Latest / Black Girls Consult TOO! / Episode 102: Mastering the Art of the Pitch: More Than Just Words

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Episode 102: Mastering the Art of the Pitch: More Than Just Words · Black Girls Consult TOO!

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: There's a misconception that we don't exist, that somehow our ability to excel at the highest level of our industry is limited, that overcoming barriers as a woman of color would be insurmountable.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: But what would happen if we decided to venture out on our own, despite everything we're up against?
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you Welcome to the Black Girls Consult 2 podcast.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, dr Angelina Davis, a healthcare consultant, consulting coach, high performance fanatic wife and proud girl mom.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: I help transform female professionals into thriving solo consultants and, just like you, I'm wearing all the hats and doing all the things.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: So this podcast is to empower the busy female professionals to move past fear, to start and grow a successful consulting business.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Despite the obstacles you may encounter.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: We'll dive deep into consulting practice, business strategy, mindset and more.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: So grab your cup of coffee or tea, if that's your thing, and let's get started.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Hello, hello, hello.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Black Girls Consult 2 podcast.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, dr Angelina Davis, and I am so happy to be sitting here chatting with you again.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: It's always just relaxing for me to have these conversations, because who else wants to talk about consulting this much other than us, right?
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: So I get to dive in and geek out about all things consulting and business and everything in between.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: So here's what I thought would be cool to talk about today what do you need to know before you decide to pitch your services to a client, especially in the B2B space?
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: I think this is important because what I have noticed is that often we jump the gun and we decide that we are going to pitch and go all in before we've done the proper groundwork to give us the greatest likelihood of success.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: I vividly remember the first pitch that I ever did as a consultant.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: It seems like forever ago, but I just know that it was one of the times where I felt so inadequate in that moment.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: I think a lot of it was because I didn't necessarily know exactly how to prepare for the pitch and although I had my support system there, we had a team and we were all working together, being the new person doing that for the first time, it just really weirded me out.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: It stressed me out.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: But listen, like we all do, we step up to the plate and we're going to focus on getting the presentation done and we are just going to wing it and do our best.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: That's definitely the mindset I was in on that day.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: I want you to visualize being in a crowded board room with everybody sitting around this long table and you are waiting for your part of the presentation where you're going to go into much more of the detail of what you found during the discovery portion and all your previous meetings and you're really getting ready to lean into that moment where you do the effective pitch and the self-year services, and the one thing that I can remember from that time is not knowing exactly what they expected.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: I knew what I was there to present and what I had prepared, but I really didn't have a good understanding at that time of what the stakeholders other people that were there, the other people who were investing their time, money and energy into this whole process what they wanted and needed to hear.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: So now, numerous years later numerous clients later, numerous pitching experiences, later now I have a better understanding as to what that conversation needs to be in the stakeholders head, as they're listening to you go through information and a pitch per se, and because of that, I think it just makes the process a lot easier.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: It makes it more of a conversation instead of being this formal kind of stuffy experience that feels somewhat overwhelming.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: It's a lot better now and that's what I want to talk about today, because I would really I would say you know three things that I learned from that initial experience that really guided how I begin to shape my preparation for the whole process of being able to pitch and land consulting business.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: And I think that if you're able to consider these things, it's going to make it a lot easier for you to turn those very awkward moments into a conversation, because so much of the pitching process is about you being able to tell a story, to paint a picture.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: You're telling the story of who you are.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: You're telling the story of who you can help.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: You're telling the story of what you can do.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: You're telling the story of what the outcomes may be.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: You're just telling stories and creating this conversation and this visual thought process, this very, I would say, living thought process in someone's mind so that they can see themselves moving forward to work with you.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: So I'm hoping some of these tips will be things that resonate with you, that you can use as you move forward in your business in Lamar clients.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: A thriving consulting business is built on a solid business foundation and a consulting code that leads you toward your ideal business and your ideal lifestyle and the great thing about this code is that it works for any type of consulting practice, whether you help clients with professional development, business management, grant writing, it or something entirely different.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: This consulting code is not rocket science and is not beyond your reach, and when you crack the code, it can jump start the growth of your solo consulting practice and is what you need to know to get started and lend your first clients, and nothing more.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: This is a step by step process I wish I had so many years ago, and that's why I wanted to share this with you and how you can do this too.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: So if you're interested in starting your consulting business and creating a desirable offer to generate leads for your offer and to make sales, then the consulting code is your solution.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Visit wwwexceletconsultingcom for more information.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: All right, one of the telltale signs that someone has not done their homework, has not really focused on landing the business that they claim that they desire and that they want, is when you start the conversation with something that's already being done.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: That is like one of the biggest red flags ever, and I see this happen often, and when this does occur, more than likely it's because this was a gap in the discovery process, or this is a big, or because I think this second part probably happens more often than just it being overlooked is the fact that there was not enough preparation before the pitch.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: And because there's not enough preparation we begin to wing it and we forget the small details.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: And when we forget those things it may seem small, it may seem relatively trivial at the time, but to the person who's listening, if you don't know what they already have in place, what is already happening, what they've already told you they have pretty much covered or handled, then everything else that you say after that point is often disregarded or taken with a grain of salt.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: And that is, I feel like, the most disheartening part, to be honest, because it doesn't really speak to any of your work.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: It doesn't speak to the ideas that you have.
