Jab, jab, jab, right hook: the right way to pitch

Craft the perfect pitch and get the job done

The first impression is all you’ve got to convince the person in front of you of your potential. If you do it the right way, there is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed; if you try beating around the bush, there is a strong possibility your pitch will end up in the rejected pile. So what is the right way to approach this issue?

Ginny Soskey of HubSpot acknowledges Gary Vaynerchuck’s “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” methodology as the spot-on technique to get noticed. Bryan Harris, the founder of Videofruit, used this technique himself. Here is a dissection of how the theory works:

Be brief and straightforward

A pitch that is lengthy, twisted or vague seldom receives audience; being brief, to-the-point and effective is key to making a successful pitch. Spare a line for introduction – just your name suffices – another line to highlight your experience and the last one to show what you’ve got. When you’ve got this in order, the rest will automatically fall into place.

Be familiar

It’s understandable that you might want to try sending in pitches to all your prospective clients in order to expand your business, but it’s a little more exciting for the recipient to see a pitch that doesn’t come from a total stranger. As with Bryan Harris, his participation at the HubSpot blog laid the foundation for familiarity. He knew the business, was aware of its weaknesses and was familiar with the conversational tone of the forum. He did his research on the company he intended to join – for an impressive two years! The pitch did not come from a money-minded, profit-seeking business entity, but rather from someone who knew a lot more than a random stranger – and that made all the difference.

Relevant experience

Work experience counts in building your credibility in the eye of the potential employer, but it is infinitely better when the experience is perfectly relevant to the organizational need. Bryan Harris mentioned having worked with one of HubSpot’s organizational equivalents – in the same capacity as was required by HubSpot. Naturally, it was eye candy, an instinctive “must-have.” So if you have relevant experience to show off, you’d better do so before making the actual sales pitch.

Demonstrate sincerity and dedication

How do you do that? There is no rocket science involved at this end. The most logical answer: Provide a customized sample of your work. It may seem like an investment with no return, but it’s sure to pay off well in the long run. Bryan, having pitched for his video-making capabilities, created a sample video just for HubSpot. He went through the pain of designing, executing, script-writing and compiling everything – at a time when employment was not guaranteed. This is the simplest way to show that you really care for the business and are in for the long haul. It definitely did catch the attention of mail-checkers out there at HubSpot!

To improve your company’s public relations and media pitches, check out our  Learn Media Relations From The Media e-book.