Pitch Perfect - How to Prepare & Present Winning Pitches & Tenders

Introduction

Some types of professional work are won entirely through informal pitches and formal tenders. And most professionals (whether lawyers, accountants or surveyors) will be required to prepare a pitch or tender at some point in their career.

Writing and presenting a persuasive pitch relies on strong communication skills and insight into sales processes and skills.

This virtual classroom session guides you through the pitch development process and focuses on the skills needed to form a strong relationship with the prospective client, assess their needs and motivation, formulate a winning sales strategy and communicate persuasively in written documents and presentations.

The aim of this practical workshop is to help you improve your conversion rate.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• Introductions


• Planning and processes
• Marketing and business development fundamentals
• Types of proposals, pitches and tenders
• Pitching processes
• Sales basics
• Selling skills and buying processes
• Exercise: Empathy with the client perspective
• DMU and procurement
• Sales framework


• Preparation, early client contact and sales strategy
• Exercise: What do you do before you pitch?
• Research and pitch support systems
• Working with marketing, BD and pitch specialists
• Policies and Go/No go decision
• Early client contact and scoping meetings
• Develop a sales strategy
• Competitive positioning
• Value propositions


• Creating the pitch or tender document
• Exercise: Document contents and challenges
• The needs of the readers
• Structure and content (key messages)
• Essentials of persuasive writing
• Storytelling and an emotional connection
• Brand personality and tone
• Executive summaries and covering letters


• Preparing a presentation
• Exercise: Best presentations
• Aims
• Obtain feedback from the client
• Design and structure the content
• Exercise: Preparing a presentation
• Use of audio-visuals and props
• Strong start, control and positive finish
• Rehearsals
• Prepare yourself (nerves and confidence)


• Deliver the presentation/Interaction
• Delivering the content - Presentation skills:
• Introductions and non-verbal communication
• Adapting to personalities
• Creating rapport and trust (emotional intelligence)
• Promoting interaction and discussion
• Questioning techniques
• Active listening
• Exercise: Common objections
• Objection handling and closing


• After the Pitch
• Debriefing and feedback (continuous learning)
• Ongoing contact


• Summary
• Exercise: Improving your systems, documents and presentations

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.