I explore this question in my short, mostly visual emails, crafted through my lens as a B2B communication consultant. Join me for insights on effective communication, marketing, psychology, and the philosophy of value.
Can I trust you?
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Whether they realize it or not, this is THE question on your prospect’s mind during a pitch. In last week's LinkedIn post I pointed out that the impression you leave is shaped more by your appearance, tone of voice, and body language than by your presentation content. What ARE Your prospects scanning for? Think of a detective interrogating a suspect: since they don't know all the facts, they focus on inconsistencies in the story. Prospects do the same—they can't accurately judge your future predictions because they’re too complex. Instead, their psyche defaults to assessing whether you seem trustworthy How? The marker their subconscious is scanning for is COHESION — does what you say match how you say it? They register your facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and words, scanning for anything out of place. When everything aligns, it creates a seamless, believable narrative. But if there’s a disconnect, it triggers skepticism, making them question your credibility. Can You Hack This? Not really. Evolution is clever. You should accept that (unless you're a psychopath) any discrepancy in your pitch will show in your non-verbal communication. You can't directly hack your non-verbal cues, but you can stack the deck in your favor: When crafting your pitch, put authenticity and integrity above all. It’s the opposite of ‘fake it till you make it’ as far as I am concerned. Aim to be the same person inside and outside the room. Avoid being manipulative in your communication. Play the deep game of trust, not the shallow game of persuasion. Sagi |
What makes people value one thing over another?
I explore this question in my short, mostly visual emails, crafted through my lens as a B2B communication consultant. Join me for insights on effective communication, marketing, psychology, and the philosophy of value.
Whether it's an investor pitch or a software product, narrative transforms randomness into harmony. It’s the difference between random facts and a clear, engaging experience. So, how do you develop a sense of narrative? Start by understanding what happens when something grabs your attention: Multiple brain regions are activated, simulating actions and emotions. Dopamine is released, driving engagement and focus. Mirror neurons fire, making us "experience" the story. The amygdala and...
When pitching to investors, spend as little time as possible talking about your solution. Sounds counterintuitive? Imagine this: A mom from your daughter’s 7th-grade class mentions something she bought that drastically reduced her daughter’s social media usage — down to almost zero! Now, when her daughter comes home from school, she puts her phone aside, preferring to spend time interacting directly with friends and siblings. She's visibly happier, and her teacher even says she’s more engaged...
I'm allergic to any formulaic approaches to pitching, like the common 'problem-solution-traction-team' template. Not because it's uncreative, but because it's UNSCIENTIFIC. These top-down frameworks are too simplistic and lack the rigor tech professionals typically display in other parts of their work. What's top down vs bottom up thinking? Imagine you get up at night to get a sip of cold water. You have a sufficient mental map of your apartment so you don't even turn on the lights - that's...