Oren Cluff's "Pitch Perfect": A Sales Presentation in Action. Reviews of the book "The Perfect Pitch

The second issue of the Personal Selling magazine of the Grebennikov publishing house for 2014 contains a review of Oren Klaff's book The Perfect Pitch. A Revolutionary Method for Closing Big Deals” (Mann, Ivanov & Ferber, 2013). Effective, spectacular, non-trivial tactics and techniques for attracting attention, holding meetings, negotiating and closing deals will add to the tools of professionals whose work is directly related to the presentation of ideas and projects, products and services to potential customers, partners, colleagues.

The placement of the publication in the blog is coordinated with the editors of the Grebennikov Publishing House.

The material posted in the magazine "Personal Sales" is published "one to one". Only the title of the post has been changed. The title of the article is below.

Oren Kluff's "Pitch Perfect": Status, Attention, Frame Control

Sometimes there is no next time, no timeout, no second chance. Now or never.

Alan Bennett

Why do nine-tenths of sales presentations fail? Why don't traditional sales techniques work when signing large contracts? How to win the attention of potential customers, create an intriguing Big Idea and win a deal when the stakes are high and time is limited? Oren Cluff, the consummate sales pitcher, reveals the professional secrets of persuasion and influence in the compelling bestseller Pitch Perfect.

A revolutionary method of presenting, persuading and closing deals

There is a fundamental mismatch between how we pitch and how our audience perceives it.

Oren Cluff

If you ask marketing and sales professionals what determines the success of a sales presentation, most will name "features, benefits, advantages."

Oren Cluff's answer is "status, attention, frame control." “A typical mistake of presenters is to make presentations with too low a status. If you have low status, people won't listen to you, and if they do, they won't take you seriously," says the best-selling author of The Perfect Pitch. A Revolutionary Method for Closing Big Deals” (Mann, Ivanov & Ferber, 2013).

The original title of the book, first published in 2011, is Pitch Anything. An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading and Winning the Deal." The author of The Perfect Pitch is a successful entrepreneur and investor, managing director of investment bank Intersection Capital.

An innovative approach to holding business meetings and presenting investment projects allowed Oren Klaff to achieve fantastic results - in 15 years to attract investments in excess of $ 400,000,000, winning contracts with GP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Yahoo!, Google, Bear in a highly competitive environment. Stearns, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland. Two transactions are included as exemplary cases in the MBA program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Based on the latest research in neuropsychology and 10,000 hours of experience in preparing and delivering presentations, S.T.R.O.N.G.'s proprietary method has gained popularity among professionals: "Pitch Perfect" quickly climbed to #1 on Amazon.com in the Sales and Meetings & Presentations categories. , on the 3rd and 7th - in the sections Marketing and sales and Communications.

Oren Cluff's book has taken its rightful place among such brilliant bestsellers as The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, Steve Martin and Noah Goldstein, Champions of Sales by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, Storytelling by Annette Simmons, Resonate by Nancy Duarte, Selling Big Companies" by Jill Konrath et al. Jill Konrath, an expert on "big sales," included "The Perfect Pitch" in her list of the top five books on creating effective sales presentations.

It's not often that truly outstanding practitioners reveal the true secrets of professional excellence, debunking traditional myths about "effective sales techniques." "The Perfect Pitch" is not just a complete guide to achieving success in business meetings and presentation of your ideas to potential clients, management, colleagues, partners. Oren Klaff's bestselling book encourages rethinking established approaches to active sales.

On the way to the "Perfect Pitch"

Long before I even started making even one million dollar deals, before I hired experts in cognitive psychology and neuroscience to teach me the nature of human attention, before I won contracts worth more than 400 000 000 $I wandered like a blind man in the world of bargaining. I was looking for any resources that would help me better present the proposals.

Oren Cluff

Oren Cluff, an engineer by training, never trained in sales. In search of an effective method of presenting deals, he said, he sifted through the Internet, read books by renowned coach Tom Hopkins and reasoning specialist Joseph Williams, psychologist Robert Ornstein and sales guru Tony Robbins, and others, met with financiers who were considered masters of presentations.

“It was all for nothing,” says the author of The Perfect Pitch. – I continued searching and eventually came across a new scientific discipline – neuroeconomics. It was the Rosetta Stone of Human Behavior that I was looking for. The only area of ​​research that studies the "economic" reactions of the human brain. The real science behind how our brain perceives pitches.”

Turning to the experts at the University of California (UCLA), Oren Cluff found out why nine-tenths of sales presentations fail:

• Over the course of evolution, our brain has acquired three structural parts - the ancient "reptilian brain" (survival and basic emotions), the midbrain (social interaction) and the young neocortex (analysis and complex reactions).
• When we give a presentation, the young neocortex is predominantly used, which is able to think logically, reason about complex things, and put our thoughts into verbal form.
• However, not a single message sent to the interlocutor during the pitch will reach the logical center if it does not overcome the filters of the ancient “crocodile” brain responsible for survival.

The primitive "crocodile" brain obeys its own rules, ignoring most of the messages that are not directly related to survival tasks:

• If the situation is not dangerous, ignore it.
• If there is nothing new or exciting about a situation, ignore it.
• If the situation is new, quickly extract the essence, ignoring the details.
• Don't send anything to the neocortex to solve a problem until an unexpected or extreme situation arises.

Having immersed himself in scientific research, Oren Cluff experienced an epiphany: “It became clear to me that I need to bridge the gap between the way the neocortex and the “crocodile” brain perceive the world. That is, in order for all my pitches to achieve their goal, I will have to learn how to transform complex ideas coming from my neocortex and present them in such a way that the “crocodile” brain of the listener I am trying to convince can easily perceive them and give them their due attention. .

Continuing the search for atoms for a sales presentation, Oren Cluff worked in many disciplines: sales and marketing, hypnosis and public speaking, cognitive psychology and biology, psychology and attention disorders. “When I got into all this, I began to guess that the reaction of people to the pitch is due to biological and psychological reasons. One of the first insights I got from talking to cognitive psychologists at UCLA was that human attention is limited to no more than 20 minutes.”

Communication with university researchers, nights spent reading business and scientific literature, have borne fruit. Oren Cluff became the best expert in promoting investment projects and created the author's S.T.R.O.N.G. method based on three pillars: status, attention, frame control.

"Pitch Perfect": The S.T.R.O.N.G.

I call them garden gnomes, stone-faced garden gnomes. They act like you're a court jester about to put on your suspenders, your little clown nose, and ride a tiny tricycle to amuse them. They will lean back in their chairs and break into a smile, as if they are kings with sceptres that can reward you with an injection of capital ...

You should treat yourself as a reward, and investors as commodities.

Oren Cluff

The author of The Perfect Pitch did not accidentally choose the acronym S.T.R.O.N.G. as the name of his method. (translated as “strong, powerful, weighty”) – as opposed to the “weak” traditional approach: “The so-called “techniques” of sales were created for those who fight for a deal, occupying a subordinate or low-status position. If you are not in control of the social interaction frame, then you have most likely already lost the deal. All you have to do is fight for survival with questioning techniques, trial completion, and a myriad of equally ineffective and annoying tactics that signal to the client that you are needy and desperate—and failed.”

The “strong” method, which allowed Oren Cluff to win many competitive deals in the exceptionally tough, ruthless reality of the venture business, is based on overcoming beta traps and gaining alpha positions (including by creating a situational dominant status), using hot cognitions with the help of four frames (intrigue, reward, time frame, moral high ground), a powerful and concise presentation of the Big Idea.

