Book: Pitch Anything Flashcards
Who wrote ‘Pitch Anything’?
Oren Klaff
What is the acronym for the method of pitching - and what does it stand for?
STRONG
Setting the Frame
Telling the Story
Revealing the Intrigue
Offering the Prize
Nailing the Hookpoint
Getting a Decision
As Klaff describes it, what is the “presenters problem”?
You have incredible knowledge about your subject.
You make your most important points clearly - even with passion.
You are very well organised.
You can do all of those things as well as they can be done - and still not be convincing - because a great pitch is not about procedure - it’s about getting and keeping attention.
To get and maintain attention, you need to own the room with what three things?
Frame control, driving emotions with intrigue pings and get to a hookpoint fairly quickly.
What is the hookpoint?
The place in the presentation where your listeners become emotionally engaged, go beyond being interested to being involved and then committed.
The person who ‘owns the frame’, also owns what?
The conversation.
The ‘crocodile brain’ is responsible for the initial filtering of what?
All incoming messages
The ‘crocodile brain’ is responsible for generating what?
Most survival fight-or-flight responses.
The ‘crocodile brain’ produces strong what?
Basic emotions
The midbrain determines what?
The meaning of things and social situations.
The neocortex is able to do what three things?
Solve problems
Think about complex issues
Produce answers using reason
What is the reason for the disconnect between message and receiver during pitches (of ideas, products, deals, etc)?
Messages composed and sent by the neocortex are received and processed by the croc brain. People who pitch (ideas, products, deals, etc) do so with their neocortex. But the receiver listens first with their crocodile (Fight or flight) brain.
What example does Klaff use to illustrate how the three brains work independently and together?
You are walking to your car and are surprised by someone shouting.
- You will first act reflexively with some fear (croc brain).
- Then you will try to make meaning (identifying the person doing the yelling and placing him or her in a social context) - midbrain trying to determine if it’s a friendly coworker, angry parking attendant or something worse.
- Then you will process the situation in the neocortex (It’s okay, it’s just some guy yelling to his mate).
- Survival
- Social relationships
- Problem solving.
During pitches, the croc brain tries to determine what two things?
Whether the information coming in is a threat to the person’s immediate survival, and if not, whether it can be ignored without consequence.
For the croc brain, anything that is not a crisis, it tries to mark as what?
Spam.
Good ideas that bounce off croc brains will crash back in your face in the form of what three things?
Objections, disruptive behaviours and/or lack of interest
Ultimately, if they are successful, pitches will work their way up to what - and when?
The neocortex, eventually.
If you got a chance to look at the croc brain’s filtering instructions, what four things would it say?
- If it’s not dangerous, ignore it.
- If it’s not new and exciting, ignore it.
- If it is new, summarise it as quickly as possible - and forget about the details.
- Do not send anything up to the neocortex for problem solving unless you have a situation that is really unexpected and out of the ordinary.
After initial filtering, parts of your message move quickly where?
Through the midbrain and on to the neocortex.
Does the croc brain process details well?
No. It only passes along big, obvious chunks of concrete data.
If your message is presented in a way that the crocodile doesn’t view to be new and exciting, it is going to be what?
Ignored.
If your pitch is complicated - if it contains abstract language and lacks visual cues - then it is perceived as a what?
Threat. (Not a threat in the sense that they fear they are going to be attacked, but a threat because without cues and context, the croc brain concludes that your pitch has the potential to absorb massive amounts of brain power to comprehend).
What does it mean when a ‘circuit breaker’ in the prospects brain is ‘tripped’?
A neurotoxin gets attached to the potentially threatening message, like a Fedex tracking number which routes your message to the amygdala for processing and destruction. (You don’t want this, because it produces a feeling that makes the person want to escape from the presentation).
The croc brain detects what, protects us from what, and uses dominance and aggression to deflect what?
Detects FRAMES
Protects us from THREATS
Uses dominance and aggression to deflect ATTACKING IDEAS AND INFORMATION
According to Klaff, what are extremely competitive?
