A salesperson recently came up to me after a training session and asked, “What does a perfect first sales meeting look like?”

While the word perfect is both subjective and elusive, this is the basic framework I gave her to ensure a great first meeting.

Ever wondered what would happen if a stand-up comedian crashed a serious pitch competition posing as a founder?

Recently in Boulder, CO, Pitch Lab had the opportunity to do just that at the NextCycle Colorado Pitch Competition.

As an entrepreneur pitching a new concept, telling your origin story at the beginning of your pitch is one of the most powerful ways to:

• Differentiate yourself from your competition

• Build stronger connections with your audience (investors, employees, customers)

• Reveal your character and build trust

As a sales leader, have you ever stopped to consider what you could learn from the world of stand-up comedy?

While closing deals and making audiences laugh may seem worlds apart, the parallels between perfecting a sales pitch and crafting a killer stand-up set are striking.