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MANAGING YOURSELF




            How to Pitch
            a Brilliant Idea
             Before you even know it, the stranger across the desk
             has decided what kind of person you are. Knowing
             how you'll be stereotyped allows you to play to -
             and control-the other guy's expectations.


                                   by Kimberly D. Elsbach




                                  C
                                          OMING UP WITH creative ideas is       judge us carefully and objectively on
                                           easy; selling them to strangers      our merits. But the fact is, they rush to
                                           is hard. All too often, entrepre-    place us into neat little categories - they
                                  neurs, sales executives, and marketing        stereotype us. So the first thing to realize
                                  managers go to great lengths to show          when you're preparing to make a pitch
                                  how their new business plans or creative      to strangers is that your audience is
                                  concepts are practical and high margin-       going to put you into a box. And they're
                                  only to be rejected by corporate deci-        going to do it really fast. Research sug-
                                  sion makers who don't seem to under-          gests that humans can categorize others
                                  stand the real value of the ideas. Why        in less than 150 milliseconds. Within
                                  does this happen?                             30 minutes, they've made lasting judg-
                                     It turns out that the problem has as       ments about your character.
                                  much to do with the seller's traits as with      These insights emerged from my
                                  an idea's inherent quality. The person        lengthy study of the $50 billion U.S. film
                                  on the receiving end tends to gauge the       and television industry. Specifically, I
                                  pitcher's creativity as well as the pro-      worked with 50 Hollywood executives
                                  posal itself. And judgments about the         involved in assessing pitches from
                                  pitcher's ability to come up with work-       screenwriters. Over the course of six
                                  able ideas can quickly and permanently        years, I observed dozens of 3ominute
                                  overshadow perceptions of the idea's          pitches in which the screenwriters en-
                                  worth. We all like to think that people       countered the "catchers" for the first

SEPTEMBER 2003                                                                                                        117
M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a B r i l l i a n t Idea


time. In interviewing and observing the
pitchers and catchers, I was able to
discern just how quickly assessments
of creative potential are made in these
high-stakes exchanges. (The deals that
arise as a result of successful screenplay
pitches are often multimillion-dollar
projects, rivaling in scope the develop-
ment of new car models by Detroit's
largest automakers and marketing
campaigns by New York's most success-
ful advertising agencies.) To determine
whether my observations applied to
business settings beyond Hollywood,
I attended a variety of product-design,
marketing, and venture-capital pitch
sessions and conducted interviews with
executives responsible for judging cre-
ative, high-stakes ideas from pitchers
previously unknown to them. In those
environments, the results were remark-
ably similar to what I had seen in the
movie business.
   People on the receiving end of pitches
have no formal, verifiable, or objective
measures for assessing that elusive trait,
creativity. Catchers-even the expert
ones-therefore apply a set of subjective
and often inaccurate criteria very early    plication is this: By successfully project-   ing is so firmly hardwired into human
in the encounter, and from that point       ing yourself as one of the three creative     psychology that only conscious disci-
on, the tone is set. If a catcher detects   types and getting your catcher to view        pline can counteract it.
subtle cues indicating that the pitcher     himself or herself as a creative collabo-        Yale University creativity researcher
isn't creative, the proposal is toast. But  rator, you can improve your chances of        Robert Stemberg contends that the pro-
that's not the whole story. I've discov-    selling an idea.                              totype matching we use to assess origi-
ered that catchers tend to respond well        My research also has implications for      nality in others results from our im-
if they are made to feel that they are      those who buy ideas: Catchers should          plicit belief that creative people possess
participating in an idea's development.     beware of relying on stereotypes. It's all    certain traits-unconventionality, for
   The pitchers who do this successfully    too easy to be dazzled by pitchers who        example, as well as intuitive ness, sensi-
are those who tend to be categorized ultimately can't get their projects off the          tivity, narcissism, passion, and perhaps
by catchers into one of three prototypes. ground, and it's just as easy to overlook       youth. We develop these stereotypes
I call them the showrunner, the artist, the creative individuals who can make             through direct and indirect experiences
and the neophyte. Showrunners come good on their ideas. That's why it's im-               with people known to be creative, from
off as professionals who combine cre- portant for the catcher to test every               personally interacting with the 15-year-
ative inspiration with production know- pitcher, a matter we'll return to in the          old guitar player next door to hearing
how. Artists appear to be quirky and following pages.                                     stories about Pablo Picasso.
unpolished and to prefer the world of                                                        When a person we don't know pitches
creative ideas to quotidian reality. Neo- The Sorting Hat                                 an idea to us, we search for visual and
phytes tend to be-or act as if they In the late 1970s, psychologists Nancy                verbal matches with those implicit
were - young, inexperienced, and naive. Cantor and Walter Mischel, then at                models, remembering only the charac-
To involve the audience in the creative Stanford University, demonstrated that            teristics that identify the pitcher as one
process, showrunners deliberately level we all use sets of stereotypes-what they          type or another. We subconsciously
the power differential between them- called "person prototypes"-to catego-
selves and their catchers; artists invert rize strangers in the first moments of          Kimberly D. Elsbach (kdelsbach^ucdavis.
the differential; and neophytes exploit interaction. Though such instant type-            edu) is an associate professor of manage-
it If you're a pitcher, the bottom-line im- casting is arguably unfair, pattern match-    ment at the University of California, Davis.