Frames.
When frames come together, the first thing they do is what?
Collide (and not in friendly competition - it’s a death match).
According to Klaff, what doesn’t merge, blend or intermingle?
Frames. They collide, and the stronger one absorbs the weaker one.
If your frame wins, you will enjoy what? What does that mean and what happens if your frame loses.
Frame control.
Your ideas are accepted (and followed by others)
If your frame loses, you will be at the mercy of the customer, and your success will depend on that customers charity.
Does Klaff agree with the notion that sales is a “numbers game”?
No. Frame-based business takes the opposite approach. It promotes the use of social dynamics, stacking things in your favour before the game even begins.
What does the ‘G’ stand for in the acronym ‘STRONG’? And where does it come in the process?
Get the deal / decision.
It comes last, after nailing the hookpoint.
When is frame control won or lost?
Before the pitch starts. (When you own the frame, you are positioned to reach agreement with your buyer).
A frame is an instrument you use to package what five things?
Power, authority, strength, information and status.
Who uses frames?
Everyone (whether they realise it or not).
Every social encounter brings different what together?
Frames.
When one frame survives, what happens to the others?
They break and are absorbed.
You do not hold the stronger frame, if you have to explain your what? (Five things)
Authority, power, position, leverage, advantage.
Frame collisions freeze out what part of the brain?
The neocortex. They bring the croc brain in to make decisions and determine actions.
When entering a business situation, the first question you must ask yourself is what?
“What kind of frame am I up against?”
(Power Frame, Time Frame, Analyst Frame)
What are the 3 common types of major opposing frames you will encounter going into most business situations?
Power frame
Time frame
Analyst frame
What are the four major response frame types you can use to meet opposing frames, win the initial collision and control the agenda?
Power-busting frame
Time-constraining frame
Intrigue frame
Prize frame
What is the ‘response frame’ that is useful against all three opposing frames?
The Prize Frame
Strong frames activate basic what?
Desires
When meeting a hard-charging, type A personality, Klaff goes in with what kind of frame? If the person is an analytical, dollars-and-cents type, he will choose which frame? And if he’s outnumbered, outgunned and the deck is stacked against him, he chooses which two?
- A power-busting frame (A type)
- Intrigue frame (Analytical)
- Outgunned - Time constraining frame and Prize frame.
A Power frame comes from the individual who has a massive what?
Ego
Power types are most vulnerable to what?
Power busting frame, because they do not expect it.
When you approach an opposing power frame, your first and most important objective is to what?
Avoid falling into their frame by reacting to it - and make certain that you do nothing that strengthens the other person’s frame before your frames collide.
Acting deferential, engaging in meaningless small talk, or letting yourself be told what to do reinforce what with power types?
Their alpha status and confirms your subordinate position (don’t do this!)
As an opposing power frame approaches, when you first encounter the person you are meeting, you must be prepared for the frame collision to happen when?
At any moment.
What must you do to disrupt a power frame?
Prepare well.
What does the ‘N’ stand for in the acronym ‘STRONG’? And where does it come in the process?
Nail the hookpoint.
It comes fifth - after offering the prize.
If you prepare well, and use your frame to disrupt a power frame of a Type A, what happens?
It causes a momentary equilibrium in the social forces in the room, and then your frame will overtake and absorb theirs.
Overtaking a Type A’s power frame sounds like high drama, but in practice it is often what?
Swift and tranquil. (Once you get used to establishing the dominant frame, it will become second nature, and when it does, you are going to have the time of your life).
If a guy is going to dominate you, let him dominate you on what?
Something that doesn’t matter.
Pick something abstract and start an intense negotiation over it - and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. The power of their frame is rendered trivial, and the focus is back to you and what you want to do with the meeting.
To instigate a power frame collision, you should do what?
Use a mildly shocking, but not unfriendly act to cause it. Use defiance and light humour. (Keep it fun, do it with a grin on your face)
When you use a mildly shocking, but not unfriendly act to cause a power frame collision, this captures what and elevates what, by creating what?
