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The Pitch Episode 25: The Unsexy but Necessary Message

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Words on a page: not as sexy as a new logo or A-list celebrity, but ultimately responsible for the action. Learn to add meaning to the message.

The Pitch Episode 25:
The Unsexy but Necessary Message

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It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glam of your pitch without really thinking through the message. I see this mistake time and time again in pitching. Most people will get caught up and spend most of their time developing how the pitch is delivered and very little time on the words of the message. Yes, words on a page are not as sexy as coming up with a shiny new logo or locking down that A-list celebrity to deliver your pitch, but it’s the words behind those shiny objects that will be responsible to moving someone into action. Before you pitch, take a step back and really examine the message of your pitch. Have you spent enough time testing out your message on other people to see if it resonates? Is there a more creative way you can make your pitch that will move someone to action in order to accomplish your goals? Resist the urge to jump to the tools used to deliver or design the message and stick to the plain words, reworking them until your message is strong and elicits a response. Then move to the creative and develop a strategy that matches what you are pitching versus creating that strategy first and then trying to make your pitch fit. “The Pitch” challenge today: go shopping. Advertisements are always attempting to pitch you and it’s a great place to do further research. Look at billboards, ads and point of purchase displays. Recognize when a message captures your attention versus a picture, spokesperson or a shiny object. The really good ads will have a solid message that resonates with you, along with multi-media that matches what the message is trying to communicate. Contrast this to advertisements that are pulling out all the stops just to get your attention but have little depth to their messaging. It’s the difference between someone screaming for attention versus someone really taking the time to know who you are and what you want. And what we all want is to be understood before being pitched.

Apply:

What ad has caused you to take action immediately to purchase a product or service?
What was it about that ad that resonated in you?
How can you connect with what your audience wants to be more relatable to them?

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