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BEP 129 ADV – Meetings: Pitching an Idea (Part 1)

My name’s Edwin and I’ll be your host for the
first in a three-part series on pitching ideas to
your colleagues persuasively and convincingly.

Business people often come up with ideas

about how to do things better, or how
something can be changed to provide greater
cost benefits to the company. Being able to
present an idea to your peers and persuade
them to support your proposal is a crucial skill
for all business managers.

So in today’s lesson, we’ll introduce phrases for organizing and structuring your
ideas, supporting your points and using other people’s comments to lead into the
next part of your presentation. We will show you how to make coherent, persuasive
arguments, and use language effectively to support your arguments. It is your
colleagues’ task to find the weak points in your argument and you will have to
predict their objections and deal with them before or when they come up.

We’ll be listening to Jill, a manager at an industrial supply company, who’s meeting

with other managers and department heads following an announcement of 20%
staff cuts across the board. Jill is concerned about the impact these layoffs will have
on the sales department, especially because sales have been poor for the last two
quarters.

Jill has had an idea about how the company can make use of the Internet to
increase sales and allow sales staff to focus more on “value-added” product sales.
She has already pitched the idea to her boss and he has agreed to allow her to
present it to her colleagues. As the dialog starts, Jill’s boss introduces her and her
proposal to the participants at the meeting.

Listening Questions
1) What is the problem that Pylon was having even before the staff cuts?

2) What are the “value-added” functions that Jill would like sales staff to focus on?

3) What does Jill say can be done with $5,000?

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BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Vocabulary

To pitch something (an idea, a proposal): to promote or present something. “I’m

going to be pitching the our new design service at the printing conference.”
To keep it short: to attempt to speak very briefly. “I’m afraid that we have to keep
it short today, because we have to catch an early flight.”
On my mind: thinking about something a lot. “I’ve got a lot of things on my mind,
and can’t concentrate on my work.”
Red flag: a signal that something is wrong. “I’ve learned that a buildup of product
at the crating area is a red flag that someone is slacking off and it’s usually the new
guy.”
To be hit with: to be affected by a negative event. “We’ve been hit with a 7%
increase in costs due to exchange rate fluctuations.”
A serious blow: a negative event. “The loss of our head researcher to a competitor
is a serious blow to the R & D department.”
To be stretched (to the limit): to have no time or energy left. “He’s stretched to the
limit already with all the new projects and there’s no way he can be expected to put
in more time.”
To tear your hair out: to be really frustrated. “I’m ready to tear my hair out over
their lack of cooperation.”
To be in the same boat: to be in the same (difficult) situation. “Since we’re all in
the same boat, we should try to co-operate and resolve the problems together
instead of criticizing each other.”
Point taken: a phrase used to indicate that the speaker accepts what somebody had
said. “Point taken. I agree that we have mismanaged this opportunity.”
Setback: a defeat or negative event. “We’ve managed to overcome the many
setbacks we experienced when we first opened branches abroad and are on our
way to becoming the market leader in our sector.”
Value-add/Value-added: the value added to a product or service at each stage of its
production. “We’re targeting value-added furniture production, but until we can
train enough skilled workers, we ship the raw wood abroad.”
The throw in something: give as a free gift. “I can throw in a free web-cam if you
buy this laptop today.”
Easy does it: an expression meaning “calm down” or “go slowly”. “Easy does it.
You’ll get an ulcer if you get angry so often.”
Nuts and bolts: the basics. “The idea is to divest ourselves of non-core business
and return to our nuts-and-bolts product line.”
Off-the-shelf: standard. “We don’t need any special parts, just ordinary off-the-
shelf computer chips that you can buy anywhere.”
Whoa: an expression that means “slow down”, which was originally used to control
horses. “Whoa. Did I just hear you correctly? Can you repeat that, please?”
Revamp: to update to current standards. “We revamped the logistics network, and
now order fulfillment happens overnight.”
Gotta: slang abbreviation of “have (got) to”. “We’ve gotta be ready to meet with
their team at 9 am.”
To be kidding: to joke around. “He was kidding when he said we were going to be
laid off; it wasn’t true at all.”
I kid you not: a fixed expression meaning “I’m not kidding”. “I kid you not. He was
so tall he had to stick his head out of the car door!”

