Is anyone even opening your PDF attachments?
Here's the scene:
✔︎ You've just finished a great call.
✔︎ You are on the same page.
✔︎ They know the price range, and then they ask...
"Send me something so I can share it with the team."
YES - a result, progress.
But stop.
You are at the cliff edge.
The cliff edge of momentum.
You could bounce over the canyon to the other side or fall short and free-fall to the ground far below.
However, there is a bridge to the other side.
Sorry did I say bridge I meant to say Trumpet?
Before Trumpet, I would finish the call, compile a pdf and a cover letter and then click -
‘Send’.
I get a swift reply for one or two follow-ups, and then we get started.
But for the majority, I would then wait... and wait....and send reminders.
Slow.
Painful.
Wasting time and energy.
Why is this?
01 - Sometimes, it's because they were shopping around, and something in your proposal bursts momentum.
02 - Sometimes, it's because their internal process works at a different speed.
03 - Or their life has kicked up a gear, and it isn't a priority.
Whatever the reason, sitting in the dark after a great call is highly frustrating.
But this changed when I started sharing pods, not proposals.
What's a Pod?
The visual continuation of the phone call - a bespoke proposal that is created with reusable assets and frameworks.
Imagine if:
- a webpage
- a magazine feature article
- a proposal
- a social media feed
All combined - it sounds hectic, but the team and Trumpet make it work.
✔︎ I can have multiple pages to a proposal - this allows me to breadcrumb the content and avoid overloading people with too much information at one time
✔︎ I can add video, voice, images and PDFs
✔︎ We can have specific conversations with the chat feature at precise points in the content
✔︎ It allows the ability to scale without falling foul of impersonal automation
And the one that inspired me to go pro
✔︎ I know when the follow-up is following up and not just sitting in the dark
I get a notification every time someone has looked at the follow-up - I can see who and when, and this a) removes the self-doubt that might foster whilst waiting and b) lets me prepare for the next flow of the conversation.
For example
One of my pods has been opened and viewed once = zero interest.
Another one over 24 times by four different team members = people are spending time on it, so it's got alignment.
A trumpet Pod is part of the evolution of pitching and communication post 2022 - tools that help us zig when everyone else is zagging.
✔︎ Have a process.
✔︎ Follow the plan
✔︎ Adapt to our work context
✔︎ Get results
I've sent 11 pods, and so far, I have:
Five wins.
Two fast nos.
Four ghosts.
The five wins have all happened recently - so like anything quality, the results take time and effort.
There is no 'Jack and the Beanstalk' overnight success.
But instead, long game progress and a slight learning curve - but it is 100% totally worth the investment of time.
Oh, and one last thing - I haven't measured it strictly, but it feels like I finish my follow-up much faster - an additional win for family life.
Thank you 🎺.
“Martin Barnes is a pitch coach with decades of experience reaching out to prospects and training professionals to become more confident in their presentations and pitches.
With 8 Seconds 2 Connect he helps business leaders and founders connect with their audience and elevate their presentation skills.”
