Go For The Ask

Last week, I attended a fantastic Women’s Leadership Conference in New York. The program was filled with excellent speakers sharing their insightful stories, highlighting advice, and encouraging attendees to stand up and be heard.

One woman – an entrepreneur – made a comment that resonated with me – GO FOR THE ASK. It made me think:

What holds people back?

What do they need to feel they are ready to pitch?

As a consultant, how can I provide tangible, easily implemented guidance to make this intimidating experience a lot less painful?

This is what I’m fortunate to do nearly every day. To feel ready and win the deal, you need to craft your unique pitch in a clear, concise, and compelling way. Here are my four quick tips on how you can go for the ask with confidence:

Know your audience

Most people want the bottom line. Keep it simple and eliminate the jargon.

Craft a clear, concise, listener-directed message

Position your message to highlight what’s in it for them. It’s always about the audience. If you are trying to get someone to buy in and back your idea, you need to appeal to what they care about.

Share a story that highlights the benefits

A brief story or example to make your message concrete, specific, and tangible helps your listener picture your pitch. If they can see it, hopefully they will invest in it.

Deliver with confident body language

There’s no substitute for strong eye contact. If you use a dynamic voice, hand gestures, sit up tall, and command the room, they will have no question you belong there.

So, what are you waiting for? Go for it. The worst thing anyone can say to you is “no,” which leaves you exactly where you are right now if you DON’T pitch. Be bold, and mighty forces (plus the tips above) will come to your aid. You’ve got this.

Want more great advice on pitching your startup? Anne Teutschel will host a session at MATTER in Chicago. Can’t attend in person? Join virtually! For more information and to register, click here.