Pitch food and related products to potential customers in a food and drink business
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to pitch food and drink products to potential customers in a food and drink business. The fast moving highly competitive food and drink industry allows little opportunity for second chances. Opportunities to pitch to customers can be limited and will always need to be informative, creative and focused. You will need the skills and knowledge to identify opportunities to pitch to potential customers and confirm practical arrangements for the pitch. You will need the skills and knowledge to prepare the pitch including knowing your product, markets, financial and technical data. You will need the skills and knowledge to pitch to potential customers adhering to time constraints and answer questions confidently and knowledgably. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in pitching food and related products to potential customers in a food and drink business.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Confirm arrangements for the pitch
gather information about the potential customer including its size,
market, customers and portfolio of products similar to yours
identify and develop an opportunity to pitch to a customer in line
with your organisation's strategy, policy and plans
confirm your attendance at the pitch ensuring you are aware of
the timings and venue
confirm you know the exact requirements and expectations of the
customer during the pitch adhering to customer guidelines if
available
Prepare to pitch
collate information on the current and future market and
customers for your product
prepare detailed financial reports ensuring you can discuss
pricing, costing and conditions of contract knowledgably and
confidently
identify the unique selling point of your product or service and
ensure this is communicated to the customer during the pitch
prepare answers to possible questions from potential customers
including those on technical issues, availability, quality, financial
data and supply of your product or service
practice your pitch ensuring it is appropriate to the target audience
Pitch to potential customers
check that your actions, words, behaviours and dress support the
food and drink business and customer expectations and
requirements
pitch your product confidently and knowledgably to potential
customers adhering to time constraints
answer questions from potential customers remaining positive but
within the limits of your authority for what your food and drink
business can deliver
follow up any oral agreements in writing
seek feedback on the pitch, build on success and address
problems
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
how to collate information on the potential customer and why it is
important to do so
how to identify and develop potential pitch opportunities
what the practical arrangements are for the pitch including
timings, question and answer sessions, venue and the availability
of information technology and why it is important to confirm these
and your attendance at the pitch
- what the customer expectations and requirements are for the
pitch
- the areas of the product or service you must be knowledgeable in
including market, customers, costing, quality, availability and
others, why it is important to know this and how to do it
how to prepare detailed financial reports on the product or service
why it is important to identify a unique selling point for your
product and how to do this
- the possible questions about your product you may be asked and
the importance of preparing answers to these questions
- why it is important to practice pitching to potential customers and
the best ways of doing this