Pitching - Justyne Yuen-Lee W14

After quickly Googling “how to make a pitch”, there were many results for general pitch making including the “Elevator Pitch” highlighted in most. Remembering what Professor Bell mentioned in class about keeping in mind the context of the pitch we are creating – a radio podcast – I chose two general websites of how to make a pitch and googled “how to make a podcast pitch” instead and chose one from the top sites.

1.     SanFrancisco Book Review – How to Pitch a Podcast by Stephanie Barko

I chose this website because the author, Stephanie Barko is a literacy publicist and has had practice pitching in her career. The definition of podcast was clearly laid out and her template was created from advice from a radio producer. This e-mail pitch advice differs from our assignment, but some relevant tips include mentioning things that will be revealed to your listeners and why they are relevant.

Barko, Stephanie. "How to Pitch a Podcast." San Francisco Book Review. 13 Feb. 2013.

Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

2.     BloombergBusinessWeek Small Business – Strategies to Make Your Pitch Perfect by Carmine Gallo

Gallo, a communication coach, gives the advice to have a memorable, concise vision with a pitch. She also advises to be knowledgeable of your idea to gain credibility with the person who you are presenting to. She mentions to be passionate about your topic so that you can win over people with the idea.

Gallo, Carmine. “Strategies to Make Your Pitch Perfect.” Bloomberg Businessweek. 19.

Oct. 2007. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

3.     QuickandDirtyTips.com – How to Make a Good Pitch by Lisa B. Marshall

Lastly, Marshall, “The Public Speaker”, outlines several steps to create a pitch. Mentioning the Elevator Pitch idea, she reminds the reader to be able to know your idea enough to say it in a short amount of time. She advises to mention who you are as a presenter, how you would help the producer, why you are different and a call to action. The call to action is important as it opens the door for the producer to make a decision. It gives opportunity for your logical suggestion to be completed.

Marshall, Lisa B. "How to Make a Good Pitch." QuickandDirtyTips.Com. 17. Nov. 2011.

Web. 24. Jan. 2014. 

With this information, I need to be more aware of the specific reason why a producer would want to use my idea for a podcast. If I am not passionate or knowledgeable of my topic or audience, then my idea, however brilliant I think it is, is moot to others. With a successful pitch, I can convince another person to be just as interested in my topic as I would. But to do that, I have to refine my ideas, study my example podcast, and be passionate.