What Your Sales Pitch Can Learn from Pitch Perfect
Have your sales pitches been falling flat? Maybe it’s time to think of them less as presentations and more as performances.
When it comes to performing under pressure, few do it better than the Barden Bellas of the film Pitch Perfect. In the high-stakes world of competitive a cappella, they know how to captivate an audience, differentiate from the crowd and deliver a message that sticks.
And in business, just like in music, you only get one shot to make a lasting impression. Here’s what your next sales pitch can learn from the Bellas’ pitch-perfect approach.
Before we get started, what is a sales pitch?
A sales pitch is your chance to convince potential customers, clients, investors or partners to buy your product, service or idea.
Whether this takes the shape of a presentation, phone call, email or other form of communication, nailing your sales pitch will help you share the value of what you have to offer, and ultimately win the deals you’re striving for.
In this article, we’ll focus mostly on how to create and deliver a sales pitch presentation. But whatever form your sales pitch is taking, these tips will help you find your voice.
The opening few seconds of a stage performance are everything. If you haven’t caught your audience’s attention with your first line of your sales pitch, you’ll have to work a lot harder to win them over.
Think of Beca’s audition for the Barden Bellas in Pitch Perfect. While all other auditionees performed the same Kelly Clarkson track, Beca stood out immediately by sitting down in front of the judges, tipping their pens out of the plastic cup on their desk and using it as a percussion instrument for the 1931 song “When I'm Gone.” Her individuality shone through, making her audition unforgettable in a sea of identical contenders.
For your pitch, the opener should address your audience’s pain point straight off the bat, hinting at the problem that your product, service or idea will solve. But don’t be predictable. Lead with a line that is edgy, energetic and intriguing, making them sit up in their seats wanting more.
Just like in an a cappella performance, harmony is essential in a sales pitch. Your presentation should be a duet that makes your audience feel included, not a solo that leaves them in the wings.
If you’re presenting to a business, try integrating their branding into your PowerPoint slides. By designing your presentation with their colours, fonts and imagery, you’ll help them see how your ideas fits into their business goals, subtly winning over their subconscious.
Whoever you’re talking to, your presentation should be tailored to your audience. Do your research to understand their pain points. Then, the simpler the better, so we recommend framing your sales pitch around their three biggest problems and your three clear solutions. Keep your language accessible, concise and focused, leaving room for curiosity and follow up questions.
Pitches are all about the art of being memorable. To create a sales pitch that truly stands out, you need to incorporate something unexpected - a key change that no one saw coming.
Building storytelling techniques into your sales pitch is a powerful way to make it stick. This could be an anecdote that illustrates how your service, idea or product is needed in the real world, or a metaphor that brings your audience on a journey with you. Storytelling breathes life into data and corporate jargon, helping your audience feel your pitch rather than just listening to it.
Once you have your story straight, it’s time to add a bit of flair. While you don’t have to go as far as Fat Amy ripping open her shirt at the a cappella regionals (please, don’t do that), it’s important to showcase the quirks that make you different from everyone else. Incorporating elements such as video, animations or even a splash of gamification can help to show your personality and really set you apart.
You already know how to start your sales pitch presentation, now let’s look at how to close it. In Pitch Perfect, the Barden Bellas always end their performances with a surprise twist to make sure they stay in their audience’s minds long after the curtain has closed.
End your pitch with a line that makes people feel something - a line that makes them pause and reflect. Or, if you’re feeling bold, close with a statement that raises an eyebrow and lingers in the room. Your aim should be to leave them with a question they need answered, or a curiosity they can’t shake.
Finally, remember that it takes a lot of practice to make a pitch seem effortless. If you’re memorising words, you’ll come across as staged and stiff. So, rehearse until you can toss the script to the side and be spontaneous with your performance, always leaving room to adapt to your audience.
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