“In business, compelling introductions are what lead to continued conversations!”
A networking pitch, job interview or prospect meeting – today, expectations are high and attention spans super short. We all want to maximize our impact in the least amount of time.
So how do you sell yourself without being salesy, and share what sets you (and your business) apart. What can you do to take that interaction to a successful outcome. All this without hustling anyone, of course.
8 Tips to Perfect Your Business Pitch
Read insights from 8 seasoned professionals on what it takes to pitch successfully- not just to grab attention, but also to keep it.
The Art of Telling Your Story
As a speaker, you must always find a way to authentically share your story your way, and allow your audience to know what makes you unique, what makes you special, what makes you an expert and why they should listen and ultimately buy or work with you.
I’ve found that telling my story of going from broken down, broken hearted, unfulfilled, depressed social worker not living in purpose to successful life coach, intuitive consultant, healer and international speaker who helps my clients from hole to wholeness in their life relationships, business and careers allows my audience to immediately connect with me and know who I am.
Women have literally fought their way to talk to me after my presentations because they identified with my story. They knew I could understand them because I was once in their shoes. They feel like they know me and they do, because I authentically share a piece of myself and that allows them to want to learn more about me and work with me further. If I can transform my life, surely I can help you live with passion, purpose and make an impact in the world too.
Avalaura Gaither, MSW, LGSW
Intuitive Consultant & Life Coach
Read: No More Jitters. How can you ace Public Speaking with Confidence
Think Forward. Not Fearful
My one tip for a quick and effective pitch is to not be your own roadblock, letting your fear get in the way. Be bold, fearless, get out of your own way and simply make the request. A closed mouth does not get fed; if you never ask you will never know, right?! Too many times we are our own worse critics (enemies) and have so much to offer! So go out and boldly ASK for what you want!
The MSNinja – Functional Disability Coach
Don’t let fear get in the way of your success!
Be Authentic
I think the most important one would be to come from the heart. In other words, be real, be honest, lose the ego and focus on why you want to be heard. Is it from a shallow place, or something deep? Once you touch base with that deep soul purpose, it makes it easy to pitch to others because the honest passion comes through.
Author & Speaker
Connect with your Audience
For me, it’s keeping it real. Be authentic. Share a personal story that relates to your product or service. Making a connection from the beginning has always proved successful for me.
Singer/Songwriter/Motivational Speaker
If you Believe in it, they will too.
Believe – all the way through. What you’re sharing, presenting, offering, believe 100% in the value & be truly present as you offer it. This way your ideal client or market will be able to see you & resonate with your offer. Those that aren’t a match for you will at least know for sure that you were there with them – a visibility win.
Holistic Mindset & Business Coach
Exude Confidence
My #1 tip to a successful pitch is to always be confident – and fake it if you’re not feelin’ it! You have to stand behind what it is you’re putting out there and know (TRULY know) that the right people will buy into what it is you’re selling.
Efficiency Strategist and Online Business Consultant
Do Your Homework
When it comes to a successful pitch, you have to do your research. It’s important to know everything you can about the person or company you are pitching to because they will do the same on you. They will check your website, your social media, and any connections you have. They will want to make sure that what they value or their main goals and mission aligns with what you represent. So make sure you do the very same thing prior to submitting any pitch. You will get a lot less no’s because you will be pitching to those you already know are aligned with your common passion.
Consulting Services for Mompreneurs
What will clients see when they check you out? And how can you stand out?
Your Energy Speaks louder than Words
Before we go into a networking event, a client presentation or a speaking gig, it’s essential that we have our content down: an effective pitch, solid data, an engaging talk.
There are a series of tools I use, but there are times when we literally have only one minute to get ready and there’s one technique, I apply without exception. I align my energy, activate my power centers and focus on my inner power.
Allow your power energy to expand in and around you – let it flow through your body, from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. This simple exercise helps you to not only raise your confidence but also enhance your presence and how you show up.
It changes how others perceive you…because your energy always precedes your words and impacts body language. And what’s best about it – once you’ve practiced it a few times, you can literally step into your power energy in a matter of seconds.
Transformational Leadership Coach, CEO, and Speaker
In the end, that’s all you have – a minuscule window of time. So use your 1-2 minutes smartly.
Make an impression so powerful that your audience not only wants to continue the conversation, but also take it to the next level.
Share your tips with what makes a strong impression on your audience.
Pooja Krishna is an Entrepreneur, Business Mentor and Mom. She has worked both in large corporates and managed startups over the last 20+ years.