118                                                                                                       HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea • MANAGING YOURSELF

award points to people we can easily          ners tend to display charisma and wit in         An example of a showrunner is the
identify as having creative traits; we sub-   pitching, say, new design concepts to          legendary kitchen-gadget inventor and
tract points from those who are hard to       marketing, but they also demonstrate           pitchman Ron Popeil. Perfectly coiffed
assess or who fit negative stereotypes.       enough technical know-how to con-              and handsome, Popeil is a combination
   In hurried business situations in          vince catchers that the ideas can be de-       design master and ringmaster. In his
which executives must evaluate dozens         veloped according to industry-standard         New Yorker account of Popeil's phe-
of ideas in a week, or even a day, catch-     practices and within resource con-             nomenally successful Ronco Shovrtime
ers are rarely willing to expend the ef-      straints. Though they may not have the         Rotisserie & BBQ, Malcolm Gladwell
fort necessary to judge an idea more          most or the best ideas, showrunners are        described how Popeil fuses entertain-
objectively. Like Harry Potter's Sorting      those rare people in organizations who         ment skills-he enthusiastically show-
Hat, they classify pitchers in a matter of    see the majority of their concepts fully       cases the product as an innovation that
seconds. They use negative stereotyping       implemented.                                   will "change your life"-with business
to rapidly identify the no-go ideas. All
you have to do is fall into one of four
common negative stereotypes, and the
pitch session will be over before it has
begun. (For more on these stereotypes,                How to Kill Your Own Pitch
see the sidebar "How to Kill Your Own
Pitch.") In fact, many such sessions are              Before you even get to the stage in the pitch where the catcher catego-
strictly a process of elimination; in my              rizes you as a particular creative type, you have to avoid some danger-
experience, only i% of ideas make it be-              ous pigeonholes: the four negative stereotypes that are guaranteed to
yond the initial pitch.                               kill a pitch. And take care, because negative cues carry more weight
                                                      than positive ones.
   Unfortunately for pitchers, type-
                                                        The pushover would rather unload an idea than defend it. ("I could
based elimination is easy, because neg-
                                                      do one of these in red, or if you don't like that, I could do it in blue.")
ative impressions tend to be more
                                                      One venture capitalist I spoke with offered the example of an entre-
salient and memorable than positive
                                                      preneur who was seeking funding for a computer networking start-up.
ones. To avoid fast elimination, success-
                                                      When the VCs raised concerns about an aspectof the device, the
ful pitchers-only 25% of those I have
                                                      pitcher simply offered to remove itfrom the design, leading the
observed-turn the tables on the catch-
                                                      investors to suspect that the pitcher didn't really care about his idea.
ers by enrolling them in the creative
                                                        The robot presents a proposal too formulaically, as if it had been
process. These pitchers exude passion
                                                      memorized from a how-to book. Witness the entrepreneur who re-
for their ideas and find ways to give
                                                      sponds to prospective investors'questions about due diligence and
catchers a chance to shine. By doing so,
                                                      other business details with canned answers from his PowerPoint talk.
they induce the catchers to judge them
as likable collaborators. Oscar-winning                 The used<ar salesman is tbat obnoxious, argumentative character
writer, director, and producer Oliver                 too often deployed in consultancies and corporate sales departments.
Stone told me that the invitation to col-             One vice presidentof marketing told me the story of an arrogant con-
laborate on an idea is a "seduction." His             sultant who put in a proposalto her organization. The consultant's
advice to screenwriters pitching an idea              offerwas vaguely intriguing, and she asked him to revise his bid
to a producer is to "pull back and project            slightly. Instead of working with her, he argued with her. Indeed, he
what he needs onto your idea in order                 tried selling the same package again and again, each time arguing
to make the story whole for him." The                 why his proposal would produce the most astonishing bottom-line
three types of successful pitchers have               results the company had ever seen. In the end, she grew so tired of
their own techniques for doing this, as               his wheedling insistence and inability to listen courteously to her
we'll see.                                            feedback that she told him she wasn't interested in seeing any more
                                                      bids from him.

The Showrunner                                          The charity case is needy; all he or she wants is a job. I recall a free-
                                                      lance consultant who had developed a course for executives on how
In the corporate world, as in Hollywood,             to work with independent screenwriters. He could be seen haunting
showrunners combine creative thinking                the halts of production companies, knocking on every open door, giv-
and passion with what Sternberg and                  ing the same pitch. As soon as he sensed he was being turned down,
Todd Lubart, authors of Defying the                  he began pleading with the catcher, saying he really, really needed to
Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture
                                                     fill some slots to keep his workshop going.
of Conformity, call "practical intelli-
gence" - a feel for which ideas are likely
to contribute to the business. Showrun-

