Is It Me, Or Is It Karma?

I’m on the other side of the pitch process and can’t help but wonder, am I being punished for years of unanswered emails?

Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash

I’ve spent the better part of the past 15 years at some stage of the pitch process: either pitching stories, receiving pitches, developing pitches, or (the worst) rejecting pitches.

And until now, I didn’t realize how much of my time in my last job was spent ignoring pitches.

And I think that’s why this current state is karmic retribution.

See, in my last job I was a senior producer of a national, daily lifestyle program. I had worked there since the launch of the show and spent a decade helping shape the tone and focus of the program. My inbox would be flooded with pitches. Some I read, many I didn’t get past the subject line. But very rarely did I respond, even with a rejection.

I knew it was rude. I knew it was not a kind way to treat someone waiting for feedback, good or bad. But there were many tasks on my to-do list and rejecting a pitch was the last thing I wanted to do.

Now, my job is purely pitching. Pitching to get my client on TV. Pitching to get her paid spokesperson gigs. Pitching myself to new clients. And now I’m trying to get a new venture off the ground: pitching my coaching services to companies and employees who want to elevate their video call production now that remote work is a long-term reality.

By the end of the day my sent folder is bigger than my inbox (and this includes all the random newsletters I’ve signed up for and rarely read. Looking at you, Apartment Therapy and Houzz). Half of the sent folder is follow up emails. And followups to the followups.

Which makes me think, this must be karmic retribution for all the pitches I left hanging in limbo.

I can’t go back in time and reply to all of the unanswered pitches. I can only accept this is part of my new reality and the business I’m hoping to build. Here are some coping strategies I’ve developed to stay focused and keep pitching:

1. Follow up. Then follow up again. In my previous life as the receiver of pitches, there have been times when someone wore me down and I would either give them a chance or give them feedback. Keep following up. Yes, people are busy. But you never know when you’ll catch the person at the right time and they’ll finally be in the right headspace to accept what you’re selling.
2. Expand your reach. You know the one person you reached out to? They have a colleague. That colleague has their own brain, their own schedule and their own priority list. Send your pitch to them and everyone in their department. But be transparent about it. Remember, they work in the same organization and will see the cut and paste. Reference the other person you pitched and suggest they might be interested as well.
3. Tweak and update. Any time I follow up, I add a new idea. A new twist on an earlier pitch (you know, the one that didn’t land for whatever reason) or a new idea entirely. And I add this to a database of pitch ideas, so when a new show comes on my radar, I have a library of relevant ideas to send to them as well. But even then, I will tweak and adjust to what I think they might be interested in. And make sure the show hasn’t already covered this topic. If they have, put a new spin on it. Most of TV is followup content anyway.
4. Leave your desk. This is where #wfh and #pandemicpuppy combine. You can’t will a reply by constantly checking your email. Trust me. I’ve tried. I block time in my day for pitching and following up. I designate a few hours in the morning, and then another in the afternoon. In between, I take the dog out for walks. This is a relatively new development. I used to send her to doggy day care during the work week so I would have my usual 8-hours of uninterrupted work. The only problem is, I would spent 8 hours of uninterrupted pitching, checking email and obsessing over the lack of response. The last thing you want is an air of desperation when a pitch is finally received. Break up your day with non-work things. Or work things that don’t involve pitching, like admin work or writing a blog post. Building in time for other things ensures you’ll be fresh, balanced and focused to take your idea to the next step.
5. Remember, people are busy. It’s tempting to get snarky or passive aggressive with each followup. My feelings also get hurt when I see another day pass with no response — even from people I worked with for years. But people aren’t putting off responding to be mean (even though it feels like a punishment). Case in point, a few days ago I sent a draft of a sales deck I put together for a project I’ve been developing for months. I sent it to a half dozen of my closest friends for feedback. One responded. Her feedback was spot on. Last night I met two of the friends who didn’t respond for drinks and they were very apologetic about not having time to give feedback. After learning what they’re dealing with in their respective jobs I was reminded of what’s really happening when people don’t respond to pitches. They have long, hefty priority lists and my request was, quite rightly, at the bottom. Doesn’t mean it will always be low-priority. Everything is temporary, including stress. At some point they might have the bandwidth to look at what I sent and give the feedback I need.

None of these tips will increase the odds of someone returning an email or accepting a pitch. It still comes down to sending the right idea to the right person at the right time. And that requires research, refining and persistence. But what you do while you’re waiting is just as important as the work itself.