Following the S.T.R.O.N.G. formula, you need to set a frame (“put the Big Pitch Idea in an easy-to-understand context”), demonstrate high status (“to gain a springboard for further action”), then “create a message full of intrigue and novelty.” The process has six steps:

• S etting the Frame. Set frame. Every presentation is a social interaction that is driven by frames. A frame is a point of view, a position. The strongest frame always wins.
• T elling the story. Tell a story. Awaken the audience's attention by telling an intriguing story to break the analyst's frame and turn the decision in your favor early on.
• R evealing the intrigue. Reveal the intrigue. After you've completed the main part of your presentation, unleash the intrigue while continuing to keep your audience's attention and interest.
• O offering the Prize. Offer a reward. Turn the situation in your favor, 180 degrees, so that the interlocutors perceive you as a reward, treat you with respect and attention.
• N ailing the Hookpoint. Get hooked. Take the final step to get the audience emotionally involved with your idea, then ask about their feelings about the deal.
• G setting a decision. Encourage decision making. Demonstrate your status and power—and your willingness to walk out of the negotiation to avoid the risk of appearing "needy of a deal."

Undoubtedly, S.T.R.O.N.G. - it's a challenge. A challenge that calls into question the usual sales techniques. Undoubtedly, a spectacular method requires careful handling. Oren Cluff warns: “... frame-based social dynamics is a powerful tool... You communicate with your listeners both from the outside and from within, from their unconscious. And if you do it the wrong way, like forgetting to be humorous, reserved, or kind, I guarantee you will be escorted out of the meeting by the security they call. I don't want to get an angry email from you saying you've been fired."

Undoubtedly, the S.T.R.O.N.G. formula, like any other tool, should not be applied “always and everywhere”. Professionals understand this. The author of The Ideal Pitch has developed his own approach to the venture investment industry market, which has its own specifics of business relations, its own rules of the game. Selling services in the b-2-b market is different from selling industrial equipment or consumer goods. This is common knowledge. However, firstly, Oren Kluff's method is based on a solid scientific foundation, universal mechanisms of social interaction. Secondly, the formula S.T.R.O.N.G. gives impressive results.

You can't argue with that. Even if you exclude all information related to scientific research and the author's method from the text of The Perfect Pitch, the book will remain a bestseller. Stunning examples of Oren Cluff's professional skills, dozens of life examples are valuable in themselves.

The perfect pitch in action

If you can't grab and hold the attention of your target audience, then it doesn't matter how well you communicate your product or offer. Getting attention is not a technical or business skill. This is a social skill.

Oren Cluff

The Perfect Pitch is a compelling tale of business meetings, sales presentations, and deals won. You become a witness of how Oren Cluff instantly gains attention, presents the Big Idea with lightning speed, instantly overcomes beta traps and takes a dominant role, emotionally engages listeners, encourages potential clients to believe in an investment project. The practical guide is made in the genre of Edutainment ("learning plus entertainment") and is more like a fascinating business novel - for example, such as "The Purpose" by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox.

For several hours, the author masterfully holds the reader’s attention, “selling” his experience, his method, his way to insights: “If I come to you with an offer and am able to hold your attention for 4 hours, as if I have a magical a tool that makes you focus on me for 4 hours with maximum concentration and energy, I will sell you this deal, says Oren Cluff. - Anyone can do it. The most inexperienced salesman in the world will sell you any offer or product if he can keep your attention for that long. However, the fact is that the amount of time a person is able to focus on your message is limited to 20 minutes, and on the Internet, most likely to 20 seconds.

“Instead of trying to achieve the impossible and hold your attention for more than twenty minutes, you need to consider its limits,” the author of The Perfect Pitch is convinced. Oren Cluff recommends breaking your presentation down into four parts or stages:

1. Introduce yourself and present your Big Idea – 5 minutes.
2. Tell us about the budget and the "secret seasoning" - 10 minutes.
3. Offer a deal - 2 minutes.
4. Frame hot cognition - 3 minutes.

Each recommendation is backed up with a variety of actionable, non-trivial tactics and techniques, illustrated with illustrative examples from the practice of the pitch master: “Now you don’t have to worry about, “How do I create intrigue? Am I using visuals? How do they perceive me? All these are just tools. In reality, all you need to aim for is to establish frame control. If you control frames, then people react to you - and you attract attention. And only when you win their attention, you can tell your story and argue in favor of your product, you are able to make a presentation and close the deal,” says Oren Klaff.

As for the Big Idea, the author of The Perfect Pitch recommends compressing your main message as much as possible: “The Big Idea is the end of our preparatory work, usually lasting a week or more. And you present your Big Idea in 45 seconds. We've never had a Big Idea that was more than 172 words. In our documents, you can see the notes: “Big idea of ​​42 words”, “Big idea of ​​99 words”. You have to be able to generate intrigue and excitement with a concise Big Idea.”

The big idea behind The Perfect Pitch is simple and concise – status, attention, frame control. Even if you only master some of the tools shared by sales pitch master Oren Cluff, this book is worth a read. What’s more, you don’t have to put in much effort. The bestseller is written so vividly, lively and exciting that one could make a Hollywood blockbuster based on it.

About the perfect pitch.

Key Insights Service from best-selling business and self-development books, prepared a review of the book "The Perfect Pitch" by Oren Kluff on how to correctly present your ideas to the audience, negotiate and achieve favorable conditions in transactions.

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Imagine that you are speaking to a potential investor about your new project. You are convinced of its potential, you have a fire in your eyes, you have positive feedback from the first customers, you are carefully prepared and have a good command of all the numbers.

You start your presentation and follow the plan, going to paint what a huge benefit will be received by someone who wants to cooperate with you. But then the investor cuts you off and disrupts all your plans with just one sentence: "Listen, I have to leave in five minutes - let's get down to business."

And here you are, stammering, talking about forecasts, and the investor calls them far-fetched, you try to object, but every time the investor cuts you off with a counterargument. You get lost and feel how the ground is slipping from under your feet - now your idea is not at all innovative, but unrealizable; your predictions are not confirmed by anything; your know-how is ridiculous.

What to do in such a situation? How to keep your mind and a sober head at a time when it seems to you that a flock of predators is ready to attack you? It doesn't matter how brilliant your idea is if you can't present it and prove its viability.

Oren Cluff, a fundraising specialist who has closed multi-million dollar deals with Boeing, Google, Yahoo, Qualcomm and others, has developed a method of presenting ideas based on scientific discoveries about how our brains work based on his experience. The author came to the conclusion that the success of the presentation depends primarily on the use of this method, and not just on preparation and effort.

So, in the example, the investor used the so-called power frame, intercepting the initiative from the speaker. But there is a counter-technique against this technique - the speaker's task was not to respond to the investor's counterarguments, thereby confirming his power, but to break his frame and establish his own.

How to do it and make successful presentations? Oren Cluff has some important ideas.

Idea 1: Presentations often fail because speakers don't consider how the human brain works

There is a common presenter problem. Your project can be very interesting and innovative, you can have great knowledge of the subject you are talking about, be passionate, have good public speaking skills, and the structure of your speech can be impeccable, but despite all this, you will not impress the audience. And if you can't present your idea, then you can't make a deal.

The reason for the error is that you do not take into account how the human brain works.

Over the course of evolution, our brain has evolved from an extremely primitive to a remarkably complex organ. However, the primitive brain did not disappear without a trace. It is still responsible for many physiological reactions: breathing, fear, pleasure. And any information that enters our consciousness passes through its filter. Our brain is essentially made up of three parts:

1. The reptile brain is the oldest, responsible for the most primitive physiological reactions like "fight or flight";
2. The mammalian brain - responsible for emotions and feelings;
3. The neocortex is responsible for what makes us human: the ability to think abstractly, rationally and logically and to be aware of our thoughts and feelings.

When you give a presentation, you send a message formulated by your neocortex to the audience, assuming that your listeners will also perceive it with the neocortex - the logical and rational part of the brain.