SEPTEMBER 2003                                                                                                                      119
M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea


savvy. For his television spots, Popeil         Pitcher: We're talking a science fic-     cles of hell." The catcher was taken
makes sure that the chickens are roasted     tion version of Robin Hood. Robin has a      aback at first; then he laughed. Invited
to exactly the resplendent golden brown      sorcerer in his band of merry men who        to participate in the impromptu rap
that looks best on camera. And he de-        can conjure up all kinds of scary and        session, the catcher began inserting his
signed the rotisserie's glass front to re-   wonderful spells.                            own lines. When the fun was over, the
duce glare, so that to the home cook,           Catcher: I love it!                       presenters repitched their idea with a
the revolving, dripping chickens look           The pitcher sets up his opportunity       slight variation-inserting the teenagers
just as they do on TV.                       by leading the catcher through a series      into videos of home-team games for
   The first Hollywood pitcher I ob-         of shared memories and viewpoints.           local markets - and the account was sold
served was a showrunner. The minute          Specifically, he engages the catcher by      to the tune of hundreds of thousands
he walked into the room, he scored           asking him to recall and comment on          of dollars.
points with the studio executive as a        familiar movies. With each response,he          Real showrunners are rare - only 20%
creative type, in part because of his new,   senses and then builds on the catcher's      of the successful pitchers I observed
pressed jeans, his fashionable black         knowledge and Interest, eventually           would qualify. Consequently, they are in
turtleneck, and his nice sport coat. The     guiding the catcher to the core idea by      high demand, which is good news for
clean hair draping his shoulders showed      using a word ("twist") that's common to      pitchers who can demonstrate the right
no hint of gray. He had come to pitch a      the vocabularies of both producers and       combination of talent and expertise.
weekly television series based on the        screenwriters,
legend of Robin Hood. His experience as         Showrunners also display an ability       The Artist
a marketer was apparent; he opened by        to improvise, a quality that allows them     Artists, too, display single-minded pas-
 mentioning an earlier TV series of his      to adapt if a pitch begins to go awry.       sion and enthusiasm about their ideas,
that had been based on a comic book.         Consider the dynamic between the cre-        but they are less slick and conformist in
The pitcher remarked that the series         ative director of an ad agency and a         their dress and mannerisms, and they
had enjoyed some success as a market-        prospective client, a major television       tend to be shy or socially awkward. As
ing franchise, spawning lunch boxes,         sports network. As Mallorre Dill re-         one Hollywood producer told me,"The
bath toys, and action figures.               ported in a 2001 Adweek article on           more shy a writer seems, the better you
   Showrunners create a level playing        award-winning advertising campaigns,         think the writing is, because you assume
field by engaging the catcher in a kind      the network's VP of marketing was seek-      they're living in their internal world."
of knowledge duet. They typically be-        ing help with a new campaign for cov-        Unlike shov^runners, artists appear to
gin by getting the catcher to respond        erage of the upcoming professional bas-      have little or no knowledge of, or even
to a memory or some other subject with       ketball season, and the ad agency was        interest in, the details of implementa-
                                                                                          tion. Moreover, they invert the power
                                                                                          differential by completely commanding
      Showrunners deliberately level the power dijferentlal                               the catcher's imagination. Instead of
                                                                                          engaging the catcher in a duet, they put
      between themselves and their catchers; artists invert
                                                                                          the audience in thrall to the content.
      the differential; and neophytes exploit it                                          Artists are particularly adept at con-
                                                                                          ducting what physicists call "thought
                                                                                          experiments," inviting the audience into
which the showrunner is familiar. Con-       invited to make a pitch. Prior to the
                                                                                          imaginary worlds.
sider this give-and-take:                    meeting, the network executive stressed
   Pitcher; Remember Errol Flynn's           to the agency that the campaign would          One young screenwriter 1 observed fit
Robin Hood?                                  have to appeal to local markets across       the artist type to perfection. He wore
   Catcher: Oh, yeah. One of my all-time     the United States while achieving            black leather pants and a torn T-shirt,
favorites as a kid.                          "street credibility" with avid fans.         several earrings in each ear, and a tattoo
   Pitcher: Yes, it was classic. Then, of       The agency's creative director and its    on his slender arm. His hair was rum-
course, came Costner's version.              art director pitched the idea of digitally   pled, his expression was brooding: Van
   Catcher: That was much darker. And        inserting two average teenagers into         Gogh meets Tim Burton. He cared little
it didn't evoke as much passion as the       video of an NBA game. Initially, the         about the production details for the
original.                                    catcher frowned on the idea, wonder-         dark, violent cartoon series he imag-
   Pitcher: But the special effects were     ing aloud if viewers would find it arro-     ined; rather, he was utterly absorbed
great.                                       gant and aloof. So the agency duo ad-        by the unfolding story. He opened his
   Catcher: Yes, they were.                  libbed a rap that one teen could recite      pitch like this: "Picture what happens
   Pitcher: That's the twist I want to in-   after scoring on all-star Shaquiile          when a bullet explodes inside some-
clude in this new series.                    O'Neal: "I'm fresh like a can of picante.    one's brain. Imagine it in slow motion.
   Catcher: Special effects?                 And I'm deeper than Dante in the cir-        There is the shattering blast, the tidal


120                                                                                                      HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
How to Pitch 3 B r i l l i a n t Idea • M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F


