The pitch presentation is over. You usually ask your participants to evaluate what is shown.

Surely someone has prepared an easy to tick table with scoring criteria. In order to make it as pleasant as possible for everyone, you will find all the points to be evaluated clearly on one page.

Neuroscientists know what happens now. People evaluate with their "heart". If we are asked to make a decision (evaluation), our subconscious has the solution of the heart immediately. We unconsciously explain the decision on the basis of internal parameters. This process takes about 70 to 80 seconds. Only then does the human brain begin to really consider other parameters and evaluate them with the "mind".

To combine both aspects optimally, proceed as follows:

1.) Ask the question about the overall impression at the beginning. Here the group evaluates with the heart.

2.) Make the evaluation documents uncomfortable. Spread the questions to be answered over several pages. Formulate as precisely as necessary and as openly as possible what your individual rating levels mean. In this way you create a deceleration. Your participants evaluate with their minds.

You thus secure your selection of the right provider. You balance feeling and ratio optimally.

Evaluate with heart and mind by consciously decelerating the evaluation process. You will thus make better decisions.

Finally, the pitch appointment takes place. The preparation bears visible fruit. Internal and external stakeholders often meet for the first time.

Now it is especially important to showreliability and commitment as an inviter.

If you have made a promise in advance, be sure to keep it! Unfortunately, it happens all too often that, for example, the confidentiality agreement countersigned by potential clients is not available on the intended day. 

If you make a commitment during the appointment, write down the point and provide at least one response. It is possible that a participant of the outsourcer promises a file or documents during the presentation of the provider. If you cannot keep the promise, explain why you are not fulfilling it now instead of kicking it into the long grass (which unfortunately happens in the majority of cases).

This only serves the proverb "You never get a second chance for a first impression".

With commitment you send a psychologically important message:

• Your counterpartis rightto rely on you. → People and thus providers are much more likely to take a (subjectively) perceived risk when they feel they can trust the other. That's what it's all about for you. The other party should accommodate you as far as possible.

 At the same time, you set a benchmark for your expectations. 

Show commitment and you will get more cooperation. 

The presentation comes to an end and the provider asks the inevitable question like "What do you think?" or something like "How much do you like what you have seen?".

How do you deal with requests for feedback during a pitch? 

All too often, people respond curtly in this situation and quickly move on to "We'll be in touch!".

After all, no representative of the potential clients wants to do anything wrong. No supplier should be preferred. The participants are as neutral as possible. Too bad. Because there is an emotional break and the enquirers lose something.

Try this:

• Express thanks for the contribution and the ideas conveyed. A thank you is always appropriate.
• Praise (if and where appropriate) for example liveliness, comprehensibility or individuality of the experience. You may always give feedback on the form.
• Conversely, ask for feedback.

On the one hand, this superficially has the result that

• your contacts feel valued and experience a drop in pressure.
• you get a reflection of how your project and your request are perceived from the outside.
• you preserve the opportunities of all participating companies and still build emotional bridges at the same time. → Who knows how soon you might need one?

...and for you, on the other hand, at least as important:
 

• you also induce a more conscious decision on the part of the potential service provider in favour of you.

After all, a contract always includes at least two parties.

Give feedback confidently and, conversely, ask for it. You thus gain insights and potential allies for the future.