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November 11, 2015 at 9:18 am #993269Up::0
Breakfast clubs, fora, you name it, everyone says they don’t like being pitched at but they are fine being informed about what someone does. So where’s the line and what defines the difference between these two approaches?
November 11, 2015 at 10:15 am #1190715November 12, 2015 at 12:06 am #1190716Up::0Adding to Stuart’s comment, I feel it would be a pitch if the conversation starting covering benefits of the business, products or service rather than just a description.
I know when I attend business breakfasts I simply state what I do, I keep it short and simple, one sentence and it makes it more memorable. More often than not most people ask more questions and then I can target my answers specifically to them.
November 12, 2015 at 12:52 am #1190717November 12, 2015 at 7:14 am #1190718Up::0I’d suggest Pitching is about What You Do and being Informed About What You Do … is about what problems you solve
November 25, 2015 at 8:26 am #1190719Up::0A pitch is when you’re selling. If you’re not selling, then you’re not pitching.
Selling is when you have something you want someone to take up an offer of.
If you have no intent other than to give them information, with no expectation of anything in return, it’s not a pitch at all.
This is why gradual engagement isn’t “selling” in the sense of trying to get someone to do something. It has making sales as its end goal, but it does it in such a way that it’s entirely up to the audience to take up any offers available to them, and doesn’t involve pushing.
So much more preferable than the “hard sell” I reckon!
Smiles,
JulianNovember 25, 2015 at 9:35 pm #1190720Up::0getcontented.com.au, post: 224664, member: 72814 wrote:A pitch is when you’re selling. If you’re not selling, then you’re not pitching.Selling is when you have something you want someone to take up an offer of.
If you have no intent other than to give them information, with no expectation of anything in return, it’s not a pitch at all.
This is why gradual engagement isn’t “selling” in the sense of trying to get someone to do something. It has making sales as its end goal, but it does it in such a way that it’s entirely up to the audience to take up any offers available to them, and doesn’t involve pushing.
So much more preferable than the “hard sell” I reckon!
Smiles,
Julian
Ok I’m confused, many would say a permanent state with me. But isn’t even with pitching, it is still up to the audience to take up the offer. If you take the hard sell approach or the ”gradual engagement” approach the potential audience can still say no.November 25, 2015 at 10:11 pm #1190721Up::0bb1, post: 224691, member: 53375 wrote:Ok I’m confused, many would say a permanent state with me. But isn’t even with pitching, it is still up to the audience to take up the offer. If you take the hard sell approach or the ”gradual engagement” approach the potential audience can still say no.Never mind mate, i have looked at this particular thread a few times and tend not to reply purely as i am personally conflicted in what is being asked? Example, the headline is “Define ‘pitching’ as opposed to merely telling someone what you do” – both of which are sales to me in some way, shape or form. Each expecting the audience (or person in front of them) to do something once they have heard the information.
Then, the actual first post from OP (sorry not trying to muddy waters her OP) asks what is the difference between a pitch and informed about what someone does? Not the same as the difference between a pitch and being told what to do? See, told you i am ALWAYS CONFUSED!
My interpretation of the query is simply “whats the difference between a pitch to sell someone my product or service as opposed to just being informative”. This is harder to answer than i initially thought though…
A true representative of themselves will be able to navigate the delivery of an informative spiel to be a pitch, but not of their product or business directly although it will become a pitch about themselves and why they are an expert in their field – ultimately, and hopefully, this will create an untapped funnel of potential clients and allow this person doing the pitch to be in it for the long haul and become top of mind IF these people require his/her type of service in the future.
In my banking days, relationships (partnering) was a long term strategy and informing clients and breakfast clubs about me as opposed to what i did was imperative to create a sense of ownership to what i did. A level of sophistication and knowledge that only i could deliver, spoken professionally and often extending guidance and assistance without immanent rewards expected – although longer term possibilities available if i prove myself.Ok, as most know, i go on a bit.. hope the above was insightful to someone and if not i will credit it to a brekky club style delivery .. LOL.. But one thing i would like to throw into the equation, which was really my true intent in this post, is the below.
Maybe the difference between a pitch and a brekky club informative delivery is the expectation of the person delivering the message!