wave of red, the acrid smell of gunpow-       someone who is not an artist to pretend       pitch session. The fellow looked as
der. That's the opening scene in this an-     to be one, because genuineness is what        though he had walked off the set of
imated sci-fi flick." He then proceeded       makes the artist credible.                    Doogie Howser, M.D. With his infectious
to lead his catchers through an exciting,                                                   smile, he confided to his catchers that he
detailed narrative of his film, as a mas-     The Neophyte                                  was not going to pitch them a typical
ter storyteller would. At the end, the        Neophytes are the opposite of show-           show, "mainly because I've never done
executives sat back, smiling, and told        runners. Instead of displaying their ex-      one. But I think my inexperience here
the writer they'd like to go ahead with       pertise, they plead ignorance. Neophytes      might be a blessing."
his idea.                                     score points for daring to do the impos-        He showed the catchers a variety of
   In the business world, artists are sim-    sible, something catchers see as refresh-     drumming moves, then asked one per-
ilarly nonconformist. Consider Alan, a        ing. Unencumbered by tradition or past        son in his audience to help him come up
product designer at a major packaged-         successes, neophytes present themselves       with potential camera angles-such as
foods manufacturer. I observed Alan in        as eager learners. They consciously ex-       looking out from inside the drum or
a meeting with business-development           ploit the power differential between          viewing it from overhead-inquiring
executives he'd never met. He had come        pitcher and catcher by asking directly        how these might play on the screen.
to pitch an idea based on the premise
that children like to play with their
food. The proposal was for a cereal with
pieces that interlocked in such a way
that children could use them for build-
ing things, Legos style. With his pocket-
protected laboratory coat and horn-
rimmed glasses, Alan looked very much
the absent-minded professor. As he en-
tered the conference room where the
suited-and-tied executives at his com-
pany had assembled, he hung back, ap-
parently uninterested in the Power-
Point slides or the marketing and
revenue projections of the business-
development experts. His appearance
and reticence spoke volumes about him.
His type was unmistakable.
   When it was Alan's turn, he dumped
four boxes of prototype cereal onto
the mahogany conference table, to the
stunned silence of the executives. Ignor-
ing protocol, he began constructing an
elaborate fort, all the while talking furi-
ously about the qualities of the com
fiour that kept the pieces and the struc-
ture together. Finally, he challenged the
executives to see who could build the
tallest tower. The executives so enjoyed      and boldly for help-not in a desperate        When the catcher got down on his
the demonstration that they green-            way, but with the confidence of a bril-       hands and knees to show the neophyte
lighted Alan's project.                       liant favorite, a talented student seeking    a particularly "cool" camera angle, the
   While artists-who constituted about        sage advice from a beloved mentor.            pitch turned into a collaborative teach-
40% of the successful pitchers I ob-             Consider the case of one neophyte          ing session. Ignoring his lunch appoint-
served-are not as polished as show-           pitcher I observed, a young, ebullient        ment, the catcher spent the next half
runners, they are the most creative of the    screenwriter who had just returned            hour offering suggestions for weaving
three types. Unlike showrunners and           from his first trip to Japan. He wanted       the story of the young drummer into a
neophytes, artists are fairly transparent.    to develop a show about an American           series of taiko performances in which
It's harder to fake the part. In other        kid (like himself) who travels to Japan       artistic camera angles and imaginative
words, they don't play to type; they are      to learn to play taiko drums, and he          lighting and sound would be used to
the type. Indeed, it is very difficult for    brought his drums and sticks into the         mirror the star's emotions.

SEPTEMBER 2003                                                                                                                       121
M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a Brilliant !dea


   Many entrepreneurs are natural neo-        and neophytes can win the day through           One well-known example occurred in
phytes. Lou and Sophie McDermott,             enchantment and charm. From the                 1985, when Coca-Cola announced it was
two sisters from Australia, started the       catcher's perspective, however, show-           changing the Coke formula. Based on
Savage Sisters sportswear line in the late    runners can also be the most dangerous          pitches from market researchers who
1990s. Former gymnasts with petite            of all pitchers, because they are the most      had tested the sweeter, Pepsi-like "new
builds and spunky personalities, they         likely to blind through glitz.                  Coke" in numerous focus groups, the
cartwheeled into the clothing business                                                        company's top management decided
with no formal training in fashion or         Catchers Beware                                 that the new formula could effectively
finance, instead, they relied heavily on      When business executives ask me for             compete with Pepsi. The idea was a mar-
their enthusiasm and optimism and a           my insights about creativity in Holly-          keting disaster, of course. There was a
keen curiosity about the fine points of       wood, one of the first questions they           huge backlash, and the company was
retailing to get a start in the highly com-   put to me is, "Why is there so much bad         forced to reintroduce the old Coke. In a
petitive world of teen fashion. On their      television?" After hearing the stories          later discussion of the case and the im-
shopping outings at local stores, the         I've told here, they know the answer:           portance of relying on decision makers
McDermott sisters studied merchandis-         Hollywood executives too often let              who are both good pitchers and indus-
ing and product placement-all the             themselves be wooed by positive stereo-         try experts, Roberto Goizueta, Coca-
while asking store owners how they got        types-particularly that of the show-            Cola's CEO at the time, said to a group
started, according to the short docu-         runner -rather than by the quality of the       of MBAs, in effect, that there's nothing
mentary film Cutting Their Own Chth.          ideas. Indeed, individuals who become           so dangerous as a good pitcher with no
  The McDermott sisters took advan-           adept at conveying impressions of cre-          real talent.
tage of their inexperience to learn all       ative potential, while lacking the real            If a catcher senses that he or she is
they could. They would ask a store            thing, may gain entry into organizations        being swept away by a positive stereo-
                                                                                              type match, it's important to test the
                                                                                              pitcher. Fortunately, assessing the vari-
  If they rely too heavily on stereotypes, idea buyers might                                  ous creative types is not difficult. In a
                                                                                              meeting with a showrunner, for exam-
 overlook creative individuals who can truly deliver the goods.
                                                                                              ple, the catcher can test the pitcher's
                                                                                              expertise and probe into past experi-
owner to give them a tour of the store,       and reach prominence there based on             ences, just as a skilled job interviewer
and they would pose dozens of ques-           their social infiuence and impression-          would, and ask how the pitcher would
tions: "Why do you buy this line and not      management skills, to the catchers'             react to various changes to his or her
the other one? Why do you put this            detriment.                                      idea. As for artists and neophytes, the
dress here and not there? What are your          Real creativi^ isn't so easily classified.   best way to judge their ability is to ask
customers like? What do they ask for          Researchers such as Sternberg and               them to deliver a finished product. In
most?" Instead of being annoying, the         Lubart have found that people's implicit        Hollywood, smart catchers ask artists
McDermotts were charming, friendly,           theories regarding the attributes of            and neophytes for finished scripts be-
and fun, and the fiattered retailers          creative individuals are off the mark.          fore hiring them. These two types may
enjoyed being asked to share their            Furthermore, studies have identified            be unable to deliver specifics about costs
knowledge. Once they had struck up a          numerous personal attributes that fa-           or implementation, but a prototype can
relationship with a retailer, the sisters     cilitate practical creative behavior. For       allow the catcher to judge quality, and it
would offer to bring in samples for the       example, cognitive fiexibility, a pen-          can provide a concrete basis for further
store to test. Eventually, the McDer-         chant for diversity, and an orientation         discussion. Finally, it's important to en-
motts parlayed what they had learned          toward problem solving are signs of             list the help of other people in vetting
into enough knowledge to start their          creativity; it simply isn't true that cre-      pitchers. Another judge or two can help
own retail line. By engaging the store        ative types can't be down-to-earth.             a catcher weigh the pitcher's-and the
owners as teachers, the McDermotts                                                            idea's-pros and cons and help safe-
                                                 Those who buy ideas, then, need to be
were able to build a network of expert                                                        guard against hasty judgments.
                                              aware that relying too heavily on stereo-
mentors who wanted to see the neo-            types can cause them to overlook cre-              One CEO of a Northern California de-
phytes win. Thus neophytes, who con-          ative individuals who can truly deliver         sign firm looks beyond the obvious ear-
stitute about 40% of successful pitchers,     the goods. In my interviews with studio         marks of a creative type when hiring a
achieve their gains largely by sheer force    executives and agents, I heard numer-           new designer. She does this by asking
of personality.                               ous tales of people who had developed           not only about successful projects but
  Which of the three types is most likely     reputations as great pitchers but who           also about work that failed and what
to succeed? Overwhelmingly, catchers          had trouble producing usable scripts.           the designer learned from the failures.
look for showrunners, though artists          The same thing happens in business.             That way, she can find out whether the

