#16 – No.1 Tip For A Successful Business Pitch To A Client

Every time the topic of pitching comes up, you either feel drained or intimidated but it doesn’t have to be this way. 

My business somersaulted once I started pitching right and I want to share my top tip with you so that the next time you’ve to reach out to a client, you say, “bring it on!”

Let me start by defining a business pitch

A business pitch is basically putting forward the idea of working together professionally in some or the other capacity with another party or a client.

So in our case, a business pitch could be an email sent from a food blogger to a chocolate brand pitching the idea of a collaboration.

A business pitch could be an email sent from a photographer to a restaurant chef expressing the interest of doing a photoshoot for them.

It could also be a food stylist, blogger, photographer or any creative reaching out to a magazine, looking for a feature in their next issue.

Whenever you’re reaching out professionally to another party and putting an idea forward to work together, it is a business pitch.

Finding your dream client

Whether you’re an influencer, a food blogger, a photographer, a stylist, a writer – we all have dream clients or brands we want to work with. In fact, if you’re a professional creative, your first steps in business should be to determine who is your ideal client and reach out to them expressing your interest to work together.

But this is where it gets tricky.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve spoken to photographers who would have started a new photography business but they share how discouraged they are from reaching out to clients because no one ever responds.

It’s like sending emails into a blackhole. You keep writing and writing and no one ever responds. Has that happened to you?

It’s happened to me, and so many others. But there is one way that you can change that.

The best kind of business pitch

Who replies and who doesn’t isn’t in our control, but what is within our control is to create such a compelling pitch, that the person reading it is interested and intrigued, increasing your chances of hearing back.

When I started my career as a commercial food photographer, I had a list of clients I wanted to work with and I would copy and paste the same email and send it across because at the end of the day my intention was the same – to work with them. I can’t remember if anyone ever replied.

And while I was in that process of feeling frustrated and rejected – I remembered something – and what I remembered changed everything for me.

What I’m about to tell you is my biggest secret. It had a deep impact on how I pitch to clients, that I’m sharing it with you.

My big secret to a successful business pitch

When I was in Architecture Grad School in Texas, we often had professionals from architecture firms around the US visit our studio. Based on our interactions and conversations with them there would be a high chance of being hired by the best firms in the country.

Even though those conversations were casual, they had to be impactful. They could catapult our careers!

But I had a tough time making conversations at the time. I never knew what to say next or how to create a smooth, interesting flow of conversation.

One of my mentors and one of my favourite Professors in grad school saw my struggles.

He probably realised that I had potential but I was losing out on job opportunities, so he gave me and a few other students with the same problem some advice:

“When someone speaks to you, you have the power to make them feel like they’re having the best conversation of their lives. And how do you do that? By talking about them.”

That right there was the most powerful practice that I’ve since diligently used in both my personal and professional life.

The benefits of this kind of business pitch

Talking about someone else:

• Makes them feel like you’re interested in them
• They feel valued
• It makes them feel like you care about what they’re about
• They do the talking, making your life easier
• It makes them want to talk more with you

A complete win-win situation!

When my pitches were tanking I suddenly remembered those wise words by my Professor. It struck me that this is exactly what I should be bringing to my emails. I need to talk about the client and not myself.

A pitch email should not be about everything I do. It had to be what I do and how I would like to use my skills to do something significant for the client.

Positive results from the key to a successful pitch

So I went on a pitching marathon for months. I used this new approach and I kept writing to brands I wanted to work with but this time it was not copy/paste. It was a well-thought out curated email that was more about the client than about me.

It took a few months of pitching, follow ups and no replies but then I did start getting replies… and often a positive one.

Personalise your business pitch emails

Therefore, my number one tip courtesy my dear favourite Professor, is to personalise your business pitch emails.

What that means is that you need to talk more about the client and make them interested in you.

The way to do that is to express your connection to the brand and what you would like to do for them. And not vice versa.

How to reach out to your dream client

Let’s say you’re reaching out to a restaurant because you want to photograph their food.