What i mean by the above has multiple messages, and each will be how you are placed at this point in time.. Although to me, personally, its about what i need or want to get out of the delivery or the meeting. If i go in with a mind frame of MUST SELL MUST SELL, a brekky club delivery will be no good.. But if i go in wanting to find a long term confidant, partner, referrer to my services i will go in with great compassion and willingness to listen as much as i speak and develop long term relationships.. Some of my roles have required in invest 2-3 years with potential clients, and only then do they become recipients of my well versed PITCH!
Cheerio.. confused now Berty BeetleHarry &/or Luke, Or Jason, Or Lucas, Or Arthur, Or…..
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888November 25, 2015 at 10:51 pm #1190722Up::0Hey Logistics.
I suppose looking at the original question ”Define ‘pitching’ as opposed to merely telling someone what you do”
To me if the only reason you are at the breakfast club or forum, or whatever is because you are longer term looking to gain some business. Even if it s a slow sell over a month or a 3 year period, at the end of the day you are doing a pitch. Ok it may be a verryyyyy slow pitch, but that’s what you are there for.
Just my state of eternal confusion
November 25, 2015 at 11:08 pm #1190723Up::0bb1, post: 224700, member: 53375 wrote:Ok it may be a verryyyyy slow pitch, but that’s what you are there for.Just my state of eternal confusion
LOL, change the name to ‘logi’..
Yes, ultimately it is an eternal pitch .. although in the OP’s post i feel that the defining ideology is are you delivering a message to ‘sell yourself immediately’ or just representing some ‘matter of fact’ information about yourself (or business)?
The defining moment may be skewed by the audience themselves
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888November 26, 2015 at 1:33 am #1190724Up::0bb1, post: 224700, member: 53375 wrote:Hey Logistics.I suppose looking at the original question ”Define ‘pitching’ as opposed to merely telling someone what you do”
To me if the only reason you are at the breakfast club or forum, or whatever is because you are longer term looking to gain some business. Even if it s a slow sell over a month or a 3 year period, at the end of the day you are doing a pitch. Ok it may be a verryyyyy slow pitch, but that’s what you are there for.
Just my state of eternal confusion
It’s not always the case… I’m here because I enjoy thinking about and discussing this stuff. It helps me to discover what’s taking place. I find business immensely interesting.
If this means we get more customers, that’s great, but I’m just as interested in talking with other people about their experiences with getting customers, or doing whatever it is their business does.
In other words, it’s nice talking to similar people
If I’m pitching my business to you, I’d tell you about how it’d benefit your business or how it’d benefit you, and give you a step by step path to becoming a customer. I guess there’s one way of viewing things that is that every time anyone opens their mouths, they’re starting to pitch whatever it is they’re currently “selling” (even if it’s just an idea)… but that’s a pretty low-brow view of the world, and it’s not entirely accurate. Sometimes people just enjoy each other’s company, and talking about what we do is part of that.
As an example, one of my friends has two websites… taxcalc.com.au and shortman.com.au these are for calculating your income tax, and a tool for the shorted market on the stock market..
He doesn’t ever have an agenda with me when we discuss business. He’s not trying to sell me on his products, or going to his sites. We have discussions and we both like to “prove” our ideas across each other – it helps us clarify how we think and feel about things.
However, one way of viewing it is that by discussing it with me, he’s turned me into an advertising machine for him… because anytime anyone needs to calculate their (aussie) tax online, and their within earshot, I will tell them to go to his site. Anytime.
And any time he hears that people or businesses might need a website built or designed, he recommends people go to our site getcontented.com.au – is this an advert if he does this? I guess so! But it’s also just the way “networking” works, to a degree (to be viewed a bit clinically), which is part of what having friends is about.
So, it’s an interesting question. I would still argue, though, that a pitch has a motive, whereas just telling someone what you do has no motivation in it whatsoever… but of couse, it depends a bit on the context as others have pointed out… if someone ASKS you what you do, it’s probably not a pitch… but, interestingly, somone who gets asked what they do can easily turn it into a pitch on their end, when it might not be on the part of the asker.
There are a lot of business people who view EVERYTHING as a sale… that is, the clothes you choose, the words you say, everything you do, is aimed at making sales… I personally think that’s a LOT of work… to change everything about you so that you’re constantly selling is just a lot of stuff to do… and for what? To chase some idea of success that’s imposed on you by a set of people who may or may not care about you?
