How to Prepare, Create, and Deliver Your Pitch

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0:40Welcome back to the Jasmine Starr Show. And today we are talking everything about your business when it comes to pitching. Have you ever heard or read a pitch that left you feeling captivated, inspired, and ready to take action? Like better yet, it seemed like this pitch was so natural and effortless for the presenter. Okay. So I will never forget going with our neighbor to Palm Springs. We lived in this town called La Puente. It was just a little bit on the outside of Los Angeles. And our neighbor convinced my mom to let us go with her kids for a day trip to Palm Springs. Now we had never been to Palm Springs before.

1:22And it sounds like this amazing, beautiful desert oasis. And it was. But what our neighbor didn't know at the time was that she was going to have to sit through a timeshare presentation before her kids and the neighbors she took along with her, like got access to the pool. We had to sit through a timeshare presentation. Now I was a kid and I don't remember all of it, but I will say that was the only last and forever hold my breath. Will I ever attend a timeshare session for the rest of my life? Amen. I remember sitting there being like, who would endure this ever? And I still have that same question as an adult.

2:03Now on the flip side, now being a business owner, I have had the opportunity to listen to pitches. Now pitches take forms in many different ways. Now the traditional way, if you were hear the word, oh, she's going to go pitch. Oftentimes that might mean somebody who's going to ask for money from a venture capital firm, which totally could be the case. But when I first started a business, I didn't even know venture capital existed. In fact, I didn't even think I can get a loan for my business. That is how little I knew about growing a business. And so when I started using the word pitch, I was using it in terms of selling prospective clients.

2:40And so JD, my husband, business partner, I would be like, I got to practice my pitch. And practicing my pitch looked like, how was I going to convince a bride and groom to book me for their wedding day? So what I started noticing happening is when prospective clients would meet by way of phone, or maybe we'd meet in a coffee shop. It's like they would read every wedding magazine and clip out every top 10 questions to ask a wedding photographer before you book them. And I realized I was getting asked the same questions again and again and again. Now it's no fault of the bride and groom. I mean, this is the first time they're getting married.

3:15They don't know what questions to ask. But the more interviews I sat on, I started realizing now I could sit here And I can answer every single one of the same questions every single time as if I had never heard it before. Or I could take these top 10 questions and put it into almost an answer in a free flow conversation. So when the bride and groom would sit across from me, we would make pleasantries and then I would ask them, how did you meet? I would get to know them. I would ask a few questions. And so then I would say, do you have any questions for me starting off? and 99.9 % of the time they would say, oh, well, why don't you just start?

3:53Which gave me the great opportunity to kind of go into a three to four minute pitch, who I was, what I did, why I did it, what type of photography I prefer, how would I describe my style? Do I like sunset weddings? How many photographers go? How many images are there in a day? Like I was answering every possible question on the front end as part of a, hey, I'm gonna give it to you all right here You have every single thing you need to make a decision. That is when I started understanding that I could command somebody's attention by way of something they wanted in a very effective way while being friendly, informative, and getting me closer to what it is that I want.

4:34So now later on in my career, I've mentioned before in the past how I went to an event in Miami and I interviewed Josh Muccio. I'm going to link to that show here in the show notes. He is the founder of The Pitch Fund and The Pitch Podcast. I went to Miami and I had the luxury, the privilege, the honor of hearing business owners pitch venture capitalists to invest in their business. And I have to tell you, there were some people who were so strong. They knew what to ask for. They knew how to create a story. At the end of their pitch, you were like, here, take all my money. Take a credit card. Let me just fling Benjamins at you.

5:13They were that strong in their presentation, answering any prospective questions you might have painted a story and got you to yes. That is the power of a pitch. Similarly, when I stand on a stage and I give a keynote presentation, what am I doing? I'm pitching. I might not be pitching something to buy for me, but I'm pitching an idea, a thought, a state of mind. My goal when I stand on a stage is to get people to see things in a new and different way. Just because I say the sky is X doesn't mean you believe the sky is X. I need to set up a case. I need to share data. I need to tell a story. I need to create a captivating and compelling reason why you too should think the sky is X.

5:55Now, I regularly teach online classes, masterclasses. And oftentimes at the end of a masterclass, I will make an offer to buy something or go deeper in with my business. In those cases, what am I doing then? I am pitching. I am getting somebody by way of education, building trust and confidence and showing my expertise, them to convert into a sale. So pitches exist in every which shape or form. And I may even go as far to say that if you have been in a relationship longer than a decade, right? I've been with my husband more than 10 years. I pitch him weekly. I mean, I pitch him on why I don't want to cook dinner.

