Pitch Anything Book Report - Best book of the year

[James Paine]

Pitch Anything Book Report

INTRO

Book 11 for the year down, boom! This is the best book I’ve read all year. I am going to add this to my list of books I reread every year. Happy Easter, hope everyone had a great weekend! If you own a business or have to do any kind of sales then you NEED to read this book.

As always if you have any friends, family, or coworkers that you think would like to receive these book reports please let me know.

SUMMARY

Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

When it comes to delivering a pitch, Oren Klaff has unparalleled credentials. Over the past 13 years, he has used his one-of-a-kind method to raise more than $400 million--and now, for the first time, he describes his formula to help you deliver a winning pitch in any business situation.

Whether you're selling ideas to investors, pitching a client for new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything will transform the way you position your ideas.

Creating and presenting a great pitch isn't an art--it's a simple science. Applying the latest findings in the field of neuroeconomics, while sharing eye-opening stories of his method in action, Klaff describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to pitches. With this information, you'll remain in complete control of every stage of the pitch process.

SYSTEM OR TECHNOLOGY RECOMMENDATION

Inbox Zero has been one of the biggest game changes in my business life over the last 3 years. There is so much information on the internet about this system I will allow you to review it but I can tell you that if you don’t have an email system you are in love with spend some time looking into this.

TAKE AWAYS FROM THE BOOK

- Your pitch is too long! No pitch should ever need to be more than 20 minutes. The most extraordinary scientific breakthrough of the 20th century is the double helix DNA strand only takes 5 min to explain. Think about that is your pitch more complex or does it need more explanation than the most extraordinary scientific breakthrough of the 20th century?

- Pitch Anything introduces the exclusive STRONG method of pitching, which can be put to use immediately:

Setting the Frame

Telling the Story

Revealing the Intrigue

Offering the Prize

Nailing the Hook Point

Getting a Decision

- To win any pitch you must control the frame and you must have high status.

- In most interactions the alpha in a group is trusted without question. An example is that if a guy in a business suit j walks people follow but if a poorly dressed person J walks no one follows. There have been several studies showing that the alpha or people with high perceived status are trusted and followed.

Pitch process:

Phase 1, Introduce yourself and the big idea: 5min

- Announce that you only have 20 minutes before your pitch starts.

- Introduce yourself by mentioning only the big successes that you’ve had and big or successful places that you've worked. Introducing these 1 to 3 successes is the only thing you need to say as a way to introduce yourself. People tend to average information not give credit for having done more things. Your personal intro needs to be under 2 minutes.

- Introduce you idea using the idea introduction pattern: For (target customers) who are dissatisfied with (the current offerings in the market) my (idea/product) is a new kind of (product category) it provides these (problems, features, solutions) unlike competing products like (competition) my (idea/product) have these important features.

- Show that there is a reason why now is the time for the idea. Not that you are a genius but that there are market forces driving this idea. (Show the idea moving out of the old market and into the new market, in motion. Do this by using the Three Market Forces Pattern:

1. Economic Forces – Briefly describe what has changed financially in the market for your idea
2. Social Forces – Highlight what emerging changes in people's behavior patterns exist for your idea
3. Technology Forces – What technology changes have occurred

- Admit there will be some competition showing that you are not naive about business.

Phase 2, Explain the Budget and Secret Sauce:

- Focus on your budgeting skills not revenue projections, anyone can predict big revenue.

- This is the part of the pitch you are probably going to lose people as soon as you do you need to use a push/pull pattern:

Low Intensity Push Pull Pattern:

- Guys there is a real possibility that we aren't right for each other (then pause) but then again if this did work out our forces could combine to become something great.

Medium Intensity Push Pull Pattern:

- There is so much more to a deal than just the idea, I mean, there is a venture capital group in San Francisco that doesn't even care what the idea is, they don't even look at it when the deal comes in, the only thing they care about is who the people are behind the deal. That makes sense. I've learned that ideas are common, a dime a dozen. What really counts is having someone in charge who has passion, and experience, and integrity. So if you and I don't have that view in common, Passion, experience, integrity, it would never work out between us. (Pause) but that's crazy to think. Obviously you value people over smart ideas. I've met corporate robots before and they only care about numbers. You are definitely not a robot. You're a people person and I think we have some very important things in common our value system.

- After the budgeting section of phase 2 bring up competition and only these two factors:

1. How easy it is for new competitors to jump in the game?
2. How easy it is for customers to switch out your product with alternatives?

- Close phase 2 with your Secret Sauce, this is the one thing that will give you staying power against current and future competition. The unfair advantage you have against others. Keep this high level and short.

Phase 3: Offer the deal

- Describe to your audience what they are going to receive when they do business with you. When, where, and how they will get it.

- AGAIN, no pitch, no matter what, can be longer than 20 minutes, ever. Ever. Nope, never.

Below is a cheat sheet infographic:

PRACTICAL USES OR THOUGHTS

- I am going to design an entire pitch using this system.

- This book is getting added to my read yearly list of books.

- Pitching is a science that with practice and understand can be dominated.

NEXT BOOK

The Alchemy of Finance by George Soros

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Hasta,

James Charles Paine