How do you craft a successful sales pitch? How can you get through the prospective buyer\u2019s defenses and get them to seriously consider your proposition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Oren Klafff, the author of Pitch Anything<\/a><\/em>, the key to crafting a good sales pitch is to win what he calls a \u201cframe collision.\u201d There are three common frames that your target could adopt: 1) the power frame, 2) the analyst frame, and 3) the time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll discuss how to establish yourself in the dominant frame, which will greatly maximize the chances of getting your idea considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The first step in managing the primitive instincts of your target\u2019s croc brain<\/a> is understanding \u201cframes\u201d and mastering \u201cframe control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frames are mental structures that shape how we see the world. <\/strong>They are our particular, specific perspective on the world, and they regulate how people interact with one another: Are you the one in control? Are you the \u201cprize\u201d in this relationship? Who\u2019s paying attention<\/a> to whom? Frames are controlled by the croc brain and are shaped by very basic desires: power, authority, strength, knowledge, and status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In any business or social interaction, two frames will meet and compete for dominance. The person with the winning frame will set the tone and agenda of the meeting. The losers will play by her rules, acknowledging her authority, respecting her opinions, and accepting her decisions with minimal push-back. With this in mind, the key to crafting a good sales pitch is to win a so-called \u201cframe collision.\u201d To do so, you must establish yourself in the dominant frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mastering the power of frames is the most important thing you\u2019ll learn regarding pitching. Without this skill, you might find yourself resorting to typical sales techniques like fast talking, spin selling, and trial closing, which are rarely successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sales techniques like this were created for people who have lost frame control and are trying to win business from a subordinate position. Because they are typically ineffective, they are dependent on the \u201claw of large numbers\u201d: you might expect to make just 2 sales out of every 100 attempts. Worse, they have a reputation as being annoying and signal to your customer that you are desperate, activating her croc brain to filter you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: For a different perspective on the effectiveness of some of these sales techniques, read our summary of Neil Rackham\u2019s SPIN Selling<\/em><\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three common frames that you will run into in most business situations, that your prospective buyer might adopt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To counter these frames, you\u2019ll use techniques specifically designed to put you in a stronger position against each, plus one more, a \u201cprize frame,\u201d that is useful at every pitch no matter what frame your target uses against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u201cpower frame\u201d exudes status and authority. <\/strong>It is the most common opposing frame you\u2019ll encounter in a business setting. A person who wields a power frame often displays imperial behaviors: arrogance, lack of interest in you, rudeness, and pursuit of her own interests over those of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you allow your target to maintain her power-frame dominance, she will quickly shut you out. If you can establish your own frame over hers, though, you will have a much greater chance of making a deal. Fortunately, it can be quite easy to disrupt a power frame, as those who use them aren\u2019t used to being challenged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before your pitch even begins, you must start working to establish your frame as dominant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, do not react to your target\u2019s power frame in ways she expects. <\/strong>Do not act overly polite or friendly, don\u2019t engage in meaningless small talk, and don\u2019t let her tell you what to do. If you play by her rules, you confirm her dominance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, look for an opportunity to use a \u201cpower frame disrupter\u201d:<\/strong> a small act that lets your target know that you are not playing by her rules. In some minor way, deny her of something, or defy her. <\/strong>For example, if you brought visuals and you notice your target taking a peek, take them away and say jokingly, \u201cNot yet\u201d (a denial). Or, if your target says she only has 15 minutes, counter by saying you only have 14 (a defiance). Do it lightheartedly, but mean it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key is to keep it light and use humor. <\/strong>If you keep it humorous, it is typically well-received; she\u2019ll see your challenge as a game and will enjoy the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201canalyst frame\u201d is a logical, analytical way of perceiving the world<\/a> that places more value on cold cognitions\u2014data and numbers\u2014than relationships and ideas. It is common in industries with engineers and financial analysts. However, you need your target to listen to your pitch with <\/strong>hot cognitions<\/em><\/strong>\u2014desire, excitement, emotion\u2014in order to prevent her croc brain from filtering it out.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Excitement is generated in the croc brain and cools in the neocortex, and the analyst frame can kill your pitch by freezing out the excitement for it. <\/strong>Getting mired in technical details derails your momentum and saps enthusiasm from the room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can counter the analyst frame with two techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cbig picture” is where hot cognitions live, so to keep your target \u201chot,\u201d focus on the overall vision and the business relationship you\u2019ll be developing rather than technical details that can be worked out later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your target pushes for more details anyway, give her concise, high-level information, and then redirect her attention back to your pitch. You need to anticipate these kinds of questions with a prepared answer. Have these numbers at your fingertips so you can answer quickly and move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if she asks about specific expense and revenue numbers, you can briefly let her know the top-level numbers, then note you have other facts you can examine further at a later time, but right now, the question is, are we a good fit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n A person with an analyst frame has a tendency to lose interest in your pitch the moment she decides she\u2019s \u201cfigured it out.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you start your pitch, she\u2019s interested. Most people like being challenged with something new and different, and up front, your pitch is certainly something new. However, a person with an analyst frame will be interested in your pitch primarily as a puzzle, asking herself, \u201cHow is this problem like others I already know? Have I already solved this?