Connecting with Your Clients

Some of the final check points you should be able to tick of in your client pitch involves the ability to have your client say of the interaction that you " understand them" and "answered all of my concerns".

You can only do this if you do actually understand your client, how they feel about issues facing them and then can speak with them about what it is that they truly care about.

Most financial strategy solution pitches do not resonate and cut through the audience as they are delivered in a sequential agenda driven format.

You only need to attend a presentation from an investment house to understand this. The summary is flashed before you and the speaker however articulate moves through the topics in sadly most cases without capturing the attention and recruiting the passions of the audience.

You financial strategy and insurance solution pitches face the same problems because of the way we have been taught to write and present them.

The best method of delivery encompasses:

- providing a structure without the formal method

This means it needs to be personal.

In her book "Say It Like Obama and Win", Shel Leanne, writes of the method employed to speak to the needs of people.

Recognises, Remembers, Responsive.

She emphasises that listeners want to hear that the presenter realises the issues they are facing, references those issues and is responsive to thoe issues.

By connecting your sales pitch in this way, you are able to not only demonstrate that you understand, but you transcend further your competitors by illustrating that you care.

Taking this a step further involves you demonstrating that not only have you tailored your solutions for the specific concerns of the client in front of you but that you also have experience dealing with the same situations either yourself (in you family - revisit the family tree conversation) or with other clients.

This shows the client that you "have been there yourself" or you "really get" the client through your experiences.

This is far more powerful than you brochure on all of your technical experise and the credentials on your wall.

Next time we'll look at the use of imagery in closing your pitch.