The most common pitching mistakes and how to fix them

Sadly, the majority of presentations we see everyday are all ME ME ME. If your first slide is ‘about us’, a world map with your ‘global reach’ or a bunch of logos of your clients – you’re one of these offenders! It’s like going on a date with someone that only talks about themselves. Yep – we wouldn’t call them back either. 

How did we get here?

A mini history lesson: With the ability to manufacture faster and produce more than ever, the industrial revolution encouraged a new form of communication and focused on function, features and technology.

The advertising industry jumped on that bandwagon (think Mad Men) with every ad focusing on how Product A was better than Product B by emphasising their unique features.

That was about 70 years ago and consumers have come a long way. Blabbing about yourself doesn’t work anymore. Consumers have woken up!

With the ever strengthening influence of technology, modern audience expectations are all about respecting your customer and connecting with them. They want you to make them feel valued and provide a personalised approach.

They want communication that: 

• Enlightens me – Acknowledge why I’m here and don’t waste my time 
• Brings me in –  Make me feel invested in the solution and consider my needs
• Emotionally connects with me – Don’t talk at me, help me feel the benefits of doing business with you

How do you encourage emotional connection when everything is virtual? Through storytelling.

Stories are one of the most powerful means to teach, inspire and influence. They forge personal connections and draw the link between people and ideas pulling at the heartstrings and compel people to action.

Let’s be clear though – it doesn’t mean you start your pitch deck design with “once upon a time…”.  Instead, we help clients use the foundations and structure to achieve the same emotionally charged results. 

Believe it or not, 90% of human decisions are impacted by our emotions. 

If your pitch presentation isn’t winning deals – you need to learn how to apply the foundations of storytelling to emotionally connect with your audience and move the needle.

Persuaders can coach your team through the foundations of storytelling in our half day Narrative Finding Workshop. Alternatively, you can hand over the reins and we’ll do all the heavy lifting for you! Get in touch with our team for a customised solution.