Captures ATTENTION
Elevates YOUR STATUS
Creating something called “LOCAL STAR POWER”
Two subtle ways of taking the power frame away include:
- Perpetrating a small denial
- Acting out some type of defiance
The better you are at giving and taking frame control, the more what you’ll be?
Successful
Using a power-busting frame causes a Type A to think what - and how will he be feeling?
“Whoa, what do we have here?”
He might be feeling a little buzz from what you’ve just done, but he won’t be offended because you were not rude or mean. When you are defiant and funny at the same time, he is pleasantly challenged by you and instinctively knows he’s in the presence of a pro.
When you take control using a power-busting frame, you must take care to what?
Not abuse the power you now hold.
Dominating the frame is not HOW you win the game, but rather is a means to win the game. No-one likes to be dominated, so once you own the frame, use this power in ways that are fun and mutually exciting.
According to Klaff, if the key decision maker does not attend the meeting as agreed to, what are your two options?
- Go ahead with the presentation (he wouldn’t recommend this) or
- Stop everything - reframe using power, time or prize frames.
What’s the example Klaff uses of something you can say if a key decision maker is late to a meeting?
“I can wait 15 minutes, but then I have to leave.” (And if he does not show at that point, you leave.)
What does Klaff recommend you do if the key decision maker is late to the presentation, and you offer 15 minutes grace, and he still hasn’t shown up?
You leave. (Do not deliver the presentation, do not leave brochures, and do not apologise. Your time has been wasted, and you don’t even need to say it, they know.) Tell the most important person in the room that you are willing to reschedule - on your turf. They must come to you.)
When the key decision maker doesn’t turn up to the meeting and you do not deliver the presentation, leave brochures, or apologise, but instead tell the most important person in the room that you are willing to reschedule - on your turf - where they come to you, this is a subtle framing technique known as what?
Prizing. It’s now their job to win you over.
Prizing subconsciously says to your audience “You are trying to win my attention. I am the prize - not you. I can find a thousand buyers (audiences, inventors, clients) like you. There is only one me.”
It also conveys to the audience that if they wish to get any further information from you, they will first have to do something to earn it.
To solidify the prize frame, you should do what?
Ask them (the buyer) to qualify themselves to you by asking “Can you tell me more about yourself? I’m picky about who I work with.”
(At a primal, croc brain level, you have just issued a challenge: Why do I want to do business with you? This is a powerful and unspoken expression of your high status and your frame dominance. It forces your audience to qualify themselves by telling you exactly how interested they really are).
People have learned to have their way with salespeople and presenters over many experiences. What can you do to break the power play?
Ask them (the buyer) to qualify themselves to you by asking “Can you tell me more about yourself? I’m picky about who I work with.” (Or some version of that).
What is a frame, as Klaff talks about it?
A mental structure that shapes the way we see the world, and puts relationships in context.
The frame you put around a situation does what?
Completely and totally controls its meaning.
The frame is like a picture of what?
What you want the interaction to be about.
What are two examples of things that will bounce off a winning frame?
Weak arguments and rational facts.
No situation has real meaning until you do what?
Frame it.
When people are in the wrong, but attempt to use ‘rationale’ (Analyst Frame), what frame disrupts an analyst frame?
A moral authority frame - a nearly unshakeable frame when used correctly (i.e., when you are right and they are wrong).
Rational explanations will never override a moral authority frame.
What does Klaff call it when the moment comes when you must disrupt a frame?
“Frame disruption”
How can you tell who owns the frame?
If you are reacting to them (vs them reacting to you).
A time-frame collision needs to happens when?
When you see attention begin to wane.
(Stay in control of time, and wrap up. If you run long or beyond the point of attention, this shows weakness, neediness and desperation).
Frames involving time tend to occur when in the social exchange?
Later in the social exchange - after someone has already established frame control.
Because there are limits to the human attention span, pitches must be what three things?
Brief, concise and interesting.
What does the ‘O’ stand for in the acronym ‘STRONG’?
Offer the prize.