This is the mistake, because a person first of all perceives any message with the brain of a reptile. And after it passes this filter, the message enters other layers of the brain.

Why is this filter a problem for the speaker?

Because everything that the reptile brain does not perceive as a critical problem, it perceives as “spam”. He ignores what doesn't seem dangerous or new. And if he sees something new, he tries to understand it as quickly as possible, without going into details. And he will not allow information to reach the neocortex if it does not seem to him really important, unexpected, surprising.

Therefore, if at the presentation you do not present something truly exciting and amazing, then your presentation will be ignored. In addition, if your presentation is too abstract and confusing, then the brain of the listeners will perceive it as a threat, because such information requires mental effort, which means spending precious energy, which the body strongly resists.

And this is the main problem of the speaker. Its task is to overcome the resistance of the lower layers of the brain, pass through its filters and deliver important information to the listener's neocortex. The speaker must understand that the only way to succeed in a pitch is to take into account the peculiarities of the work of the listener's reptilian brain, which seeks to receive the most simple information and reacts only to danger, novelty and intrigue.

To make successful presentations, you need the right method. You need to learn how to transform the complex ideas that your neocortex generates and communicate them in a way that the listener's reptilian brain understands.

Idea 2. Your first task is to choose the right frame

A frame can be defined as the point of view from which you look at what is happening and evaluate the situation. It is a kind of mental structure that you use depending on the situation. Naturally, in the same situation, the frames of different people will be different, and sometimes even contradictory.

We all use frames. In the doctor's office, we do everything he says and perform all the humiliating procedures, regardless of our financial situation and social status. In this situation, his frame is much stronger than ours.

A clash of frames involves a struggle, as a result of which a strong frame absorbs a weak one. As in the wild world, the strong subdue the weak, so in our human world there is a struggle where the frame of the weak is subdued by the strong.

If you manage to get the upper hand in the struggle of frames, then you will attract attention and your ideas will be heard.

How to learn to set the right frame? To do this, you do not need any secret techniques or impeccable command of public speaking. Sometimes even your silence is much more effective than eloquence.

According to the author, using sales techniques that are taught in many trainings forces you to take an initially losing position and thereby lose the battle of frames. You keep fighting, but it is already becoming a fight for survival.

Your importunity causes irritation, and the client understands that your tactics indicate that you are in a desperate situation. An alternative to cold sales techniques and tedious presentations is to keep control of the frame. If you own the frame, you win the game.

Frame clashes occur with any social contact. Frame collision involves our primitive brain, which determines our behavior and blocks the neocortex. In any important situation of social interaction, ask yourself what frame you are facing.

Idea 3. There are four main types of frames

Business contacts involve the clash of several competing types of frames. The author identifies the following types:

1. The frame of power and the one that opposes it is a frame that undermines power;
2. The time frame and its opponent is the time constraint frame;
3. The frame of analytics and the one that opposes it is the frame of intrigue;
4. A reward frame that you can use against all other frames.

To determine who owns a frame, you need to see who is responding to whom. If you react to the words and actions of another, then he owns the frame, and vice versa.

The most commonly used frame in business life is the power frame. Usually it is determined by the high social status of a person. Arrogance, a lack of interest in the opinions of others, speaks of the power frame.

The carriers of this frame also have disadvantages - they do not assess the risks, motives and reactions of other people badly. In addition, because people with high status expect unquestioning obedience to their frames, they are vulnerable to frames that undermine power.

Already at the initial stages it is very important to resist the power frame. You should not allow the interlocutor to involve you in empty conversations, distract you, you should not be just an observer waiting for his reaction. This only accentuates his alpha status and leaves you in the position of a subordinate - a very disadvantageous position for a presentation. If you put up with the manifestations of the power of another person, then only strengthen his position.

What is the right thing to do when someone imposes their power frame on you?

The author talks about how he once got the opportunity to make a presentation in front of a representative of a large bank, cooperation with which promised great benefits for the author's company. But during the pitch, the representative of the bank, trader Steve, showed in every possible way that he was bored - for example, he took the booklet of the author's company and began to trace his palm on its reverse side.

The author was overcome with anger and he felt that he was trapped in someone else's power frame. But he soon regained his composure and said, "Steve, give me the booklet back." After an awkward pause, the author said that he liked the drawing and was ready to buy it, and asked Steve to name the price.

The surprise effect undermines the dominant frame, it helps the listener to focus back on your presentation.

The bottom line is to seize power in some slightly outrageous, but not beyond the bounds of decency act. A little resistance and light humor are your best weapons. Your task is to refuse and demonstrate disobedience, albeit in small things.

Oftentimes, those using the power frame will resort to time-limiting techniques such as, "I only have 20 minutes." You, in turn, can also show disobedience here, saying: “Thank you, I only have 15.”

In general, if you manage to intercept the power frame, then you should not abuse it. Make sure the game is enjoyable for both of you, because no one likes to be submissive.

Speakers are often perceived as those who have to win someone else's attention. However, this is obviously a losing position. It can be deployed on yourself by establishing a reward frame - then you do not win attention, but the other side suddenly finds out that it must win yours. The reward is you.

For example, you came to a client to make a presentation, but the main person you need is not there, and you are invited to make a presentation in front of his deputies. Basically, you've lost your frame. The author advises in such cases to say that you will wait 15 minutes, but then you will need to leave.

Usually the other side starts to fuss and try to make sure that you do not take offense and leave. If the situation is not resolved at the time you indicated, then you will really need to leave without making a presentation and leaving nothing of your materials. If appropriate, then tell the chief of those present that you want to set up a new meeting in your territory.

The reward frame assumes that the reward is you. You can force the buyer to prove that he is worthy of you by asking him to tell about himself or to clarify something. You might add that you are very picky about the people you work with.

Human attention has a certain limit (about 20 minutes), and you need to meet this time with your pitch. But you can't wait for someone to tell you to wrap up - that way you'll hand over your frame to them and be forced to react.

You have to control the time and take stock yourself. When a sales person shows up for a meeting and the client says something like “I only have 10 minutes”, a big but common mistake is to talk about how you value the client’s time and thank him for what he found for you time in your busy schedule.

And although such rules of conduct dictate business customs, you only strengthen the power of your opponent, and put yourself at a huge disadvantage. To break someone else's power frame, in this case, you need to use the reward frame.

The author offers to answer: “Sorry, but I don’t work like that. Why would you change your routine if there's no trust between us? It is only important for me to know whether we can work together, whether you will comply with the agreements. This is how you overcome the client's time frame by declaring the value of your time, which will make him listen to you carefully, and not brush off like a bothersome fly.

The reward frame is based on the premise that if you present yourself correctly, then the opponent will perceive you as a value that needs to be acquired. The author believes that sales techniques aimed at "squeezing" and pressure on the client, if they work, then only in the short term, in the long term, a subordinate position will harm you.

Those who are tasked with speaking to an investor or potential buyer usually feel that they need to gain credibility and win approval. But the trick is to do the opposite - it's your clients and investors who should consider you the prize.

The reward frame works because it affects the reptilian brain of the other party. You can only pass through the filter of the reptilian brain if your message is new and unexpected. The reptilian brain can react in two ways: rejection out of fear or curiosity.

When you arouse curiosity, you yourself become a reward, since it is in the nature of people to strive for what escapes, what we cannot have, and we call valuable only what is difficult to obtain. If people get you without difficulty, then you will not be appreciated.

The fact is that buyers and investors listen to you because they want their money to work - they want to invest, spend money on acquiring the right goods. But their money can't do anything without you, their money needs you.

Money is a consumable. There are many places where you can find money, but you are alone and unique, just like your deal. This attitude and understanding of your value will help you build the right frames, which will accordingly affect your relationships with clients and investors.