122                                                                                                           HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
prospect is capable of absorbing lessons
well and rolling with the punches of an
unpredictable work environment. The
CEO also asks job prospects what they
collect and read, as well as what inspires
them. These kinds of clues tell her about
the applicant's creative bent and think-
ing style. If an interviewee passes these
initial tests, the CEO has the prospect
work with the rest of her staff on a mock
design project. These diverse interview
tools give her a good indication about
the prospect's ability to combine cre-
ativity and organizational skills, and
they help her understand how well the
                                              Experience what makes
applicant will fit into the group.

One question for pitchers, of course,
                                              the Kellogg School # 1
might be, "How do I make a positive
impression if I don't fit into one of the
three creative stereotypes?" If you al-
ready have a reputation for delivering
on creative promises, you probably               When you take an executive education program at the
don't need to disguise yourself as a
showrunner, artist, or neophyte-a r^-           Kellogg School of Management, it is taught by the same
sumi§ full of successes is the best calling    world-renowned faculty, within the same team-leadership
card of all. But if you can't rely on your
reputation, you should at least make an             culture, that made the Kellogg School number one
attempt to match yourself to the type          in the United States {BusinessWeek 2002) and in the world
you feel most comfortable with, if only
because it's necessary to get a foot in
                                               {The Economist Intelligence Unit 2002). Our research-based
the catcher's door.               •               faculty will provide you and your executive peers with
  Another question might be, "What if              the best thought leadership available, which can be
1 don't want the catcher's input into the
                                                    applied immediately in your business environment.
development of my idea?" This aspect
of the pitch is so important that you
should make it a priority: Find a part of              A sampling of our program offerings follows.
your proposal that you are willing to
yield on and invite the catcher to come                    Discover which program is right for you.
up with suggestions. In fact, my obser-
vations suggest that you should engage
the catcher as soon as possible in the de-       Pricing Strategies and Tactics            Finance for Executives
velopment of the idea. Once the catcher         Oct 7-10, 2003 • Mar 14-17, 2004     Nov 2-7, 2003 • Mar 28-Apr 2, 2004
feels like a creative collaborator, the
odds of rejection diminish.                         Reinventing Leadership:           Corporate Financial Strategies
                                                   A Breakthrough Approach            for Creating Shareholder Value
   Ultimately, the pitch will always re-
                                              Oct 26-31, 2003 • Mar 28-Apr 2, 2004    Oct 19-24,2003 • Jul 11-16,2004
main an imperfect process for commu-
nicating creative ideas. But by being
                                                  Communications Strategy:                 Kellogg on Branding:
aware of stereotyping processes and the
                                                 Managing Communications                 Building, Leveraging, and
value of collaboration, both pitchers
                                                for the Changing Marketplace             Rejuvenating Your Brand
and catchers can understand the differ-
                                                Oct 5-8, 2003 • Mar 14-17, 2004       Oct 12-15, 2003 • May 2-5, 2004
ence between a pitch and a hit.          ^

