So, you’ve been invited to pitch for a potential new client. You’re excited, thrilled, maybe a little nervous?
Whether it’s pitching a new digital PR campaign or pitching for new business, any kind of pitch can be a fairly intimidating prospect. After all, where do you even start? You need to get your hands on a pitch brief, put together your presentation, and then actually pitch it to your potential new client. That’s a lot of pressure.
But don’t worry, business pitching doesn’t have to be scary. If anything, it can be a pretty exhilarating experience; and nothing beats the feeling of nailing a pitch and winning a new client.
So, to help you get in the headspace for business pitching, here are connective3’s top tips for how to pitch for new business.
Go over your marketing pitch brief with a fine-tooth comb
For any good pitch to come together, you need a solid brief that can fill you in on everything you need to know about the new client. A brief is essential. Without it, you won’t have a clue about anything your client is looking for.
Your marketing pitch brief is going to act as your pitch’s foundation, something that you should refer to time and again, cross-referencing it with your presentation to ensure none of the important parts are missing.
Do this, and you’ll have no trouble delivering exactly what your client is looking for.
Do the research for your new business pitch
The absolute worst thing you can do when it comes to business pitching is to just “wing” the pitch. This is quite literally a recipe for disaster.
Before you even think about putting your pitching deck together, you need to do your research on the business you’re pitching for. And not only that, but you need to research their competition as well.
Start by looking at their past and present activity to understand what strategies have worked well for them in the past and what hasn’t. Are their competitors performing extremely well, and if so, why? What can the business do to stay ahead of the game?
Researching the industry surrounding your potential new client is hugely important as well. How else are you going to discover any innovations impacting the industry as a whole? You need to find out what people’s current perceptions of the industry are and what the media is saying about it.
These are just some of the things worth looking into, and you should use your instincts to find out as much information as possible about who you’re pitching to before you fully construct your new business pitch.
Once you have this knowledge, it will help form the crux of your marketing pitch presentation. This step is an absolute must; no one wants to work with an agency that is clueless about their potential client’s business and sector.
Keep your business pitching deck concise
When it comes to pitching for new business, your presentation is one of the most important parts of the pitch overall. Always remember that the main purpose of a pitch is to explain what you will do to meet the clients’ requirements and how you’re going to do it.
Try to craft your pitch to meet all expectations, but keep it clear and easy to understand in case the client wants to take another look once the pitch is over.
Be sure to include all the important information in the bulk of the new business pitch presentation, such as background information, ideas, and any suggestions you might have. Any other insights you believe are worth adding, but aren’t necessarily required, can sit in the appendix.
If you’re looking for more pitch deck inspiration on how to format and design your slides, you can take a look at our blog on how to make the perfect pitch deck.
Practice, practice, and practice some more
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you want to nail your new business pitch, then you need to practice it beforehand.
Once you have pulled your pitch presentation and everything surrounding it together, gather everyone on your side who will be attending the pitch and run through the presentation as a group.
This gives you the chance to spot any errors beforehand and any information you may have missed and want to include.
Getting the team together and going through the final pitch will ensure everyone is fully in the loop of what’s going to be presented, which will prepare everyone for any on-the-spot questions that may arise from the client.
Confidence is key
We all feel a rush of nerves or excitement ahead of a pitch. It’s natural, so don’t worry too much about it. If anything, you should take the sensation of excitement and channel it into your delivery.
It’s important to make sure you have a clear head and a confident tone when pitching for new business. If you’re not feeling confident, just pretend you are. A good tactic, especially if you’re presenting insights, is to have a drink beside you and take sips when you start to feel exposed. Just be sure you don’t overdo it.
Also, take breaks when speaking to allow for questions and ensure everyone is fully in the loop with what you’re presenting. Doing this will also prevent you from speaking too fast.
If you’re presenting as part of a team and you notice your colleague is struggling for words, we advise jumping in to help manage the conversation. After all, you’re a team, and this will help showcase teamwork at its best.
You also shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions in a marketing pitch. In most pitches, the business you’re pitching for usually gives an overview of their business and introduces key members you’ll probably be working alongside should you be successful.
This is the perfect time to ask questions you haven’t been able to source answers for whilst conducting your research before the pitch. Never be afraid to ask questions during a pitch, as this showcases that you’re eager to learn more about the business and that you’re genuinely interested in them.
Ask for feedback at the end of your new business pitch
As they say, honesty is the best policy. That, and you’re not going to win every pitch.
But if you’re not sure why you were unsuccessful in your pitch, ask your contact for honest feedback about it, and what they liked/disliked about the presentation.
Once you have their response, discuss the feedback with the team involved and consider how you can implement it for use in future new business pitches. That way, you’re as prepared as possible with an improved pitch for the next opportunity that comes your way.
We these steps in hand, you should have no trouble pitching for new business the next time the opportunity approaches. Of course, we’ve many more tips surrounding new business and winning clients, all of which you can find in the c3 blog.
Here at connective3, we tackle everything from organic content to digital PR and CRO services to paid social. If you want to take your business to new heights with our always-on approach, then get in touch today to see what we can do for you.