She’s a co-founder at Maroon Oak, and is founded Win Thinks, where she writes, speaks and teaches about Digital Media, Brand Building and Future Ready Businesses. A day trader for over a decade, Pooja launched Trading Paces to educate amateur and pro stock traders. As a classroom mentor, Pooja loves teaching students across the U.S. about job skills and entrepreneurship. Read about her on Huffington Post and Forbes.
A trivia buff and yoga & hula hoop enthusiast, she’s discovering the pleasure of drawing Zentangle patterns for ‘creative mindfulness.’
These are great motivational tips. I really think being authentic applies to every part of life to be honest.
Thanks for the tips! I think setting aside your fear or conquering it would really help in a perfect business pitch.
Authenticity, confidence in who you are, and sharing your own testimony are all tips that I have found to be very successful! Thank you for sharing!
Some really great tips here for getting others on board with your business idea. I think believing in yourself and your idea is the best thing you can do to convince others it is a great idea to support.
I think being authentic is one of the biggest issues nowadays
Great tips! Confidence is key!
These are all great ideas from great people. I always love learning from successful people.
Lovely business tips! I think it’s important to be authentic and original. Being enthusiastic and excited is important as well, it’s going to make people more interested.
I could always use tips in helping perfect my pitch. These are great!
These are really excellent tips. I find that the quickest way to build a rapport with people is, as you say “Keep it real”. People get a sense of your true personality and helps them connect.
That is a beautiful piece and what I have been having trouble with. Of course, it is also inspirational and I will bookmark it and read it regularly.
These are great ideas when putting together a business pitch. I know that I need to do more homework when presenting myself to show myself off to best advantage.
I can’t wait to try your tips. I struggle with some of these and I need to learn to work through them. Pitching is not my strong point.
These are awesome tips! You’re right, in order to pull it off you have to be confident and believe in what you are pitching. I’ve made it a rule to never try to sell someone something that I wouldn’t buy myself.
These are very helpful tips. I have always found that being authentic and being a storyteller have helped me in the business setting. I personally feel it adds value to your personality but also grabs your audiences attention in the most positive manner.
These tips are amazing, I will specifically work on, “perfecting the art of telling my story.”
great read. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips, not just for business proposals but these tips apply for a number of instances. I will definitely be referring back to these often!
These are great tips. I strongly believe in being authentic. If you don’t it will bite you later even if you get the job.
These are great motivational tips. Thanks for sharing this useful information!
These are great tips. I just recently started to pitch companies. I eeally was my own worst enemy.
I’m glad that you mentioned “be authentic”. This is the one thing that literally took me over a year to grasp. I kept trying to fit a mold that well, I just didn’t fit into at all. Once I learned to start being myself, number one, things got so much easier, and number two, I instantly became that much more relatable. Not only this, I also stood out (in a good way) because I’m NOT like the others!
Thank you so much for sharing this! It’s certainly a good reminder on several levels but particularly remaining enthused! Sometimes when I’m just so exhausted, it’s a good reminder to still tap into that passion and exude the confidence and enthusiasm to draw others in! No one wants to engage with someone who seems disconnected, themselves!
Great tips!! I have tweaked my pitch letter over the years and get more yes the better it gets!
Confidence is so important. And that comes from believing in what you are doing. Another tip: know your audience. How does your product best meet their needs? Prospective clients are always impressed when you do your homework!!
I think about this all the time. HOw can I sell someone in just 30 secs. Yikes. There are very helpful tips though.
Great article and helpful tips. I agree that it’s very important to be authentic and always honest with your audience! Connection is also a key!:)
Thanks for sharing these tips. They are so helpful and i will keep them in mind as well.
These are amazing quotes – I found a few I plan to write down to keep for later. I liked the ones from Avalaura Gaither, McCartney Green, and Amber Temerity the best.
Interesting post, full of very useful information. Telling your story to connect with audience while being authentic is very important skill to master
I will keep these tips in mind for sure. I always try to be confident.
This is super helpful. I use a lot of these points when I am pitching a brand for a sponsored blog post, and usually they are very receptive to it.
Hi Pooja, this article is very informative and certainly useful to me as I have job interviews on the horizon! I’ll be sure to remember these tips in order to make the most of my (very small) window of time 🙂
I am launching a new business and I really appreciate posts like this! I learn a lot about sales and marketing which I could use in the coming months.
Great tips! Thank you!
Thanks for allowing me to contribute! What amazing tips from such inspiring women.
Great Blog! enjoyed reading everyone’s perspective!