Don’t let the tone of your email be – “Hi Chef, my name is so-and-so, I’m a photographer, this is the kind of work I do and I work with so-and-so brand. If you’d like photos of your food please contact me…”

Instead, talk about them and personalise your pitch.

Start with a one line introduction so they know who the email is from and immediately switch gears.

For example,
Hi Mark,
It is absolutely wonderful to connect with you through this email.

You see how different that sounds?

After addressing the Chef or person concerned, talk about the restaurant – what you like about it, how you connect to it, what stood out for you from the menu or anything that would make a client feel as though you are familiar with them, you are interested in them and you connect with their brand.

When I write pitch emails, I also try to include a way to communicate why we are a good fit for each other, so it becomes easier for them to visualise working with me.

Do not underestimate the power of a good business pitch, it is everything you need to get your foot in the door.

Of course there are a lot of factors that come into play for finally getting the job, like your portfolio, budget, scope, timeline etc. but really, that pitch email is your way to get your foot in the door so do not underestimate it.

Getting personal with your client and telling them why you want to work with them, is absolutely key for a successful business pitch.

Brands want to work with individuals who connect with their brand, their mission, their values and share their passion. If you genuinely feel that about a certain brand and can communicate it in your pitch, you’ve doubled your chances of standing out from your competition and actually getting the job.

Make your clients feel special

People buy from people and every business is run by people. We must always remember that when we write those pitch emails.

I’ll tell you this so you know that what I’m saying is backed by research. I’m not making it up.

My last role as an Architect was not only designing healthcare facilities, I was also Research Director. One of my research papers was on the patient experience in a healthcare setting

In the research we found that the number one aspect that elevates patient experience is personalisation.

A welcoming environment, with a personalised approach showed patients that the staff really cared about them and this created loyalty. It’s the same when we check into a hotel on vacation and the person at the reception says, “Hi Mr. and Mrs. Stockman, welcome to our hotel.” It feels special right?

My eyes always light up when someone knows something about me without me having mentioned it to them. So, you do that too.

Personalise your business pitch by using their name – that way you are telling the client that you know them and have done your homework. They feel special. They want to read further because it is addressed to them and when they read further, they feel even more drawn to you because you talk about them and what you can bring to the table for their brand.

Next, go in and add something really special about them or their work which not everyone might have made the effort to find out. For example, an award they might have won, or their childhood which influenced their career or a new business idea they launched.. scour the internet, do your homework and add that compelling part to your email.

It will hit the spot with the right client. I’m saying this by experience.

Keep at it…

That’s it – half the battle is won.

If you don’t hear back, which is quite common, follow up.

Don’t take it personally and don’t give up.

They will reply eventually if they’re interested, and many times they might even reply to say they don’t have a photography budget or aren’t looking for photos at that moment. But one way or the other, they will probably reply.

This is by far the most powerful way of writing a business pitch and honestly, a business pitch that is not personalised, just doesn’t cut it.

Conclusion

The next time you reach out to your ideal client or your dream client, find the right person to send that email to, address them by name, talk about them, write down why you want to work with them, what is about their branding that relates to you as a creative, and what you can do for them.

Remember to not undersell or undermine yourself. Come across as a humble yet confident person in the tone of your email.

Talking about the client in no way means that you’re any less in your skill or talent. It just means that you’re so comfortable and confident of your skills that you’re willing to reach out. You know what you can bring to the table so show the client what’s possible if they work with you.

Have a tone of humility and confidence. We love that in people too, so why not in an email too.

As we start the new year, tap in to the endless possibilities of working with any brand you wish to. Use this style to write your pitch and send out that email confidently, feeling pumped.

Don’t forget to attach or add a link to your portfolio. As I said, many factors play into finally getting the job but at least you put your best foot forward and even got your foot in the door.

That my friend, is a successful pitch.

I hope this was helpful and if you do use this practice to write your next business pitch email, let me know.

If you have any questions or feel stuck, please also get in touch. Just email me or send me a message on my social media platforms. I’m here to help you reach your dream clients.

Happy pitching!