Pitching Your Idea
Problem – Relevance – Solution
Pitch a problem, give the relevance, and offer a solution. Throughout your career, you often pitch solutions to senior
leaders. Key to every pitch is clearly articulating the problem, relevance, and solution. Offer your best three-minute
presentation. Use emotional and logical appeal in your persuasion. The questions below are to use as a guide.
Grabber
o Does the audience quickly grasp your idea and proposed solution?
o Does the opening engage your audience in a novel or interesting way?
Check out Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Pattern to quickly establish a connection.
Problem
o What is the problem or opportunity? Who is affected?
Clearly identify the problem/opportunity and exactly who has the problem, what is unique about it, and/or how big it
is. In sharing how big the problem or opportunity is, use quality research, logic, or facts.
Relevance
o Why is the problem important? How does it help achieve the goals and objectives?
o What would likely happen if the problem or opportunity is not addressed?
Be clear in describing why the customer/audience needs this problem to be solved. Share the relevance of the
customer/audience’s need/pain/problem. Why do they need to get the solution from you versus
someone/somewhere else? This is a great section to use research and an emotional connection.
Kimberly Pace. Executive AURA, LLC.
Solution
o What is your recommended solution?
o What are your two alternative solutions?
o How should it be executed?
o What are the possible risks?
o What are the anticipated results and/or projected return on investment?
o How will we know if your solution has been successful?
Clarify how to best solve the problem. How does it work? How might you market it? How will customers or your
audience use it? Will it make money? How can you tell if the problem is solved? Is there any ROI?
Sticker
o Do you have a memorable closing? What is your call to action (desired audience response)?
Use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Pattern to create a strong sticker. Do you need any approval, money, staff, time
or other investment to execute the solution? What do you need from the audience to solve the problem?
Kimberly Pace. Executive AURA, LLC.