Fall in love with pitching

I recently moved to East London which means I get to enjoy a Londoner's luxury of being able to walk to my office.

Every day I walk past a row of billboards which get updated regularly and a few weeks ago a Nike campaign caught my eye.

There was a series of about six posters, all about changing your mindset about running.

Mindset is nothing new, but I loved the simplicity of how they'd shown the shift.

"I'll never get to 5k" to "5k was just a warm-up".

"I can't do this" to "This was amazing".

"I can't stand the rain" to "The rain keeps me going."

Sure, they're a little cheesy and they didn't make me want to pound the pavements in the pouring rain (sorry Nike), BUT they did make me think about my own beliefs and how I could change them.

I think about mindset a lot when it comes to pitching.

When I started networking last year I had no idea how to make the most of the 60 second pitch.

I turned up to meetings but left with 0 leads.

My mindset about pitching was off.

"I hate my pitch" would have summed it up nicely.

This year, I decided if I was going to renew my networking membership then something had to change.

I'd worked with a marketing coach who'd helped me understand how to talk to my ideal client.

I decided to use the same approach in my pitch. I also changed what I was asking for.

Instead of a vague request for a referral, I asked people if they wanted help with their presentation skills. When the answer was a big fat "YES PLEASE!" I changed my strategy.

I got creative with my call to action, experimenting with offering freebies.

I booked more discovery calls than I had in the last year, and those calls started converting to clients.

Now I've created a revenue stream that brings me a third of my income. And my pitching mindset has shifted.

"I hate my pitch" is now "My pitch grows my business".

And I take it seriously. When I'm getting ready for a networking meeting I start by reminding myself of my business goal. I identify the problem I'm helping people overcome and what kind of people I want to work with. I write a story and create a call to action that will appeal to the people I want to work with.

Once I've got my script I put in time to learn it. I pace around my office, saying it out loud and playing with the language. I say it to myself all the way up to when I meet my networking group.

And when it's my time to pitch, I enjoy my moment in the spotlight because I know I have something brilliant to offer that could make a real difference to someone's business.

Change your pitch mindset

If you're investing time and money into networking every month, learning how to deliver a pitch that converts to leads is essential.

Here's how to use a confident mindset to change your approach in how you pitch.

1. Identify your current mindset - What do you tell yourself the night before and how might this be impacting the interest you build in your business?
2. Flip your mindset - Write down your current mindset then write out the opposite of it. Use the Nike approach for inspiration and keep it simple.
3. Look at the big picture - What are you working towards in your business? What can you promote in your pitch that could help you get there?
4. Invest in your pitch - Take time to get your message right and learn it. Being able to speak without your notes will show your audience how confident you are.
5. Say it on repeat - Have your new mindset statement visible and say it out loud before you pitch for a confidence boost.

When you believe in what your saying and your pitch is on point you can make the most of every networking opportunity and get closer to your goals.

I have space for two more people to join Step Up to Stand Out, my 1:1 programme where I can help you use your pitch to get booked out by the end of the year.

Once those two slots are gone the next intake will be in January! So this is your final chance to learn how to use your pitch when you network to hit your 2024 goals.

Direct message me saying 'Pitch' if you want to speak about how I can help you.

For more advice on creating your perfect pitch, please sign up to my newsletter Present with Grace.