If you are a conference speaker, you know that your ideas are not enough to make an impact. You also need to convince others to join you, support you, or fund you. How do you sell your ideas to collaborators and funders? Here are some tips to help you craft a persuasive pitch and build a strong network.
Before you approach anyone, do some research on their background, interests, goals, and challenges. What are they looking for? What are their pain points? How can your idea help them solve a problem or achieve a benefit? Use this information to tailor your pitch to their specific needs and expectations. Show them how your idea aligns with their values and vision.
Knowing your audience is incredibly important in nearly everything you do in life! But don't make the mistake of fitting your pitch to the profile. The first thing your research should help you decide is whether or not the person is a good fit for your concept. You can't fall into the trap of repeatedly changing your concept to meet the needs of every person, as if whatever your pitching is the right thing for 100% of people in the world! I've seen way too many people lose the thread on their vision because they started chasing the attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of other people who would never be a good fit for their pitch anyway. "I don't invest in companies like yours as a rule, but let me tell you everything that's wrong with it!"
When writing about some topic ( article, post, blog etc.) I always do research on that topic and try my best to find out the right target audience, but first of all I put headline which will attract attention. The introductory part should be compelling for the reader who would continue to read forthcoming i.e. what I want to write about. I'm not stating mere facts, but I'm also trying to get the reader to think about the topic I'm writing about. If the topic is informal, e.g. jealousy, and the tone of my article is informal. If not, I give my text a more "serious" tone.
Practice your pitch beforehand. The more you practice, the more confident you'll be when you deliver it. Use visuals to help illustrate your points. This can make your pitch more engaging and memorable. Be prepared to negotiate. Your audience may not be willing to give you everything you want right away. Be prepared to compromise and negotiate to reach an agreement that's mutually beneficial.
As a speaker, I always put myself in the shoes of my audience. What is something which I would love to listen to and be incredibly inspired by. What will be something which will be my takeaway. What will be something I can use in my daily life. The moment I look at it from their perspective, I understand what needs to be covered as far as my topic is concerned. The insight around their needs, their aspirations and their context helps me set the context well and proceed with my thoughts in a simple but very powerful manner.
People are more likely to remember and relate to stories than facts and figures. Use storytelling techniques to make your idea come alive and engage your audience emotionally. Start with a hook that captures their attention and curiosity. Then, explain the situation, the problem, the solution, and the outcome. Use concrete examples, anecdotes, and metaphors to illustrate your points. End with a call to action that invites them to take the next step.
The one skill that has given me an advantage in business is storytelling. My goal is always to create a sense of comfort with very complex ideas and solutions. When I'm trying to figure out how to describe a concept to people in a way that is impactful and easy to understand, I always (and I mean always) start by imagining how the concept can make an average person a hero. For example, I was once charged with explaining why artificial intelligence was a boon for recruiters. So I imagined how a single recruiter could become a hero using AI. And my story revolved entirely around the hero's family. My hero performed better at work, got promoted, had more time to spend with the kids and and retired early. All because of AI. Find a hero story.
While stories are powerful, you also need to back up your idea with evidence. Use data, research, testimonials, or case studies to demonstrate the validity, feasibility, and impact of your idea. Show how your idea has worked before, or how it can work in the future. Use visual aids, such as charts, graphs, or images, to make your evidence clear and compelling. Avoid jargon, technical terms, or acronyms that might confuse your audience.
If you're trying to sell an idea, evidence is important. But what happens when you don't have any? Maybe you've never had the chance to implement your idea, so how are you going to "prove" to someone that your idea will work? Never fear. When selling an untested idea, you can provide the evidence you need by comparing your concept to other similar concepts that have already proven successful. For example, if you want to sell a monthly subscription to the sock-of-the-month club, you don't have to prove that it will be successful. You just need to point to similar cases where selling a monthly subscription to similar products was successful. "We are the Dollar Shave Club for socks!" Then find all of your evidence in that external case.
No matter how good your idea is, you will likely face some resistance or skepticism from your potential collaborators or funders. Be prepared to answer their questions and address their concerns. Think of the most common or likely objections that they might have, and how you can counter them. Use facts, logic, and empathy to overcome their doubts. Show them the benefits of your idea, and the risks of not adopting it.
Objections are important to the process. But objections can say as much about the objector as your pitch! You should go into every conversation ready to tell the difference between a valid objection and an objection that is raised because of a mismatch between the person and the pitch. If someone says that your pitch is too expensive, is that because they can't afford it or because it's more expensive than alternatives? If they can't afford it, trying to overcome the objection is futile. Rather, you can use these opportunities to ask the question, "What if you could afford it?" Asking people to ignore their own objection (whatever it is) and continuing with the conversation can yield valuable insights.
Selling your idea is not only about what you say, but also how you say it. You need to establish rapport and trust with your audience, and show them that you are credible, likable, and respectful. Use positive body language, such as eye contact, smiling, and nodding, to convey confidence and interest. Use active listening, such as paraphrasing, reflecting, and asking questions, to show understanding and appreciation. Use humor, compliments, and common ground to create a connection and rapport.
I have social anxiety. So building rapport with someone I'm talking business with is just as important to my comfort and success as it is to the outcome of the pitch! I've found that the best way to build rapport (for me) is to talk about TV (because everyone has a show they're watching). I was once meeting with the entire executive team of a very large, public company. I was super nervous. As I walked into the conference room, I said something like, "This reminds me of that scene from Game of Thrones last night. Did anyone see it?" And we talked about GOT for 15 minutes and by the time we got to the business part, we all knew that we were going to get along.
After you have delivered your pitch, don't just wait for a response. Follow up with your audience and keep the conversation going. Send them a thank you note, a summary of your pitch, or a reminder of the next steps. Ask them for feedback, suggestions, or referrals. Offer them more information, resources, or support. Keep them updated on your progress and achievements. Show them that you are committed, reliable, and enthusiastic about your idea.
Following up is a great opportunity to cement a person's positive opinion of your character. Nothing you do in a follow up is going to change the basic facts of whether your pitch is a good fit with the audience (you had your chance to present all the relative information and what good is one or two more facts going to do?). Instead, think of the follow up as an opportunity to showcase how easy and enjoyable it will be to keep working with you! No one wants to enter a deal with someone that grates on their nerves. So avoid aggressive follow up techniques that attempt to "get to yes!" Rather, let the person know that you are grateful for the time they spent with you. Just saying thanks goes a long way towards cementing a positive perception.