Don’t. Be. Boring. Every time you talk to a new client, in the back of your mind, you know you’re not the first person to ever pitch to them. You might not even be the first person to pitch to them that day. You need to stand out, and more importantly, be remembered. In this episode, Donald Kelly sits down with Andie Jewett, the Senior VP of Business Development at AMP Agency. They talk about the core elements of an amazing pitch, and how to make sure you’re not making the same mistakes as everybody else.
Jewett’s Background
- Started in account management, with clients like Blue Cross Blue Shield and NinetyNine Restaurants
- Now works with AMP Agency, overseeing business development and reaching out to potential clients
Most Common Pitching Mistakes - and How to Fix Them
- Don’t jump into your pitch immediately, placing the focus on you and your product. Do your homework so that you know your client, ask them questions, and place the focus on them.
- Don’t recite all your great ideas or figures one after the other in a list. Your client won’t remember them all! Instead, take them on a journey with a narrative thread.
3 Core Elements of a GREAT Pitch
- Make the client the main character. It’s not about you, or your product. Your client is the hero of the story. Build a profile around who that customer is based on your research. Then, use this to address their needs and aspirations when you make your pitch.
- Take them on a journey. A story has a beginning, middle, and end. Have one main idea, or “hook” that will be the big takeaway from your pitch meeting. Build to your hook, share what it is, and make sure it threads all the way through.
- Use a little showmanship. If you recite too many facts and figures, you will put your clients to sleep. Bring your personality, fun, AND facts. Even virtual pitches can have creative elements that help clients remember them.
“Look at how storytelling is done, not just in other industries, but even in literature. If you were to look at the perfect story arc of the best books and novels out there, you can absolutely compare your pitch to that.” - Andie Jewett
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