Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal (26 page)

It is true, for instance, when we get together for a presentation, meeting, or pitch, that we can’t just conduct a wholesale drop and transfer of information. You don’t send a cargo container ful of information to your customers or potential investors and say, “Here, look through this stuff. See what you can make out of it.” They can’t absorb it, and if they could, they don’t have the time. This is a part of the presenter’s problem: Deciding what to pitch and how is not like a math or engineering problem that can be worked out by having more and more information. It’s about figuring out what parts of the information to use—which parts of your deal wil trigger cold, analytical processing by the neocortex and which parts wil engage the hot and vibrant processes of the crocodile brain.

This is exactly why frame control is so crucial. It serves to filter information and provide meaning, bridging the natural disconnect between the you and the target. It is always the case that frames can simplify complex issues by putting greater emphasis on one interpretation over others. In the process, frames construct a point of view.

And when you set the frame correctly, you control the agenda, which, of course, is important to do because every situation can be seen from many different angles. Frame control is about control ing which angle your deal is seen
from
. A frame helps to package a deal in a way that encourages certain interpretations and discourages others.

For instance, during the 1984 presidential campaign, there was considerable concern about Ronald Reagan’s age. Speaking during the presidential debate with Walter Mondale, Reagan said, “I wil not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

In one sense, this was a beautiful example of frame control in action. Reagan changed the underlying meaning of the social encounter and seized the alpha status, building a strong, unassailable point of view for the rest of the audience to fol ow and get behind. There is a second and equal y valuable lesson from this example, and perhaps it is the critical learning of social dynamics: Humor, fun, and light-heartedness are crucial components of every pitch.

As I discussed in Chapter 1, in recent years I final y
got
the fundamental problem you and I have when we pitch something. We have our highly evolved neocortex, which is ful of details and abstract concepts, trying to persuade the croc brain, which is afraid of almost everything and needs very simple, clear, direct, and non-threatening ideas, to decide in our favor. This realization guided me into the world of frames and status.

Since the beginning of this book, I have offered you two principal insights into social dynamics. The first is structural—you have to package ideas for the croc brain in such a way that you are generating
hot cognitions
. In other words, you avoid the kind of cold analysis that is done by the neocortex. Instead, you use visual and emotional stimuli to push your target’s primal hot buttons—to create
wanting
.

The second insight is procedural: You always have to be on the watch for opposing power frames and then win the ensuing frame col isions with better, stronger frames. And then you must further your frame control by perpetrating smal denials and showing defiance.

But now, there’s a third element that I believe is fundamental to successful frame control, to seizing alpha status, and to social dynamics in general:
humor and having fun.

Certainly, the purpose of perpetrating denials and defiance is to reframe social situations and to prize—that perhaps you aren’t real y sel ing them but that
they need to sell you
, that your own time is even
more valuable than theirs
, that under the circumstances, if they try to beta-trap you, you’re
willing to withdraw
, that you aren’t automatical y wil ing to take the beta position you’re being led into.
But in all this you must use humor as
well.

Importantly, the humor is not there to
relieve
tension. Instead, it’s there to signal that although the tension is real, you are so confident that you can play around a little. Perhaps it’s best to think about it this way: People who have lots of options are not uptight, and they don’t take themselves too seriously.

It also signals that framing is a game, and it invites others to join in. If you take the power frame from a “master of the universe” and he or she takes it back from you, is that not a chal enge to improve your game? If you talk to
frame masters
, they’l tel you that the secret of success is to create tension in a fun way that invites people to join in the frame game.

I mention this because most buyers/customers/investors wil try to use the power frame on you. You’l see it frequently. Don’t worry. It’s a clumsy frame that is easy to disrupt using power-busting, intrigue, prizing, and time frames.

As easy as the power frame is for
you
to break, absorb, and control, many others can’t, so buyers wil be shel -shocked. Take it easy on them, and don’t take advantage. In the buyer’s experience, most salespeople submit to their every whim and command:
Meet me at such-and-such
inconvenient place; wait for me; start now; no, wait, stop; do this; send me more info;
and so on. Once they come across someone like you who doesn’t submit to these whims, they take notice, thinking,
This person is interesting. He isn’t falling over himself to impress me like all the others.

What’s going on here?

It’s one thing to acknowledge the power of frames and seizing status but quite another to put the method to use. Becoming a frame master isn’t easy. It takes thought, effort, and wil , but the rewards are substantial. The good news—this is a journey that is fun from the very start, and if you are doing it right, it remains fun. In fact, if at any point you find that you are not having fun, something has gone wrong. Get with a col eague or friend who also knows this stuff and backtrack. See where the train hopped the tracks. I’ve had to do this many times. It’s humbling, but what’s the alternative?

Go back to common industry practices like interview the customer and trial closing?

There is another benefit to becoming a frame master that isn’t immediately apparent but wil make a remarkable difference in your life. Over time, you wil begin to notice an increase in the velocity of your work and leisure activities. This is so because strong frames al ow you to selectively ignore things that do not move you forward toward your goals, and such a recognition amplifies your focus on the things that do.

In a natural way, framing keeps you focused on what is most important—human relationships—and prevents you from becoming distracted or burdened by unimportant matters when you are in social situations. Weak frames and nonessential details bounce off strong frames. Your abilities to discern, judge, decide, and act wil vastly improve because the frame guides you.

Throughout this book I have talked about the structure of frames and the methods of seizing status. But mastery comes from actual y doing it. This book wil serve as your guide for a while, but as soon as you can, leave it behind. Your skil s wil come from practice, not from being a desk jockey, reading, or browsing the Internet for more learning. And I’m going to insist that you learn this stuff with a col eague or with a group because, as I said before,
learning to manage social dynamics is not an intuitive undertaking.

