Do you have a great idea and don’t know how to sell it?
Welcome to the club. If you have ever tried to convince a journalist with your pitch (your argumentation to arouse their interest in your information) and felt that, instead of capturing their attention, you made them look at their watch, don’t worry. You are not alone! Mastering the art of the pitch is like being a communication magician: you need the perfect trick to captivate and convince. But don’t worry: you don’t need a magic wand. You just need to know the three essential keys that I’m going to tell you about below. Get ready to make an impression so powerful that even the most sceptical will be amazed.
Let’s do it!
Know your spokesperson (and be prepared to let them shine)
Getting to know your spokesperson is like getting to know a superhero, but without a cape. Of course, it’s not just a matter of knowing if they have a good character or if their personal stories are worthy of a movie script. In addition to understanding their professional background and personality, we need to make sure that they have gone through spokesperson training. This is not just so that you don’t get nervous in front of cameras and microphones, but so that you can deliver your message with the clarity of a champion.
And let’s not forget the most important thing: what makes your spokesperson the ‘Harry Styles’ of the media – what makes him or her unique, interesting and, above all, irresistible to journalists?
But it’s not all about the spokesperson – it’s also about the company he or she represents! In the end, your spokesperson is the image of the company, whether it is a multinational giant or a small personal project that is winning over the world.
That’s why we need to be clear about the company’s values, mission and key messages, so that our spokesperson is an authentic reflection of these. After all, the spokesperson and the company should be as inseparable as coffee and morning.
Pitching is not magic, it’s patience (and a bit of charm).
A pitch is not something that comes out of nowhere, it is like a good wine: it matures over time. In fact, it starts long before it is put into practice. We cannot start from scratch. It is essential to know the media in depth: what topics do they cover, how do they write, what is their reputation in the industry? And, of course, it’s not just about the media, you also need to understand the journalists. You need to know what they like to write about, what they are passionate about and what image they have in the industry.
Moreover, we cannot forget that, in the end, it all comes down to the relationship of trust that we build with them. That relationship must be based on mutual respect, transparency and a professional exchange of information. We can get it right when choosing the perfect journalist and media for our interview if we have these three ingredients: knowledge of the media, understanding of the journalists and a good relationship with them.
Being in the right place at the right time (and saying the right thing)
We know that it is crucial for our spokesperson to convey the messages that he or she wants to share and that, of course, the company he or she represents values. But, as with everything else, you have to be able to adapt to the circumstances of the moment – you have to be a modern-day ninja! It is not enough to have something to say; we also need to make sure that what we say fits in perfectly with the hot topics of the moment.
Convincing the journalist that our proposal is the most relevant is an art. It means doing thorough research to understand what the real value of our interview is and staying on top of the issues that are shaking up the press. What we present to the journalist has to be such an irresistible opportunity that it feels like a birthday present: unique, valuable and, above all, impossible to miss!
Pitch: your winning card!
And there you have it, the 3 keys to mastering the art of making an unstoppable pitch. It’s not magic or luck, but a mix of preparation, knowledge and a touch of charm (like a good cocktail, right?).
Get to know your spokesperson, explore the media, make sure you are up to date and, above all, that what you offer is something they can’t miss. If you follow these steps, you’ll be ready to wow your audience and, most importantly, get what you want!
So, put on your cape (metaphorically, of course), prepare your pitch and go out and conquer the world – the stage is yours!
