Use this powerful question for your pitch preparation
“We worked as a team to come up with every single question we might be asked.” (David Wei, of Venuemob).
This is a quote from an Australian Financial Review article entitled, Pitch a vision to lure an angel by Jessica Gardner. (AFR, 29/5/12). Wei, in his quote, was referring to his pitch team’s planning, for the Q&A at an Angel investor pitch presentation. The quote resonated with me because it’s in the same vein – ‘the coming up with every single question’ – of what I tell my business pitch and sales presentation clients to do when pitching for business.
When pitching my own services, and helping my clients pitch their products and services, I use the acronym WECID (What Else Could I Do). That is, what else could I do, that my competitors won’t do, to win this piece of work, to win influence with this person, to get this prospect to do what I want them to do, etc.
Furthermore, it’s very important to repeatedly ask yourself/ask among your pitch team the WECID question throughout the ‘pitching’ process, until the piece of business has been awarded. Many of the answers you come up with from asking WECID question may be of little worth. However, by persisting in asking the question (even when bored with asking it) you’ll often unearth valuable insights, actions to take, etc.
The more important the pitch, presentation, meeting or interaction you are planning for, the more often you should ask the WECID question.
The ‘how to apply’ for this post: Before your next pitch, presentation or meeting repeatedly ask the WECID question and reflect on the results of doing so.
