The Pitch Episode 13: “I wanted to…” So why don’t you?

Learn:

Five words you will never need in your pitch: “wanted to follow-up with you.”
Learn how to break the habit of “wanted to” and not get stuck in the habitual past
with your pitch.

Read:

“Hello, I wanted to follow-up with you…” STOP right there. This has to be one of the worst lead-ins to a pitch, but unfortunately one of the most common you will see and hear. As soon as I see this line at the start of an email, I delete it. 
Especially if I don’t know the person and they are blindly pitching me. If you “wanted to follow-up with me” then why don’t you? That’s what always goes through my mind! This line is a waste of five words you will never need in your pitch. Before you pitch, go back and read the first sentence or rehearse what you are going to say before you get on the phone. Are you using language that speaks in the past such as: “I wanted to follow-up,” “I wanted to see if you would like to attend our event,”  “I wanted to see if you were interested.” Now change the past language to the present and directly make the pitch. Be sure to end your opening line in a question. For example: “Would you like to set up an interview next week?” “Are you available to attend our event on Friday?” “Do you have any interest in sponsoring our team?” Be direct, be confident and do not wish for things in the past.  “The Pitch” challenge today: Break the habit of “wanted to” by reviewing every communication before you send it to make sure your opening line is not stuck in the habitual past when you clearly need to be in the present to pitch.

Apply:

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