Another type of frame is the analytics frame. The analyst focuses solely on facts, he needs numbers and statistics, human relationships are of no value to him. For example, when during your presentation someone starts to go into detail, throwing you off the plan and lulling the audience with technical details, he turns on the analyst frame.

In such a situation, you do not need to be distracted - give only generalized data (revenue, profit), but say that the audience will be able to check these and other figures and calculations later from special materials, and now everyone needs to focus on whether you are suitable for each other.

Since the analyst does not recognize the value of human relationships, you need to keep the audience's attention on the relationships you are building. The frame of the analyst is opposed by the frame of intrigue.

The analyst frame has a weak point - analytical information cannot be perceived along with narrative information. Therefore, in order to overcome the analytical mood of the audience and break the analyst's frame, you need to tell an intriguing story (stored in advance), in which you must be the main character. The story should be short, related to the topic of the speech, it should contain intrigue - risk, danger, uncertainty, urgency, threat.

In history, something must prevent you, your adventures must have consequences, a conclusion. The story needs to be told when you see someone in the audience going to use the analyst frame. When, thanks to the story, attention will be riveted to you, you should stop your story at the most interesting place and continue speaking. The conclusion of the story should be known to the audience only after you have completed your presentation.

Idea 4. Avoid beta traps and use situational status

It is unlikely that you will assert your status by observing typical business rituals - in this way you will only pass for a pleasant person, but this will only lower your status. When you start a new business, your social status is very low. But to interact in the business world, you need a high status.

People instantly assess your status when you step on stage, they determine who is alpha and who is beta. If you start from a low status, then it will be extremely difficult for you to convince others of something. If you don't have a high status, you won't have a good pitch. A person with a high status wins attention instantly, and others do not question his words.

To show your high status, first of all you need to avoid beta traps. Beta traps are special social rituals whose implicit purpose is to put you in a lower position than your opponent. For example, this is a lobby, reception, meeting room, office space, even furniture.

Coming to a meeting, you are forced to go through humiliating procedures - to wait for a badge, to go through security, to wait in line. When you obey the office rituals, you are signaling to the person you came to that you are trapped, that your status is beta, you are waiting, but you are not noticed. When you are in beta position, your main weapon is emotional manipulation. But even if the client succumbs to it to please you, he will later regret it.

But is there an alternative at all, if your social status is really lower than that of the client or investor?

Coming to the doctor's office, you implicitly fulfill all his requirements. A doctor can earn much less than you, you can be the head of a large company, you can have many awards. But in the doctor's office none of that matters. His situational status is higher than yours.

The same thing happens when you are stopped on the road by an inspector or when you are learning something new - your teacher has alpha status in the class, he is in charge. Accordingly, in order to increase your social significance and not fall into beta traps, you need to redirect people to the territory where you are the main one. The main status remains the same, but you become the owner of a situational alpha status.

The author gives an example of how one day he came to negotiate with a client and realized that the client was not listening to him - he even began defiantly chewing an apple. The author realized that the only chance to turn the tide in his favor and take over the frame is to do something unusual.

The author said that he needed to go to the kitchen for a glass of water, where he also took a plastic knife. Returning and nodding at the apple, he said that he hoped that his client did not do business like that - after all, everyone needs their piece. The author said that he would now show how he usually conducts business. Oren took an apple, cut it into halves and took one for himself and placed the other in front of the client. There was silence.

The author praised the taste of the apple and continued his speech by mentioning that in his transactions the money is fairly divided among investors. The client's attention was focused on Oren. Then the author used his informational dominance and created a situational status. The result of the performance was a deal.

Avoid social rituals that will only reinforce your opponents' alpha status. Look for opportunities to disobey, resist even in small things, this will help you take over the frame. Once you've got the frame, quickly direct the audience's attention to the area where you're the expert, as opposed to the audience.

Use a reward frame to make the client consider you a prize. Finally, force the client to pin your alpha status. So, the author often ends the deal with the phrase: “Please remind me why I want to do business with you?”. Usually this phrase causes laughter, and then the client answers something like: "Because we are the best in such and such." To which the author replies: “Yes, exactly, I will remember it.”

Idea #5: Stick to the Four Stages of a Presentation

Oren Cluff knows from experience that performances usually take too long - at least 45 minutes. The author tells that in 1953, molecular biologists James Watson and Francis Crick presented the structure of the DNA double helix to the world, which became one of the world's most important discoveries, but their presentation took only 5 minutes.

Human attention has very tight limits, so the author recommends not making speeches longer than 20 minutes. Break your pitch into four stages, Cluff recommends.

First stage.

Introduce yourself and present your project within 5 minutes. At this stage, tell us about your achievements, about what you have created. But do not think that the more achievements you list, the better. A person averages the information received. If you name one outstanding achievement and one average, then it will be worse than if you just report one outstanding fact.

When you present your idea, you will need to introduce the “Why now?” frame so that the listener understands that your idea is new, important and corresponds to the realities of the modern market.

To do this, show your idea in the context of three market factors and trends:

• economic (what financial market changes served as the starting point for your idea);
• social (what changes in people's behavior contribute to your idea);
• technological (what technological changes contribute to the implementation of your idea).

Describe how your idea was born and developed, what prospects open up when it is implemented. Then make it clear to the client what forces are driving the spread of your idea, indicating that your success will be inevitable as a consequence of these forces.

It is important for you to focus on exactly how your idea will spread, move, and not paint a static picture of the future. This is necessary, since our reptilian brain reacts primarily to movement and is blind to what remains motionless.

Second phase.

Take 10 minutes to talk about the budget and the "chip" of the project. At this stage, it becomes more difficult to keep the attention of the audience. Here you should explain what problems your project solves, how it works. Contrary to popular belief, the main thing here is not simplicity, which, on the contrary, can do harm, since you will seem naive or inexperienced.

Your main task is to tune your message to the reptilian brain of the listener. The reptilian brain is good at processing even confusing information about human relationships, but doesn't like to think about numbers and statistics. He is attracted to novelty.

Attention largely depends on the joint work of two neurotransmitters: dopamine (the hormone of desire and expectation of pleasure) and norepinephrine (the hormone of tension). When you offer a listener a reward, resort to novelty, you affect the production of dopamine. If the listener can pick up the signal that your pitch promises him something new, then dopamine will enter his brain. The level of dopamine must be adjusted, because if it is too much, the listener may be seized by fear and excitement.

But dopamine alone is not enough for attention. It is also necessary that the author calls the "substance of vigilance" - norepinephrine. In order to trigger the release of noradrenaline, you, on the contrary, need to create something like a non-aggressive conflict.

To do this, use the tactics of pushing and pulling. For example, you talk about a deal and then say, “It’s quite possible that we won’t be a good match for each other as partners” (push). And then, pulling back: "On the other hand, if everything goes well, we can accomplish something significant."

When you talk about the essence of the transaction, do not devote much time to this part, provide the minimum necessary and relevant information. Be careful with numbers and forecasts. Any experienced investor knows that your forecasts are likely to be too optimistic and unrealistic, but you will underestimate the costs. Therefore, in order not to cause skepticism of the audience at the initial stage, you need to demonstrate that you are good at developing a budget.

When talking about competition, pay attention to two main questions:

• how easy it is for new competitors to enter the market;
• how easily customers will switch from your product to another.

Be sure to talk about your unique advantage (the author calls it "secret seasoning") - what distinguishes you from competitors.

Third stage.

Deal offer - 2 minutes. At this stage, you should describe to your audience what they will get from working with you. Be specific, but don't go into details.

Fourth stage.

Build hot cognition frames - 3 minutes. More on this later.