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: It doesn't speak to whether or not the strategy that you're devising is something that's innovative and creative and game changing.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: It doesn't speak to any of that.
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: It just speaks to the fact that there was very little active listening and or very little preparation, and because of that that can cost you the entire entire contract, and because I'm known for putting the most in a day and trying to do so many things that I can find myself losing track of time, especially when I'm preparing for big projects.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: I've learned to create a cheat sheet for myself ahead of time, so instead of relying on going through the details of a long and drawn out report, or maybe all the notes that I've taken over time, I like to condense that into a very small cheat sheet so that I know a lot of the major points that I need to hit and also the key information that they have provided from our previous discussions and conversations and meetings.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: By doing that, it makes it really easy to glance at, even before you're walking in if it's an in-person meeting, or before you hop on the Zoom call if it's going to be something that you're doing online and be able to see in a very outline skeleton I would say format what has already been accomplished, what the goals are for the future, what the concerns and questions they may have had.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: All the information is outlined in like a one-pager so that it's there for easy and quick reference.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: You can even carry it into the meeting with you and take a peek at it if you're sitting there and having a conversation at the table or if you are giving a more formal presentation, like I was in those previous instances, then you can glance at it before you get up to speak.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: I like to have this created ahead of time so that I'm not stuck in a situation where time is rolling down and I don't have anything to reference because, like I stated before, very rarely it is a gap in your actual process in terms of the discovery process, and gathering information is more often an issue in terms of you being able to manage time and refer back to some of the smaller details of what you've discovered along the way.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: So that's one way of getting around is create yourself a cheat sheet.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it's for you, it's for you to recall this information, and I promise you this one right here will save you a lot of time stress, energy and business.
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: Now this second one is going to sound a little funny to you maybe, especially because you're likely thinking that whatever I'm about to say is going to be focused on the actual process of pitching, like what you need to say and what you need to present.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: But, in all honesty, a lot of your ability to convey the right message starts from you being fully confident in the services that you can deliver, and so, especially for us as women and women of color, there may be circumstances beyond our control that create an environment where we don't feel as if we are being judged by the same standard as others.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: Maybe, so maybe you're used to seeing your male colleagues getting kind of the pat on the back and being able to swear and use cuss words and just do whatever they want to in the pitch and it not being looked upon as being something negative or derogatory, whereas if you try to do the same, then it's going to come off a different way.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: Right, you're unpolished, you're unprofessional.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: There's so many things that can be stated, and I'm not just making this up.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: I have actually witnessed this before, and it always blows my mind that you can have someone who is a male present the same information, be unprepared, shoot from the hip, swear and curse, and it's all in the name of being fun and relatable, right, and everybody loves it.
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: And I've sat there and someone else tried to utilize that same strategy and it definitely was something that bombed for them.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: So… In order for us to kind of overcome a lot of these different things that may be at play underneath the surface.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: It's helpful for you to be extremely confident in what you offer and for me, I not only had to create a routine of reminding myself of everything that I have accomplished and what I'm actually bringing to the table, so that I knew when I walked in that door and someone asked the question why should we hire you?
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Oh, sit back, relax and let me tell you.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Let me give you all the reasons why I'm the best person for this job and why I'm qualified for it and why you don't need to look anywhere else.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: It's that level of convincing communication that helps someone to be able to see and understand fully and clearly why you are the right woman for the job.
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: Now I will add another level to this.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: It wasn't just for me remembering or recognizing and acknowledging what I had accomplished.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: I also, when I started out, had my security blanket.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: What my security blanket was was my power suit.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: It was the suit that I felt most comfortable in, that I felt just powerful in.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: It was like having that Wonder Woman cape on and ready to do your thing right, and that was something that I needed early on.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Now I'm not saying that you need to do that because I want you to stand on the confidence that you have internally and not look for these external things to support you.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: But if you need them, I feel like it's okay to have that.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: We all have circumstances where we may need support and as we grow and as we develop.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: So if you're going into those challenging environments, a lot of times we can be the only woman in the room, and definitely maybe the only woman of color in the room, and you feel uncomfortable.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: Find those things that make you feel as if you are invincible.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: What makes you feel more than confident, so that you can communicate that effectively when you're pitching, and not just saying it and telling someone, but just having that confidence in what you're communicating and how you sound and how you carry yourself.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: That will sell itself, and so I would say this is probably one of the most underrated things that you can do in order to prepare to be successful in the pitching process is to create the environment for you to feel most confident, and that starts with recalling all of the awesome successes that you've had in the past, knowing clearly and exactly how you can help the client achieve their goal and why you're the best woman for the job and anything that you need to support you in that endeavor is fair game, because we are here to win business.
