What you need to know:
The next time you prepare a pitch, remember that your audience is probably not wondering how impressive you are. They are wondering whether you understand what is making their job harder and if you can make a difficult situation easier.
A few years ago, I walked into a client meeting convinced I needed to impress him. I had the full "Impress the Client Starter Pack": case studies, glowing referrals, a polished portfolio, and rehearsed answers to questions he hadn't even asked yet.
In my mind, this wasn't a pitch, it was the thin line between financial stress and financial flexibility. I'd already spent the money mentally, I was ready to join the soft life and end my social media posts with “#NaEnjoyment”.
When the day arrived, I was ready to explain my process, experience, and services, and convince him that hiring me was the smartest business decision he'd make all year. Then, 12 minutes into the conversation my carefully rehearsed talking points felt completely irrelevant. The client started talking about his pain points and what was frustrating him. I had spent so much time preparing to talk about myself that I hadn't spent nearly enough time preparing to understand his business needs.
