The Pitch Episode 1: What’s in a Name?

Learn:

Ironic I received emails today with my name wrong from someone trying to pitch me after the launch of “The Pitch” Episode 1 “What’s In A Name.” Learn how to improve your pitch. 

Read:

“What’s in a name?” It’s an important question that William Shakespeare presented in “Romeo and Juliet.” The scene may seem dramatic, but Shakespeare was on to something. Names matter when it comes to getting what you want. How they are pronounced, spelled, the tone in which you say someone’s name, or if you even say it at all. Getting any of these things wrong can sabotage your pitch. Technology helps get more communications out quicker, but our copy-and-paste efficiency can be a detriment, if we mess up the name. Before you pitch, meticulously review your greeting. First, look to see if you even have a greeting. Not addressing someone by name can make the receiver feel unimportant and a dead giveaway that you are blasting out a template message to several people at once. Second, make sure you double and triple check the spelling. And, for in-person interactions, make eye contact when you ask someone their name. Immediately associate their face and name with an image to help you remember and recall. Then address that person by name at least 5 more times in the next 10 minutes of your interaction so you cement it in your mind. The power of your pitch is dependent on how you open it, and opening with a name tells someone that they are more important than your pitch, and that’s the critical point when your message will be received. “The Pitch” challenge today: Learn two new names of someone in your office, neighborhood, school or wherever you go; practice these techniques and soon your success will smell as sweet as Juliet’s metaphorical rose.

Apply:

Back to Communications Skills ↺