Reprint R0309J                                                 Phone: 847.467.7000 • Fax: 847.491.4323
To order, see page 135.                        ExecEd@kellogg.northwestern.edu •   www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/execed


SEPTEMBER 2003
Hot To Pitch Brilliant Idea

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Hot To Pitch Brilliant Idea

  • 1. MANAGING YOURSELF How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea Before you even know it, the stranger across the desk has decided what kind of person you are. Knowing how you'll be stereotyped allows you to play to - and control-the other guy's expectations. by Kimberly D. Elsbach C OMING UP WITH creative ideas is judge us carefully and objectively on easy; selling them to strangers our merits. But the fact is, they rush to is hard. All too often, entrepre- place us into neat little categories - they neurs, sales executives, and marketing stereotype us. So the first thing to realize managers go to great lengths to show when you're preparing to make a pitch how their new business plans or creative to strangers is that your audience is concepts are practical and high margin- going to put you into a box. And they're only to be rejected by corporate deci- going to do it really fast. Research sug- sion makers who don't seem to under- gests that humans can categorize others stand the real value of the ideas. Why in less than 150 milliseconds. Within does this happen? 30 minutes, they've made lasting judg- It turns out that the problem has as ments about your character. much to do with the seller's traits as with These insights emerged from my an idea's inherent quality. The person lengthy study of the $50 billion U.S. film on the receiving end tends to gauge the and television industry. Specifically, I pitcher's creativity as well as the pro- worked with 50 Hollywood executives posal itself. And judgments about the involved in assessing pitches from pitcher's ability to come up with work- screenwriters. Over the course of six able ideas can quickly and permanently years, I observed dozens of 3ominute overshadow perceptions of the idea's pitches in which the screenwriters en- worth. We all like to think that people countered the "catchers" for the first SEPTEMBER 2003 117
  • 2. M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a B r i l l i a n t Idea time. In interviewing and observing the pitchers and catchers, I was able to discern just how quickly assessments of creative potential are made in these high-stakes exchanges. (The deals that arise as a result of successful screenplay pitches are often multimillion-dollar projects, rivaling in scope the develop- ment of new car models by Detroit's largest automakers and marketing campaigns by New York's most success- ful advertising agencies.) To determine whether my observations applied to business settings beyond Hollywood, I attended a variety of product-design, marketing, and venture-capital pitch sessions and conducted interviews with executives responsible for judging cre- ative, high-stakes ideas from pitchers previously unknown to them. In those environments, the results were remark- ably similar to what I had seen in the movie business. People on the receiving end of pitches have no formal, verifiable, or objective measures for assessing that elusive trait, creativity. Catchers-even the expert ones-therefore apply a set of subjective and often inaccurate criteria very early plication is this: By successfully project- ing is so firmly hardwired into human in the encounter, and from that point ing yourself as one of the three creative psychology that only conscious disci- on, the tone is set. If a catcher detects types and getting your catcher to view pline can counteract it. subtle cues indicating that the pitcher himself or herself as a creative collabo- Yale University creativity researcher isn't creative, the proposal is toast. But rator, you can improve your chances of Robert Stemberg contends that the pro- that's not the whole story. I've discov- selling an idea. totype matching we use to assess origi- ered that catchers tend to respond well My research also has implications for nality in others results from our im- if they are made to feel that they are those who buy ideas: Catchers should plicit belief that creative people possess participating in an idea's development. beware of relying on stereotypes. It's all certain traits-unconventionality, for The pitchers who do this successfully too easy to be dazzled by pitchers who example, as well as intuitive ness, sensi- are those who tend to be categorized ultimately can't get their projects off the tivity, narcissism, passion, and perhaps by catchers into one of three prototypes. ground, and it's just as easy to overlook youth. We develop these stereotypes I call them the showrunner, the artist, the creative individuals who can make through direct and indirect experiences and the neophyte. Showrunners come good on their ideas. That's why it's im- with people known to be creative, from off as professionals who combine cre- portant for the catcher to test every personally interacting with the 15-year- ative inspiration with production know- pitcher, a matter we'll return to in the old guitar player next door to hearing how. Artists appear to be quirky and following pages. stories about Pablo Picasso. unpolished and to prefer the world of When a person we don't know pitches creative ideas to quotidian reality. Neo- The Sorting Hat an idea to us, we search for visual and phytes tend to be-or act as if they In the late 1970s, psychologists Nancy verbal matches with those implicit were - young, inexperienced, and naive. Cantor and Walter Mischel, then at models, remembering only the charac- To involve the audience in the creative Stanford University, demonstrated that teristics that identify the pitcher as one process, showrunners deliberately level we all use sets of stereotypes-what they type or another. We subconsciously the power differential between them- called "person prototypes"-to catego- selves and their catchers; artists invert rize strangers in the first moments of Kimberly D. Elsbach (kdelsbach^ucdavis. the differential; and neophytes exploit interaction. Though such instant type- edu) is an associate professor of manage- it If you're a pitcher, the bottom-line im- casting is arguably unfair, pattern match- ment at the University of California, Davis. 118 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
