Pitch an idea with finesse

By: Kimberly Elsbach

Coming up with creative ideas is easy; selling them to strangers is hard… It turns out that the problem has as much to do with the seller’s traits as with an idea’s inherent quality.

The person on the receiving end tends to gauge the pitcher’s creativity as well as the proposal itself. And judgements about the pitcher’s ability to come up with workable ideas can quickly and permanently overshadow perceptions of the idea’s worth. Research suggests that humans can categorise others in less than 150 milliseconds. Within 30 minutes, they have made lasting judgements about your character.

People on the receiving end of pitches have no formal, verifiable or objective measures for assessing that elusive trait: creativity. Catchers — even the expert ones — therefore, apply a set of subjective and often inaccurate criteria very early in the encounter, and from that point on, the tone is set.

I’ve discovered that catchers tend to respond well if they are made to feel that they are participating in an idea’s development… By getting your catcher to view himself or herself as a creative collaborator, you can improve your chances of selling an idea.

Catchers should beware of relying on stereotypes. It’s all too easy to be dazzled by pitchers who ultimately can’t get their projects off the ground, and it’s just as easy to overlook the creative individuals who can make good on their ideas.

From “How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea”