Relating a Sale to a Pitch

Coming from the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno, I was taught to have a very logical mindset. During my first internship experience in PR, I came in with a different perspective on many things because of my schooling. I was learning why consumers buy what they buy and how supply chain management flows through a logistics business; writing a press release and updating media lists were foreign to me.

I struggled with a lot of the PR jargon that was being said around me; but one concept that helped me understand and helped me succeed in my tasks was the realization that writing a pitch was just like making a sale. Below are the 3 similarities that I use to help me create the perfect pitch:

Making strong relationships with your clients

To start, everyone has their own way of writing a pitch; just like how everyone has their own way of reaching out and building that connection when making a sale. It is important to build a strong relationship because in the world of both PR and sales, you are competing with many others, and having that personal connection to your clients and publications will make them want to work with you.

Understanding what your client wants

Knowing who your target audience is, is crucial in both making a sale and writing a pitch. If you don’t know what your client wants or is looking for, it will be more difficult to communicate with them. For example; when writing a pitch, it would be beneficial to an agency to research news stations ahead of time and find out what kind of stories they like to cover and write about. When making a sale, it would be beneficial to research your target demographic and consumer hobbies to get a feel for that type of market.

Follow Up

Following up on an email pitch or a sale is one of the most important steps to remember and it is the second step toward continuing that personal relationship. Just a quick follow up email for a press release or phone call for making a sale shows the client or media contact that you’re invested. It’s a great way to build a relationship for a future opportunities as well.

Coming into an industry that you have never worked in can be super challenging. Finding this similarity between sales/marketing and PR really helped me to understand why an agency takes certain steps with their clients. I’ve grown to realize that any field of work that deals with people’s wants, needs, and desires, can benefit from these tips. I hope you do too!