Product Description

From informal luncheons to formal meetings before selection committees, more than one million business presentations are given in the United States every working day. Unfortunately, very few efforts succeed, primarily because the professionals making them don’t place a premium on the real power of the presentation—the pitch that will win the business. Instead, they get hung up on writing proposals or creating PowerPoint slides.

The ability to powerfully present oneself can be many times more valuable than technical knowledge and experience, according to training expert Gary Hankins. For the first time, he has outlined his proprietary formula that will virtually guarantee success for sales, marketing, advertising, and public relations professionals and executives at all levels. The Power of the Pitch shows readers how to incorporate into their own presentations the same techniques and strategies Hankins and his team use to coach thousands of professionals in a variety of industries. Examples include:

• Vital steps to be taken before and after every presentation
• How to get prospects to like the presenter within the critical first 30 seconds of a presentation
• A powerful way to organize the content of any presentation
• Ways to grab an audience, keep their attention, and leave them wanting more
• Tips on effectively using technology, such as Web conferencing, videoconferencing, and teleconferencing

Unlike most communication books, The Power of the Pitch provides a comprehensive, time-tested formula for successful presentations that can be followed from the moment the appointment is made until the prospect says "yes." Also included is a list of books, newsletters, Web sites, and downloads that will aid in creating increasingly more successful pitches.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #686512 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-01
• Released on: 2005-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"This thorough book provides readers with acronyms to help them remember the vital elements of a presentation." -- Erica Iacono, PR Week

"This thorough book provides readers with acronyms to help them remember the vital elements of a presentation." --Erica Iacono, PR Week

About the Author
Recognized as one of the top communication experts in the world, Gary Hankins is the President of Pygmalion, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA and creator of The Great Communicator Program, a comprehensive process that transforms executives, entrepreneurs, professional speakers and sports personalities into confident, dynamic communicators. Gary traces the genesis of his professional speaking career to the U.S. Army, where he taught presentation skills to military personnel at Ft. Belvoir, VA. He completed his military obligation as a company commander in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. Following his military service, Gary soon became a top producer in the financial services industry by conducting investment seminars and hosting his own radio and television shows. After setting year-over-year sales records, Gary decided that his true passion was speaking and that he would thrust himself full-time into professional speaking and coaching to help people become powerful communicators. Today, with more than 30 years of sales, media and speaking experience, Gary helps individuals and organizations differentiate themselves from the competition by employing his powerful principles of communication. Pygmalion Inc. s clients include Jones Lang LaSalle, Deloitte & Touche, Cushman & Wakefield, Centex Insurance, UCLA and City National Bank. As a regular on the speaking circuit, Gary gives speeches to groups throughout the world. His audiences, from the Young Presidents Organization to the National Football League, consistently rate him as one of the top speakers for the quality of his content and his entertaining and highly interactive style. Published by Kaplan Publishing, Gary s book, The Power of the Pitch: Transform Yourself into a Persuasive Presenter and Win More Business, is currently being used by the graduate and undergraduate business schools at five major universities. The book has received rave reviews for its easy to read, step by step guidance based on Pygmalion, Inc. s trademarked process.

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful, Practical, and Passionate Counsel
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 gary.hankins@pygmalioninc.com. [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.

A Must Read
Hankins' book is a must for anyone who is pitching new business or presenting proposals. It is insightful, entertaining and full of great advice for taking your presentation skills to the next level. Hankins provides concrete tips for improving your game as well as thought provoking insights into how and why we do the things that we do.

Excellent way to improve your communication skills
A few summers ago I was fortunate enough to come across a copy of the book The Power of the Pitch by Gary Hankins. After flipping through a few of the pages I knew that I had to purchase this book.

As an entrepreneur - especially a young one - you will always be judged by not only what you say, but how you say things. Having the ability to effectively and clearly communicate your ideas, visions, and plans of your company is extremely important and goes a long way in how people view your character.

Let's keep it real, the majority of the people that you pitch your ideas to aren't going to share your vision and will brush your words off quite easily. Knowing that, it's in the entrepreneur's best interest to become the best communicator than he or she possibly can.

Hankins' book is an excellent place to start reading about the fundamentals of becoming a great communicator. The book is a fun and relaxing read and packed with tons of useful information such as:

- Learning how to tell a story when giving a presentation.
- The benefits of seeding in jokes throughout your presentation.
- Tips on practicing your speech with friends for honest feedback.
- How to customize your message for the different audiences.
- Keeping eye contact with key people.
- How to stay relaxed and be confident.
- Focusing your message on your target audience, not yourself.
- And much, much, more....

The key thing to remember when giving a speech or presentation is preparation, preparation, and more preparation! Without taking the necessary steps to insure that your message is clearly presented and fully understanding the material of which you speak of, your credibility level will drop faster than you can ever image.

Hankins' book is well worth the read for any entrepreneur trying to step up their communication skills. After reading the book, it would be wise to start testing out some of the techniques at your local Toastmasters club. Because at the end of the day, public speaking is more about doing than reading.

Go get 'em!