The Complete Guide To Successful Pitching Using The NABC Model

Your pitch can either make or break your business. It is essential to learn how to pitch your idea as effectively and efficiently as possible in order to get the funding that you need or close that sale you’ve been working so hard for.

In a nutshell, pitching is the art of effective communication.

Mindset

The first step to successful pitching is getting yourself in the right mindset to pitch and advocate for your idea.

Successful pitching is composed of 50% mindset and 50% tactic.

Any negative feelings such as fear or doubt can have detrimental effects on the performance and quality of your pitch.

Keep in mind that it is perfectly normal to feel nervous at first. But the key here is not to let it overwhelm you. The trick is to train your mind to get past the fear of public speaking or the need to be perfect. Start to develop confidence in your own abilities and skills.

We usually get scared of the idea of pitching and envision a bunch of businesspeople in suits sitting in a meeting while one of them stands up to pitch in a traditional way with a full wall of statistical evidence and charts to prove their point.

That is not necessarily true.

In today’s modern pitches, there are many ways to make the pitch fun, engaging, and creative.

One successful example of this is Rener Gracie’s pitch on Shark Tank. This is one of the most successful pitches on the show, where Rener incorporated storytelling, acting, and humor to grab the attention and ultimately win.

Be Clear

Follow the N-A-B-C model to create a powerful and clear pith.

The NABC model was created by the @Standford Research Institute in order to create a systematic approach to the process of developing, assessing, and presenting ideas.

It is made up of four crucial elements that form and develop the value of the idea.

N — Need: Identify the need for your product.

• Why did you create the product?
• What is the problem that your product can fix?

A — Approach: Thousands of business people have created products in your field.

B — Benefit: Identity what is the benefit of your product.

Emphasize the emotional benefits of your product and how it could change people’s lives. Create a customer persona by envisioning the life of our future consumers before using your product/service and then envision them after they have used your idea.

C — Competition: Identify your competition and research their methods.

For example, Netflix’s competition was abstract. They initially wanted to launch a streaming online platform where viewers could enjoy great movies and shows. At the time, their main competition was the idea of sleep, as the more sleep people had, the less time they spent on Netflix at night. They worked on their marketing to advertise scenes of couples sitting at night watching their favorite shows on Netflix all night long and advocated for Netflix night and batch watching.

This isn't always the case for most of us. It is more likely we have actual physical competition that threatens our existence. In this case, it requires us to dive in further and research our competition and how they present themselves.

Creative Beginning: The Hook

Be creative and set the scene from the beginning. Start by hooking your audience’s attention. Take your pitch a step further and instill the emotions into your audience.

Whether that is through a quick story, low background music, or a demonstration of how your product can be used. Choose stories that are relatable and designed to spark emotions.

Remember to be yourself and establish a connection with your audience.

It is also possible to start with rhetorical questions, such as:

Be creative and make it sound less cliche and more relatable. If you have an inspirational story behind why you started your brand then include it in, make sure to keep it short. Your story adds individuality to your brand.

If you have a physical product, it would be best to take the product with you to showcase it to your audience. This will allow them to visually and emotionally relate to your product. It will also show them that you want them to be well informed on the product and that you have done the additional preparation to get your message across.

The greatest pitch is where you are true to yourself and to your own story.

Below is an example of a 2–4 minute pitch that encompasses the strategies and methods we covered earlier.

1. I understand you have trouble with (problem/need).
2. My business idea is(name of the idea), and it is designed to (approach- identify what your idea does in simple terms)
3. It helps you (identify the benefits)
4. The competition/alternative is (who is your competitor), which is (state their weaknesses)

Do You Want To Be Heard or Seen?

Identify whether you want to be heard or seen. Which one is more important to you and your brand?

If your idea entails a statistics, number, and figures, its are best to have a brief slide where you highlight the statistics or charts that you need. This will help get the numerical data to the audience easily and visually without affecting their attention span.

However, if no or minimal numerical data is involved, then a brief presentation with minimal texts and images is essential to create ongoing engagement.

Make sure to have clear and large text, minimal size is 60 with a clear font. Place large high-quality images that convey the feelings your want to create within your audience.

As the saying goes, ‘A picture says a thousand words.

The Memorable Ending

End the presentation on a memorable note. This is why it is important to identify who your pitch is targetted for in the very beginning.

If the pitch is for funders and investors, then creating a simple roadmap layout plan would be a great idea. It shows the investors that you have the needed maturity and commitment to turn your idea into a successful business.

If you are creating your pitch to future customers then end it with your contact details and how they can purchase the product.

As an added bonus, insert a special one-off discount for the attendants as a reward for their time.

Alternatively, you can give off small sample packets to attendants along with your business card. You will end the presentation with a nice note and create a professional and warm impression, even for those who do not need to purchase from you.

Wording

When it comes to wording, simplicity always wins.

• Use language closest to your heart.
• Avoid words that are complicated or hard to pronounce. Unless you are pitching something that requires a specific terminology, simplicity is your best bet.
• Use words wisely, preferably 5–7 words in your presentation only when you intend to emphasize a certain word or phrase.

Practice

Practice makes perfect.

This is very true, especially when it comes to your pitch. After you have prepared your pitch, take a moment and practice it.

Whether it's in front of a few friends, relatives, or yourself, practicing has amazing effects on your overall performance. Practice as often as you can till you feel confident about your presentation.

Incorporate body language and facial gestures that express your emotions and point of view. This will make your pitch more powerful and relatable.

Final Notes

Resources & Tools

About The Author

Noor is a first-year business student at Tredu and an owner of multiple digital businesses since 2016. She is passionate about marketing and content creation. She runs a holistic wellness blog and recently launched her youtube channel specializing in holistic healing.

This article was originally published in Medium.