We've all heard of the "elevator pitch" – an overview of an idea for a product or service that gets the point across quickly.
Entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to venture capitalists. Job seekers are encouraged to develop a compiling elevator pitch to land an interview. Speed dating has even introduced the elevator pitch into our romantic lives.
What about speechwriters? Why should we bother to develop an elevator pitch for a proposed speech topic? Why not just get on with it and start writing?
Pitching your ideas
Freelance writers and journalists are used to pitching a story idea to an editor. They write a brief outline of the topic and the approach that they've taken. Based on this, the editor can determine whether the idea suits the needs of the publication. In other words, they sell the story to the editor before they write it.
Whether you are freelance speechwriter or work in government or private industry, pitching an idea for a speech has a number of advantages. It's a proactive move that shows you are a true professional.
Peter Giesinger, a speechwriter based in Canberra, Australia, uses pitches in two ways. He crafts a speech outline to pitch an executive he's representing as a potential speaker for a conference. If the conference organizers express interest, he uses that same outline to pitch the executive on the idea of delivering the speech.
Giesinger has found that for his pitch to succeed, he must do his homework. He researches the opportunity in depth and sees wherever the event aligns with the speaker's expertise and priorities. He determines whether the proposed topic is relevant to the specific audience. Only if it checks out will it proceed with the pitch.
Elements of the pitch
The main aspects of the pitch include:
- What is the speech about? Be sure to include the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of the event, the topic and the speaker.
- What's unique about the speech? What angle on this topic will your client take that's different from that of other speakers?
- Why is the speech important or interesting to this audience? You'll have to convince the conference organizer that it's worth time on their agenda.
For a pitch to be compelling you also need to:
- Pitch ideas, not just topics. A speech should be newsworthy, informative, even controversial. Will it make the audience sit up and take notice?
- Understand what the conference organizer is looking for. The speech must connect with the theme of the meeting.
- Reassure the client. They need to be sold on the idea that this will make them look good and advance their own agenda.
Multiple advantages
A pitch is effective if it secures a booking for the speaker. But the real payoff comes next.
There are a number of side benefits to a great pitch. The pitch can be easily repurposed into a speech abstract for the conference agenda.
These are often required weeks in advance of the event. It can also serve as a blueprint for the full text. The tight focus on the core message of the speech will keep you on track as you work through the various drafts.
Michael Gury, a New York-area marketing and branding expert, finds the effort he puts into researching the pitch pays off. The details he gathers about the venue, locale, and organization help make the speech unique. This is useful when, as with many freelancers, he might not know the client well enough to be able to write in their "voice" – especially if it's the first time he's working with them. "The research helps add tidbits to flavor the speech," Gury says. "It can make the moment special for the audience."
So do not just sit around passively waiting for your next assignment. It's time to wind up and pitch your ideas.