If You Read One Article About Pitching and Selling, Read This One

Developing and selling a commercial app is an entrepreneurial endeavour by any definition of the phrase and, as such, anyone considering app development should read some literature on the subject. I have some experience in entrepreneurship and never one to pass up an opportunity to ramble on about some past event or knowledge I have gained, I thought it would good to bore you with it.

First, step away from the issue of what the app is, how it works, how much it will cost, etc, because first you will probably need to convince others that your business is a good idea. This usually begins with trying to explain that you have identified some problem or total lack of a current product or service in a particular field. Part of this process, even if you have the resources to develop the app from your own funds, is attracting investment.

Some advocate using someone else’s money because it’s less risk for you and if you can convince people to invest some money in your venture, then you are either a real charmer or you have a good business idea. If you are just a charmer forget the app and just get people to give you money. Bernie Madoff did quite well with this trick for quite some time and he had no business whatsoever, although the 150 year prison term might put you off.

Convincing people of your business idea may be something you consider easy, but try explaining why a hair dressing app is such a great opportunity to a room full of old balding investors – even the ones that strive to make you think otherwise. Let’s face it, investors rarely diverge from your stereo typical image of mid-forties to mid-sixties, successful business men or women who have developed or managed pretty typical businesses. They are full of experience in what they know, but sometimes lack the vision for what they don’t and that step into the unknown fills them with angst (where angels fear to tread).

My advice is to find the person with the most sceptical outlook of your business, and practice using all methods you know to convince them it is not just a good opportunity, but a great one. Make a note of what argument you used to break through Mr Scepticals resistance and file it away in your bag of tools as you may need many such tools. Also make a note of arguments you used that were easily brushed aside or countered so you can refine them or do more research on them to make them more robust in the future. Clearly researched stats and figures with points of reference are difficult to argue against.

From then on, anyone you come across who doesn’t think your idea is great provides an opportunity for you to perfect your sales pitch, because make no mistake, when you are an entrepreneur, you are the number one sales champion for your business.

Every day, CEOs from even the largest organisations sell their company and its capabilities to others. You see them on the TV holding interviews, addressing shareholders, and negotiating collaborations with other companies. They are constantly networking and getting in positions to generate interest in their company. This effort with various stakeholders is essential in modern business and is often overlooked by entrepreneurs.

In determining a pitch or sales track, it is good to follow a few basic rules:

1 Create the image in people’s minds of the problem you have identified.
2 Explain how the problem could manifest into a greater worldwide evil.
3 Outline why typical solutions are inadequate.
4 Develop the vision of why you or your product is the best method of eradicating the evil.
5 Sow the seeds of other potential applications.

The best way to create this image of a problem in people’s minds is to have a story behind it, something which generates interest, and keeps your audience captivated through to the end and remember to have versions of varying duration and sophistication ready to switch to depending on the audience. People love a good story and the greatest orators are the ones with the best back catalogue.

Have a look at the Reservoir Dogs movie and Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) practicing telling his “commode” story for his undercover role. It’s not just the story that counts, it’s the way he tells it with the emotion – as if he had actually been there. This is a masterclass in storytelling. It is this ability to tell seemingly mundane stories while maintaining an audience’s interest that has made Quentin Tarantino’s movies renowned for their dialogue.

If, like me, you have poor powers of retention, I suggest you don’t make things up like Mr. Orange. Instead, stick with stories and experiences directly related to you, not forgetting to elaborate on how they impacted you and others around you.

As your business grows, you will have more and more stories to tell. Some may be horrendous tales of disastrous business dealings, but always look for the amusing things to take from them or what you learned from the experience. Some ideas behind what stories you may wish to be able to call on without hesitation would be your “light bulb moment,” a great success, a terrible failure, an embarrassing moment, a period of pressure, and an experience of hilarity or a real surprise.

This approach has served me well over the years and I have learned that people take to ideas and opportunities better if they have an understanding of not only where they came from, but where they may lead.

Never lead an audience down a path of opportunity explaining where your idea may lead. If your audience is suitably captivated by your idea and if they have an inkling of imagination, they will offer those ideas up for themselves and, in doing so, they will sell the very idea to themselves and others.
So, for pitching and selling: create your story, tell it widely, tell it with enthusiasm, practice it, perfect it, and leave some potential endings for others to create a sequel.