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Key Business Survival Tool in Today’s Economy: A Killer Pitch

April 29, 2009

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Veteran Business Coach Joey Asher Shares Secrets on Standing Out when Business is Scarce

Atlanta, GA (RPRN) 4/29/09 -- The difference between life and death for many businesses today is one big win – one new piece of business that will allow your firm to ride out the economic storm. If that’s the case for your business, then you better know how to deliver a killer pitch: a new business presentation that grabs the prospect and doesn’t let go until he gives you a new contract.

Veteran business coach Joey Asher maintains that winning new business in today’s economy is difficult but not impossible. It takes execution of a few key fundamentals.

Asher, an Atlanta-based sales presentation coach and President of the nationally-recognized consulting firm Speechworks, adds that when business is scarce, honing the pitch is crucial. To provide sellers with the tools and techniques they need to create and deliver new business presentations, separate themselves from the competition, and win business, Asher wrote How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals that Will Distinguish You from the Competition, available on Amazon.com and slated for release on May 19, 2009.

In conjunction with the release of How to Win a Pitch (ISBN: 978-0-9785776-1-2 , Trade Paper, 272 pp., $16.95), Asher is sharing his insights on winning business in a down economy. Asher recommends following these five fundamentals:

Fundamental #1. Present a solution and nothing else. All too often, people start presentations by talking about themselves. “Before we start, let me tell you about how our company began . . .” Who cares? Your prospect only cares about is how you can save them money, grow their revenues, or reduce their risk. Detail your plan to help your prospect and tell stories about how the plan has worked for others.

Fundamental #2. Keep it simple. Resist the urge to cover too much ground in the presentation. Pound away at three messages. “We’ll build your project on time. We’ll meet your budget. We’ll deliver quality work.” Simplicity always separates you from the competition.

Fundamental #3. Speak with Passion. If you’re one of three firms competing, you know that your competition can do a great job. But as one CEO explained, “When it’s close, many of the decisions just come down to who connects with us best.”. Passion in the voice helps you connect.

Fundamental #4. Leave half of your time for questions. Questions address what your prospect wants to hear. Your answers almost always separate you. Your competition often makes Q&A an afterthought. Consequently, you can gain an advantage by considering the questions on the front-end.

Fundamental #5. Rehearse. One CEO who has had hundreds of sales presentations stated, “I can always tell who has rehearsed.” Most people don’t rehearse much. Practicing sets you apart.

Asher adds, “In a recession, the pool of new business is small. Focusing on the fundamentals will help you grab your share.”

One of the country’s preeminent experts on selling skills and communication, Joey Asher is President of Speechworks, an Atlanta-based communication and selling skills coaching firm that has been helping business people communicate more effectively for over 20 years. Asher combines his skills as an attorney and journalist to help readers and clients rise above their competition. Joey Asher is also author of Selling & Communication Skills for Lawyers, and Even a Geek Can Speak: Low-Tech Presentation Skills For High-Tech People. To read Joey’s blog go to www.talkingpointsblog.com or visit www.speechworks.net.

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