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The Pitch Episode 26: Silence Speaks Volumes

Learn:

Prepare yourself for naysayers of your pitch but hesitate before you respond as silence can sometimes send a more powerful message. Learn how to develop a 2-hour self-silence rule that puts you in a proactive pitching position versus a defense, no-win situation.

The Pitch Episode 26:
Silence Speaks Volumes

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Responsiveness in pitching is important, but when is it not necessary? Let’s face it. Everyone has an opinion about everything, and they are not shy to share it. Technology has provided us with a megaphone to voice our viewpoints without thought or hesitation. When you are pitching your work in public forums like social media prepare yourself for naysayers of your ideas, but hesitate before you respond as silence can sometimes send a more powerful message than a defensive response. Before you react to a negative response to your pitch, understand the person behind the response. Who is it? Did you catch them at a bad time? Are they even your target audience? Then determine if a response is necessary. What happens if you say nothing? If it’s clear you are not going to win them over with your pitch, stay silent. Sometimes people just want attention and by responding you are feeding their ego and bringing more attention to their negative viewpoint. If you were at a cocktail party and someone responded negatively to an idea you were sharing, would you sit there and argue with them in front of all the other guests? I hope not! “The Pitch” challenge today: Develop a 2-hour self-silence rule that reminds you to hold a response to a questionably reaction to your pitch. After 2 hours if you still feel strongly that a response is in order you will have had enough time to think through how to articulate it in a way that doesn’t come off defensive. If in 2 hours you feel it’s silly to respond and just brings more attention to the person fueled by jealousy, hate or ignorance, then you will have saved yourself hours of negativity that can be used towards proactively pitching other people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say. And don’t forget, speech is silver, but silence is always golden.

Apply:

Who has questioned you in a negative way recently?
What code word can you create for yourself to keep you from immediately
reacting?
What about what they are saying is true? What is out of line?

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