Idea 6. Capture frames with hot cognitions

At the last stage of the pitch, you have very little time left, but your task is difficult - you must offer something specific, attractive to the client and providing for response.

How do people make important decisions? The obvious answer is by thinking, considering and analyzing various arguments and facts. In fact, as recent scientific studies show, people make decisions intuitively, even before their rational thinking is turned on. This is how we make the most important decisions - about where and with whom to live, where to work, what to do, what car to buy.

We make most decisions not as a result of "cold" analysis, but as a result of a "hot" cognitive process - gut, intuitively. Even when we make a list of pros and cons when making a decision, we already know inside ourselves what we want. Interestingly, one of the most famous investors in the world, George Soros, makes decisions while listening to back pain.

During the pitch, you need to push your listeners to make a “hot” decision inside. It is not beneficial for you to have their brain occupied with cold analysis. You need them to want your deal. To do this, you need to create hot cognitions through the establishment of the right frames.

You need to install four "hot" cognition frames one by one:

• Frame of intrigue;
• Reward frame;
• time frame;
• Frame of moral superiority.

By setting the frame of intrigue, you must influence the desire of the client - to show what he wants, but cannot get right now. The best way to take the listener away from rationality is to tell a pre-made story in which the hero overcomes obstacles, experiences strong emotions, and comes to despair.

Without wrapping up the story, move on to the next hot cognition, the reward frame that makes your client's reptilian brain think you're a strong opponent with no intention of begging for a deal.

At the end of the speech, the author says that he needs to determine which investors are allowed to make a deal, and who are denied. So he shows that he cares about who he will work with. He asks the question: “Can you tell us why we would like to work with you?”.

When you are convinced that the reward is you, it becomes your strength.

Lack of time always affects decision making. Sellers use this to force the buyer to make a buying decision faster by acting on the fear of missing out: "Hurry up, the promotion ends today", "Only a few models left."

However, these techniques are well known to professionals, and over-pressuring the customer with the sales techniques of the past decades can only damage your deal and your image. You need to find the right balance between pressure and decision-making freedom.

So, the author begins his appeal to potential investors with the words: "No one likes time pressure." He then goes on to say that good deals are like an express train running right on time. Such transactions have their own schedule, which has to be reckoned with, like the schedule of a high-speed train that arrives at the station at a strictly allotted time and does not wait for latecomers. The author then says what date potential investors need to make a decision in order to "catch the train."

Even the most powerful people lose their power frame on the surgeon's table. But even such a strong frame can be overwhelmed by a moral superiority frame. The author talks about how one day Mother Teresa, having ended up in a clinic with pneumonia and heart problems, essentially won the battle of frames with the doctors of the clinic.

The doctor's frame is built on several points that few people can question: if you want to live and be healthy, follow all the instructions, trust experience and knowledge. But Mother Teresa was not an ordinary person, she was not affected by the frame of the doctor and his authority - she opposed him with her own frame: everything material, even life or death is not so important; need to help those in need. That is, she countered the professional authority of the doctor with her own moral authority.

As a result, doctors fell under the influence of her frame. Mother Teresa persuaded American doctors from a well-to-do hospital to donate or provide other assistance to nearby Mexican mobile clinics, which were short of funds. By the time Mother Teresa left the clinic, a volunteer network had already been established between the prosperous American clinic and Mexican clinics for the poor.

Ignoring the attempts of the other side to give some rational arguments why the return of money is impossible (analyst frame), the author got his way, stating that he was not going to listen to explanations, but came to return the illegally withheld money, and in case of resistance - call the FBI. Despite the fact that the collection of money took a decent time, the author intercepted the frame, and ensured that his client was returned the money.

Idea 7. The need for approval is your enemy

Seeking approval comes naturally to humans, as we are social beings. We are all subconsciously afraid that the “flock” will not accept us, because for an ancient person it was tantamount to death. Nothing is more damaging to a pitch, however, than flaunting your insecurities. The author notes that the number one killer of transactions is the behavior dictated by the need for approval.

When you seek support in the eyes of your audience, you are essentially sending out distress signals. But if you were an investor yourself, would you want to work with a company whose leader's behavior is one of desperation? Hardly. Naturally, your listener's reptilian brain will try to keep them safe - and make them run away.

Your need for approval means you are weak, and this is detrimental to your image and business.

How is the need for approval manifested?

For example, when you are worried that you will miss a deal because you have very high hopes for it. When you are convinced that only the acceptance of your transaction by the client will raise your self-esteem. When you get worried if you see that the listeners are not very interested in you.

To get rid of the dependency on approval, you can use a rigid time frame that will show your audience that you are needed elsewhere. But the main thing is to be cold-blooded, and for this:

• Overcome dependence on your desires;
• Show your best qualities in the presence of others;
• When people are waiting for you to follow them, retreat - leave;

People want what they can't have. Remember that you should be their reward, not they yours.

Finally

In his book, Oren Cluff shares his rich practical experience in speaking and closing deals, including his failures and what they taught him. The author came to the conclusion that in the business world, the main mistake you can make is to fall into the beta trap that reinforces the alpha status of your opponent.

Therefore, from the very beginning, you need to make sure that you are considered a strong player. And the best tool for this is mastering the art of framing.

Oren Klaff's book "Pitch Anything" was featured in MakeRight.ru, a service of key ideas from bestsellers on business, personal effectiveness, and self-development.

How to build a presentation to keep the attention of the audience? What do you need to know about social dynamics and frame wars? Why is everything up to you?

Lately I have been trying to select only the best materials and books for blog posting. There is less and less time to write articles, which means that there should be compensation in quality. I'll try not to disappoint you.

About a month ago I finished reading a wonderful book by Oren Cluff “The Perfect Pitch”. Of the latest creations on the topic of self-development, this one can worthily enter the top five of the best in my opinion. Great tips on how to organize your presentation in front of the right people and get your idea accepted. Let's not delay, my hands are itching to tell you everything.

Brain Features

To understand the specifics of information perception, let's look at how our brain works. It consists of 3 parts: crocodile (the most ancient) brain, middle and neocortex.

• The crocodile brain is responsible for survival. This is about basic feelings: fear, curiosity, hunger, etc. It is with the crocodile brain that the perception of information begins and it is on it that the entire methodology of this article will be directed.
• The midbrain allows you to navigate social interaction and recognizes the phenomena around you.
• The neocortex is a powerful computer for computing complex operations.

Information passes through each of the brains from the most ancient to the most modern. It is this order that we must consider when planning our speech or speech.

It all starts with a frame

In order to explain the complex idea of ​​your neocortex, you need to tailor the information to the crocodile brain of the listeners or establish a frame (contact with the audience). Speech, dialogue, negotiations, all this is a struggle between frames, that is, points of view or perceptions of different people.

The task is to convince the crocodile brain of the listener that your offer is safe and interesting. You must capture and hold the attention of the interlocutors. That is, to win the war of frames. You probably noticed how in the discussion of some ideas one person could attract the attention of others, this is the dominant frame. He may be a consequence of status, respect and other things, but this does not mean that he cannot be defeated.

What frames are

• power frame
• time frame
• analytics frame

As a result of contacts with different people, you can meet different femme. Depending on what type of frames you encounter, a response frame is applied. According to the list respectively:

• power undermining frame
• frame limiting time
• intrigue frame
• reward frame (universal for all situations)

Each of the response frames allows you to take control of the situation and control the attention of the interlocutors. Now we will analyze each of the frames and anti-frames with examples so that it is clear how everything works.

Your interlocutor frankly demonstrates his power / position / status, does not take into account the opinions of others, is not focused on your speech.

Antiframe: undermining power. Do something shocking with humorous overtones. Make the crocodile brain of the interlocutor interested in you. Show defiance, but with humor. Refuse something (gently), but don't overdo it.

