The Idea Introduction Pattern

In your life you have to learn how to pitch an idea whether you like it or not. Since ‘human nature stays the same and history rhymes’ your pitch must break through basic human nature fears to convince anyone. In this newsletter I reveal how to pitch any idea with the idea introduction pattern inspired by Oren Klaff (the world's leading experts on sales, raising capital and negotiation).

The Idea introduction pattern breaks the idea down into its essential basics in 5 minutes or less, going somewhat like this:

1. Here’s the idea.

2. Here’s who it’s for

3. Here’s who I compete with

Actions to take in phase 1 of the pitch:

1. Put the target 🎯 at ease by telling them in advance that pitch will be short (just about 20 minutes and you won’t be hanging around too long afterwards)

2. Give your background. In terms of a track record of success (not a long list of places and institutions where you punched the clock). The more you discuss your background the more average it becomes because the target is hard-wired to average info on you not add it up

3. Show your idea is not a static flash of genius. Rather there are market forces driving your idea and you are taking advantage of brief market window that has opened up and you admitted that there is competition showing you are not naive about the realities of business. Because the brain 🧠 pays attention to things in motion you paint the picture of the idea moving out the old market and into the new one. Doing it this way you don’t trigger change blindness, which would make your deal easy to neglect.

4. Bring the big idea into play using the idea introduction pattern. Now the target knows what it is, who it is for, who you compete with and what your idea does better than the competition.

This simple pattern makes your idea easy to grasp and focuses on what is real. This strategy works so well because it avoids triggering a threat response.

However this method should not imply that everything in your pitch be simplified and reduced. You will be delivering plenty of complex and detail oriented info soon.

Phase 2 of the idea introduction process is to explain the budget and the secret sauce.

I will cover this in next Sunday newsletter only if 5 friends on this newsletter share it to a friend: http://dadas-newsletter.beehiiv.com

Jay-z video quote of the day: