Here's the Pitch E-Book

Martin Soorjoo

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 193

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Advice for every pitch situation a modern day entrepreneur will encounter Whether you're pitching for funding, the media, or to potential customers and partners, to survive and succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to know how to deliver a high-impact pitch. Here's the Pitch reveals powerful proven techniques to get your audience to take the action you want. You'll learn the same strategies and tactics that have been used by entrepreneurs to raise millions of dollars, secure partnerships, and win big sales contracts. Here's the Pitch provides advice for every possible pitch situation, including virtual and Web 2.0 pitches. This book: * Demonstrates proven, effective pitch techniques * Offers step-by-step advice for preparing your pitch * Helps you develop a confident, winning mind-set * Examines a range of pitch scenarios entrepreneurs frequently encounter Don't lose out on your next big sale, bid for exposure, or investment proposal for lack of skills. Here's the Pitch provides a complete toolkit that will enable you to deliver a confident, engaging, and successful pitch.

Leseprobe

Contents

Acknowledgments

Copyright

Introduction

Dedication

Part I: The Mechanics of Pitching

Chapter 1: The Power Dynamics of the Pitch

Establish Favorable Dynamics at the Outset

How Initial Decisions are Made

Getting Past the Gatekeeper

What this Means for your Pitch

Don’t Convey Neediness

Be Desirable, not Desperate

Putting this into Practice

Act as if

A Question of Judgment

Chapter 2: Stand and Deliver

Energy

Body Language

Vocal Delivery

Use a Conversational Style

Slow Down

Power of the Pause

Vary your Vocal Delivery

Chapter 3: Engage and Inspire

Tell them Timing

Brevity is Best

Start Strong

Keeping your Audience’s Attention

Deliver an Unforgettable Moment

Think in Threes

Win with Words

Chapter 4: The Power of Stories

Benefits of using Stories

The Story Creation Process

Decide on your Theme

Essential Ingredients for Your Story

Bringing your Story to Life

And they all Lived Happily Ever After

Chapter 5: Handling Questions

Welcome Questions

Handle Questions Like a Pro

Part II: Forms of Pitch

Chapter 6: Attention-Grabbing Pitches

Hail the High-Concept Pitch

Why Keep it Simple

The Multiple Benefits of a High-Concept Pitch

Crafting a Great High-Concept Pitch

A Picture can Paint a Thousand Words

Remember the Purpose of Your High-Concept Pitch

The Elevator Pitch

Delivery Matters

Be Adaptable

Structure

Chapter 7: The e-Pitch

The Twitpitch

The Virtual Pitch

The Problem with Virtual Pitches

Making the Technology Work for you

The Pitch

Using your Webcam

Rehearsal and Preparation

The Video Pitch

E-mail Pitch

Chapter 8: Pitch Materials

The Executive Summary

Less is More, but not Easier

Appearances Matter

Content

The Pitch Deck

Different Documents for Different Purposes

Part III: Specific Audiences

Chapter 9: The Sales Pitch

It’s About them, not you

Sales Pitch Structure

Knowledge Equals Sales

Give your Audience the Solution

Think Conversation, not Presentation

How to Encourage Questions

Bring your Pitch to Life

Levers

And Now, a Few Words About you

Chapter 10: The Investor Pitch

Angel and Venture Capital Pitches

Before the Pitch

The Sweet Spot

The Warm Introduction

Nondisclosure Agreements

Who to Bring to the Party

The Content of your Pitch

Chapter 11: Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding Historical Contribution

The Crowdfunding Pitch

Selecting the Right Crowdfunding Platform

The Three Components of a Successful Crowdfunding Pitch

Converting Visitors to Backers

Name and Description

Project Video

Inspire with your Story

Rewards

Be Transparent

Prelaunch Pitching

Pitching When your Project’s Live

The Future

Chapter 12: Pitching the Media

Why Most Entrepreneurs Fail to Get Media Coverage

Think Laser Targeting, not Mass Mail Out

Building Relationships with Journalists and Bloggers

Transitioning to the Pitch

Some Useful Resources

Part IV: Preparation

Chapter 13: Develop a Winning Mind-Set

Confidence

The Myths and Science of Confidence

The Power of Belief

Identity

Discarding your Limiting Beliefs

Chapter 14: Prepare to Win

Time

Peace

Brainstorm

Distill

Research

Structure

Script

Customize

Rehearse

Bibliography

Index

Copyright © 2012 by Martin Soorjoo. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Soorjoo, Martin, 1967–

Heres the pitch: how to pitch your business to anyone, get funded, and win clients/Martin Soorjoo.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-118-13752-9 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-22536-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-23884-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26343-3 (ebk)

1. Business presentations. 2. Entrepreneurship. 3. Success in business.

I. Title.

HF5718.22.S735 2012

658.4'52—dc23

2011043889

To my mother and father for being the greatest parents any son could hope for.

Acknowledgments

This book is a collaborative effort that would not have come about but for the inspiration, support, input, feedback, and patience of family, friends, colleagues, and the team at John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

To my editor, Dan Ambrosio at Wiley, for first suggesting I write Here’s the Pitch and for always being on the end of the phone. To my production editor, Lauren Freestone, for her excellent detective work.

To my mother, Jennifer, for her consistent support on multiple fronts.

To my wife, Margo, for putting up with me ruining our summer, but willing to still provide feedback and suggestions.

To my colleague, Jamie, at the Investor Pitch Clinic for his constructive feedback.

To Symon Drake-Brockman, Managing Partner at Pemberton Capital Advisors, for his mentorship, friendship, and providing me with my first insights into the mind of a seasoned investor.

To Kate for never hesitating to give me the bottom line.

And to the late Robert Davies, founding CEO of the Prince of Wales’s International Business Leaders Forum, for his mentorship, friendship, and insights into the minds of Fortune 500 companies.

To San Francisco’s Radio Alice for providing the background music which always makes burning the midnight oil a more enjoyable experience.

And last, to the hero entrepreneurs for whom this book is intended. Your optimism, vision, and courage continually inspire me.

Introduction

Life’s a Pitch

“The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.”

—John F. Kennedy

Former Chief Evangelist of Apple and entrepreneur supremo Guy Kawasaki tapped into the driving force of entrepreneurs when he named his blog “How to Change the World.” Although money and success are prized, when entrepreneurs talk with passion about their product or service, they talk in terms of how it will help people or change lives.