drink with him sometime. Of course, he asked if there was anything he could do to help him while he was over in the UK. Later on during the convention the performer spotted Leon and asked him to join his group of friends for a drink. It wasn't long before Leon was able to talk to them about his magic school project.

A final example: Leon spotted a well known magician struggling to carry his materials up to a lecture he was about to give. The other convention attendees were barging past trying to get good seats for the lecture. But Leon stopped and asked the lecturer if he needed any help, and carried his boxes up for him into the lecture hall. After the lecture, the magician gratefully gave Leon one of his books as a gift, and engaged with him in a discussion about the magic school.

Now nothing here is revolutionary or innovative. But the fact is, it works. Only Leon really knows whether he's being helpful in order to get what he wants – or whether he's being helpful because he feels it's the right thing to do – and getting what he wants is a nice side effect (knowing him a little, I feel it's the latter). But either way, the impact is the same. By thinking of others first and helping them, eventually we get what we want.

Ian