How to Pitch (Without Striking Out)

I've Always Been a Baller

(Yes, I know that in strict baseball terms my post title doesn’t work…but it was too cliche and cute to give up.)

One of the toughest things to do in media SEEMS like the most obvious — get the word out about good products or stories.

I mean, we’ve all heard about how powerful social media is for companies and brands like Ford, Zappos, Comcast, Dell, etc. But those guys are big and have powerful people working on their behalf. They have legions of fans and rabid ambassadors who will cut through the clutter and make their projects successful.

But what about you, Al Franken? You may have the best idea in the world, but if you’re not careful and smart about pitching it, I promise — you’ll strike out (and end up on the Bad Pitch Blog).

(I speak to you as someone who routinely rejects pitches, both as a blogger and TV producer. I spend a good chunk of my day, every day, weeding out the crap, rolling my eyes at the providers of said crap, and then trying to dig up and polish the rare diamonds.)

1. Be quick and to the point.

Have you heard of something called an elevator speech? It’s the idea that you can deliver your pitch in the time it takes to ride the elevator — typically between 30 seconds and two minutes. Whether you’re trying to tell someone about your blog, a product, a fundraising project or else, you need to narrow it down to a few punchy bullet points.

If I were to write an elevator pitch about my blog to somebody, and I wanted them to write an article about me in the local newspaper, I might say something like:

“I have a blog, called KatyWidrick.com, that focuses on healthy living and social media. I’m very active in online communities, and even started the first fitness-related Twitter chat. I think what makes my blog different is that I tackle social media from a blogger’s perspective and try to inspire people to pursue their passions. And given the fact that 90% of people make health-related New Year’s resolutions, perhaps I could provide you with some context for your article?”

The trouble with an elevator speech is that you have to have it ready — because you don’t exactly PLAN to end up in the elevator with a VIP. So now is the time to write it down…rehearse it…practice using it on friends and family.

2. Be respectful and aware of bad timing.

When people find out that I produce TV for a living, they often start giving me long story ideas and try and convince me that they have someone or something in mind that I absolutely MUST cover. Forget the fact that I’m carrying a tripod, a light set, a laptop bag and trying to get my media credentials out. Or the fact that I’m in the middle of an interview with someone else. Or the fact that the rest of my production team is waiting for me to do my job.

I love pitches. I really do! I’m not stupid enough to think that I can do my job (any of them) without help. But please, do a quick look at the situation, and if I look busy, please slip me your card or briefly ask for mine. (I’m not alone in this request.) If you respect me, I’ll respect you and follow up with you at a more convenient time.

3. Do your homework.

Confession time: I delete 90% of email pitches before I get past the first line. If it starts with or includes:

• Dear Producer
• To Whom it May Concern
• This is a story I know your viewers will love
• Your blog readers should know about

it is going in the trash. If you can’t take the time to get to know the basics about me and what I do — like my name, my role, my target audience, etc. — then I can’t expect you to take the time to work with me to see the pitch through.

Also, I’m much more open to pitches from people who I have interacted with, even in a small way. So if you say something like:

• We met at ABCD conference
• I briefly talked to you about ABCD when you were shooting video at the XYZ event
• I read your blog every day — I loved the post about your dogs Faegan and Junior! — and thought I might introduce myself and tell you about a project I’m working on.

I will not only take the time to read your pitch, I’ll get back to you — even if my answer is a polite “no.”

4. Ask Without Asking

Now that Twitter is the hot thing, I find myself getting pitches via Direct Messages all the time. One of the phrases that most turns me off — and yes, some of my closest friends have tried this — is “Will you RT this link?” Ironically, the link is usually something I would have been *happy* to RT and share, if only the ask had been a bit more delicate. May I suggest that you try something like “Did you see the project I’m working on? LINK I’d love it if you could take a look and give me some feedback!” It’s still an ask, but it’s one that takes the pressure off of me to be a jerk. Asking for my feedback is a great way to get my attention, and then I can consider sharing the information in my own way.

5. Follow Up Gently.

Hey, I totally get it. I have a lot of friends in PR and marketing, and they’re probably reading this, thinking “ugh, but if only you’d respond to our pitches instead of blowing them off!” Guilty. So I’m not telling you NOT to follow up with a pitch. Just be gentle. Please don’t call me and ask why I didn’t cover your story/event/product. Call and say you just wanted to follow up and see if I had any questions. Confirm that I received the information. Provide new details that weren’t in the pitch. Send me a quick email to check in.

I’m guilty of ignoring a lot of first pitches, so if you follow up, I’ll most likely give you another glance. But please be nice. Be respectful. Understand that I do take 100 pitches a day and that 99 are crap.

Having said that — pitch away! Leave me a comment about a project you’re working on, a blog post that you’d like me to check out or a question that I can help with.

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