6:34I pitch him on why we should book a vacation. I pitch him as to why he should not have any opinions about how much I spend on my manicures. Yes and amen. So the idea of us pitching is something we do quite often. And it's something we can get better at. In fact, I've come to believe that the better I get at pitching, the stronger I am as an entrepreneur. And I am here to tell you that behind every seemingly effortless pitch, there lies a carefully crafted strategy. And in this episode, you're going to learn the secrets behind those captivating pitches and how to create one and how to deliver one on your own so you can inspire action too.

7:10Now, no, please know that I was tempted to create a podcast on how to create a pitch for venture capital, how to create a pitch for a webinar, how to create a pitch for a client meeting. And then I realized it got too into the details when I wasn't even sure people wanted that information. So what I'm going to do is give an overarching, very high view of like pitch ideology. And then if you would like me to get into more specific details, shoot me a DM. I've literally created these podcasts for you. If you don't like what I'm talking about, I don't want to talk about it. If you would like to know more about specific things, please shoot me a DM.

7:46We always love your content ideas. Okay. Now you might be here and you might be getting to this point thinking, I don't know if this episode's for me. I'm going to tell you if you're in business or you just really want to get your way in life, this episode is for you. When you're pitching yourself to be a guest on a podcast, a speaker, an event, pitching your business in a room full of investors, you should use a framework to ensure that your process is consistent and you've checked all the boxes to effectively communicate your value. And this is why I'm recording this episode. I want to share my framework with you.

8:20And the best part, hey, this is very high view. It's high level. It's like 30 ,000 feet in the air and it could be applied when you're pitching yourself for free or even paid opportunities. Okay, so in this framework, we're going to go over elements such as the structure of a great pitch, how to deliver it, and how to properly follow up post-pitch. You guys want to stay till the end because the post-pitch, ah, that is where the magic is. Okay, so in addition to the post-pitch, I'm going to give you three action steps to help you nail your pitch so that when the opportunity arises, you're going to be ready for it.

8:53Okay, so like always, when we get into these frameworks on the podcast, the pitching framework is research, craft, deliver, and follow up. Now we're going to break them down. And in each one, I'm going to tell you if there's that point or not. Okay, so we're going to start off with R for research. It's important here to understand that the people you're pitching to and the opportunity that is given, you have to understand them and the opportunity as much as possible. If you have any opportunity of knowing who is going to be in that room. So if you are going to be meeting clients, it's totally okay to search for them online.

9:27Figure out if you know what school they went to or their social media handles or what sports teams they like. If you're going into a room full of investors, how diverse is the investors? Is it mostly female, mostly male? Do they traditionally invest in underrepresented founders? Do they not? Are they tech forward? There's a lot of things that you can do because the more you know about who you're pitching to, the better you can craft it. So research is going to be a big component. Now you can do this by researching basic Google or asking questions to three questions before you start crafting your pitch.

10:00So if you're in the research mode and you're like, I don't know where to begin, three questions. Number one, what are the top three specific needs, challenges, or pain points of the audience? And how can your skills, expertise, or offerings address those needs effectively? Question number two, what are the preferences, priorities, and the goals of your audience? How can you align your pitch to resonate with their preferences and priorities? And question number three, who are the decision makers and what factors influence their decision? How can you make it easy for them to say yes? When pitching to investors, you want to know your business backwards and forwards, specifically your numbers as much as possible.

10:40Now, this could be an episode fully out on its own. We might get there if people want to ask for it. But to get you started, you're going to want to know at minimum these four things in depth. You're going to want to know your business's sales and revenue growth over time, profitability, cash flow, and outstanding debts, projections for future revenue, and the LTV, which spoiler alert, I'm recording an episode on this in the next few weeks. So be sure to look out for that. Now, if you're pitching to clients, it's so important to know who you're actually pitching to. When I was a photographer, it was common for me to meet with a bride and groom.

11:18But over time, I started to realize that the more luxury weddings I began shooting, that the parents were often involved in making the decision about the payment to the photographer. So while the bride and groom might've been smitten with me, I had to know who am I actually selling to? So it was very common for me earlier in the conversation to know, okay, so great. So talk to me about your wedding. Where is it going to be? Are you guys making this investment on your own? Are there other people I should be including in this conversation? Because far be it for me to invest an hour meeting with a couple and they're like, okay, this is great, but I really need to go back and tell my dad.

11:53No problem. But I should have known about that on the front end because I could have facilitated the dad being there on that meeting or having a conversation with the dad prior to the meeting with the bride and groom. Remember, a pitch is getting people to yes. Anything that's going to get in the way of the yes, you want to best prepare for it. So after you've conducted research on your audience, the opportunity and your numbers, you can move on to the next step of the framework, which is craft. This is the step where you're going to create a tailored pitch that highlights your unique value proposition.