\u201d This person will focus on figuring out how your idea works, rather than the overall relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If she gets to a point where she feels she can predict or explain your ideas without your guidance, her croc brain kicks in and tells her there is nothing new or exciting to be learned. She will no longer feel compelled to pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your meeting is getting lost to analysis, use an \u201cintrigue frame\u201d to get it back on track, with a fast-paced, tension-filled story to grab your target\u2019s attention. <\/strong>Through suspense, tension, and narrative, stories are designed to teach us survival skills. The croc brain loves them, and by hijacking her croc brain with a story, you\u2019ll yank her out of her neocortex, because the brain can\u2019t do analysis while it is lost in narrative\u2014a person can\u2019t have both hot and cold cognitions at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of watching a movie. If it\u2019s a good one, you\u2019re so absorbed in the narrative that you may only realize plot holes later, after the movie is over. Conversely, if you\u2019re watching a movie and are aware of its plot holes, you\u2019re no longer lost in the story. You switch to analyst mode, watching out for more faults. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Go to each pitch with a prepared personal story that you can refer to if your pitch starts getting lost in analysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your narrative should follow a predictable structure that hooks the listener and ends in suspense:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, your story should be related in some way to business or your product or pitch. For example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n While typically your intrigue story will relate to your pitch or to business matters fairly directly, you may at times find it useful to insert a story for pure entertainment, if you really just need a jolt to grab your audience\u2019s attention. Do keep it somewhat related to your pitch, so it doesn\u2019t come across as contrived, but have fun with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Klaff used a story about almost being in a plane crash, which he spoke about at a pitch on an airfield (related to your meeting), when his audience was getting mired in technicalities. In his story, he was on a small plane (be the protagonist; ground your audience) when the plane started to nosedive (introduce an obstacle and serious consequences). He related that he could see the pilots fighting over the throttle (escalate the problem). Then, he broke away: \u201cAnyway, where was I?\u201d (provide no immediate resolution).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to note that this type of story<\/a> is less instructive than entertaining. It doesn\u2019t illustrate your skills so much as simply grab your audience\u2019s attention if it\u2019s waning. It can be useful in certain situations, but a business-related story that illustrates your skills is more ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201ctime frame\u201d is a time constraint thrown at you by your target. It is an attempt to force you to react to her restrictions. It asserts her dominance because whichever person is reacting to the other is not in control.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important you react assertively to this type of challenge. If you accept and go along with her restrictions, it signals to her croc brain that you have ceded control to her, and that you need her more than she needs you. She is now primed to reject you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Counter a time frame using a time constraint disrupter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the restraint you are given is reasonable, and you can work within those limits, respond with a tighter time constraint. <\/strong>For example, if you arrive at a meeting and your target tells you she only has 15 minutes, tell her you only have 13. Be lighthearted about it, but mean it. Wrap it up in 13 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if the time constraint is not reasonable, and you would not be able to properly convey your message in that time limit, do not accept it.<\/strong> For example, if your target arrives late, then says she only has ten minutes, and you decide you can\u2019t properly get your message across in ten minutes, don\u2019t respond with a typical, \u201cThanks for fitting me in!\u201d This is an expected response that only serves to reaffirm her higher position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, tell her you don\u2019t work like that, and that you only work with people when you both respect each other’s time. This lets her know you value your time, and so should she. It shows her you have high professional standards, and it makes her feel she has to earn your<\/em> business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Offer to reschedule at another time. You\u2019ve now broken her time frame and with your unexpected response, focused her attention fully on you. Rescheduling may not even prove necessary. She may respond by admitting she actually has 30 minutes, and that she\u2019d like to meet now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A time constraint might also be an unspoken restriction, where you notice your audience\u2019s attention waning and you know your time is running out. <\/strong>Attention spans are short. Her waning interest may not be a reflection on your pitch. She may just be at the end of her abilities to focus. For this reason, pitches should be short as a general rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice you are losing your audience, wrap up your pitch quickly by inserting your own time constraint: \u201cI have to run to my next meeting.\u201d <\/strong>Don\u2019t start to talk faster or rush through your presentation to get to the end, which invokes her croc brain to sense desperation, and makes her more likely to reject you. It is better to end strong by indicating you are wanted elsewhere, than to drag out a meeting which is clearly over. If she wants to learn more, she will follow up with you for a second meeting. (We\u2019ll cover attention spans in more detail in Chapter 4.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrizing\u201d happens when you get your target to realize that the true prize is not money\u2014it\u2019s you:<\/strong> Money comes from many sources, but there is only one you. You can adopt a prize frame at any time to counter any oppositional frame you run into. By positioning yourself as a reward to be pursued, you activate your target\u2019s desire instincts and make her more receptive to striking a deal. The croc brain places high value on things that need to be chased. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several ways you can project a prize frame:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prizing is a useful tool to help you regain frame control if, for any reason, you\u2019ve lost it. <\/strong>Say, for example, you arrive for a meeting only to discover that the key decision maker is no longer planning to show up. You are invited to present to her subordinates instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, you\u2019ve lost frame control, because even if you successfully pitch to her subordinates, when they return to their boss to debrief her on the details of your pitch, their frames will be subordinate to hers. Her dominant frame will override theirs, and it\u2019s unlikely she\u2019ll properly listen to the merits of your pitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWorking Within Frames to Control the Narrative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Controlling the Frame Is the Key to Selling Your Idea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Power Frame <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Disrupting a Power Frame <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Analyst Frame<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Disrupting an Analyst Frame<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Keeping Your Target Focused on the Big Picture<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Using an Intrigue Frame to Snap Your Target Back to Attention<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Time Frame<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Disrupting a Time Frame<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Using the Prize Frame<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n