Always be pitching (but not always)
The phrase “Always be Pitching” is common in business parlance. Startups vying for investment are schooled that every conversation is a potential pitch. The idea is that you don’t let an opportunity pass to mention your product, service or brand. This highly transactional attitude – where each new person you meet is a potential client or investor – can leave independent, creative people (like game designers) feeling cold. But what can we learn from it?
Benefits of the ‘Always Be Pitching’ mindset
The more people you talk to about what you’re working on, the more people will know. Obvious? Well, yes. But it’s still worth saying. Selling is often a numbers game. Take the licensing of games, for instance. You might have to tell forty publishers about your game for one to license it. The more you speak to, the more chance you’ll find that one.
Pitching can lead to more connections. The more people you talk to the more referrals you will get. Even if the person you’re pitching to isn’t interested, they may suggest someone they know that might be worth talking to. They may even put you in touch.
Pitching to Sydney Engelstein
Pitching to Kate Goss while sitting on the floor at Essen
The more you pitch, the better you get. Each time you talk about your idea (or your game), you get a bit better at it. You learn by noticing which phrases spark an emotional response. You cut out the waffle and hone in on the key information.
The more you pitch, the more natural it is to pitch. It’s common to put off sales conversations or restrict them to specific dedicated events. But the danger is that you’re pitching skills get rusty and you may start to dread these interactions. Pitch regularly and you’ll view pitches more as focussed conversations that are easy to switch in and out of.
You’re more likely to capitalise on unexpected opportunities. If you’re always open to pitching, you are more likely to recognise an opportunity to pitch and seize it. You don’t know when you’re going to meet the next person that might be interested in what you’re offering. But if you’re always prepared to pitch, you’re always ready to pitch.
The more you pitch, the more feedback you get on your ideas. Keep your ideas close and you don’t benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of the industry you work in. When you get the same kind of feedback multiple times, it becomes increasingly valuable and important. Getting feedback increases your own expertise and enables you to improve.
What do we mean by pitching?
Of course, there are different kinds of pitching. Mentioning a game you’re working on in appropriate conversation is very different from setting a full prototype up on the table and launching into a full 20 minute explanation.
If you’re expecting feedback at that time, then it’s a formal pitch. If you’re mentioning a game in the hopes of being able to pitch it properly later, then that’s a speculative pitch.
With Caezar from Alley Cat… not pitching
When you shouldn’t pitch
One of the reasons you might get a cold shiver down your spine when you hear the phrase ‘always be pitching’ is because we’ve all met people who pitch inappropriately. For example, are people who might interrupt a conversation between two people in order to deliver a pitch. Don’t be that person.
It’s crucial to remember that you are selling yourself, not just your game. If you behave like a dick, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to get your game signed. Publishers are looking for good working relationships with designers. Developing that relationship for the long term is more important than any individual pitch.
With friends from Buffalo Games… playing, not pitching
Of course, not every game will suit every publisher. Do your research. Don’t pitch children’s games to a heavy euro publisher, or vice versa. It’s time wasting and unprofessional. Instead, use it as an opportunity to start a relationship. You never know what kinds of games you may design, or what that publisher might be looking for in the future.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t pitch to anyone who doesn’t want to be pitched to. Try to develop your spidey sense to work out when pitching is inappropriate. And if you’re unsure, it’s ok to ask.
Playing it by ear
I’ve been in situations where I thought I was walking into a formal pitch, prototypes at the ready… and then it became clear that the publisher I was meeting really just wanted to chat and have a cuppa. I’ve also been in situations where I thought I was meeting a publisher just for a chat and a cuppa and they were clearly expecting me to pitch.
Try to be ready and relaxed enough to play it by ear. If you don’t think you’ll be pitching, you still might want to have games at the ready to show. If you are expecting to pitch but aren’t able to, it’s fine to ask how they would like you to share new game ideas.
Four final tips
- Get the marketing assets ready as soon as you’ve ‘finished’ the game. Don’t wait until the week before your next formal pitching event. Then you’ll be ready whenever opportunities present themselves.
- Ask people you meet how they like to take pitches and if you can arrange one for the next few weeks. Don’t wait for the next convention. Be proactive. Turn today’s speculative pitches into tomorrow’s formal pitches.
- Carry business cards and have an online profile you can direct people to. If you’ve had a good conversation with someone, they may want to look you up. Make it easy for them to find you and your work.
- Get contact details from people you speak to. It’s not enough to give them your card because then you’re relying on them to get in touch. You have to be proactive about following up on conversations.
With Tanya Thompson from Hasbro and other friends… playing, not pitching
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