A Simple Formula for Making a Great Pitch

Even if you don’t have “marketing” or “sales” in your job title, to be an effective communicator, you need to know how to pitch your ideas, concepts, and perspectives. Here’s a four-step template to help you craft a concise, relevant, and persuasive pitch—without using any strong-arm tactics or gimmicks.

1. “What if you could…” Paint a picture of what your product, service, or idea makes possible.
2. “So that…” Connect your vision to a goal that’s meaningful and relevant to the listener.
3. “For example…” Elaborate on your vision, making things concrete and illustrating use cases.
4. “And that’s not all…” Demonstrate the potential of the idea by describing how it could grow and develop in the future.

This tip is adapted from “How to Make a Compelling Pitch,” by Matt Abrahams (From HBR)