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 2

BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Dialog
All: (Small talk)
Jacob: Alright everyone, can I have your attention?
Roland: yep.
Jacob: I know we’re all concerned about recent events at Pylon and that’s why I’ve
asked Jill to share with you a great idea she pitched me last week.
Jill: Thanks Jacob, and thank you to everyone for your time. I’ll try to keep it
short and get straight to what’s been on my mind lately. To start with, I’m sure
you’ve all seen the latest sales reports, and can see that these figures are a serious
red flag for Pylon. To make matters worse, we’ve also been hit with this 20%
reduction in sales staff.
All: Indeed // Yes, that was painful // Dreadful
Jill: Take it from me, this is a serious blow. The sales team has been stretched
for some time and now with 20% fewer people, I think they’re ready to tear their
hair out.
Flora: Well, we’re all in the same boat, aren’t we?
Jill: Point taken. But what I want to say is that, despite this setback, I see an
opportunity here. What would you say to increased sales, more satisfied customers
and more time available for the sales team to focus on high value-add sales from
custom orders?
Roland: Wow. Can you throw in an end to world poverty and war?
Jacob: Easy does it, Roland.
Jill: Let me explain. I see us increasing sales and creating happy customers
through a new site that can handle our “nuts and bolts” customers, leaving time
for our sales team to dedicate themselves to working on special orders.
Roland: Still sounds too good to be true.
Jill: Yeah, I know. But what I think we can do is allow customers to order our basic
off-the-shelf items on the web. Then sales staff can focus on customers with
particular needs.
Roland: Whoa there, we can’t afford to spend money on another website.
Jill: Hear me out. In fact, I can show you that it will cost about $5,000 to do a
basic revamp of the existing site. And our staff will do most of the work.
Flora: $5,000? You’ve gotta be kidding!
Jill: I kid you not. I’ve done my research and I’ve found a range of ... (fade out)

Debrief

It sounds like Jill has a tough job of convincing her colleagues that her idea has
value, doesn’t it? Some of her peers are pretty skeptical and not afraid to show it!
However, Jill has clearly prepared herself for the challenge and is using a step-by-
step approach to persuading her peers of the validity of her proposal.

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BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Let’s look at how she’s managed this. First of all, she’s started by getting the
support of her boss, by explaining her idea to him in a one-to-one discussion. Listen
to the way her boss, Jacob, introduces Jill and her idea and sets the scene for the
meeting.

Jacob: …and that’s why I’ve asked Jill to share with you a great idea she pitched
me last week.

Jacob introduces the context first and then makes the introduction, indicating that
he is familiar with the idea and supports its presentation to the group. In this
example, he states that Jill “pitched” it to him the previous week – meaning that Jill
explained her idea briefly and tried to convince him of its importance.

What else can you say to set the scene when you introduce another person who’s
going to present an idea? Here are a few more examples.

 I’ve brought Serge here today to tell you about his idea.
 I asked Carter to take the time to explain to you how this can be done.
 I felt it was important to have Theresa tell you about her idea in person.
 I’m sure you’ll be interested in hearing how Tyler has approached this.

Now, it’s Jill’s turn. She comes straight to the point and opens directly with the
context for her idea. She wants them to stop thinking about anything else and put
themselves into the situation she’s addressing. Listen to how she gives a general
introduction to the topic she’s dealing with.

Jill: (fade in)…To start with, I’m sure you’ve all seen the latest sales reports, and
can see that these figures are a serious red flag for Pylon. To make matters worse,
we’ve also been hit with this 20% reduction in sales staff.

Notice how Jill signposts her introduction with “To start with…”. Signposting during
presentations is important because it gives structure to your talk. We’ll see more
signposting from Jill in the next episode and you can also refer to BEP 102 for more
examples of signposting language.

Back in the dialog, Jill states something that is common knowledge – that sales are
poor – but she does it in a subtle way. Instead of saying “sales are poor”, she
mentions the latest sales reports and the fact that they serve as a warning to Pylon
– or a “red flag”. Then she goes on to mention another factor that will impact sales.

Let’s practice a few more ways to introduce your topic by referring to recent
events:

 First of all, think back to our situation one year ago.

 To open, I’d like to turn your attention to the reaction of our suppliers when
we changed the payment system.
 Alright, let me remind you of the threats that have appeared in our sector in
the last six months.
 To begin, I’d like to say a few words about the difficult situation we find
ourselves in right now.
© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 4
BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

After introducing the current situation, Jill immediately mentions the payoff, or
benefit she has in mind. She doesn’t yet tell them HOW she plans to achieve this
payoff, but her upbeat statement should certainly make her colleagues curious.

Jill: … But what would you say to increased sales, more satisfied customers and
more time available for the sales team to focus on high value-add sales from
custom orders?