12:21An important word here is tailored. I cannot stress this enough. Every word you speak needs to iterate how you're going to make their life or business better, easier, or more successful. This is not about how they're going to help you, right? Oftentimes when you're pitching, it is always, this is for you. Go into a pitch thinking, not me, this is going to benefit you. But creating a tailored pitch doesn't mean that you have to recreate the wheel over and over again. What you're pitching isn't going to be changing, only who you're pitching to. So you can write like a shell pitch with room to customize and tailor it for your audience and the opportunity that you're pitching for.

13:02Okay. So let's kind of divert a tiny little sub point here. If you're taking notes, I want to talk about your shell pitch. Kind of like, this is kind of like what I would call like the foundation, right? Or this is the thing that encloses everything. This is like the core of it. So your shell pitch should include your intro hook, problem statement, solution, and call to action. Now, if you've been listening to my podcast for a while, you'll notice that a lot of this follows the same frameworks that I use on social media. In social media, we have hook, insights, call to action. Here, when you're pitching, it's hook, problem statement, solution, call to action.

13:39They're very similar because we really do want these to be conversations and we like to start them the same way and end them the same way with a hook and a call to action. I'm going to dive into each one. So your intro, right? This is going to be your intro hook. I want you to begin your presentation with a hook to grab attention and then introduce yourself and establish credibility and a bit of connection with the people you're talking to. Your hook can be a question, a statistic, a fact, or a beginning of a story. So let's do an example. Let's say that there's a travel agent named Jane. Now, Jane could start her pitch with, okay, I'm going to use a different voice for Jane so you can clearly denote when I'm talking and when Jane's talking.

14:19And please, I don't need any DMs about how terrible my accent is. I know. I'm a brown girl from LA. I do not pretend to actually know how to speak with an accent. but in the light of making this podcast easier to listen to. Okay. So Jane, she is our travel agent. And if she was starting a pitch, it could look something like, did you know that over 80 % of people wish they could travel more, but often feel overwhelmed by the planning process? Hi, I'm Jane, a seasoned travel agent who has explored cultures around the globe. Okay. That was her intro. That was her hook. And she asked with a question, did you often know that people were overwhelmed.

14:56Okay, now we're going to move on to your problem statement. Here, you're going to clearly define the problem or the challenge you or your business addresses and solves. So Jane, she could say, with so many options available, travelers can feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin. And many people have a fear of spending too much time and money on a trip. That's just not worth their while. Then you're going to present your solution, or if you have solutions and how it solves their problem. I simplify this process by providing personalized travel itinerary options tailored to each person's preferences, interests, and budget.

15:34This makes travel more accessible and enjoyable so that you can create an unforgettable experience without the stress. Okay, now we're on to the call to action. And this is so important. People need to be told what to do next and how to do it. Whether it's investing in your idea, partnering with you, booking you as their professional or some other action, you have to make it easy for them to say yes. At the end of your pitch, your goal is to get them to yes. Now, like bonus points, if you give them a timeframe to do it in. Okay, so let's go back to Jane. If you're ready to experience the world in a whole new way, I invite you to schedule a consultation with me.

16:15And if you do so in the next 24 hours, I'll send you a box of essentials tailored to the location that you choose. Okay. And that is what you need to create your shell pitch. You could literally be swapping out these lines as you pitch your partner, clients, investors, you know, following along. Okay. So now you can start customizing and tailoring it to your audience using these four key elements. Now we have the shell pitch. Now we're going to dress it up with key elements. Now, this is going to be expert level. If you're just getting started, don't worry about this next section. Listen to it, but don't put any pressure.

16:52But if you're a seasoned entrepreneur and you want to up level and you want to increase your closing rates, here are four key things. Storytelling, empathy, resonance, and social proof. Remember, this is for the advanced entrepreneur. So I'm going to explain. Let's start with storytelling. Our brains are wired to not only love, but remember stories. So you want to create a narrative that engages your audience and illustrates the problem, solution, and the impact of what you're pitching. This is going to help you stand out and keep their attention throughout the pitch. Element number two, empathy.

17:25Theodore Roosevelt said, quote, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, end quote. Okay, so when you put yourself in your audience's shoes and you understand their perspectives, their needs, and the challenges. Then you can better tailor your pitch to address their specific pain points and show your care and concern. Not only does this make your pitch that much better, but you're more likely to build trust and rapport with the people you're speaking to. And again, here again, that leads to a yes. Okay, element number three for our advanced pitchers. Number three is resonance.

18:01Make your pitch resonate with your audience by aligning your message with their values, their goals, and their interests. By speaking their language and addressing their concerns, you can create a deeper connection and increase the likelihood of a yes. And element number four, relevant proof. Here again, I'm going to say it. This is for the advanced pitchers. This is where you're going to want to provide evidence or demonstrations to back up your solution. This could be case studies, testimonial, data, market size, things of that nature. So you remember Jane, the travel agent? She could say something like, I know you're hoping for a romantic getaway.

