Top 3 Mistakes You Make When Pitching is the title of a short video by independent producer Tom Malloy, featured on the FilmmakingStuff.com website of my friend, Jason Brubaker.
The first one he mentions is delivering the pitch with low energy.
I can relate to that one. I'm a naturally shy person anyway, and when I first started pitching to TV and film executives I was nervous as well. I know this was a problem because one producer actually told my agent that he decided not to hire me for a writing project because he thought I had "low personal energy."
Maybe that shouldn't make a difference when what they're buying is your writing skill, but in the real world it does make a difference. People generally prefer to work with somebody who doesn't seem withdrawn.
If you suffer from this, what can you do? Here are the strategies I found useful:
- Be prepared. Know your pitch well going in.
- Find your own version of energy, don't try to imitate somebody else's. At first, I was discouraged because I thought I'd have to turn into a version of Robin Williams on any talk show. Actually, there's such a thing as quiet energy that is just as effective. Remember times that you've been genuinely excited and draw from that.
- Video yourself rehearsing the pitch and watch the video. Put the camera directly in front of yourself, so you're seeing the pitch the same way the person to whom you're pitching will see it. As you play it back, give yourself constructive criticism. Let me repeat that: constructive criticism. This is not a session for the benefit of your harsh inner critic. If you can't do that, find a trusted friend who knows something about making presentations and have them give you their constructive feedback.
- Take along an index card with the key points on it. You probably won't need to refer to it, but knowing you have it will help you relax.
- Unless it makes you too jittery, have a coffee or an energy drink about 20 minutes before the pitch meeting.
- Take a moment to center yourself while you're waiting. Most of the time the executive will keep you waiting for a few minutes, that's a good time to take a deep breath. If you've developed a quick way to get yourself into a relaxed state, use it then.
- If you still feel nervous, admit it with a smile at the start, something like, (deep breath) "I'm a little nervous--I haven't done much pitching, but I hope the story will be strong enough to compensate." Most people will be sympathetic and reassure you.
- Pretend you're telling the story to a five-year-old. That's not an insult to the intelligence of producers, but we have a natural tendency to be more expressive and animated when we're telling a child a bedtime story.
- Remember to make eye contact. Nothing makes a person seem more disconnected than when they're looking down at their shoes for most of the meeting.
- Don't think you're going overboard. To an introvert, delivering a pitch at an energy level of five out of ten will feel like an eleven. The tip about making a video of yourself will help with this, too.
That's it! If you put those into action, you'll be pitching with energy--I mean, pitching WITH ENERGY!
