The Pitch Episode 29: Pitch with a KISS Principle
Learn:
Using the KISS Principle in pitching is an effective way to get your message across without overcomplicating your proposal. Learn how to keep your communication simple, straightforward and short to get more buy in with your ideas.
Pitch with a KISS Principle
Read:
There’s a KISS principle that journalists use in developing stories that actually originates from the U.S. Navy. The acronym K-I-S-S stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid.” In Navy terms the principle means that systems work best if they are simple and not complicated. For journalists, it means a story should be easy to understand for everyone 8th grade and up! Using the KISS Principle in pitching is an effective way to get your message across without overcomplicating your proposal. Before you pitch, review your pitch and apply the KISS principle. Is your pitch simple, straightforward and short? Could it be understood by anyone, especially if they are not in your career field? A common mistake is to overload the person you are pitching with science, details and background that are just not necessary for an initial pitch. If it looks too complicated, the person you are pitching will think that it’s too complicated for them to use. The purpose of the pitch is to gain an initial interest in moving forward. Once the person you are pitching is ready to make a final decision they will ask you for the breadth of details they feel necessary to have in order to close the deal. “The Pitch” challenge today: Apply the KISS Principle to your text messaging to practice keeping your communication simple, straightforward and short. If there was ever a technology tool that needs the KISS Principle, it’s texting! And if you’ve ever received a novel-long request on text from someone you know exactly what I’m talking about! If an issue is too complicated, you probably should not be using texting to sort it out – rather pick up the phone! Once you get started on this KISS text challenge, observe how simple, straightforward and short begins to streamline your communication with the person you are texting and buys you back valuable time in your day.
Apply:
What’s a simple, straightforward way to ask someone to go to lunch with you?
What’s a simple straightforward way to ask someone to do business with you?
What’s a simple straightforward way to ask someone for an interview?