How To: Prepare For A Pitch Over The Phone

Posted by Matt Singley on May 11, 2009 under Business, Communication, Productivity, how-to | 3 Comments to Read

I advise companies about how to optimize social media for brand exposure, adoption and support.  Because of this I am constantly talking to potential clients on the phone, discussing their goals and desires for an effective online campaign.  If you are in the business of consulting or are thinking about moving in that direction I’ve put together a short list of tips and tricks for preparing for that phone call, because as I’ve learned the hard way, if you aren’t prepared you’re not going to get the job. With the economy in the condition it is, every call is critical.

1. Know the client.  There is nothing worse than being asked a question about the company that you are pitching and not knowing what they are talking about.  I’m not talking about obscure facts, this is about their core competencies.  Make sure you have done your research, have at least a general familiarity with the key leaders, products, services and areas of operation.
2. Know their competitors.  This has stung me in the past; the client asks me, “why do you think we are not doing as well as Company X?” and I hadn’t even heard of the organization they were referring to, even though they were twice the size of the group I had on the other end of the phone! Find some key words about the company you are pitching and Google them.  Sites like Compete also help you find great statistical information about difference segments of the market.
3. Prep your computer.  I do a few things on my laptop or desktop before I make the call.  First, I keep key information about the appointment in the event that I have scheduled in my computer.  These include: any personal info about the person I may know, links to their company site and personal blogs, Twitter accounts, etc,  and a list of all the point I want to cover during the conversation.
4. Have relevant websites open.  Make sure you have their company website open, with other pages as well.  I like to have the front page, about page and team page open.  If they refer to different segments of the company it’s good to have this information in front of you so you can have an intelligent conversation about it.
5. Close everything else. Close out Tweetdeck, Instant Messenger, email and anything else that may potentially distract you.  Give 100% of your attention to the person you are speaking too.  I also turn off my cell phone (don’t want the annoying ding dong of a text message to sound turning an important conversation) and any other noise making devices around me.
6. Have paper and pen in front of you.  Although I tend to take notes of my conversation on a computer, I am also fairly right-brained and often need to sketch charts or concepts.  It is certainly easier to do this on paper than anything else, I use small Moleskine journals and include the date at the top of each entry for future reference.  I usually go back and review these later, and I’m always thankful that I had paper around.

I think that is a good start for preperation, now the hard work is up to you.  Know the client and the industry that you are talking to, and show up prepared.  If you don’t know something that they are asking about, do not fake your way through an answer…9 times out of 10 you’ll end up sounding like an ass.  Tell them that you will look into it and get back to them later, and then do it.  Good luck, go get some business!

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