Gavin is joined by Property developer, business consultant, and host of the Executive Juice podcast, to discuss business development and pitching.During his career, Stuart has mastered the art of the pitch and has come to realise that it all begins with a cohesive story. During this week's conversation, Stuart will share with you his formula for a successful pitch, the fundamental elements that make pitches win with clients, and the pitfalls you should avoid. Sign Up Here: https://bit.ly/biz-pod KEY TAKEAWAYSLike many who have entered the world of property investment, Stuart was driven by a desire to lead a more leveraged lifestyle, and to take control of his own future, without adhering to the natural formula of work-until-you-retire.When it comes to pitching, Stuart breaks it down into two elements; to be very clear about what the client is looking for, and subsequently structuring the response around their precise requirementsSometimes an ambitious pitch can involve several departments that may even be spread out across several different countries. It's vital to get everyone together around the pitch basis. Stuart always makes sure that everyone involved meets face-to-face at a single location to discuss the pitch in its component parts.Once the cohesive story of the pitch has been established and perfected, the pitch must then be rehearsed several times with the whole team, perhaps even with others present so as to gain new perspectives and feedback.One of the biggest mistakes in pitching is failing to engage the entire audience. Often pitchers will pitch only to the most “important” man in the room, such as a CEO, failing to realise that the group around him or her are equally as important when it comes to decision-making. We should ensure that out pitch takes everyone into account, and is presented impassively towards the company as an entity.It's important to remember that most pitches and meetings are based on the objective of bettering each other or coming together to work as a whole in order to benefit each other. Power games at this juncture are a somewhat outdated method of establishing a pecking order, and should be avoided.There will be occasions when a curveball is thrown, or a question is raised to which you do not have the answer. In these situations, Stuart has found that honesty has proved the most effective response. It's can be okay to say that you don't know the answer.Preparations are all built on connections. One of the benefits of Stuart's experience is that he has a large network. By utilising the network effectively, you can better prepare for who will be in the room, as well as the best ways of presenting to them. Analytical minds will require data. People managers will be more open to stories. Preparation is everything.The most ineffective times of day to pitch are usually after lunch or at the end of the day. Pitches in the morning tend to go better because people are sharper and minds are more active.BEST MOMENTS‘I enjoy new situations and trying to support businesses' ‘Business, like most things, if done well should just be done really simply' ‘When we're all together face-to-face, there's something that happens about the creativity that I personally really like' ‘It's about being aware of who's in the room and being aware of who is going to be interacting with them' ‘Most businesses are talking about people' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Business Mastermind Podcast https://executivejuice.comhttp://www.lordpandaproperty.co.ukwww.the-evolve-mastermind.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Gavin Preston Gavin is an inspirational Speaker, Business Strategist, Business Growth Mentor, Trainer andhigh-performance Coach.  He works with Business Owners and Entrepreneurs and has a strong track record in creating creative strategies to accelerate the growth of their business. He has helped hundreds of SME business owners and leaders improve their performance and that of their business and a comparable number of executives and employees in blue-chip corporates over the last 20 years.Gavin's energetic, insightful and yet down to earth and practical talks, workshops and coaching is in demand with high growth business between £250,000 and £30 million revenue and with multi-national organisations at all levels from Board to frontlineManagers. He is an expert in Business Growth Strategies, Peak PerformanceMindset, Persuasion & Engagement, Marketing, Productivity, LeadershipDevelopment, Team Development & Motivation, Leading Change, StakeholderManagement, Personal Effectiveness and Behavioural Change. CONTACT METHODGavin Preston WebsiteGavin Preston LinkedInGavin Preston YouTubeGavin Preston FacebookGavin Preston Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.