Why my pitch didn't work? #selfnote

I’ve honed my skills over time—directing videos, crafting stories—but when it came to pitching myself, Let’s just say I had the charisma of a cardboard cutout. I thought my work would speak for itself, but here’s the hard truth: if you can’t pitch yourself, no one will know what you’re capable of.

For the longest time, I would approach potential clients with a lackluster introduction, saying things like, “I do videography, photography, and graphic design.” I thought listing my skills would speak for itself. But that was a mistake. I was getting polite smiles, nods, and no follow-ups and I'll come home wondering why pitch didn't work?

What I was doing wrong

I wasn’t telling a story about how I could solve their specific problems. Instead, I was just listing services, leaving it up to the potential client to figure out how I fit into their goals. Worse, I was often too passive, waiting for them to ask more questions, when in reality, I should have been the one leading the conversation.

The Newbie Trap: Where I Went Wrong

I walked into meetings, laid out my qualifications, and hoped that my work would speak for itself. But that’s where I faltered—I was so focused on showing that I could do the job, I forgot that clients want to see what you can do for them.

Being perceived as a beginner isn’t just about lack of experience, it’s about how you carry yourself in a pitch. Clients need to trust you’ll deliver results, not that you’re still learning the ropes.

The Mindset Shift: From Newbie to Work Bee

One major thing I learned: don’t sound like you’re learning on the job—sound like you’re solving problems right away. Your pitch shouldn’t focus on your journey, it should focus on the client’s outcome.

Here’s how I adjusted my pitch:

1. Lead with Confidence: When you enter a room, you need to position yourself as someone who’s not experimenting but delivering. I stopped talking about how I was learning new techniques or equipment and started talking about how those techniques brought results for my past clients.

   • Old Pitch: “I’ve been working with different cameras to improve my shots.”

   • New Pitch: “I use advanced camera techniques that help brands communicate visually in a way that increases engagement.”

2. Talk About Work, Not Worries: When you pitch, it’s easy to over-explain or worry that you’re underselling yourself. Don’t. Clients don't care about every single skill you have—they want to know how you'll get the job done. Be concise and solution-oriented.

   • Instead of “I’m working on improving my editing speed,”

   • Try “I ensure fast turnaround times without sacrificing quality.”

3. Problem First, Solution Second: The moment I started asking clients about their problems first, I found my pitches resonated more. Instead of telling them about my creative process, I started asking, "What's your biggest challenge right now?" Then, I’d explain exactly how my skills could fix that.
   

The Work Bee Mentality

Here's the most important part of my evolution: I positioned myself as a work bee, not a newbie. The work bee mentality is about being proactive, adaptive, and focused on the client's results. It’s saying, “I’m here to do the work, and I’ll make sure it gets done no matter what.”

Instead of talking about what I wanted to do, I focused on what needed to be done. If a client need visuals, I am showing them how my content drove engagement for other businesses, whether they were city enterprises or remote First Nation communities.

The Plan Moving Forward

Here’s how my next pitch will change:

• Lead with the solution: Instead of starting with a description of what I do, I’m going to show the client how I can solve their problem, specifically.

• Results over process: I won’t say “I do videography.” Instead, I’ll say, “I’ll help you create video content that drives engagement and boosts conversions, like I did for X client.”

• Be specific: Clients need concrete examples of how I’ve transformed businesses, whether I was working with a local business or a remote community. Results, not just features.

Your Pitch Exercise

If you’re like me and have struggled to pitch yourself effectively, it’s time to rethink your approach. Here’s an exercise to refine your pitch:

1. What problem does the client have?

   • Ask yourself: What’s the biggest pain point for the businesses you want to work with?

2. How can you solve that problem?

   • Identify what your specific service will do to address that issue.

3. What results can you offer?

   • Think about the last few projects you’ve delivered. What measurable outcome did they achieve? Use that as your talking point.

4. Why should they trust you?

   • Give them a reason to believe you can deliver, whether it’s past experience, client testimonials, or tangible metrics from previous work.

5. Refine it: Take your answers and build a short, impactful statement that speaks directly to what you offer—and how it helps them.
   

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t failing because I didn’t know my craft—I was failing because I didn’t know how to sell it. But now that I’ve identified the problem, I’m changing how I present my work. My next pitch won’t be about my services, it’ll be about the results I can bring to the table.