  • 3. How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea • MANAGING YOURSELF award points to people we can easily ners tend to display charisma and wit in An example of a showrunner is the identify as having creative traits; we sub- pitching, say, new design concepts to legendary kitchen-gadget inventor and tract points from those who are hard to marketing, but they also demonstrate pitchman Ron Popeil. Perfectly coiffed assess or who fit negative stereotypes. enough technical know-how to con- and handsome, Popeil is a combination In hurried business situations in vince catchers that the ideas can be de- design master and ringmaster. In his which executives must evaluate dozens veloped according to industry-standard New Yorker account of Popeil's phe- of ideas in a week, or even a day, catch- practices and within resource con- nomenally successful Ronco Shovrtime ers are rarely willing to expend the ef- straints. Though they may not have the Rotisserie & BBQ, Malcolm Gladwell fort necessary to judge an idea more most or the best ideas, showrunners are described how Popeil fuses entertain- objectively. Like Harry Potter's Sorting those rare people in organizations who ment skills-he enthusiastically show- Hat, they classify pitchers in a matter of see the majority of their concepts fully cases the product as an innovation that seconds. They use negative stereotyping implemented. will "change your life"-with business to rapidly identify the no-go ideas. All you have to do is fall into one of four common negative stereotypes, and the pitch session will be over before it has begun. (For more on these stereotypes, How to Kill Your Own Pitch see the sidebar "How to Kill Your Own Pitch.") In fact, many such sessions are Before you even get to the stage in the pitch where the catcher catego- strictly a process of elimination; in my rizes you as a particular creative type, you have to avoid some danger- experience, only i% of ideas make it be- ous pigeonholes: the four negative stereotypes that are guaranteed to yond the initial pitch. kill a pitch. And take care, because negative cues carry more weight than positive ones. Unfortunately for pitchers, type- The pushover would rather unload an idea than defend it. ("I could based elimination is easy, because neg- do one of these in red, or if you don't like that, I could do it in blue.") ative impressions tend to be more One venture capitalist I spoke with offered the example of an entre- salient and memorable than positive preneur who was seeking funding for a computer networking start-up. ones. To avoid fast elimination, success- When the VCs raised concerns about an aspectof the device, the ful pitchers-only 25% of those I have pitcher simply offered to remove itfrom the design, leading the observed-turn the tables on the catch- investors to suspect that the pitcher didn't really care about his idea. ers by enrolling them in the creative The robot presents a proposal too formulaically, as if it had been process. These pitchers exude passion memorized from a how-to book. Witness the entrepreneur who re- for their ideas and find ways to give sponds to prospective investors'questions about due diligence and catchers a chance to shine. By doing so, other business details with canned answers from his PowerPoint talk. they induce the catchers to judge them as likable collaborators. Oscar-winning The used<ar salesman is tbat obnoxious, argumentative character writer, director, and producer Oliver too often deployed in consultancies and corporate sales departments. Stone told me that the invitation to col- One vice presidentof marketing told me the story of an arrogant con- laborate on an idea is a "seduction." His sultant who put in a proposalto her organization. The consultant's advice to screenwriters pitching an idea offerwas vaguely intriguing, and she asked him to revise his bid to a producer is to "pull back and project slightly. Instead of working with her, he argued with her. Indeed, he what he needs onto your idea in order tried selling the same package again and again, each time arguing to make the story whole for him." The why his proposal would produce the most astonishing bottom-line three types of successful pitchers have results the company had ever seen. In the end, she grew so tired of their own techniques for doing this, as his wheedling insistence and inability to listen courteously to her we'll see. feedback that she told him she wasn't interested in seeing any more bids from him. The Showrunner The charity case is needy; all he or she wants is a job. I recall a free- lance consultant who had developed a course for executives on how In the corporate world, as in Hollywood, to work with independent screenwriters. He could be seen haunting showrunners combine creative thinking the halts of production companies, knocking on every open door, giv- and passion with what Sternberg and ing the same pitch. As soon as he sensed he was being turned down, Todd Lubart, authors of Defying the he began pleading with the catcher, saying he really, really needed to Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture fill some slots to keep his workshop going. of Conformity, call "practical intelli- gence" - a feel for which ideas are likely to contribute to the business. Showrun- SEPTEMBER 2003 119
  • 4. M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea savvy. For his television spots, Popeil Pitcher: We're talking a science fic- cles of hell." The catcher was taken makes sure that the chickens are roasted tion version of Robin Hood. Robin has a aback at first; then he laughed. Invited to exactly the resplendent golden brown sorcerer in his band of merry men who to participate in the impromptu rap that looks best on camera. And he de- can conjure up all kinds of scary and session, the catcher began inserting his signed the rotisserie's glass front to re- wonderful spells. own lines. When the fun was over, the duce glare, so that to the home cook, Catcher: I love it! presenters repitched their idea with a the revolving, dripping chickens look The pitcher sets up his opportunity slight variation-inserting the teenagers just as they do on TV. by leading the catcher through a series into videos of home-team games for The first Hollywood pitcher I ob- of shared memories and viewpoints. local markets - and the account was sold served was a showrunner. The minute Specifically, he engages the catcher by to the tune of hundreds of thousands he walked into the room, he scored asking him to recall and comment on of dollars. points with the studio executive as a familiar movies. With each response,he Real showrunners are rare - only 20% creative type, in part because of his new, senses and then builds on the catcher's of the successful pitchers I observed pressed jeans, his fashionable black knowledge and Interest, eventually would qualify. Consequently, they are