Do you have an idea for a new business that you feel passionate about? You may have created your new business plan, worked up your financials, contacted reputable vendors and started to set up your online presence. Now, you need to pitch your idea. Although finding a great virtual office background is a good start, these are some strategies that can help you make the sale.
Learning About Your Audience
The best way to persuade someone is to show how that person will benefit. Therefore, your first step should include getting to know everything you can about your target audience. Are you talking to a financier whose primary goal is making money? Are you talking to vendors you want to work with who may feel concerned about consistency in your ordering so they can expect a regular income from you, or are you talking to potential clients who need the services and products you provide?
Find out what their values are and how yours measure up. Also, learn about their backgrounds, interests and pain points. Avoid dishonesty of any kind, but keep your focus on your clients.
Creating Your Pitch
After you define your target audience and their pain points, you need to create your pitch. Include all the materials you want to provide and present. You may choose a slide deck, demonstration or video. You could also create a landing page that has all the pertinent information on it so your audience can go back and review it after your call.
Create a concise pitch that engages your audience. Make sure it is visually appealing. Use headings, images, video and bullet points as necessary, but avoid jargon and clutter. Make sure the tools you plan to use are compatible with the videoconferencing or other software you plan to use.
Using the Right Background
As you build your pitch, you should review available virtual office backgrounds. Whether you have created your branding strategy yet or not, you should find something that reflects the brand you hope to promote. Consider the colors, your logo, a tagline or any other feature that represents your brand.
Practicing Your Pitch
Never go into a pitch without lots of practice. You want your delivery to be polished and professional. Keep practicing until you gain confidence and learn what you want to say without using notes. However, avoid memorizing a specific script if you can because this can come across as uninspired.
Also, make sure you have good eye contact, even though you have to look at a camera, not the screen. Make sure your speech is clear and conversational. Change your pitch when appropriate and avoid using the same pacing throughout. Get the answers to any questions the audience may ask. Time the presentation.
Sending an Agenda Before the Meeting
To prepare your audience, you should send an agenda before the meeting. Include the general topic and break it down into sections using bullet points. You should also include the expected meeting time and whether you will extend it for questions. Encourage your audience to send you questions before the presentation if possible so you can prepare answers or work them into your presentation.
During your process, search for a branded Zoom background that truly represents you and your company.
