Your 1st tip
Think about and agree on what you want beforehand!
The important pitch appointment finally takes place. Vendors present companies and solutions based on their briefing specifications.
Then suddenly maybe this happens: The representatives of the potential client suddenly question the terms of reference.
"How about we do it this way or that way?" or "Do we really need ...?" might be formulations.
...or this:
Providers realise that not all representatives of the inviting party are pulling inthe same direction. There may be uncertainty.
In each case, the presentation moves in a completely different direction.
- The pitch becomes less comparable or not comparable at all.
- The purpose of the "pitch appointment" selection process suffers.
Often companies then try to remain master of the proceedings with a second or even third rebriefing. In nine out of ten cases, the costs for all parties involved increase dramatically. Delays are usually an integral part of this.
Sometimes responsible persons then utter sentences such as: "It's good that we've learned this now. This is of great use to us". In this way, the participants justify their guilty conscience. In fact, in both cases, potential clients admit that they have not given sufficient thought to what they actually want.
Invest more time beforehand in making sure you know what you want. It will save you time and money.
Your 2nd tip
Good hosts benefit!
The way your company conducts pitch appointments quickly gets the word out to potential service providers.
Depending on whether you welcome potential partners in the windowless cellar office or in the chic lounge with tasty snacks, you control your results.
Those who receive their guests in a courteous manner usually receive the possibly decisive quantum more of
- information,
- commitment,
- attention and
- flexibility (also with the price!)
This refinances 25 € costs for catering per participant within minutes.
Be a good host. Treat your participants attentively. Roll out the red carpet and benefit. You get more return.
Your 3rd tip
Punctual scores points
"Hello, I just had to make an important phone call. Let's start."
Everyone knows such a start to a meeting.
The speaker thus says to everyone else: "My time is more important than that of the other people in the room". Is that really so? What does this importance refer to?
However, those who stick to the timetable score several points. Three key benefits are:
- They avoid a negative mood. It is possible that individual participants did not feel respected and valued if they were kept waiting.
- They benefit from the opportunity to give each participant the full amount of time attention. Under certain circumstances, not all persons can delay their plans. Or a subsequent appointment may already be scheduled. They thus also receive maximum input.
They ensure that they can determine their own time. How so? Those who are late are often dependent on the determination of others. Keywords: extension, second appointment, additional telephone call, etc...
Increase the insight gain of a pitch appointment and be on time.
Your 4th tip
Create abstracts for your team
Offer documents quickly comprise 50 to 100 DIN A4 pages. Sometimes applying companies submit presentation documents with various appendices of 40 pages each in advance.
For example, if a contractor wants to look at three candidates in a day, 420 sheets of paper might have to be studied by each participant.
It is to be assumed that perhaps not all persons carefully look at and work through the 420 sheets. Key aspects may remain unconsidered.
To counteract this, some buyers request a management summary from applicants in advance. This is a good idea.
In parallel, it is advisable to have at least one person from the selection committee prepare brief summaries of all bids in advance.
This ensures that the summaries are drawn up uniformly and broken down according to approximately equal criteria.
Prepare abstracts for your participants. This will help you to have a basis for your decisions. Your colleagues will thank you.
Your 5th tip
Clarify the technology in advance!
The electronic helpers make our everyday life easier. Projector, presenter, audio system... the possibilities transform presentations into multimedia experiences.
Although the things are all supposed to be compatible with each other, there are always problems.
Take some pressure off the presenter. Clarify the technology in advance. This also relieves your schedule. A good presentation can also be enjoyedmuch more when you are relaxed.