Pitching

Given that my podcast pitch is coming up very soon, I have collected four reliable sources from the web that will prove to be of integral assistance in the development of my podcast pitch. The four sources I have read and will be consulting with during the process of creating my pitch are: Pitching and Presenting: Learn How to Pitch Your Ideas from the Cambridge University Press, How to Pitch a Podcast from the San Francisco Book Review, How to pitch your idea so that you get funding from philmckinney.com, and a podcast episode entitled Million Dollar Idea by Ira Glass.

Pitching and Presenting: Learn How to Pitch Your Ideas. (2008). The Cambridge University Press. Retrieved January 25, 2014 from (http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/resources/multimedia/pitching.html)

This presentation is a reliable source as it was approved by the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School in order to allow for its publication.  Alex van Someren, co-author of this documented presentation, was a technology investor at the University of Cambridge and a Manager Partner at a venture capital firm called ‘Amadeus Capital Partners’.  Adrian Critchlow, the other author of this presentation, was also a technology investor at the University of Cambridge. According to his Linkedin profile, he invested in 12 early stage technology and clean-tech companies. He was also the founder and CEO of Iota Software Ltd, which created educational software used in over 50% of all UK schools (Linkedin). These slides of their presentation were of significant help and assistance to me. I will use this as an aid in terms of planning how to deliver my pitch. Critchlow and van Someren say that one must present a pitch with enthusiasm and displaying logical progression. They recommend the use of images and other visual aids in one’s presentation. Critchlow and van Someren advise presenters to create handouts with detailed particulars and information on it, not just the salient arguments. They also recommend that presenters never look at the screen and always look at the audience.

How to Pitch a Podcast. (2013). Stephanie Barko: San Francisco Book Review. Retrieved January 25, 2014 from (http://sanfranciscobookreview.com/2013/02/how-to-pitch-a-podcast/)

This article by Stephanie Barko is a credible source as she has been a literary publicist for almost eight years. She has been involved in pitching historical novelists and nonfiction authors since 2006. Barko also received a BBA in marketing from the University of Texas (Austin) in 1993. Despite the fact that Barko’s article is about an email pitch, there are some very helpful pieces of advice that can be utilized and applied to the presentation of a pitch idea. She states that specificity and clarity of your topic idea is fundamental so that the audience will get a clear understanding of your subject. Barko says that a unique title can help with gaining the interest of the audience.  She recommends that it is best to choose a subject that is relatable and relevant to the audience, as this will create a more intimate and personable presentation. Barko also advises presenters to connect their pitch to contemporary events covered throughout the various media outlets. This allows the audience to easily identify with the topic and creates a much more engaging discussion. Lastly, she says that the presenter must peak the interest of the audience, by acting similar to a sales representative. In essence, one must promote his or her  self.

How to pitch your idea so that you get funding. (2011). PhilMcKinney.com Retrieved January 25, 2014 from (http://philmckinney.com/archives/2011/03/how-to-pitch-your-idea-for-funding.html)

‘How to pitch your idea so that you get funding’ is a reliable and reputable article. The author, Phil McKinney, is the President and CEO of ‘Cablelabs’. ‘Cablelabs’ is a not-for-profit research and development company. McKinney was the vice-president and chief technology for Hewlett Packard’s Person Systems Group. He is also a published author with his best-known work being Beyond the Obvious. In his article, he urges people delivering a pitch to sell the cause of the idea. He describes that your pitch idea must grab people’s attention and make them stop what they are doing. He says that the presenter of a pitch should want to instill a sense of desire in the audience, by them wanting more and more information.

Million Dollar Idea. (2010). This American Life. Retrieved January 25, 2014 from (http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/412/transcript )

Million Dollar Idea is a podcast episode on the public radio show entitled, This American Life. This podcast is a credible source, which is produced by the Chicago Public Media.  The creators of This American Life adapted their show into a television format, and it won three Emmys. Over a million people download this podcast weekly. In the episode called Million Dollar Idea, Ira Glass discusses this concept of the ‘elevator pitch’. He delineates this hypothetical situation that if an individual ran into a wealthy investor in an elevator, and he only had sixty seconds to deliver his pitch, what would he say. This is where the term ‘elevator pitch’ comes from. This concept will be helpful as I only have four minutes to deliver my pitch and I will have to outline the most important ideas and features of my podcast. It teaches a presenter how to operate efficiently under time constraints. Ira Glass advises the listener that when delivering an elevator pitch, one must be very straightforward and put the dialogue in layman’s terms.

 I will make reference to all these sources in preparation for my podcast pitch, as they all offer valuable information and advice.