Fishing with hooks

Ernie: I don’t need a fishing pole Bert.

…

Bert: Hahaha, he calls them?! Hahaha, that’s rich. This I gotta see go ahead.

Ernie: Sure well, you see Bert, I have to call them really loud though so they can hear. You know the fish are under the water, so we have to call real loud so they can hear you through the water you know.

Bert: Sure, Sure, go ahead, hahaha.

Ernie: Okay, I call them like this. HERE FISHY FISHY FISHY.

[Fish lands in boat]

Bert: Wow!

Ernie: I think I’ll call a few more. HERE FISHY FISHY FISHY.

[Fish lands in boat]

Ernie: Two fish. Should I call a few more Bert?

• Sesame Street

Like Bert and Ernie show, there’s more than one way to catch fish.

We introduced channel partners and adjacent businesses earlier, and you’ve got a working idea of how hooks work.

So let’s start fishing.

Remember Always Be Pitching.

It’s a superpower that compounds with benefit.

Learning to make your ask compelling helps everything you do.

I’ve pitched CMOs, founders in elevators, elaborate multi-year and multi-million media deals, and to CEOs on why I’m right for the job.

I still consider myself a student.

My friend Juanita and I were at a friend’s wedding a number of years ago.

It was in a beautiful remote location and she managed to nab a pimped out room to sleep in.

“How did you manage that?”

“I asked for it,” she bragged. “Don’t ask don’t get!”

Imagine that power.

To be able to design asks to get what you want for better outcomes.

So here’s an important addition to remember - understanding the power dynamic helps you pitch more effectively.

• A CMO needs it to be cutting edge, short, succinct, with a lot of strategic planning done before you’re in the room.
• A founder you’re passing in an elevator needs you to explain why you can make things easier for them and how you’re making it easy for them to continue the conversation later.
• A competitive media pitch needs robust thinking, a harmonious and collaborative team, excellent knowledge of supplier pricing, and can demonstrate the work continues with a safe pair of hands.

So let’s look at the power a channel partner wields:

• They are bigger than you.
• They can deliver a message to large audience.
• They’re busy and get a high volume of emails.
• They’re usually over-worked, and are looking for ways to convert time they spend into value for them.

The hook gives you a way in, but what’s the bait?

Here’s some juicy ways to sweeten the ask:

I deliver X, so you get Y, because this does Z.

Example: Simon the founder pitching for coverage of Who Gives A Crap when it started

Hi Sarah,

Your site has a massive base of readers that cares about the world and I want to entertain the shit out of them.

Literally.

I’m launching a stunt and want to give your news site exclusive rights to the launch for Who Gives a Crap.

You’ll get access to the story first, a years’ subscription to our product, and will be responsible for helping launch something that’s good in the world.

I’ll be live-streaming from a toilet to raise the capital to get started.

We make sustainable toilet paper and donate 50% of the profits to communities in need.

I can send a media kit with press release (feel free to adapt), amusing visuals and timings, and an exclusive interview or quotes.

Can we do this?

-Simon

This hypothetical might work. It would depend on whether Simon has an existing track record, has a connection to Sarah, or the story carries enough human interest to be worthy of Sarah’s time. It’s a bit too much about Simon though. Publicity or the promise of publicity alone is rarely enough (even if it’s for a good cause).

You’re getting X, and then Y, and I’m going out of my way to ensure Z, just so I get A from you.

Example: You want your special sugar-free rhubarb jam featured in the Port Melbourne Farmer’s Market newsletter so you can sell more online.

Hi Tom,

I’ve been selling my sugar-free rhubarb jam at Port Melbourne Farmer’s Market for the last 3 months, and I’d like to show my gratitude and support its continued success.

Here’s how I’d like to support you:

• Donate 20% of my jam profits to the Farmer’s Market Committee over the next 3 months

• Promote stallholders you nominate in my monthly newsletter of ~250 previous customers

• After 3 months offer an exclusive launch release for my upcoming sugar-free blackberry jam 6 weeks before anyone else to drive additional footfall into the market

The PM Farmer’s Market is one of the first distribution partners I enjoyed success in, and I think it’s only fair to pass some of that success to the team that helped it happen.

To deliver the largest donation possible I want to promote my online store in the PM Farmer’s Market newsletter.

I have a short story, with photos and a link in your newsletter format and ready to go. Anyone reading the newsletter can use the online discount code PMFM to make it easy to track so I can make a bigger donation.

Should we kick this off with a quick call next Tuesday?

Thanks,

Grace

There’s a lot in here that will be covered later. It is very unlikely Grace would be turned down. The offer is too good to refuse. The only thing the Farmer’s Market needs to do is add the feature to their newsletter, and name some stallholders who want to appear in Grace’s newsletter.

It sounds like Grace has done this before, and because her product will be featured to everyone who is on the PMFM newsletter she can acquire new customers online. Getting a customer to convert from offline into online is gold dust. You then have their buying details, address, email, and phone number for future marketing offers or engagement.

It’s a very detailed pitch so Grace could text Tom to give him a heads-up so it’s not a big surprise.

Finishing with a yes/no question is killer you want it to be as easy as possible to move it forward. If you know where someone is likely to have a gap in their schedule (e.g. does 4pm next Wednesday suit you for a call?) then it’s even better.

Let’s do something together. I do X, you do Y, and if it works for us we can do more!

Example: Collaborate with a local cafe to promote your guided nature walks.

Hi Tony,

My name is Sam and I run guided nature walks in Sale around the Lake Guthridge.

My tours take place near your cafe and I was wondering if you want to do a collaboration to see if we can generate more business for each other?

I’m thinking of promoting a tour with afternoon tea at your cafe afterwards.

It would be an opportunity for my clients to get refreshments, socialise, and relax after their walk.

I can promote it as a “Relaxing Walk + Refreshments” Package, and tag Tony’s Cafe in my social channels.

I can also leave some flyers at your cafe, and give you prepared wording for posts on your own social media.

I know mid-late afternoon is usually quiet at the cafe, so if we get you some extra customers it could be a win-win.

Want to test promoting this on Saturday the 15th?

Thanks,

Sam

Offering a test collaboration is a good way to both trial a lot of things, and is lower stakes than other collaborations. There’s less pressure for it to work and a lot of small providers are used to co-promotion. The good thing is if it does work you can refine it to make it better, more regular, and repeatable.

Remember - your first collaboration is going to be clumsy, impossible to get off the ground, and hard to put into words. Push through this challenge. Collaborating with peers, channel partners, or media is high-impact and high reward. Over time you’ll learn to see how you deliver value in both the collaborator’s eyes, and the customers you’re aiming to get in front of.

Be like Ernie and learn to ask “HERE FISHY FISHY FISHY” with your collaborators.

When they say “yes!”, read the next chapter to know what to do next.