How to successfully pitch a marketing idea

Pitching a marketing idea is an art form and can be very stressful. A pitch is an animated summary of a marketing idea which highlights the key points in the concept. When pitching a marketing idea , you use this summation to persuade your client that your idea will properly sell their product.

How to prepare a pitch

When you plan your pitch, be sure to prepare and deliver a presentation that contains content which is appropriate for the specific pitching contexts and meets specified context requirements. Pitches can include synopses and one-line pitches.

The type of pitch you choose to make will depend on the specified requirements that your client has. These requirements can include deadlines and time constraints. Examples of these could be that the pitch must be done before a certain time and you only have twenty minutes to make your pitch.

Pitches come in two formats. These are the:

• Two-minute pitch, which is also known as the teaser, and
• Story pitch, which is traditionally between 10 and 20 minutes long.

Prepare both types of pitches before you contact your client. You never know the time at which you’ll be called upon to sell your story or, alternatively, how you’ll be asked to sell it.

The teaser pitch is a short pitch

Usually, you get three sentences to grab the listeners attention about the benefits of your marketing idea. When crafting this pitch, pay attention to the information that you think they might be listening for.

Your first sentence should introduce the concept, the next sentence illustrates the benefits of this idea for the client and the final sentence leaves listeners wanting more. The short pitch can be used to capture the listeners’ attention before offering a more detailed explanation. Make use of a stopwatch when you practise your pitch. Never exceed two minutes. Maintain a three to five-page limitation to ensure that the timing does not become a problem. If the listeners want more, they will ask.

The story pitch is much longer than the teaser pitch

It is best to keep it under ten minutes. After ten minutes you might lose the attention of the listener.

Feel free to use note cards to help you through this pitch. Reference the notes occasionally, but keep your focus up and on your listeners. If you practise pitching your story several times before the session, you should have it memorised, allowing you to keep your eyes on your listeners and off your notes.

The story pitch starts with your hook or your tag line, and then you run down the rest of the concept, illustrating those universal elements which make up the heart of the pitch and the conclusion.

The skill of communication is the language of leadership. Nowhere is this more crucial than for people pitching a marketing idea whose success story often depends less on what is said as opposed to the manner in which it is said. Every pitch is essentially an audition. Pitching is the most anxiety-provoking part of the idea-creation process.

The art of pitching is a crucial part of any marketer’s role.

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