The Secret to Successfully Pitching an Idea | The Way We Work, a TED series

Do you know the secret to successfully pitching an idea?

譯者: marcus law 審譯者: Esther Lam

你知道如何成功推銷一個想法的秘密是什麼嗎？

Well, it's something kind of unexpected.

嗯，這有點出乎意料。

It’s FOMO: the fear of missing out.

這就是 FOMO：害怕錯過。

[The Way We Work]

[我們的工作方式]

As someone who invests in companies early in their journeys,

作為一個在企業初創階段投資的投資人，

I listen to nearly 2,000 pitches a year,

我每年會聽近 2,000場推銷演講，

and I work countless hours with company founders

並且花無數時間幫助創業者，

to help them make their pitch even more compelling.

幫他們把提案弄得更引人注目。

You may equate pitching with a slick deck

你可能認為推銷就是準備一個精美的簡報，

based on some standard format,

按照某種標準格式進行，

but whether you're pitching a company

但無論你是在推銷一家公司

or trying to get buy-in for a passion project at work,

還是為工作中的熱情項目尋求支持，

so much of pitching is a storytelling exercise.

推銷的本質是一個講故事的過程。

You need to bring people along with you.

你需要讓人們跟隨你的想法。

You need to tell your audience a story that not only will draw them in,

您需要告訴聽眾一個故事， 不僅可以吸引他們，

but it will make them feel that if they don't say yes,

而且會使他們感到， 如果他們不答應，

they will be missing out on something really big.

他們將錯過一個非常大的機會。

[Step 1: Know your audience]

[步驟 1：了解您的聽眾]

When people think about pitching, they're thinking inwards,

當人們想到推銷時，往往會內向地思考，

they think about their nerves,

他們思考自己的緊張情緒，

how smoothly they're talking or what it takes to get to a yes.

或是如何流暢地表達， 以及如何獲得肯定的回應。

But the secret of successful pitching is to flip it outward.

但成功推銷的秘訣 在於反其道而行之。

Who are you pitching to?

你要向誰推銷？

What do they care about?

他們在乎什麼？

How can you speak to what motivates them?

你如何能觸動他們的動機？

For example, if you're pitching your start-up idea to a venture capitalist

例如，如果你在向風險投資人推銷你的創業點子，

who has lots of money to invest and needs big returns,

他們有很多資金可供投資，並需要高回報，

they probably care about backing the next Uber or DoorDash.

他們可能關心的是支持 下一個 Uber 或 DoorDash。

So you should focus your story on the size of the market opportunity.

因此，您應該將故事集中 在市場機會的大小上。

If you're pitching to a philanthropist or a nonprofit,

如果你在向慈善家或非營利組織推銷，

their motivation is likely about large social impact.

他們的動機很可能是 對社會產生巨的大影響。

So focus on showing how your product or idea will improve things

因此，專注於展示您的產品或想法

in a lasting way.

將如何以持久的方式改善世界。

If you're pitching a project at work,

如果你在工作中推銷一個項目，

focus on the people you're pitching the project to.

重點是那些你推銷的對象。

What do they care about?

他們在乎什麼？

More customer loyalty, more revenue,

更多的客戶忠誠度，更多的收入，

or perhaps a promotion?

還是可能的升職？

Tell them how your project will help them attain the goal that they want

告訴他們你的項目將如何幫助他們

in a way that makes it almost inevitable.

以幾乎不可避免的方式實現他們想要的目標。

Give them that feeling of: “If I don’t support this,

給他們一種感覺：「如果我不支持這一個，

I'm going to miss out on something I care about deeply."

我會錯過一個我深深關心的機會。

[Step 2: Think about the hero's journey]

[步驟 2：想想英雄的旅程]

Pitching is much like telling a story.

推銷很像講故事。

Just like a movie tells a story.

就像電影講述一個故事。

You're charting the hero's journey in three acts.

你正在繪製英雄旅程的三個階段。

First, you start by telling about the hero's world, the status quo.

