The bio goes at the back

Pitching effectively with Tom Sant’s NOSE structure

I once went on a date with someone who kept talking about themselves. It took a long time for me to get a word in, and whenever I did, it only seemed to serve as a way for them to get back to how wonderful they were. There was only one date.

Too many pitches start the same way, usually with an “About Us” section. It’s a waste of valuable space and asks your reader to pay attention to your achievements when, in most cases, they’re looking for a solution to a specific problem.

Following Tom Sant’s NOSE structure puts the reader first and makes you stand out from the crowd.

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If you’ve been asked to pitch something — whether a product, a project or a service — the structure of your presentation is as important as its content. Few people know this better than Tom Sant, the author of Persuasive Business Proposals. His NOSE structure, outlined below, is useful in any situation in which you are trying to persuade an audience to buy whatever you’re selling.

An overview of the NOSE

• Needs
• Objectives
• Solutions
• Evidence

The urge to talk about ourselves can be very strong. But it’s worth fighting that urge when you’re pitching!

What can you do instead?

Tom Sant suggests identifying your audience’s needs, particularly if there is an issue worth resolving.

Needs

What problem will you solve?

Sometimes, a client will invite you to present a proposal. In those cases, you may already know what their problem is — it might even be outlined in a request for proposals.

Or perhaps you’re working for a company that has a time-consuming website design process. You’ve experienced it first hand and have a solution.

You’ve identified a gap and intend to fill it.

Instead of talking about your expertise, speak about the problem.

Objectives

What will you achieve? What’s in it for them?

Now that the problem is clear, it’s time to show that you have the solution. State your objective clearly and concisely. Be as specific as possible, and if you can use numbers (achievable ones!) then do so.

Solutions

How will you get there?

Demonstrate that there is a clear path to success and that you’re the one who can lead the way. There’s no need to get into the granular elements, but confidently state what you will do.

Evidence

Show your work

Have you done this before? Good. Say so. Here is the part that you’ve been saving since the beginning. Now is the time to talk about yourself and your expertise.

What are your credentials? If possible, cite similar projects and their outcomes. The idea here is to show that you’re an expert and you’ve done this work before. Be confident in your abilities. Demonstrate to your audience that they can trust you.

In the end…

Get to the heart of the matter and build towards the inevitable conclusion that you are the best person to do the work, or that your product is the one that will yield the most desired results.

Remember that your audience doesn’t have a lot of time. They also have an issue that needs to be resolved.

And hopefully, you’ll get that second date!