If you have a big meeting coming up, the chances are that you think about your pitch every second. You have practiced in front of the mirror so many times by now that you think it will crack if you go again. Finally, you are 100% certain your pitch is as perfect as it could be. If those clients don’t bite, you will eat your hat.
Sadly, that may well be a deal you have to uphold, and hats don’t digest well. In reality, though, plenty of perfect pitches fail to secure sales. More often than not, small rookie errors are to blame. Obviously, your performance is the most crucial aspect of any meeting. But, you can perfect that and still fail. If you think you are as ready as you can be, then, keep on reading to find out about the issues you might not foresee.
Failing to provide a call to action
Let’s say that you have finished your presentation. Everything went well, and you didn’t so much as trip over your words. You could tell, from the nodding heads and smiling faces, that the clients were impressed. Still, they fail to place an order. It is a common occurrence, and it can be frustrating. You may spend weeks wondering where things went wrong, but the answer is often more straightforward than you realize. As any truly successful business owner knows, even the best presentation will fail to land if it lacks a call to action. You have to provide that client with a reason why they need your products. Otherwise, yours will just be another decent pitch meeting with no power to seal deals.
Not taking care of personal hygiene
This is a massive factor which far too few entrepreneurs consider. Remember that you are going to need to get up close to clients during this meeting. If you have bad breath, they are going to be more concerned with avoiding the smell than listening to what you have to say. That is the case no matter how well you do. To make sure it doesn’t happen, keep your breath fresh at all times by signing up for something like the Brush Up Club and making sure to brush often. It is also worth thinking about the fact that you will be pretty sweaty when you are up in front of everyone. Keep a stick or can of deodorant in your office, and apply it beforehand to avoid body odor which ruins all your efforts. If you have a medical condition that causes serious sweating or body odor, talk to your doctor about potential treatments.
Technology is a letdown
Most pitches nowadays rely on slick new technology. The chances are that you have visual slides and even videos to help you. Sadly, these can destroy everything if they glitch. Even if you have the speech part perfected, clients will only remember what went wrong. That alone could stop them from buying. Last, then, make sure to run through the tech side of your presentation ahead of time. It is also worth storing all those files in a cloud system. That way, you can pick up where you left off and win those clients over no matter what.
