There’s a difference between “selling” and “pitching.”
- Companies raising money “pitch” investors.”
- Creative agencies pitch potential customers. They pitch creative concepts to existing clients.
- Writers pitch concepts to publishers and agents.
What do these people have in common? The center of gravity is the big idea. The premium is on controlling the narrative (it’s not meant to be a conversation), creating intrigue, telling a great story, setting up and delivering a “big reveal,” and creating desire.
Selling is different. The center of gravity is on creating a connection with the buyer and using that connection to develop insights into the change the buyer is trying to affect.
Selling and pitching go together, but they’re different. You can pitch without selling. You can sell without pitching. You can do them both together.
Neither will work well for you if the situation calls for one and you show up to do the other.