Pitch with Passion & Enthusiasm

Pitch. Sell. Propose.

The words create tension, angst, and fear for many. Are you one of them? Over the past year, I've observed how many people have a problem with selling. Alongside that observation, I've noticed how powerful selling is and that is truly is the most lucrative occupation in the world. After all, no matter what your station in life, your ability to succeed and transcend to new levels of success is predicated, at least in part, on your ability to sell.

And by sell, I mean to exchange one valuable thing for another. For some reason, selling has gotten a bad rap as being that slimy, imposing, pushy thing only unscrupulous men in cheap polyester suits do. Yet when I look at some of the most successful people in our world -past and present- Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and others, they ALL possessed and developed the ability to persuade people - many, many people - to adopt their perspectives. In short, they sold the masses on their ideas, and in the process, they effected change in the world.

How do you feel about selling? I realized a couple of years ago that I had some "stuff" around selling - I was totally uncomfortable with promoting myself and selling myself or my businesses. After doing some reading and studying, I realized that selling is NOT slimy. In fact, I was withholding all of my brilliance and inspiration from the world by not selling. There were throngs of people who needed what I had...but how would they know if I never pitched it? How would they know unless I promoted myself with passion & enthusiasm? I managed to free myself from the mire of "Selling is icky" by being willing to fearlessly step outside of my comfort zone. I decided to "turn it on" - after all, I knew how to sell. I could sell ice in the winter, in the words of the rap scholar Mr. Jay-Z. I was good at it and needed to realize the importance of it to be willing to do it.

So today, I challenge you to become a better seller. Selling is not restricted to business activity either. Every day, we're selling someone on something...a spouse on where to vacation, a friend on where to eat for dinner, a boss on a raise. We don't realize the power of our pitches, but those who do get powerful results.

Work on your pitch today. Next time you ask someone for something, analyze your pitch...
1. Are you creating value for the other party? What's in it for them?
2. Are you receiving value for you your created value?
3. What is the other party's perspective on your proposition? Where are they coming from?
4. Why is this important to you?

Asking yourself these questions will improve your pitches personally and professionally. Give them a shot next time you make a request!

Later.