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: In order to do that, you need to show up confidently.
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: So that's.
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: The second thing is that you need to create your environment for success.
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: Okay, this last piece of advice is something that I think most people overlook, and that is making sure that whatever you're going to recommend and what you're going to say in your pitch takes into account all of the key stakeholders that are at the table.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: One of the things that I've noticed is that we often may focus in on maybe the one champion that we had, or the one key stakeholder that is going to actually be the one signing on the dotted line, and we're speaking only their language.
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: We're speaking directly to them.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: We're not considering who may be around, who may also be listening in, who's going to have also some level of input and influence over the decision, and when we overlook that, then we set ourselves up to be disappointed, potentially if they are not in agreement with proceeding and moving forward with the collaboration or the engagement.
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: So part of getting around this is making sure that you are starting conversations with each of these key individuals, and I always like to recommend that you really target somewhere between depending on the number of people in the room, but somewhere between three to five people that you're going to speak directly to and tie your pitch to things that you're going to do, things that you're going to help them with, what you're going to help them accomplish, directly to the jobs that they have.
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: You want to make sure that everyone that's sitting around that table understands that you have a very holistic view as to how you're going to move forward, how you can help, and that you're not forgetting about them, you're not leaving them out, you're not sitting creating a scenario where they may be let go, because, keep in mind, that's one of the biggest fears that people have when a consultant walks through the door Always like to tell the story.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: When I first became familiar with consulting in general, it was in the context of having consultants come to our hospital, which was a large, an indigent hospital.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: We constantly ran in the red and we always had a major consulting firm that was coming in to give their feedback and to direct us in the right direction.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: And often, when they came and they showed up at the door with their briefcases and all of their suits and they were looking for the administrative offices, we knew that more than likely, there was going to be some level of downsizing and there was a level of fear associated with that.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: So know that you're going to carry that with you when you're going into many of these conversations, and it's your job to provide some level of reassurance to those that are around you so that you can counter their support and you can utilize that in order to drive the progress forward in terms of you getting to the signing portion and actually moving forward with the agreement.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: So that is key.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: You need to talk to more than one person.
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: You need to make sure that you have more than one person on your side, in your camp and ready to go all in in terms of supporting the work that you want to do, and I promise if you're able to do that, you will feel more comfortable moving to the contractual process, because you know that you've built up a wall of support.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: You have the support of foundation there to move forward.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: You have all the individuals that can speak for you in your absence, because after that pitch is done, there's a lot more work that needs to be done behind the scenes.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: Maybe sometimes legal is involved.
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: Most often legal is involved and other factors that need to move forward in order to make sure that you get to the finish line.
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: And if you are not engaging those people that are going to be key stakeholders, that are around the table, that are listening, if you're not talking directly to them, if you're not tying all of your efforts to them in some straightforward fashion, in a positive way, then those will be the same individuals that can sabotage your work when you leave.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: So always remember that you're not just speaking to the decision maker.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: You are going to speak to others who are in the room, who have a say, so who have influence, because they will always, as an internal member of the team, have more influencing you coming from the outside, especially in the beginning.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: So I hope that you know kind of just hearing these things help you think about how you can approach the pitching process a lot differently and be more effective.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: So one is making sure that you are properly preparing and that you're creating that cheat sheet, if you need to, to support you in communicating all the information that you need and knowing all the minor details that really are major.
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: The next is being confident, allowing that confidence to show so that you that confidence builds reassurance in your ability to deliver.
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: And then, last but not least, speaking to more than one person in the room and making sure that you're tying all of your communication efforts and the way that you're going to drive, transform, to change to other members of the team.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: And if you're able to do those things, I think you will see that this whole process of pitching becomes a lot easier, because you begin to see it from a different vantage point.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: You're not just thinking about a presentation and what the pitch deck needs to look like and what the the forms need to look like and what exactly you need to say in terms of your ability to be an order, but you are going to focus in on those things that are going to truly drive the conversation forward, more so psychologically as well as just in terms of day to day workflow and relationship building that really matter in the end.
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: Those are going to be the things that you want to hang your hat on, rather than just having the perfect slide set All right.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: So I hope this, like I said, was insightful.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: If you did enjoy this episode, make sure that you share it with a friend and don't forget to leave your five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: All right guys, have a good one, take care.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Console 2 podcast.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to leave your review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe and share it with a friend.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: We're on a mission to increase the success and longevity of women in consulting, and you can help us do that.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: Also, I'd love to hear from you, so let's connect at Dr Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and don't forget to visit excelatconsultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey.
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: Until next time, take care.