Jill is doing a great job of getting the attention of her peers and establishing a need.
Her colleagues are probably thinking that Jill’s list of payoffs is amazing, but difficult
to achieve. She has made them curious about her idea. Notice that she has done
this by asking a question.

These kinds of questions are really useful for introducing a payoff and establishing a
need, so let’s listen to a few more examples:

 How would you feel if we were able to reduce the amount of time it takes to
get our products to customers?
 Why can’t we remove the threat by making the process simpler and more
effective?
 Can you visualize what it would be like if we could eliminate the stress that
all of this causes?
 What if you could push a few buttons instead of filling out all those forms?

Now we get to Jill’s idea. Hopefully, her audience now really wants to know how
they can achieve the payoffs she mentioned earlier and are paying close attention
to her words.

Jill: … But what I think we can do is allow customers to order our basic off-the-
shelf items on the web. Then sales staff can focus on customers with particular
needs.

Notice that Jill could have said “I think we can allow customers to order our basic
off-the-shelf items on the web.” However, this sounds weak. Instead, she
emphasizes her idea by starting her statement with “What I think…”, which makes
it stronger and highlights the importance of her idea.

Listen to these examples of highlighting ideas by starting with “What…”.

 What I can see is a more transparent and user-friendly system for customer
feedback.
 What I’m suggesting is eliminating all the middlemen in the process.
 What would make all the difference is a single point of reference for all
stakeholders in the operation.
 What I’m saying is that a small change in the way we do this can make a
huge difference to the bottom line.

After you state your amazing idea, nine times out of ten somebody is going to have
an objection to it. Your peers may be skeptical of the feasibility or practicality of

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BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

your idea. In Jill’s case, Roland immediately speaks up after hearing her idea, with
a valid and straightforward objection.

Roland: Whoa there, we can’t afford to spend money on another website.

Jill: Hear me out. In fact, I can show you that it will cost about $5,000 to do a
basic revamp of the existing site. And our staff will do most of the work.

This is where you can see Jill’s preparation in action. When Jill presents her idea to
her peers, she MUST take their objections seriously. So when Roland brings up
cost, she says “Hear me out.”, indicating that she is able to address the issue
immediately. It’s clear that Jill previously made a list of possible objections, so
when Roland mentions cost as an issue, she’s ready to respond with concrete
figures.

This is a very important step when you’re preparing to pitch an idea. By

understanding the likely objections, you will be able to “turn them around” and use
them to bolster your own argument. Your language indicates that you can respond
to the objection and provide evidence to support your proposal. Here are some
examples of other expressions to use when dealing with objections you expect to
hear:

 If you just give me a moment, I can show that this course of action is the
best choice.
 Hang on a second and I’ll show you that we can achieve much more than
that.
 If you’ll bear with me, I’ve got figures here that demonstrate what I’m
saying.
 Hang in there and I’ll explain why that’s not a serious drawback.

Jill has pitched her idea and shown that she’s done her research. She’s engaged her
peers and got them thinking about a pressing need they may not have recognized
and got them focused on an idea that she believes will satisfy that need. She’s used
language skillfully in order to be proactive and persuasive.

Now, it’s your turn to practice some of the techniques we’ve looked at today.

First, let’s review the language of stating how a need can be satisfied. Imagine you
are pitching a great idea you have to your peers during a meeting. You will hear
information on satisfying a particular need. You should start your sentence with
“What…” and use the verb and information given.

For example, if you hear:

Cue: Verb: we’re saying topic: …we should move the R & D department last.

You can say;

Answer: What we’re saying is we should move the R & D department last.

Are you ready? Let’s give it a try.

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 6

BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Cue 1: Verb: we can do topic: …eliminate that position.

Learner 1:

Cue 2: Verb: I’d like to see topic: … new transportation hub.

Learner 2:

Cue 3: Verb: I’m suggesting topic: … incentive scheme.

Learner 3:

Cue 4: Verb: we can do topic: …outsource the project to keep costs down.
Learner 4:

How did you do? Compare your answers to these examples:

Cue 1: Verb: we can do topic: …eliminate that position.

Learner 1: What we can do is eliminate that position.

Cue 2: Verb: I’d like to see topic: … new transportation hub.

Learner 2: What I’d like to see is a new transportation hub.

Cue 3: Verb: I’m suggesting topic: … incentive scheme.

Learner 3: What I’m suggesting is an incentive scheme.

Cue 4: Verb: we can do topic: …outsource the project to keep costs down.
Learner 4: What we can do is outsource the project to keep costs down.

