Concepts and condoms have a lot in common. They both tap the imagination, promise a lot, and unless there is buy-in from the people who matter, are sad reminders of what might have been.

They also provide valuable insights into the roles risk and trust play in selling a big idea.

Condoms reduce risk. It’s why 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games officials handed out 160,000 of the little party hats to athletes at the Olympic Village. (That’s an average of almost 14 per person – well done, Olympians!)

Many concepts, on the other hand, appear risky. Intangible, untested and in need of funding: as a commodity, they don’t come much harder to sell.

So how do we persuade people to risk thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars promoting our unproven concepts? And how do we help our clients get the buy-in they need from their own people?

One word: trust.

If the people you are pitching to don’t trust you, or themselves, to deliver on your promise, your idea is destined to stay as ignored as the outdoors program at an Olympic Village.

If you feel trust might be an issue for you in an upcoming pitch, here are some tips.

1.  Know your audience

How intimately do you know your audience? Why will they be in your pitch and who will decide what? It’s not enough to know their roles and where they sit in the hierarchy; you need to know their reason for being in the room and why you can help them sleep better at night.

If you don’t know, do your best to find out. Ask your client confidantes or their influencers, but if possible and practicable, ask the decision-makers yourself. They might be hard to get, but discovering what’s in it for them, from them, will give you a distinct advantage. It also gives them a chance to better know you, a key element in building trust.

2.  Help your audience better know you

Despite all your efforts, often you won’t have the time or opportunity to meet all the members of your audience. If you can’t get to know them, give them ways they can better know you.

Ensure you are happy with any public profile you have, e.g. Linkedin, company website etc. Updating these for increased relevance will help, especially towards the top of your profile before short attention spans click in.

What do you want the audience to know about you? Write it as succinctly and compellingly as you can, then ask the meeting convenor to share it with the group as an introductory paragraph accompanying the meeting agenda.

If the convenor is a willing confidante you might even be able to send different introductions to different audience members, based on what you know to be important to them.

Remember, the sale always starts before the pitch, so give yourself every chance to build rapport.

3.  Listen, and show you have listened

Your pitch will be the culmination of lots of perspiration, inspiration and maybe even some self-flagellation. On the day, you might be consumed by an urge to say everything you want to say. But remember, while plenty of people have talked themselves out of a yes, not many have listened themselves out of one.

Make sure you listen to people’s comments and questions, read their body language and take the time to demonstrate that in you, they have a partner they can trust to be considered and open-minded.

4.  Be yourself – or Columbo

You are your best pitch aid, so play to your strengths. If you want people to trust you, respect them by showing them the real you. If you are naturally funny, be prepared to have a laugh, and make others laugh (remembering to be kind with your humour). If you are earnest, use that to your advantage; who doesn’t love someone who cares about their product?

If you struggle to be yourself in meetings, maybe you can be more like Columbo.  Columbo was the dishevelled, cigar-chewing, easily underestimated Los Angeles detective from 1970s TV.

He would mumble and bumble his way through crime scenes until finally stopping at the door, turning, and asking the knock-out question that would catch his suspect out in a lie. By his appearance and demeanour, it was obvious Columbo didn’t care what people thought of him; he knew he had a job to do and trusted himself to do it. So at times of self-doubt, channel your inner Columbo and be yourself. 

  5.  Do the little things well

Fix spelling mistakes. Have an agenda. Stick to the time you were given. Use people’s names and know their preferred way of being addressed. How can decision-makers trust you on the big things if you can’t get the little things right?  Don’t blow your chance by forgetting to tie your shoelaces before the race. 

No doubt there are other ways to build condom-level trust with audiences.

And, next time you need to win the trust of a group, remember the humble love glove and be thankful for its contribution. Just like our Olympians.

If you have any questions about how to deal with risk and trust, please email me here, I’d love to hear from you.

Happy pitching.