Your book is titled How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the Competition. What do you mean by that term "win a pitch"?
Joey Asher: A pitch is a sales presentation. It's where you stand or sit before a prospect and give a presentation seeking their business. The book tells you everything you need to know to create and deliver sales presentations that win business.
What are the most frequent mistakes business people make when delivering a sales presentation?
Joey Asher: I see two mistakes more than anything else.
First, too few presentations propose solutions to business problems. Most presentations are "capabilities presentations" or "dog and pony shows" where you talk about your offerings generally. But these types of presentations fail to address the thing that the prospect cares most about -- a solution to a serious problem facing their business.
Second, too few sellers rehearse their presentations. A well-rehearsed presentation is easy to spot and it says a lot of good things about you and your company. When I speak with people who hear a lot of presentations, they tell me that they can always tell who has rehearsed and who hasn't. It's obvious. So if you want to stand out from your competition, you'll rehearse.
How can a business person focus better on solving the business problem of their customers and clients?
Joey Asher: The most important thing you can do is to spend time before the presentation chatting with the prospect to understand his or her key business challenges. The more work you put in prior to the presentation, the better you'll be able to show up at the pitch and give a presentation that proposes a serious solution.
Joey Asher (photo left)
Why are so many astute business people so uncomfortable making presentations to potential clients regardless the organization size?
Joey Asher: Public speaking is scary for many people. It feels unnatural to stand up in front of people and be judged. So people shy away. They key to overcoming this anxiety is rehearsal and experience. The more you rehearse, the more you'll be able to overcome your anxiety. The more experience you have, the less anxious you'll get in the first place.
How can the presentation made by a business person be modified to focus on the solution that only the presenter's company can provide?
Joey Asher: The basic model for a solution-oriented message is to start by briefly detailing the business problem. Then you outline your solution. We recommend boiling down your solution to three key points. But you can have lots of sub-points. The more detailed your proposed solution the better. You want to make the presentation sound like you've done a huge amount of work coming up with a specific plan for their specific challenge.
How important is it to show real passion in a presentation, especially when many business people have been taught to take the opposite dispassionate approach?
Joey Asher: Passion is critical. If you're good at what you do, then there is a good chance that you're competing against other very good firms. And there's a good chance that those other firms can also do a good job. Passion is one of the keys to making you stand out. That passion gets your prospect excited about your ideas and helps build the personal relationship that helps win the business.
What is next for Joey Asher?
Joey Asher: I plan to continue helping our clients create and deliver presentations that connect with listeners and win business.
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Thanks to Joey Asher for taking the time to answer some questions about his book How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the Competition.
My book review of How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the Competition by Joey Asher.