Example: You are sitting in a meeting where you notice that His Highness the “boss” is not even paying attention to you. The hero of the book took an apple from the hands of the boss and divided it into two parts with a knife. Then he gave half back, and took half for himself, saying that this is how he conducts business. Attention was riveted entirely, the deal was concluded.

time frame

If in a negotiation that was meant to be 30 minutes, you are told that you only have 10, you can say, “No. I don't work like that. There is no point in changing the routine if we trust each other. I just need to know if we will work together, will you keep the agreements and stick to the time?”

In this way, you will break the opponent’s time frame and if he really values ​​your time, he will definitely stick to the agreements. And if not, why do you need this meeting at all?

Or, when they tell you they only have 15 minutes, tell them you only have 12 minutes and then you have to go to the next meeting. Thus, you activate the time-limiting anti-frame.

Analyst frame

To keep the attention of the audience or the interlocutor, do not use complex calculations and numbers. So you will only make people bored and immersed in their thoughts, thereby losing attention. Any pitch is an expectation to hear something new, to pamper your brain a little. They don’t go to meetings and presentations in order to understand what they already knew.

It’s like they’re testing you: “So ... I need to solve it, will it give me something interesting?”. As soon as you are unraveled, attention will go away.

But it also happens that during a pitch they start asking you for details: what percentage is this indicator relative to another, and what is the change or deviation from the average, etc. Congratulations, you have an analytics frame in front of you! Give general data and say that after the presentation you will send details. Now offer to focus on what is important to you. So you will regain your attention and direct the course of the conversation in the right direction.

Anti-frame of intrigue, example:

When you're pulled aside by detail and irrelevant facts, use narrative. Tell an intriguing life story. Share something personal, but do not immediately reveal the ending, keep the intrigue for a while, and then reveal the ending. This is a powerful tool that allows you to return the interest of listeners to you and defeat the analyst frame.

The story needs to be prepared in advance, it will be universal for many cases, since the crocodile brain works approximately the same for everyone. Telling a story with the protagonist as close as possible to the listener is telling the croc brain that everything is safe and getting their attention.

How to write an intriguing story:

• a short story related to the topic of the pitch
• you are the main character
• there must be risk, danger and uncertainty
• there is time trouble: the clock is ticking somewhere and if you don’t make it in time, the consequences will be threatening
• there is tension: you are doing something, but there are obstacles
• there are serious mistakes that are not in vain

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Reward frame (same, universal)

You have a meeting with future partners, but the interlocutor you need simply did not come to the meeting, and his assistants say that you can tell them everything, and they will pass it on to the boss. Invite colleagues to wait 15 minutes for the “protagonist”, then tell them that you will need to leave.

This way you will make it clear that you are a reward for the interlocutors. You have your limited time, other deals and partners. If you are truly interesting, then the assistants will become active and get the boss even out of the ground, and if not, is it worth it for you to waste time shaking the air, which will end in nothing?

If the company you are meeting with is very important to you, then suggest a new meeting, only this time in your territory. Let colleagues come to you.

To reinforce the reward frame, ask the interviewer, “Can you tell us a little about yourself? I am very picky about the people I work with.”

Strengthening the reward frame

• ask questions to the interlocutor from the series “Why should I do business with you?”
• protect your status: do not let the time, agreements, composition of participants be postponed. If the interlocutor insists on his own, cancel the negotiations
• do not ask for a preliminary decision: “How do you like this idea, what do you think?”, so you only give out your desire to complete the transaction faster
• take your time to be able to retreat or refuse. Control your reward frame. The reward is you. You can use humor and say something like, “There are so many buyers and I'm the only one. How can you compete for my attention. The question mark is not put at the end of the phrase on purpose - this is a statement, not a question
• let me sign some kind of obligation necessary to sign the deal
• if the negotiations are about money, then change your attitude towards them. They are just a resource. They (money) need you to manage
• a technique that immediately triggers the reward frame, you say, “I'm glad I was able to find the time to meet with you today. Then I have another meeting. Let's get started right away."

Status

Status, this is what helps to conduct a conversation from the position of a leader or alpha, control the situation and resolve various issues much faster. A person with a high status can be seen from afar, they listen to him and wait for his decision. As a rule, such people are hung on all sides with beta traps.

Beta traps are rituals that you need to follow when meeting with an alpha leader. Large hallways to wait for a meeting with the “chief”, secretaries, expensive furniture and other attributes of power. In general, everything that breaks your frame before meeting with a status person.

Fortunately, you can have status without being a millionaire or the CEO of some international corporation. There is a situational status that can be mastered. At the moment of the pitch, you become the alpha leader and the center of attention. You get the so-called “power of the local star” and control the situation.

How to get situational status

• don't react to beta traps
• abstract from the status of your interlocutor
• look for an opportunity to put up a little resistance or refuse something - this will strengthen your frame and increase your status. As a rule, people of high status expect others to obey, so a little humorous defiance can help get you noticed.

Example: the hero of the book on which this material was written snatched a brochure from the hands of his status interlocutor, where he circled his palm and asked how much his “respected” could sell his work for. A little expressive, but with a touch of humor. Thus, attention was drawn.

• as soon as the power falls into your hands, go to the area where you are an expert
• use a reward frame. Show that you are the reward of the interlocutor and he is very lucky to do business with you
• secure your alpha status. You need to make your interlocutor defend himself, but in a playful way. Something like: “Remind me why I want to do business with you?”. Everything needs to be interesting and a little humorous. You may also ask: “Have you ever had such a big deal?”. Thus, strengthen your position even more.

Cold or hot

Decision making is a consequence of cognitions or in simple words, the processes of information perception.

Hot cognitions are decisions related to feelings and emotions, while cold cognitions are calculation, analytics and connecting the mind. Studies have shown that a person makes the main decisions on the basis of hot cognitions, that is, guided by feelings. Cold cognitions also exist, and we analyze our choices, but usually after the fact.

Given the peculiarity of the perception of information, you should plan your pitch with an emphasis on feelings and emotions. This is how you win the frame war and capture the attention of your listeners.

Come up with a “big idea”

We have learned how to work with frames, but what to do with the pitch itself? Keep in mind that a person holds attention for no more than 20 minutes, given that you do not load him with deep facts and figures. From cold calculations and analytics, your listener will withdraw into himself. Let's break down your presentation into stages, and then go through each one separately.

The challenge is to make the most of those 20 minutes:

1. Introduce yourself and present your “big idea” – 5 minutes.
2. Talk about the budget and the "secret seasoning" - 10 minutes.
3. Offer a deal - 2 minutes
4. Frame hot cognition (emotional: intrigue, interest) - 3 minutes

Presentation (5 minutes): frame “Why now?”

Start by saying that your pitch will not be long, you have prepared 20 minutes for it and intend to keep the listeners longer. Next, go to a short description of the projects that you worked on (2-3 of the brightest ones with results are possible), do not go deep.

Remember that no one is interested in investing their time and effort in what is already known. Recall that this is a “I know what you are going to offer” game where your listener is trying to figure out your idea.

Describe the idea in three ways:

• economic: what changes in the market gave rise to your idea
• social: how does your idea affect society
• technological: how technology has changed as a result of which your idea appeared

Tell the story of where your idea came from and how it evolved

When creating the “Why now?” frame, try to rewind time as far back as possible in order to understand and explain how the idea has evolved from the past to the present and what makes it unique.

Remember, whether your pitch is jet fighters, stocks, real estate, software, or cotton balls, you need to frame the deal this way because this frame explains the factors behind developing an idea.

Pattern/structure for introducing ideas

You don’t need to talk about your idea in detail, your task is to grab attention first, and then dive into the details. Use the idea introduction pattern for a clear and quick description:

For [target customers],
Who are not satisfied with [current market offerings].

