The Power of the Pitch: Transform Yourself into a Persuasive Presenter and Win More Business

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, Practical, and Passionate Counsel
Review: Hankins defines a pitch as "[in italics] any time you speak with intent to persuade. [end italics] Pitches could be delivered in person, over the telephone, to one person or to thousands." This definition is adequate to Hankins' purposes, but -- in my opinion -- unnecessarily restrictive. Some of the most important interactions between and among people involve the exchange of information, not for purposes of persuasion but for edification. Indeed, every one of the principles, skills, and techniques which Hankins explains so brilliantly in this book can guide and inform effective communication, whatever its context and objective may be.

That said, I commend Hankins on having devised what amounts to a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective system. Chapters 1-7 provide an orientation/briefing on fundamentals (e.g. "The Secrets of Winning People Over" and "The Foolproof Steps to Avoid Embarrassment"). Each of the next three chapters is devoted to one of the three Parts of "The Pitch": The Grabber, The Persuasion Model, and The Power Close. Then in Chapters 11-17, Hankins correlates and develops in much greater depth various principles, skills, and techniques (e.g. storytelling, use of humor, secrets to effective cold calls), concluding with an obviously sincere admonition to his reader, accompanied by a request: "Now I encourage you to personalize the concepts about how you look, how you sound, and what you say. Make the `toolbox' fit your persona and business. When you do, you will become a persuasive presenter capable of winning more business. Please do me a big favor. As you achieve success with your pitches, take a minute to let me know how you're doing. Please e-mail me at [e-mail]. [Then suggesting an influence by Zig Ziglar,] The view is worth the climb. I look forward to seeing you at the top."

To me, one of the most valuable sections is Chapter 9 in which Hankins provides "The Power of the Pitch Outline" (pages 119-121). Completion of this outline will require a great deal of time and thought. In fact, throughout this book, Hankins includes a wealth of checklists, introduces several acronyms (e.g. STARs) which are then explained in depth, and various guidelines (e.g. "The Rule of Three"). Hankins' approach is so direct and personal that his reader will feel as if she or he were working closely in collaboration with Hankins on the development of a complete sales plan which is most appropriate to the reader's own specific needs, interests, goals, objectives, and concerns.

For whom will this book be most valuable? I recommend it to those who supervise a sales force, many of whom are relatively inexperienced and in need of inspiration, guidance, and supervision. I also recommend it to senior-level executives in small-to-midsize organizations who are primarily -- if not wholly -- responsible for business development and customer relationships (e.g. the owner/CEO of a company doing less than $10-million in annual sales). As with almost all other human enterprises, each reader will get about as much out of this book as she or he puts into it.

On numerous occasions I have observed a "pitch" which had great power...but created an almost totally negative impact. Hence the importance of knowing precisely what you wish to accomplish when applying the material in this book. Presumably Hankins agrees with me that sincerity, thorough preparation, common sense, and respect for others' time are more important than impeccable grooming, a stylish wardrobe, and a pleasing personality. Also that, with all due respect to "packaging" a pitch, its content must be relevant and responsive to the needs of a given situation.

Those who share my high regard for The Power of the Pitch are urged to check out Neil Rackham's SPIN Selling, Jacques Werth and Nicholas E. Ruben's High Probability Selling, and Michael Schell's Buyer-Approved Selling.

Rating:
Summary: It's easy to follow and learn
Review: I received a copy of "The Power of the Pitch" from my boss and wasn't thrilled to read it. I thought it would be your typical, dry business book and I didn't want to waste my time.

Boy, was I wrong.

The irreverent cover reflects the colorful content that the book delivers. It's a step by step guide that illustrates how to pitch and close any kind of deal. I found the stories, photos, charts and graphs easy to grasp in a hurry.

The book also shares the secrets of how Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Jack Nicklaus and other brands continually prepare, plan and "pitch" their fans/customers to grow their businesses.

I never realized the mistakes I was making in my introductions and power point slides until I read the book. I have changed the way I'm presenting and have seen an improvement already.

I told the boss about my initial resistance and misconception about the book and how it has helped me in just a few days. He laughed and suggested I write a review. So, here it is:

"Read this book if you have a short attention span, a decent sense of humor and a desire to close more biz. It's a quick read that's easy to understand and adopt."