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Three Steps to a Winning Pitch PDF Print E-mail

Step Three:  Have a mutual conversation

The best pitches are, ironically, un-pitch-like.  They are a conversation.  High decibel huckstering turns listeners off. Members of this industry are all part of a mutually dependent food chain in which  buyers need to buy.  They want to listen to you; they want your pitch to be good; they want to find good product. If you have researched them, if you are thinking like them and making their needs your priority, they will want to talk with you.

Don’t memorize your ‘pitch patter’ and replay it every time you sit down with a buyer. Your pitch will be most effective if it allows the buyer to get the information they want. Since you can’t know what information they need to make the best decision for their company, your best tactic is to encourage them to ask questions.  And of course, to respond effectively, you need to be able to convey your story in a concise and compelling way. Be prepared to discuss all of the following:
  • Story
  • Genre
  • Budget level
  • Target audience
  • Proposed financing structure (roughly)
  • Proposed cast
  • Key creatives
  • Saleable elements (elements in the screenplay or packaging that make your project attractive to its target audience)
  • Strategy for international sales
  • Any other information relevant to the uniqueness of your project 
Keep track of the information you’ve given a buyer during a meeting, and if important elements of your pitch haven’t been discussed, bring them up before the end.

 
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