Fortunately, frame control method comes natural y for most people who can fol ow the blueprint here and have a good sense of humor and a positive outlook on life. If this describes you, you should have no difficulty getting started.

Getting Started

When somebody wants to learn frames, social dynamics, and the overal method from me, I always begin with this warning: Frame-based social dynamics is strong medicine. Instead of reciting the same old business clichés that your audience expects to hear, you are jacking into the wetware that controls their brains, their primordial programming. You are simultaneously communicating with them on the surface and below the surface of their consciousness. If you do it wrong, for example, without humor, poise, and grace, I guarantee that security wil be cal ed, and you wil be escorted from the building. I don’t want to receive an angry e-mail from you tel ing me that you’ve just been fired, so please pay attention to the advice I’m about to give you.

Here are the progressive steps to learning the method:

Step 1:
Learn to recognize beta traps and how to step around them. This is a low-risk way to train your mind to begin thinking in a frame-based way. As you go about the business of life, look for the beta traps. Identify anything that is designed to control your behavior, and think of how you would step around it. The key at this stage is to get good at seeing the traps (they are everywhere).

While there is no immediate harm in doing nothing, when you are told to wait in the lobby until cal ed, it’s a test. Remind yourself that if you step into this beta trap, the next one wil be even larger and more difficult to overcome.

Step 2:
In a gradual way, start stepping around beta traps. It wil feel uncomfortable at first, of course, but it wil push you forward to the place where it becomes natural and hardly noticeable to you. Work with a partner to practice beta-trap avoidance.

As I said at the start of this book, this method is powered by its simplicity. I’ve been practicing it for over 10 years, and I’ve survived and prospered using only four basic frames and the ability to avoid beta traps. So don’t overcomplicate this or worry over your lack of technique. It wil come natural y to you. Just be sure to have fun at it—that’s the secret to success.

Step 3:
Identify and label social frames. Notice the frames that are coming at you on every level of your life. Power frames, time frames, and analyst frames are everywhere, and they crash into you on a daily basis. Develop your ability to see them coming, describe them, and discuss them with your partner. Become very good at identifying frames using the unique language of framing.

Step 4:
Begin to initiate frame col isions with safe targets—those who pose no major career risk to you. What I’m saying is, tomorrow, don’t stride into the CEO’s office, grab a sandwich out of his hand, and put your feet up on his desk, tel ing him that it’s time you and he had a talk about your bonus.

Working with a partner, begin to overtake opposing frames in a fun, light-hearted way. I’m repeating this because it’s so critical: Remember that humor and a soft touch are absolutely necessary. Without it, you wil appear rude and arrogant and wil trigger croc brain defense responses instead of engaging your target in a fun and spirited social exchange.

Step 5:
The smal acts of defiance and denial you use to take control of a social frame create a certain amount of conflict and tension. This is the point. Push. Pul . Delivering these acts with a soft touch reassures the target’s croc brain that everything is okay—that there is no clear and present danger. If you are having difficulty at this stage, it is because you are triggering defensive responses, which means you are coming on too strong. If this is the case,
pause
. Do not press forward if you are struggling because that means that something is wrong.

Find another partner to do this with, choose a different social environment, practice in another venue, or just punch “Reset” and start over.

Step 6:
Frame control cannot be forced because this takes the fun out of it. This is not theater for someone else to enjoy. It’s not a dog and pony show. It’s a game for your own personal enjoyment—and for a moment, consider why we play games—to enjoy ourselves in a chal enging but fair way where we can rack up a win.

If you find yourself forcing the method, fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix. Simply lighten up a little. When you say something that causes a frame col ision, do it with a twinkle in your eye and a smile in your heart. Your target wil feel your good wil and good humor and respond in a positive way.

Above al , remember that this is not a conventional sales technique. You need not be a back-slapping, guffawing blow-hard to win business from your customers. There is no pressure here, no brute force, and no anxiety. Instead, this is a fun game that you bring to every target with whom you meet. Simply enjoy every moment, and others wil enjoy it with you. It’s nice to know that your continued happiness is what wil make you successful. What could be easier?

Step 7:
Work with other frame masters. Now that you have developed a basic level of skil , seek out others who are better than you. As with any other artistic or athletic endeavor, apprenticeship leads to mastery faster than going it alone. Continue to work with others. Like a 10th dan black belt, you never stop refining your technique and honing your mastery. Keep it simple, stick to a few frames that work for you, and avoid complication. In the PITCH method, less real y is more. As you advance, teach others.

When you become a frame master—and even on your journey to becoming one—you wil have the most fun you’ve ever had. I find myself cracking up sometimes in the middle of a pitch, even when the business I’m doing involves mil ions of dol ars. Why not?
This is a game where
you set the rules and then change the rules as needed to maintain your continuous advantage without ever upsetting your opponent.

Imagine that.

The only rule is that you make the rules that the others fol ow. Because you set the agenda and control the frame, this is a game you can never lose. How could that not be fun?

Most of the difficulties I’ve encountered in learning this method came from the fact that there was no common language to discuss these methods with people. Instead of saying, “Watch out! Here comes a power frame. We need to use strong moral authority and a power-busting frame to win this frame col ision,” I had to use long explanations, and in so doing, the moment and the opportunity were lost. This is why it’s important to learn and use the
lingua franca
of frame control. Future conversations with your partner or group should sound like this: