Dear Publicists: Using These 3 Words Guarantee A Hard Pass

Have you ever just opened an email and shook your head? Unfortunately, it's a common theme throughout the day as a writer. Pitch after pitch, head shake after head shake, I wonder where people are learning how to land press coverage. There are simple techniques and strategies for pitching. 

Words matter. Every word is part of the story; it creates material that's either highly engaging or a hard pass. Verbiage is more than using or eliminating fluff. It's about whether or not the sentence structure comes across as positive or negative. More so than not, the pitches I do read leave me wondering if what the publicist or entrepreneur sent me is true. If I think it's going to take a lot of financial and social digging to determine the validity of the statements in the pitch, it's a hard pass on my end. 

Time and time again, pitches come through the inbox that resides more on an idea than an executable business model. When I see pitches like that, I either think 1) the person doesn't believe in what they are doing or the mission of their clients, or 2) they think that top-tier press will get them the funds they need to make their vision a reality. Either thought is not good. This insecure pitching only leads to more nos than yeses. 

Be careful with the words inside your pitch

By this point, you might be asking yourself what I mean. What are the non-confident words I'm eluding to in this chain of thought? Let me clarify. These are the words that will make or break your selling point. They make the writer question repeatedly while reading the pitch whether or not the story is true or an actual business. 

Make it a habit of eliminating these top three non-confident words from your pitches:

Hope - the silent killer of any pitch

For example, "We hope our foundation is making a difference." Immediately writers start to question: You hope? Why don't you know if it is or isn't? Is it because you actually haven't done it yet? On the surface, hope is a positive word. However, when it comes to pitching, it's extremely negative. It means that you or your client haven't done anything yet—there's no proof or credibility to your statement. It's like a cloud in the sky.

Will - the lazy word

People have ideas all the time. It doesn't mean that they actually act on it or will act on it. So when I see the word, I want to follow up with, "Why aren't you doing it now? Will you ever do it?" Will implies good intentions but doesn't guarantee you'll even try. 

Goal - doesn't hold anyone responsible

Everyone has goals of doing something but are you really working towards it? How much progress have you made? How long is it going to take for you to get there? For example, if you're pitching a timely story and state, "Our goal is to raise $100 million in a Series A round," but you've only raised $10 thousand. You can simply shrug it off with, "Our goal was $100 million, but the founder had to deal with a personal matter, so we extended our deadline." The goal doesn't matter if you're not working towards it or making progress. 

Instead, replace these words with, "We're working towards X." Or "So far, our progress has been X." It makes you and your clients seem in control, know what you're doing and have a viable business or foundation.

Choose your words meticulously. They paint the story you're trying to tell. Do you want to come across as a success or a pitch gone wrong? The terms are up to you. 

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