Getting Past Your Fear of Pitching
Sometimes you just have to jump…As a freelancer, getting gigs often means pitching your ideas to potential clients. This is especially true for writers like myself. However, what holds many aspiring freelancers back is fear.
Personally, I’ve held back many of my ideas for fear of looking foolish to the potential client, but certainly the big one for most is simply fear of rejection.
Because of my fears I’ve spent a lot of time only pitching articles that I knew would be accepted (mostly business stories for small trade publications) even though it means fewer jobs and nights working in a call center to pay the rent.
Then while reading newspapers and magazines on shift, I’d see articles, usually personal essays, that were less than impressive and couldn’t believe someone got paid to write that drivel.
“Why?” was always what I would ask.
There’s an obvious answer to that question: the writer pitched the story to the editor, the editor liked the idea, it went to print and the writer got paid.
The important thing is that the writer didn’t give in to their fear and instead just sent the story idea in. Overcoming fear of looking foolish or having the story rejected. And often that’s just what needs to be done to get work.
In order to get past those fears you must first face them:
Fear of Looking Foolish
It is possible someone will see your proposal and think: “What’s wrong with this person?” but it is just as possible they’ll think it’s brilliant, or at least something they want to buy. You won’t know unless you try and if nothing else it’s one of the easiest ways to get feedback. Barring the annoying form rejections you get from larger companies, most will at least provide a brief explanation as to why your bid wasn’t accepted.
Common sense is really what’s needed to avoid looking like the fool. Make sure to proofread your proposal (no editor will buy a story from a writer who can’t spell) and make sure you’ve done your homework on the client (don’t pitch a how-to guide on bathing cats to a business publication.)
Otherwise, just go with it. First impressions are important, but that can also result in spending too much time trying to perfect that first contact. Remember the words of surrealist Salvador Dali: “Do not fear perfection for you will never achieve it.”
Fear of Rejection
There’s no real way around this one. It’s going to happen. It sucks, but wallowing in it is bad for business. I know writers who’ve had to send a dozen pitches to the same editor before they had one accepted. Persistence pays off.
Besides, a few days ago I received a form letter rejection from a public broadcaster about a radio documentary I’d proposed months ago. That same night, on a whim, I sent a pitch to an up and coming website for freelancers. You just finished reading the result of that.
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Well I for one am very happy you got over your fear of pitching and contacted us Robert! This article is fantastic and I think everyone here is going to love your column!
I agree with Collis and you’ve proven another point by submitting to a great new site like FSw: it’s far better to get your work out there and seen than to be sitting in your office surrounded by lots of expensive story ideas and no takers. The better editors don’t wait around for concepts to fall in their laps, they seek out new writers.
The fear I have is getting work and to know where the work is. I’m a special needs educator with 2 blogs and trying to earn some money with those.
I’m not sure where I can go to as a freelance educator. My fear is that I do the wrong things to get work as a freelance.
I’ve had a couple of bad experiences with pitching, however if it’s executed well, it can yeild wonderful results. It’s all about just biting the bullet and taking the plunge!
Great article.
Yes, fear is the worst advisor. I started a blog last October/06, and only now I overcome the panic of writing about Mortgage issues for the spanish speaking community in USA. Final objective: be seen as an Expert. Look as I’m behind my schedule.
Excelent article
Not only do I have a HUGE fear of pitching, I have an even bigger fear that I will never be able to finish a project on time, or to the satisfaction of the client. I worked with an advertising agency in upstate New York for a few months, and even the simplest of assignments I was given got blown out of proportion and stretched out due to an indecisive CEO. Whenever I’d mention anything about going over hours due to massive amounts of changes they’d send, I’d always get dangled over my head that I was “bleeding them dry.” I’ve thought about giving up but I’ve taken a few months before I look for new clients.
Nicely said Matt “It’s all about just biting the bullet”
If you never try, you’ll never succeed no matter how good you are, but as long as you’re willing to at least try, you’ll get places
The beginning is always the hardest part. Once you’ve got a few notches in your belt, it’s almost comical how easy something becomes.
Oh man, what a terrible article, you suck, back to the call centre with you!!
hehe, only kidding. Good article and a subject close to my heart, fear is the mind killer!
Good one! Hope you’ll write some more here on FSw. It’s time to see those “notches in your belt”.
Yep – After the switch, the pitch become the bitch at the gate waiting to knock down your confidence another level.
No easy recipe or magic pill to swallow to provide with the exception that i try to remind myself that anxiety and nervousness is not all such a bad thing. It’s part of the energy that needs to cycle itself until you become more self aware that even if you are turned down, it’s not the end of the world.
Great comments – thanks
M
Steve and Michael, your quotes are great.
I’m not a writer but I’m a creative, I do art direction. It’s funny that you write this article on pitching because I can relate it to my area of expertise. I’m working on some logos right now that aren’t going so smoothly. I always try to go that extra step and do something unique but this time I guess I’ve really been pushing the limit and I’m experiencing some rejection where previously there was none. I have to keep reminding myself that this is part of the growing process. Maybe I’m not as good of a logo designer as I thought but this rejection seems to be making me work harder and keep poundin’ the pavement to see how I can improve. But I can defintely say that rejection makes you re-consider your capabilities; maybe it’s for the better. Without rejection we might not improve.
True, for a writer.
But if you’re a designer who gets invited to pitch in order to win business, this is a BAD idea. The reason?
The bulk of your work and your value – perhaps 90% – lies in 2 things:
1. Your ability to understand the client’s business and who they are talking to.
2. Your design output, what the final piece looks like.
Both of these are required to be submitted at “pitch” stage.
Now, who wants to pour their heart and soul into understanding a client’s business and then rendering their most beautiful design, knowing that you have a 50%, or probably less, chance of winning the client?
Personally, I like to know that I am being paid fairly for something before I start working on it. If not, I’d rather work in a call centre.