Once you've solicited buy-in for the idea or plan you're going to pitch, now it's time to prepare. The goal is to have your pitch approved—not to gauge interest. That happened in the buy-in meeting. So it's time to set expectations, refine the pitch, and gather any supporting information:
Setting expectations: Before the pitch meeting starts, you want to understand how the process works. Here are two questions to ask:
Who will be attending the meeting and what role do they play in the organization? This will tell you the individuals involved in the process. Hopefully, it will also tell you who is making the decision and who is influencing the decision. Whether you're an employee pitching to the management team or an external consultant pitching to a prospective client, this is necessary information.
What is the typical process? You will want to know when to expect an answer. Some organizations do not make decisions right away. Others do. You don't want to push for...