When it comes to your pitch, emotion beats logic every time. Logic is just a qualifying lap; it’s emotion that wins you the race.
This is something that challenges so many sales professionals we meet. But failing to consider the emotional side of your pitch will result in you losing out to competitors who ‘get’ it.
Let me explain by looking at this from the buyer’s perspective.
The purpose of the written proposal is to eliminate parties based upon the rational criteria in the buyer’s opinion. All respondents to an RFI are answering the same questions in the same number of words. The process allows the buyer to make rational, objective comparisons.
Here they can quickly and easily eliminate those not suitable for the project, such as being not big enough, unable to scale, or being a poor solution fit.
The problem is the buyer is still left with two or three companies that have met the necessary score. Now the buyer has to make an informed decision on whom to choose. They will rely on the rational, logical information provided in writing, but equally and even more significant is how you have made them feel as a buyer.
And, as a buyer, they need more than facts. They need something else to predict the future.
As a buyer, it’s scary. They don’t want to make the wrong decision. So relying on rational, objective and logical reasons will not get them there.
The buyer needs to understand more about your proposition. Where is the nuance? How will you set it up? What wisdom have you acquired? How will you assure them you are the best bet? Do they feel confident? Are there any glaring gaps? Are they unclear? Do they see you as being organised?
As a buyer, they measure all this through your delivery style, engagement, and how you handle the questions.
In other words, the buyer decides how they feel about those interactions and what it is telling them about you and your organisation. They need something other than the rational reasons to make a firm decision and – guess what? – you’ve given it to them through your pitch and, in particular, the Q&A. It becomes a proxy for what it’s like to work with you.
Your interaction beyond the written submission is what so much of the final decision is based upon in the work we do with clients. I cannot stress this enough. It’s often underestimated. And instead, I see pitch teams fiddling around with slides, overanalysing the final content and doing anything to avoid rehearsing.
They’re missing the point. The client already knows you can do what you say you can do. They don’t need further proof of it.
What they want is reassurance. And it’s why emotion beats logic every time.
They want reassurance you are the right people to work with. The final decision is subjective – emotional, political and cultural. If you’re only putting in rational information, you are missing the subjective process.
In other words, don’t leave the emotional factors out of your pitch.
Discover our approach to winning more sales presentations with the 10 Disciplines of Pitching. Call us today on 020 3303 0415 or email us at info@thewinacademy.co.uk to discover how we can help raise your team’s win rate.