‘So, what do you do?’ 3 big pitch pitfalls to avoid

What’s a pitch?

While there are many different pitches, the first one is often our answer to ‘So, what do you do?’ Given we’ve all regretted asking someone this question or felt some anxiety when answering this ourselves at some stage (too presumptive?), you’ll know that too many people have a poor Pitch.

We owe it to ourselves to have a better answer to this innocuous enquiry which stumps so many of us and closes the door on too many potential opportunities. With this in mind, let’s talk about three big Pitch pitfalls we can avoid …

Pitch pitfall 1 – Talking about what we do, literally

People don’t care what we do…what they care about is the major problem we solve and the outcomes we deliver. So let’s stop being so rational when we answer ‘So, what do you do?’ because even though they asked us, it’s the wrong question to answer.

Rather than banging on about our wonderful six step process which people don’t care about (at least not yet), talk about a big, relatable problem you solve and an outcome you deliver – this triggers engagement, increases our value and ensures the conversation doesn’t run out of puff.

Pitch pitfall 2 – Thinking monologue, not dialogue.

An effective pitch inspires a dialogue, so keep it brief and get their head nodding in acknowledgement within the first ten seconds or so which brings them into the conversation.

The success of our pitch shouldn’t be judged on how long people listen to us for, but rather the questions they ask and how engaging and relatable our Pitch was. If we can achieve this, we will have cleared what’s often the first hurdle in the sales process.

Pitch pitfall 3 – Lack of perspective

Relevance, engagement and brevity are key when answering ‘So, what do you do?’ The challenge is that this can only be best achieved if we know a little about who we’re speaking with first and can start forming a preliminary idea about what they might find both relevant and engaging.

So while not always possible, finding out about them first allows us to understand our audience and express our value simply and with confidence.

Why should I care?

Our prospects are short on time, spoilt for choice and have limited attention spans… so while we can create massive value, if we can’t communicate it in a compelling manner we’ll miss out on the business that we deserve.

Are you attracting the ideal clients you deserve?

The benefits of developing a Perfect Pitch can be substantial, so if you don’t have in – house expertise, seek help. Customer Return help small and medium sized businesses attract more of their ideal clients, faster.

Got the Perfect Pitch? Try our 2 minute perfect pitch self-evaluation.