By Gordon Glenister, global head of influencer marketing at the Branded Content Marketing Association.

Covid19 has allowed many organisations to review what they do and how they do it. And that includes all the processes, the people, the products and  the services offered. Do we communicate our message in  the most effective way. So many people hate the idea of selling or being too pushy in order to get business, but it need not be that way.

I am a member of a group of marketing consultants that meet every Wednesday at lunchtime for 30 mins on zoom and one of our supplier partners “pitches” to the group. We are all senior C suite execs so we've probably seen most pitches. I must say I like the format as they only have 10 mins and we have at least 10 minutes Q&A.

For me what makes a good pitch stand out is when the presenter knows his audience and tailors it in such a way that picks up customer pain points and identifies

1: What the problems you are trying to solve – at the very start, illustrated by an image or quote from an eminent professional/famous person.

2: What the offering is in terms of how you are going to solve it, the solutions detailed by visual imagery and the less words the better.

3: Your proof that you above all your competition are the right partner, so whether you show awards you have won, a case study or other form of customer engagement.

4: The “irresistible” offer which needs to be time bound but with opportunities to engage in additional services.

5: On every slide add a memorable strap line that re-enforces your message.

Rehearse and reappraise all the time, what is it your clients value most and if you don’t win a pitch, find out why. Most people say No, eight times before saying yes.  So persistence does indeed pay off, but you need to show relevance

I have seen pitch decks that have at least 30-40 slides and quite frankly it’s a complete waste - your client has a short retention span. A good test of this, is to ask your clients how they would sell you internally to others before you depart from the call, for example  “before I go John, I just want to make sure you've understood everything, how you would you pitch this offer internally”.

You’d be amazed what they’ve missed.

Why I am talking about condensing the pitch, well because I want you to enter an amazing competition if you are an agency or content creator Its called Pitch Influence and organised by the Branded Content Marketing Association.

The closing date is not far off on the 31^st July. The essence of this is to create a 1 minute video to explain who you are what you do (your pitch) and why you think you should win it. The final 5 content creators and 5 agencies will have a Pitch off to find the winner of each. They each receive £1000.

We are only accepting video entries. You will find the process of pitching on video if you haven’t done so, very interesting. So be daring, be creative and impress the judges.

For more details visit www.thebcma.info.

Gordon Glenister is the founder and global head of influencer marketing at BCMA Influence – part of the Branded Content Marketing Association, whose aims are to promote the value of influencer marketing through its global network and to create a hub of best practice for the industry at large.

Photo by Linda Perez Johannessen on Unsplash