My idea/product is a [new category idea/product].
It provides [key issues/methods].

For [companies occupying large buildings in California and Arizona],
Who are not satisfied with [obsolete solar panels].
My product is [plug-and-play solar accelerator].
Compared to older batteries, it delivers [35% more power].
Unlike old, replaceable batteries, my product is inexpensive and contains no moving parts.

That's all, your "Big Idea" according to this scheme can be presented within a minute.

Pitch structure from the side

Let's take a look at what happens in the first phase of a pitch:

• First, you let the listener feel at ease by warning that the pitch will be short, only about twenty minutes, and that you won't stay long after. This will help focus his croc brain on the here and now and give him a sense of security.
• Then you talk about your background and dwell on the main achievements, and do not announce a long list of places where you worked from bell to bell. Obviously, the more you talk about your experience, the more it seems to the client as unremarkable. Information about you is averaged, not summed.
• Then you show that your idea is not a flash of genius. That there are market factors that led to its appearance, and you want to take advantage of the slightly opened market window. (And you are well aware that you will have competitors. Such a sober look shows your client that you are by no means naive and know business realities).
• The brain only pays attention to what is in motion, you need to present a picture of how your idea transforms the old market into a new one. This way, you won't provoke the client to change blindness, which could easily lead them to dismiss your offer.
• Finally, you use the idea introduction pattern. The idea is in the game. Now the client knows exactly what it is, who it is designed for, who your competitor is and where you are superior to him. A simple diagram makes it easier to understand your idea and helps you focus on reality. This strategy works so well because it avoids the brain's possible response to danger.

Of course, this method does not mean that everything in your pitch should be reduced to simplification. Soon you will be presenting a lot of complex and elaborate information to the audience.

Budget and Secret Seasoning (10 minutes)

So it's been 5 minutes. and you presented yourself and your idea. Time to move on to the budget and the secret seasoning. Focus on how you know how to budget. What are you relying on and what factors do you take into account.

Unrealistic budgets and miscalculations
you represent the biggest risks for
developing company, especially for start-ups.
How do you deal with audience skepticism
rennoy that your plans will fail? The best thing
demonstrate how you can design
budgeting is a highly valued talent
in the leader.

You keep talking, and attention becomes more and more difficult to maintain. Studies have shown that dopamine (the hormone of joy) is released as a result of the novelty effect. If you do not surprise your listeners with something new, they will soon lose interest in you. But dopamine alone is not enough, you also need norepinephrine, a substance that creates tension.

• brief demonstration of the new product
• new idea
• metaphors to explain complex things

Thus, the two parts of the attention cocktail - novelty and tension - work together during the pitch for about twenty minutes, creating a feedback loop. And no matter how much effort you put in, after twenty minutes the balance of these components is disturbed, and they stop working together.

To paraphrase a bit, you need to create a hassle to keep your attention. Only the positive on the faces of your listeners is not suitable, disputes and debates are needed. But you only have 20 minutes!

Repel/Pull

To help maintain attention, there is another “repel/attract” frame. You seem to have caught the interlocutor on a hook and either pull him towards you, or repel him.

PUSHING OFF: "It's possible that we're not really good for each other."
[Pause. Let the recipient understand what you said. The meaning must be understood correctly.]
ATTRACT: "But on the other hand, if everything works out, we can combine our forces and accomplish something very significant."

This technique will help you keep your attention, you work with hot cognitions and appeal to feelings.

Deal offer (2 minutes)

This step should be very concise. Tell us what exactly you offer. Big touches and benefits. Do not dive into details, everything is fast and clear. Key facts of your proposal and move on to framing.

Building frames (3 minutes)

You have the last 3 minutes of the pitch left and it's time to establish those hot cognitions or emotional connections. Reinforce what you just said.

There are four hot cognitions/frames to install:

• Hot cognition 1: intrigue frame.
• Hot cognition 2: reward frame.
• Hot cognition 3: time frame.
• Hot cognition 4: the moral high ground frame.

Let's go through each.

Frame of intrigue

Everyone loves stories, it's good when you are the main character in these stories. When your interlocutors listen to a story, they are not assessing the situation and circumstances, but how you coped with difficulties.

Here is an outline that will add drama and intrigue to any story:

• We send the hero to the jungle.
• Let the animals attack him.
• Will he survive?
• Bring the hero to despair in this jungle, let him be on the verge, but do not rescue him from a predicament.

Next, don't reveal the ending and move on to the reward frame. The outline of the story is metaphorical, tailor it to your audience. Try to take the situation that the listeners faced and put yourself in it. Further according to the scheme: you encountered difficulties, it was not clear how to cope with them, you were on the verge and still managed.

Earlier in the material, the external pattern of the reward frame was discussed, but here we will focus on the internal one. How confident are you in your own words and ideas?

The internal pattern is the words you say to yourself to fully activate and activate the reward frame:

• I am the reward.
• You are trying to impress me.
• You are trying to get my approval.

People around you feel everything, if you are confident in yourself and even more so in your own idea, then this is immediately felt. Often, charismatic individuals can inspire people around them with their confidence, although the idea itself is not 100% backed by facts.

time frame

Time trouble always affects the speed of decision making. Agree, it is easier to convince someone to buy a car if you warn that it is only for sale until the end of the day. Let's see why this strategy works so well?

A signal enters the brain, the fear of missing out on a purchase turns on. The main thing is not to put pressure on the interlocutors.

“Guys, no one likes time pressure. Not to me, not to you. Nobody. But good deals are like Amtrak24 trains in their clarity, timed like express trains. He stops at the station, picks up investors - and on his way, strictly on schedule. Departure time - and the train starts moving. You have plenty of time to decide if you like me and want to make this deal. If it is not to your liking, then you should not deal with it; we all understand this. But the deal isn't just me, or you, or anyone else; it includes much more. She has her own set order and time, which everyone has to reckon with. So, the decision must be made by the fifteenth."

Frame of moral high ground

Remember situational status or local star status? (see material above) It's time to show it in action. You rule the ball here and now, no one will take away this right from you. Outside the room, you can be anyone, but here the control is yours. Give some status to others and take the spotlight back to yourself.

Getting rid of approval

Perhaps one of the most important steps in pitching is the approval of the listener. There is nothing worse than expecting someone to like you. This is a demonstration of weakness and insecurity. At the level of the crocodile brain, the listener feels how you give up in front of him and all your frames collapse.

I will add: when you are looking for approval or support, you obviously give a signal: “Things are not going well for me ...”. The interlocutor understands that you are on the edge and does not want to participate in your stories, as he is obviously afraid of “falling into the abyss with you.” Another thing is confidence and personality, which they smell a mile away. You are who you are and you do not need approval, you offer an interesting deal, which is already expected in the next company. The choice is yours if you decide to cooperate with this company. And by the way, why should you work with her? You are used to working with proven people (reward frame).

How to get rid of approval:

• Don't wish for anything.
• Focus solely on what you do well.
• State your intention to leave the meeting.

Conclusion

The material turned out to be voluminous, but I assure you that even some of the recommendations will be very useful for you. In general, preparing for a pitch is a time-consuming process, you plan the entire pitch scenario with successive steps and prepare carefully. Nobody said that it would be easy, but we are not studying the methodology for the sake of easy deals, right?! 😉

This book is well complemented by:

Presentation Mastery

Alexey Kapterev

The psychology of persuasion

Robert Cialdini, Steve Martin

Noah Goldstein

Blah blah blah

Pitch Anything

An Innovative Method

for Presenting, Persuading

and Winning the Deal

Oren Cluff

Perfect pitch

revolutionary method

conclusion of large transactions

Translation from English by Olga Terentyeva

Publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber"

Moscow 2013

Information from the publisher

Published with permission from McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Cluff O.

