The Definitive Business Pitch

Angela Hatton is a specialist in marketing strategy writing, consulting and training. She has more than 16 years' experience of pitching for training and consultancy for her own marketing and management business; 'Tactics'. Over the years, her core clients have included Lloyds TSB, Norwich Union, IBM and BT. She has facilitated workshops on successful pitching and presentations for clients such as the BBC and IPC Media. Hatton is author of The Definitive Guide to Marketing Planning (0273649329).

• About the author PrefaceSymbols usedAcknowledgementsIntroduction  1     Good ideas don’t sell themselves Persuasive communication – a life skillBuilding a better mouse trap – the basis of competitive advantageWhat is a competitive advantage?What is a sustainable advantage?The pitch – the missing linkIt’s not my job  2       Spotting the pitfalls The value of auditingA simple communication processRoles in the buying processDelivery formatUnderstand the decision-making processThe messageNoise and feedbackTroubleshooting  3      To pitch or not to pitch Saying ‘no’ needs braveryThe facts and the figuresMetrics matterBut who do we say ‘no’ to?The challenge of profilingProfiling the successesScreening opportunitiesDo we want the business?Manage the volumeHow to say ‘no’  4       Getting to know the market Real customer focusThe sector contextThe role of marketingBuild the big pictureA market checklistSet up competitor watchesWhere does customer information come from?Digging for detailThe brief – the information starting pointOrganisingyour researchMeeting the decision-making unitSuccess lies in preparation  5     Putting on the customer’s shoes A source of competitive advantageUnderstanding empathyTurning features into benefitsInterpreting research with empathyEstablishing the parametersAbout you or about me?Look and listenBody language cluesSummarising empathy options  6        Preparing to pitch From building blocks to businessSetting the sceneSetting the strategyPreparing the teamWho does what role?Know your teamBriefing the teamStructuring the pitchAdded value and the bottom lineTimingUsing support materialsPractise, practise, practise  7          Pitching with punch Just another pitch!First impressions countManaging expectations and timeWorking alone – the salesperson’s pitchChoreographing the pitchInvolve the audiencePresenting complex dataAdding the price tagWatching body languageTackling questionsDon’t be surprisedIt’s a question of moneyRemember – a strong finishAbout that impactNext steps  8            Winning proposals What are they?The problem with proposalsProposals as physical evidenceStart with the briefThe proposalBuilding a persuasion sandwichThe value of templatesNotice the sales messageWritten not spokenSending your proposalA legal footnote  9                   Preparing to present CommunicatingPitching – sellingScoping your presentationFactors that make a differenceTechnical resources and supportSelecting strategiesStructuring presentationsA presentation checklistAbout support materials