Pitch Perfect: Get Your Brand Noticed, Not Ignored
Mastering the art of the pitch is vital for any freelance or consultant, whether you’re hoping to land an ongoing gig or a one-off partnership. I’m a brand specialist and the founder of PreTee Creative branding agency, and I’ve been pitching companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups for years. Here are seven things I’ve learned about creating and sending the perfect pitch.
Before you even start drafting your pitch, make sure to do your research. Get familiar with the company’s mission statement and tone of voice, as well as their service offerings or product lines. I recently pitched a sock and underwear company, and before I even made contact with them, I followed them on Instagram so I could get a firsthand feel for the brand style and create a unique pitch. I infused it with the humor and creativity I found on their social channels, included a few puns of my own, and incorporated their tagline — so they could see I really did my research. (My research paid off — I got their attention.)
When creating your pitch, you should keep it short and concise. These days, everyone’s inboxes are overflowing with emails and the last thing a busy person wants to see in their email is a lengthy pitch from someone they’ve never worked with before. In my experience, you’ll have better luck if you start by keeping things simple and succinct.
Start your pitch with a solution. Right now, you’re not trying to sell them anything…your pitch should be less about you and your experience, and more about how you can bring value to their brand. If you know that a company is going to launch a new product, start by offering some names that could potentially be a fit. I’m a naming specialist, so this comes naturally to me — and it gives me a chance to show off what I can do.
When you’re ready to send your pitch, include a personal message that’s polite, friendly, professional, and triple proofread. Also include a link to your portfolio, names of other (relevant) companies you’ve worked with, and any other information you think would be useful. I include a link to my freelancer profile on Upwork with every pitch — I started my branding career on Upwork, and I’ve been a Top Rated member since I joined the platform. My success rate has always been over 90%, so that’s definitely something I want potential clients to see.
I use LinkedIn as a resource to connect with people. Whether you send an introductory message through the platform, or access someone’s contact information via their profile page, LinkedIn makes it easy to reach potential clients. Make sure you spend time on their profile so you can send a personalized message that stands out from those copied-and-pasted notes.
Pitch anyone that you think you can help, regardless of the size or prestige of the company. Be confident because you never know who might reply — I’ve sent pitches to big companies, hoping for nothing more than practice, but ended up getting positive responses and career-changing opportunities.
One way to get your foot in the door is to offer your services for (almost) free. It’s easier to convince someone to give you a chance if you show them there’s little to no risk. And if they’re happy with what you do, you’ll get bigger projects (and bigger paychecks!) and more referrals.
