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There’s two key ways to pitch. One secret is questions, and the other one is the pregnant pause. I love both of them. If you were ever to go on a sales call with me, I ask a million questions. But the key is the person I’m asking questions to doesn’t feel like I’m asking them a million questions. It’s the idea of asking a question, getting somebody else to explain it, and then do the follow-up.
I always like to start with a lot of questions about, “Oh, I have this incredible idea about efficiency. I think we can cut down our shipping costs. But, Bob, before I tell you about it, do you think this is a problem within the company?” “You do. Tell me about some of the things that you’ve heard about or tried to fix them.” And so on. You want to get and find out what they’ve tried before and how it’s worked.
The other trick I learned a very long time ago is when you’re pitching and you get to that uncomfortable point where you’re kind of done, you don’t know if they like it, or they’re going to buy it, or accept it. What do you do? It’s the pregnant pause. You ask a question, and you just stay silent. Most people who aren’t professionals on TV have a very, very difficult time with silence. People have this urge to fill the emptiness. And I find, in general, when they want to fill the emptiness, they give you a pretty honest answer.
“So, Bob, we’ve spent a lot of time today talking about efficiency and how this can help. You’ve given me some incredible feedback. I think this can really move things forward. You’re telling me we want to try. Can we pick a date by which I can bring this idea forward and get some funding for it?” And just shut up and listen. They’re going to give you some honest feedback. It’s in those moments that you figure out how your presentation is really going.