Next, we’ll review some of the vocabulary and idioms that we studied in this
episode. You’ll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep. Repeat
the whole sentence saying the missing word.

For example, if you hear:

Cue: They were so excited they decided to <beep> their idea to him right away.

You can say:

Answer: They were so excited they decided to pitch their idea to him right away.

After each response, we’ll play the correct answer. Let’s begin.

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 7

BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Cue 1: This issue has been on my <beep> for quite some time and deal with it
now.
Learner 1:

Cue 2: We’ve been tearing our <beep> out ever since we heard about them
launching their product one month before us.
Learner 2:

Cue 3: Seeing as how we’re all in the same <beep>, why don’t we work on this
together?
Learner 3:

Cue 4: I don’t think he realizes that it’s the nuts-and-<beep> - it’s far more
complicated.
Learner 4:

Cue 5: These goods are basically off-the-<beep>.

Learner 5:

Answer 1: This issue has been on my mind for quite some time and deal with it now.

Answer 2: We’ve been tearing our hair out ever since we heard about them
launching their product one month before us.

Answer 3: Seeing as how we’re all in the same boat, why don’t we work on this
together?

Answer 4: I don’t think he realizes that it’s the nuts-and-bolts - it’s far more
complicated.

Answer 5: These goods are basically off-the-shelf.

That’s all for this first episode on pitching an idea at a meeting. We’ve studied
language and expressions for setting the scene, introducing the topic, establishing a
need, showing how a need can be satisfied and dealing with an expected objection.
The next episode deals with further aspects of pitching an idea during a meeting, as
Jill continues to persuade her colleagues of the value of her idea.

See you next time, and thanks for listening!

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 8

BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Language Review

A. Introducing a payoff
Put the jumbled sentences in order to practice useful questions for introducing a
payoff/establishing a need.

1. hand-held with you imagine can being this done units

2. if 2 hours a get response what could within you

3. why steps we the eliminate can't redundant

4. half costs would cut how we feel in you if could

B. Introducing a topic
To review useful language for introducing a topic, fill in the blanks in the phrases below with
words from the box.

blow setback revamp throw

flag kid hit stretched

1. Staff turnover at these levels is a red __________ for the HR department.

2. We can __________ in a couple of feedback sessions if you take the whole training
package.

3. The recent scandal is a serious __________ to the CEO's reputation..

4. Losing the contract with the French is a major __________ for our firm.

5. This is the first time this company has been __________ with public criticism over
safety issues.

6. The engineers would like to __________ the old system, instead of purchasing a
new one.

7. I'm afraid our department's a little __________ at the moment, so we can't help
you.

8. I __________ you not; if we don't address the problem with computer security, we
may lose all our data.

Study Strategy

Think about the company you work in. Do you have any great ideas about a process that
can be improved, or a way to cuts costs? Have you ever participated in a meeting where
someone pitched an idea they thought would improve the company? See if you can make a
short list of a few of these ideas. Then, think about how you could present each idea as an
opportunity, and introduce the payoff by using a question. Find a colleague or a friend and
practice a role play where you pitch one of the ideas and your friend responds skeptically.
Try to use the language and strategies we have practiced in this episode. Alternatively, if
you don’t know anyone to try this with, write it out as a dialog.

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 9

BEP 129 ADV – Presentations: Pitch ing an Idea (Part 1)

Answers

Listening Questions
1. The latest reports show that sales are poor at Pylon.

2. The value-added functions are the special orders that the sales team will have time
to carry out if they don’t have to deal with selling off-the-shelf products.

3. Jill says that $5,000 will pay for a basic revamp of Pylon’s existing website.

Language Review

A. Introducing a Payoff

1. Can you imagine this being done with hand-held units?

2. What if you could get a response within 2 hours?
3. Why can't we eliminate the redundant steps?
4. How would you feel if we could cut costs in half?

B. Introducing a Topic

1. Staff turnover at these levels is a red flag for the HR department.

2. We can throw in a couple of feedback sessions if you take the whole training
package.
3. The recent scandal is a serious blow to the CEO's reputation.
4. Losing the contract with the French is a major setback for the firm.
5. This is the first time this company has been hit with public criticism over safety
issues.
6. The engineers would like to revamp the old system, instead of purchasing a new
one.
7. I'm afraid our department's a little stretched at the moment, so we can't help
you.
8. I kid you not; if we don't address the problem with computer security, we may
lose all our data.

Online Practice

Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 10