How to Pitch Ideas: Lessons from Canada Reads
I specialize in helping people with great ideas share their stories better but it’s amazing how many of those ideas get lost because they aren’t told effectively. As a documentary filmmaker, I have interviewed hundreds of leaders, entrepreneurs and artists and discovered that there are certain elements that make a story not only stand out but also make it easy to remember and share.
Listening to the opening pitches from Canada Reads this week, I was reminded of some of the key ways to make sure an idea is shared. Canada Reads is a yearly contest hosted by the broadcaster CBC featuring five prominent Canadian panelists defending five Canadian books all in an effort to be crowned winner in a type of a “literary Survivor.” For authors, winning this contest can mean significant economic gain. According to Pamela Millar from BookNet Canada the Canada Reads winner experiences sales eight times higher during the weeks immediately following the contest. Therefore, for these panelists, the pressure is on to pitch in a way that will allow their author to win and will help drive book sales. They need to find a way to help the audience remember the book and be compelled to engage. So which panelists pitched well and what can we learn from them? Here are my four key takeaways.
Make it Personal — The first strategy to make your idea relatable and easily remembered is to make it personal. Jully Black, the panelist representing The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline shared a personal story when she stated, “This book opened my eyes to the fact that grief does not have to stay with you forever. I just buried my mom two month ago and got the book and it totally elevated my life.” Immediately after hearing about her personal story she has targeted two unique audiences, anyone experiencing grief and anyone who wants to read this book to help them handle grief better in the future. She has also helped the audience begin to trust her since she has been open and she told us a story which means we are much more likely to remember the book she is representing.
Tell Me What’s In It For Me — The second strategy is to remove obstacles that would prevent your audience from engaging. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information, we want to know that the time we invest in reading a book or checking out a project or idea will be worth it. Greg Johnson who defended Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson stated “Precious Cargo, it’s easy to read and it’s funny and it’s more important now than ever. ” Not only does this remove what could be considered an obstacle but it also identifies a unique differentiator of being easy and funny. This sets up Precious Cargo as being different from the other books which may be seen as of consequence but difficult. It’s the difference between thinking we “should” read Tolstoy’s War & Peace but wanting to devour a page-turner like Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
In this case, each reader has a problem to solve, how will they find a book that is worthy of their limited time? Here, Johnson goes a step further by offering another advantage to choosing this book: the promise of transformation. He says, “After reading Precious Cargo I understand that our lives could be very different.” This statement leads the audience to believe that they might also experience a transformation and expanded worldview if they read the book.
Enthusiasm — When pitching any idea, if you’re not excited no one else will be. It was clear in the opening pitches that each author believed their book was a valuable and important read, but what is more challenging is to communicate enthusiasm. Many individuals veer away from it fearing they will come across as gushing, insincere or that it will make them seem less professional. However, as humans we gravitate towards energy and enthusiasm. Johnson used his tone of voice and pace to build momentum. He even took it to the next level by sharing the last line of the book and stating “That’s the most perfect line ever written.” By the time we finish the book, we may disagree with Johnson, but his enthusiasm made us more likely to check out his recommendation.
Include a Shareable Line — Missing from all of the pitches on Canada Reads however, was one key element, the final line. What is the one thing you want people to remember and do? Audiences need to be told again what the name of the book is and the one reason they should read it. Many of the panelists chose to end their pitch by mentioning the theme of the contest, “this book will open your eyes,” but that doesn’t make their book stand out in the pack because that is what everyone is saying. No product or book is for everyone so know your audience and own it. For example, “This book is what I wished I’d had when…” or “If you only have time for one book choose this one because…”
The key to a great pitch is to evoke curiosity. A good pitch should provide us with one line that reminds us what the product is and why it would benefit us. By using the tools of storytelling and enthusiasm you can make sure your ideas don’t fall flat. Although there is much written about pitching in corporate settings for tech startups there is currently a gap in the creative industries. The Transmedia Zone at Ryerson University, an incubator for projects in storytelling and media is changing this reality by training emerging creatives in pitching their ideas. By bringing together the best practices of business and the creativity of the arts, we can ensure that great ideas, solutions and books won’t get lost in the crowd. Instead, they can be pitched in a way that is memorable and shareable.