The perfect pitch. A revolutionary method for concluding large deals / Oren Kluff; per. from English. O. Terentyeva. - M.: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2013.

ISBN 978-5-91657-726-6

The author argues that the perfect pitch (the presentation of an idea, usually in order to obtain funding) is not an art at all, but rather a science. Using the latest research in the field of neuropsychology and citing non-trivial examples from his own practice, Cluff explains how our brain actually makes decisions and reacts to attempts to “sell” something to it. Armed with this knowledge, you will have complete control over the process of conducting your presentation.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holders.

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

Copyright © 2011 Oren Klaff

All rights reserved

© Translation into Russian, edition in Russian, design. LLC "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber", 2013

Be

damn convincing

If you haven't watched the Hollywood movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" yet, be sure to do so. It tells about how the most charismatic and famous leaders of the global IT business started their business.

Here, for example, actors surprisingly similar to Bill Gates and Paul Allen in their student years fly to meet managers from IBM. After getting off the plane, they hurriedly change into suits and ties in the airport bathroom and drive to the computer giant's office, exactly according to the dress code adopted there. At the meeting, Bill Gates tells the guys from IBM that their wonderful personal computers need an operating system like air to make them truly personal. And they, Bill and Paul, just have what IBM lacks so much. Both sides parted ways deeply inspired: IBM managers returned to their revolutionary product, and Bill Gates and Paul Allen set off ... to write the promised OS.

What this conversation led to is known: a multi-billion dollar business, a new industry ... And it all started with a pitch.

Much is said about how to make selling pitches (presenting an idea, usually in order to obtain funding). Ten slides from Guy Kawasaki. Nine slides of a breakthrough presentation in nine minutes according to the canons of Hollywood from Luke Williams.

And here is the exclusive STRONG method from Oren Cluff, who wrote this book, "The Perfect Pitch," with the meaningful subtitle "A Revolutionary Method for Making Big Deals."

The author argues that the perfect pitch is not an art at all, but rather a science. Referring to the latest research in neuropsychology and citing instructive examples from his own practice, Cluff explains how our brain actually makes decisions and responds to attempts to “sell” something to it.

The Cluff Method is actually a step-by-step guide that will help you create a compelling presentation, deliver a compelling presentation, and achieve your goals, whether it's attracting investors, clients, or the next step in your career. In general, you will be damn convincing!

Editorial Board of RVC Library

Father - the true guide in my life

Chapter 1

Here's the crux of the matter in a nutshell: There's a fundamental discrepancy between how we build a pitch1 and how our audience perceives it. At the crucial moment when we need to be as convincing as possible, nine times out of ten we fail to do so. The likelihood that our main message will reach the client is surprisingly small.

It is very important to understand where this discrepancy comes from in order to overcome it, succeed and profit. This is where this book will help you.

I am by no means a natural

I make my living giving presentations to investors. My job is to raise capital for companies that want rapid growth or fame. And I'm good at it. I've raised millions in deals with Marriott, Hershey's, Citigroup, and many other giants - and continue to do so, with a weekly figure of about $2 million. From the outside, the reasons for my success seem obvious: I offer lucrative deals to wealthy investors that involve Wall Street banks. But others are doing the same. However, it is I who get more money than anyone else. Everyone competes in the same market.

Make the same transactions. Present similar facts and figures for consideration. And the difference between us is not luck. And not in any special gift. I don't even have sales experience. The bottom line is that I rely on a good method.

The success of a pitch is directly related to the method you use, not the amount of effort you put in. Better method - more money. Even better method - even more money. This is true for you too. The better you defend your position, the more success you will achieve. Want to sell an idea to investors, convince a client to favor you, or explain to your boss why you deserve a higher salary? I can help you by teaching you the five methods in this book.

Presentation for the Ruler of the Universe

Over the years, I've pitched (and closed deals) with some of the biggest business leaders of our time, including the founders of Yahoo!, Google, and Qualcomm. But in recounting my experience, I can't help but think of the day I went to a meeting arranged for one of what Tom Wolfe would call the "Master of the Universe"2.

Jonathan (let's call him that) - no Johnnies or even Johns - is an investment banker who moves a lot of money. He has between six hundred and eight hundred pitches a year, which is about three or four a day. He often makes decisions worth millions based on the information contained in emails on his BlackBerry.

As a businessman, this guy (I have no intention of giving out his name, he will instantly drag anyone through the courts) is a real ace.

There are three things you should know about Jonathan. First, he is a mathematical genius, able to calculate the income curve in his head. He doesn't need spreadsheets. He'll know in the blink of an eye what your pitch is all about. Secondly, over ten thousand transactions have been made in his lifetime, and he can figure out any mistake or notice the slightest inconsistency, no matter how well they are disguised. Thirdly, he can be tough in communication, but at the same time he can not be denied wit and charisma. As a result, when he pitches for you, him every chance to catch you on the hook. Making a pitch for him You you are at a loss. However, if you want to be taken seriously in the venture capital world, you simply have to make a deal with this guy at least once. A few years ago, while raising capital for a software company, I set up a meeting with Jonathan and his team. Knowing his reputation, I knew that once I got him, other, less determined investors would be much easier to attract. They reasoned like this: "Well, if Jonathan signed up for this, then I'm in too." And Jonathan knew the power of his authority - and was not going to let me win easily.

When my speech was in full swing, he suddenly began to put spokes in my wheels. Maybe out of sport. Maybe he just didn't have a good day. But it was clear that he wanted to take - and maintain - control over the entire presentation. I did not realize this immediately, and began, as always, with framing(Frames create context and highlight the essence. As we will see, the person who owns the frame owns the conversation). I explained what I would - and would not - talk about, and was immediately rebuffed by Jonathan, that was exactly what they call deframing.

The book makes a strong impression. However, there are some questions.

The first is that the proposed approach (the STRONG method), despite the logical justification, is quite risky in application. This risk may outweigh the desired result for many, since the method involves taking control of the situation and using key persons in working with frames. Many simply do not dare to use this tool.

The book also reflects a typical American approach: the author talks about the invention of a technology that will turn the world upside down, at the same time, many familiar roots can be clearly traced in this technology.

However, we must pay tribute to the fact that the author has concrete results and has the right to talk about it. It is also important that the author very carefully approached the description and specification of the negotiation model, which for him is a successful sales technique.

Particularly “tasty things” include interesting insights into how our thought process works, and why the primary emotional part of a presentation is important, and why even the most carefully argued and full of statistical presentations, presentations that have a clear elaboration, fail. It is very interesting. For some, this author's argument will surely be a discovery that will allow you to reconsider your method of creating presentations.

Two things seemed most interesting to me:

1. The book is well accentuated and presented with the idea of ​​how to convey relevance in a selling presentation, why it is worth buying or making a decision right now. After all, often customers say “yes, okay, but not now.” Therefore, thanks to this technology, it is possible to make the presentation more successful.

2. In the context of the book, the idea introduction pattern, developed by venture capitalist Jeff Moore in 1999, is excellently presented and remains relevant today. This is a clearly algorithmic scheme for presenting any idea, which allows you to make a short, accentuated, and very precise and meaningful presentation that achieves its goal.

Recommendations for working with the internal state of the presenter will be useful. Well presented information on how to get rid of the need for external approval, which unsettles many presenters, salespeople and negotiators. Because when the need for approval from the outside increases, internal confidence and focus on results decrease.

Quite interesting are the author's comments on the importance of an intriguing story in sales: how it should be (simple, complex), how important is its timeliness and integrity with the presentation. In a word, the book gives many useful "wonderful discoveries", which, applied in practice, will give a positive result.