Pitching #3

So this post will be a bit more abstract. We've covered the types of pitches, as well as the elements of a pitch, and pitch materials. But even if you have all of that down pat, how do you really impress the execs?

Many writers get extremely nervous talking in front of people. Especially important people. Especially when their hearts and souls (not to mention hours and hours and even years of hard work) are on the line. But to have a successful pitch, the first thing you need is confidence.

Okay, but how do you get confidence?

• First, know your story inside and out. Love it. Believe in it. Your story and your execution of it are so fantastic that they're worth six figures or more from these executives. If you don't that walking into the room, you'll never convince anyone else of it. But, there's a fine line between confident and cocky. Maybe you wrote the next Juno. You will be laughed at if you say that. Your story is great. You're great. But you're not better than anyone else.
• Practice your pitch. In front of people. In front of a mirror. in front of your action figure collection. But it's best in front of people, because they can actually give you feedback. Maybe the first time you'll practice reading off your note cards. Hopefully, when you're ready to pitch, your note cards will have a bunch of chicken scratch on them that only you can sorta read, and you're not going to need to refer them. I hate pitching with notecards. It makes me nervous, makes me lose my focus, and inhibits my concentration on the pitchees expressions. I've always been a bit off-the-cuff, and I totally get that not everyone is. But try to memorize your pitch (or better yet, know your story well enough) that you can go off the cuff. This will help you pitch outside of formal pitch meetings, say, at a networking event.
• Don't get caught up in the wording of your pitch. Maybe you wrote something great on those note cards. Shakespearean even. If you sound like you are reciting a speech, you will lose interest. This isn't a speech, it's hopefully a conversation. If you fumble a word or two of your memorization, remember this: no one knows what's on your note cards. No one knows your script, so they won't know if you get something wrong. So don't get flustered. Because the only way anyone can possibly know if you got something wrong is if you show it all over your face, or if you correct yourself. However, if you've been calling your main character Jack, and then slip into his name from a previous draft, Steve, correct yourself so the execs don't get confused.
• SMILE! Even if you're shaking inside, a smile will make you come off as confident and enthusiastic. It will also relax you. You know that trick that if you're on the phone with someone you can't stand, you should smile, because it will make your voice sound happy? It works in real life too. Fake it til you feel it.

Next up, the difference between selling and a conversation, plus words you really shouldn't use.