Personally, I’d rather just have the ultra-soft “pitch” which is appropriateness… I don’t like being in people’s face if they don’t want me there. That’s awful. It’s like most things we call “ads” these days. Personally I’d like ads that were legitimately things I was looking for myself. Even the word “ad” has a connotation of being manipulated in it, though…
And… that’s the crux of the question… isn’t it? It’s about manipulation. Pitch versus tell. A pitch in music is the vibrational centre of a tone… that is, how the sound is organised… so… if I ask you what you do, and you’re really organised into “selling”, you might say “what’s your lawn like?” and personalise your answer to me. This is organised, rather than reactively random. Unorganised, you might give me a general response.
So, perhaps, pitching is just when you see and maximize the opportunities availabile to you at any particular juncture?
I guess the word pitch has negative connotations in our society, as well, because it implies unsolicited interaction. No one likes this. It’s not great. If I’m standing in an elevator and someone starts talking to me without me looking at them, and then I look away and respond in a clipped way, this is unsolicited. If I say “Sorry, I’m not interested in talking right now” and they continue talking to me, that’s not great. I don’t think anyone would like that… however, if I’m standing in an elevator, and someone talks to me and I look at them, and talk to them, then that’s clearly solicited communication. We’re both communicating in a friendly way.
So long as everyone’s in a “happy place”, pitch or not, it makes no difference. “Just telling someone what you do” can be the same thing as “a pitch” and either might end after the first sentence, or involve a sale (or even a whole set of sales, if the person is a networker).
The problem with the original poster’s question is that it didn’t have enough specificity to actually be a question that can be answered. That’s ok, though, it engenders discussion.
Hope you’re having a great day,
JulianNovember 26, 2015 at 1:43 am #1190725Up::0getcontented.com.au, post: 224715, member: 72814 wrote:It’s not always the case… I’m here because I enjoy thinking about and discussing this stuff. It helps me to discover what’s taking place. I find business immensely interesting.Julian, I’m not sure if you read my reply ”To me if the only reason you are at the breakfast club or forum, or whatever is because you are longer term looking to gain some business.”
I fully agree there are people who go to these things as an experience or to help fellow travelers out with no intention of seeking business (me as an example). But my response was based on if you are seeking to gain business longer term, than it is a pitch, if you go for it hard or the softly softly approach.
November 26, 2015 at 1:50 am #1190726Up::0bb1, post: 224716, member: 53375 wrote:Julian, I’m not sure if you read my reply ”To me if the only reason you are at the breakfast club or forum, or whatever is because you are longer term looking to gain some business.”I fully agree there are people who go to these things as an experience or to help fellow travelers out with no intention of seeking business (me as an example). But my response was based on if you are seeking to gain business longer term, than it is a pitch, if you go for it hard or the softly softly approach.
So, Bertie, i think you have an awesome approach to the forum. In my daily life i tend to coach others in a way that they can clearly articulate a pitch in order to garnish additional clients with potentially higher yields than their existing client base.. Is this something that would interest you? Feel free to hit me up on the below digits, any time… LOL
Ask for Logistics in Linguistics when you call.. ROFL
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888November 26, 2015 at 1:50 am #1190727Up::0bb1, post: 224716, member: 53375 wrote:Julian, I’m not sure if you read my reply ”To me if the only reason you are at the breakfast club or forum, or whatever is because you are longer term looking to gain some business.”I fully agree there are people who go to these things as an experience or to help fellow travelers out with no intention of seeking business (me as an example). But my response was based on if you are seeking to gain business longer term, than it is a pitch, if you go for it hard or the softly softly approach.
Yeah, I read your response, and replied (I thought, sorry if that didn’t come across!).
Fair enough, though.
There’s a certain way of viewing a pitch as any time you’re trying to convince anyone of something (the thing you’re “selling” is your opinion in this case). So there’s one way to see it.
I notice that you very much do this quite often. I really appreciate the way you do this, actually. You don’t mess about and you get straight to the heart of the issue for you. It’s refreshing.
November 26, 2015 at 1:52 am #1190728Up::0HarryLuke Logistics, post: 224718, member: 34537 wrote:So, Bertie, i think you have an awesome approach to the forum. In my daily life i tend to coach others in a way that they can clearly articulate a pitch in order to garnish additional clients with potentially higher yields than their existing client base.. Is this something that would interest you? Feel free to hit me up on the below digits, any time… LOLAsk for Logistics in Linguistics when you call.. ROFL
Oh, the irony upon irony
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