首先，你要講述英雄的世界，現狀。

In this case, the current situation

在這種情況下

that your product, idea or service will be addressing.

講述你的產品，點子或服務所要解決的當前情況。

Then introduce tension and conflict,

然後引入緊張和衝突，

showing all the problems that existing products aren't yet addressing.

顯示現有產品尚未解決的所有問題。

This will lead you to the big confrontation.

這將導致大對抗。

You, the hero, swooping in to save the day.

而你就是那個拯救局勢的英雄。

And from there, give the resolution.

從那裡，給出解決方案。

How are things changed as a result of your actions?

事情是如何因為你的行為而改變的？

How does your product, idea or service solve the problems

您的產品，點子或服務如何解決

you highlighted earlier?

你之前強調的問題。

One of the best pitches I've heard followed this arc perfectly.

我聽說過的最好的推銷之一 完美地遵循了這個結構。

The story started with a disturbing status quo.

故事始於令人不安的現狀。

Depending on where and how it's produced,

根據生產地點和方式的不同，

one gallon of milk can take roughly 1,000 gallons of water to produce

一加侖牛奶可能需要大約 1,000 加侖的水來生產，

and can create about six kilograms of CO2 equivalent or more in the process.

並且可以在此過程中產生約 六公斤的二氧化碳或更多。

In this case,

在這種情況下，

the hero was the CEO and their team of scientists

英雄是一位首席執行官和他的科學家

and food industry experts

和食品行業專家團隊

who have come up with a way to engineer plants

他們找到了一種方法來改良植物，

to produce the animal proteins.

讓其生產動物蛋白。

They showed how a small crop of soybeans could create lots of delicious cheese

他們展示了如何用一小批大豆 製造出大量美味的奶酪，

and how this could feed the global population

以及如何以可持續和美味的方式

in a sustainable and yummy way.

為全球人口提供食物。

To anyone who cares about both the environment and good food,

對於任何關心環境和美食的人來說，

it was an irresistible story.

這是一個不可抗拒的故事。

It made me feel like I needed to be part of it

這讓我覺得我必須參與其中，

or I would be missing out on a big opportunity.

否則我會錯過一個重要的機會。

[Step 3: Shore up your weakest point]

[步驟 3：鞏固你的弱點]

When people are done charting their hero's journey,

當人們完成繪製英雄旅程後，

I make them identify their biggest weakness.

我讓他們找出自己最大的弱點。

Is it that they're missing somebody on their team

是否是團隊缺乏關鍵人才，

or that it's very competitive

或者市場競爭非常激烈，

or that they're trying to do something that has never been done before?

或者他們試圖做一些以前從未做過的事情？

Most people's instinct is to gloss over it or even skip it altogether.

大多數人的直覺是模糊帶過 或者完全跳過不提。

But that's exactly the wrong thing to do

但這完全是錯誤的事情，

because the audience will notice it and will ask you about it.

因為觀眾會注意到它，並會問你相關問題。

Instead, face it directly.

相反地，直接面對它。

Tell your audience, "Hey, you may think this is a problem,

告訴你的聽眾， 「嘿，你可能認為這是一個問題，

but here's exactly what I'm going to do about it."

但這就是我打算解決的方法。」

And by showing the strengths and weaknesses of your story

通過展示故事的長處和短處

and not hiding anything,

而不是隱瞞任何事情，

you inspire confidence not only in you but also in your story.

你不僅會讓人對你有信心， 還會對你的故事充滿信心。

The best storytellers, they live in the future,

最好的講故事的人， 他們活在未來，

and they come here not to just tell us about it,

他們來這裡不僅是為了 告訴我們未來的事情，

but to show us the steps to get there.

而是向我們展示到達那裡的步驟。

And this makes the audience lean forward.

這讓觀眾更專注，

And all they need to do to be part of this amazing story is say yes.

為了成為這個驚人故事的一 部分，他們需要做的就是說「是」。