18:38Let me share with you a couple who has been experiencing trouble in their marriage and wanted an anniversary trip to hopefully rekindle their flame. From a secluded beach resorts to romantic dinners, every detail was intentionally created for a romantic atmosphere. By the end of the trip, they felt closer and more in love. that my friends was an elevated bitch. Okay. So we have covered research and then we covered craft, including those four up-level elements. Now we're going to move on to deliver. Remember as a kid, when your parents would say, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. Or maybe my parents were the only people to say it because like I came out of the womb telling my parents, this is my opinion.

19:22Maybe it was just me. Maybe it's how I always said things. My parents always said it. Well, it's come actually back full circle now that I'm an adult and I pitch in a variety of ways in my business. The delivery of a pitch is just as important as the crafted presentation. Here's why. How you deliver your pitch, your tone, body language, confidence, it affects how your audience perceives it. A confident and engaging delivery grabs attention and builds trust. Well, you know, like a dull one, it's going to leave people disinterested. A strong delivery can make your message more memorable and more convincing.

19:58By speaking with passion and authenticity, you're going to leave a great impression and inspire action. Oftentimes, people are making a decision based on how you are coming across to them. Your delivery is so powerful. So how do you deliver a great pitch? I'm so glad you asked. Here are three tips that I have learned over the years to help you deliver your pitch confidently and persuasively. Tip number one, you're probably going to hate this one. I hate it, but I use it. And I list it as number one because it's the most important. Practice and get feedback. This is how you confidently pitch. Practice.

20:35Delivering your pitch in front of a mirror to your friends or your family or in front of a mentor is going to be the best way for you to hone in your delivery. You can even record it and watch it back and tweak it and adjust. Whenever I give a webinar, like a masterclass, I can't tell you how many times I practice it. There's a good chance that I am practicing a webinar at minimum 25, 30 times by myself. I'm also giving the presentation to my husband multiple times. I record it for the team multiple times and I send it to people that I trust, industry peers. And I say, please help me make it better.

21:12What here is terrible about it? I want to get better. I need their feedback. Tip number two, engage your audience. You want to capture your audience's attention from the start and keep them engaged throughout your pitch. So how do you do this? I can tell you guys, I can tell you the best thing from a stage on a masterclass in a pitch room, storytelling, relevant examples, and interactive elements to make your presentation memorable and impactful. I'll never forget. I was creating an illustration. I was giving a presentation And I was talking about comparison, how oftentimes we look at what we have and we compare it to somebody else.

21:49And so then unbeknownst to anybody in the audience, I went and I bought a beautiful cake, but nobody in the audience knew that the cake was fake. So I carried this cake out onto stage and then I pretend to like fall and I dropped the cake and then there was like an audible gasp. And I was saying, that's comparison. You're looking at a cake and everybody in this room, oh, we all want to bake our cakes, right? And then all of a sudden we look like, why am I not baking a cake? And then you see me come out with this like beautiful cake, but you know nothing about the cake. You don't know if the cake was given to me.

22:23And I said, you don't even know if this cake is real. Now, when I say that back, it sounds like a really lame visual example, but I'll tell you, it was really great when I used it. Okay. It's not so great when I tell it back right now. The point was that visual element got so much attention because it riveted people out from like a dreary state. Like they saw, like it changed, not just me standing on a stage. I carried something out. I pretend to trip the cake fell. That was that gasp and everyone's like, oh my gosh, what's happening right now? Oh, they were kept wrapped with interactive elements.

22:51So small things like that can really change things. Or if you're pitching to investors and you can show a demo or you have a physical product, please always use it. Please always show it. Okay. Tip number three is to use your body language and tone. A friend taught me that when When I'm telling a story and I'm talking about my husband, he said, when you are pitching or when you're standing in front of people and you want to create a different voice, a different voice to represent a different person. He says, when you're talking about your husband, you should deepen your voice, stand tall, bring up your chest, take up space.

23:24And I thought to myself, interesting. And he says, when you're talking about your daughter, Luna, I want you to shrink down, use a higher pitch voice, end your sentences with question marks. by doing those things, we're giving visual cues with our body language and tone to convey our point and get somebody closer to a yes. And this helps keep your audience engaged. And then they understand the narrative. Okay. Okay. Y 'all we've covered a lot, you know, I mean, so now you know what to research, how to craft your pitch, how to deliver a pitch. And now we're going to go over the final step of the framework.

23:59Following up, ladies and gentlemen, this is the magic. I read a study by the Harvard Business Review that said that following up with leads within one hour of contact increases the likelihood of qualifying the lead by seven times compared to waiting longer. Y 'all, if you follow up with a lead in one hour, it increases the likelihood of qualifying that lead 7x? What in the world? Okay, so what does this tell us? We need to have a follow-up email prepared and ready to go before the pitch. So here are five things you should include in your follow-up. Number one, a personalized note thanking them for taking the time to meet with you and consider your solution.