TEI 097: How product managers pitch and sell ideas to managers – with Chris Westfall - The Everyday Innovator – Resources for Product Managers and Innovators

The topic of this episode is another in a series of interviews I'm doing focused on the four skills that enable a 25% higher income for product managers and increasing their influence. The 4 skills were discussed back in episode 073 and include: 1. Pitch artist – the ability to present and sell your ideas and conclusions. 2. Exec debater — being the president of the product and standing up for what is needed and challenging executive teams. 3. Inspire others — great products are built by great teams but these aren’t necessarily teams that product managers personally manage. Instead, product managers need to inspire them and share the vision of the product. 4. Truth to power – being good at raising inconvenient truths and not running away from an unpopular message. This interview focuses on being a pitch artist and my guest, Chris Westfall, is a world-class pitch artist – having won the US National Elevator Pitch Championship. He is also the official “pitch coach” at the fifth-largest university in the United States, where his strategies have helped raise millions of dollars for student start-ups, launching over 50 businesses and creating hundreds of jobs. He’s coached clients onto Shark Tank, Shark Tank Australia and Dragon’s Den, and successfully re-branded products and services around the globe. His message to product managers and organizations to understand the new rules of engagement is simple: use authentic persuasion that’s not pushy, “sales-y” or fake. In this interview, you’ll learn about: - when pitches are important, - why product managers must be good pitch artists, and - how to give a good pitch.