in turtleneck, and his nice sport coat. The guiding the catcher to the core idea by high demand, which is good news for clean hair draping his shoulders showed using a word ("twist") that's common to pitchers who can demonstrate the right no hint of gray. He had come to pitch a the vocabularies of both producers and combination of talent and expertise. weekly television series based on the screenwriters, legend of Robin Hood. His experience as Showrunners also display an ability The Artist a marketer was apparent; he opened by to improvise, a quality that allows them Artists, too, display single-minded pas- mentioning an earlier TV series of his to adapt if a pitch begins to go awry. sion and enthusiasm about their ideas, that had been based on a comic book. Consider the dynamic between the cre- but they are less slick and conformist in The pitcher remarked that the series ative director of an ad agency and a their dress and mannerisms, and they had enjoyed some success as a market- prospective client, a major television tend to be shy or socially awkward. As ing franchise, spawning lunch boxes, sports network. As Mallorre Dill re- one Hollywood producer told me,"The bath toys, and action figures. ported in a 2001 Adweek article on more shy a writer seems, the better you Showrunners create a level playing award-winning advertising campaigns, think the writing is, because you assume field by engaging the catcher in a kind the network's VP of marketing was seek- they're living in their internal world." of knowledge duet. They typically be- ing help with a new campaign for cov- Unlike shov^runners, artists appear to gin by getting the catcher to respond erage of the upcoming professional bas- have little or no knowledge of, or even to a memory or some other subject with ketball season, and the ad agency was interest in, the details of implementa- tion. Moreover, they invert the power differential by completely commanding Showrunners deliberately level the power dijferentlal the catcher's imagination. Instead of engaging the catcher in a duet, they put between themselves and their catchers; artists invert the audience in thrall to the content. the differential; and neophytes exploit it Artists are particularly adept at con- ducting what physicists call "thought experiments," inviting the audience into which the showrunner is familiar. Con- invited to make a pitch. Prior to the imaginary worlds. sider this give-and-take: meeting, the network executive stressed Pitcher; Remember Errol Flynn's to the agency that the campaign would One young screenwriter 1 observed fit Robin Hood? have to appeal to local markets across the artist type to perfection. He wore Catcher: Oh, yeah. One of my all-time the United States while achieving black leather pants and a torn T-shirt, favorites as a kid. "street credibility" with avid fans. several earrings in each ear, and a tattoo Pitcher: Yes, it was classic. Then, of The agency's creative director and its on his slender arm. His hair was rum- course, came Costner's version. art director pitched the idea of digitally pled, his expression was brooding: Van Catcher: That was much darker. And inserting two average teenagers into Gogh meets Tim Burton. He cared little it didn't evoke as much passion as the video of an NBA game. Initially, the about the production details for the original. catcher frowned on the idea, wonder- dark, violent cartoon series he imag- Pitcher: But the special effects were ing aloud if viewers would find it arro- ined; rather, he was utterly absorbed great. gant and aloof. So the agency duo ad- by the unfolding story. He opened his Catcher: Yes, they were. libbed a rap that one teen could recite pitch like this: "Picture what happens Pitcher: That's the twist I want to in- after scoring on all-star Shaquiile when a bullet explodes inside some- clude in this new series. O'Neal: "I'm fresh like a can of picante. one's brain. Imagine it in slow motion. Catcher: Special effects? And I'm deeper than Dante in the cir- There is the shattering blast, the tidal 120 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
  • 5. How to Pitch 3 B r i l l i a n t Idea • M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F wave of red, the acrid smell of gunpow- someone who is not an artist to pretend pitch session. The fellow looked as der. That's the opening scene in this an- to be one, because genuineness is what though he had walked off the set of imated sci-fi flick." He then proceeded makes the artist credible. Doogie Howser, M.D. With his infectious to lead his catchers through an exciting, smile, he confided to his catchers that he detailed narrative of his film, as a mas- The Neophyte was not going to pitch them a typical ter storyteller would. At the end, the Neophytes are the opposite of show- show, "mainly because I've never done executives sat back, smiling, and told runners. Instead of displaying their ex- one. But I think my inexperience here the writer they'd like to go ahead with pertise, they plead ignorance. Neophytes might be a blessing." his idea. score points for daring to do the impos- He showed the catchers a variety of In the business world, artists are sim- sible, something catchers see as refresh- drumming moves, then asked one per- ilarly nonconformist. Consider Alan, a ing. Unencumbered by tradition or past son in his audience to help him come up product designer at a major packaged- successes, neophytes present themselves with potential camera angles-such as foods manufacturer. I observed Alan in as eager learners. They consciously ex- looking out from inside the drum or a meeting with business-development ploit the power differential between viewing it from overhead-inquiring executives he'd never met. He had come pitcher and catcher by asking directly how these might play on the screen. to pitch an idea based on the premise that children like to play with their food. The proposal was for a cereal with pieces that interlocked in such a way that children could use them for build- ing things, Legos style. With his pocket- protected laboratory coat and horn- rimmed glasses, Alan looked very much the absent-minded professor. As he en- tered the conference room where the suited-and-tied executives at his com- pany had assembled, he hung back, ap- parently uninterested in the Power- Point slides or the marketing and revenue projections of the business- development experts. His appearance and reticence spoke volumes about him. His type was unmistakable. When it was Alan's turn, he dumped four boxes of prototype cereal onto the mahogany conference table, to the stunned silence of the executives. Ignor- ing protocol, he began constructing an elaborate fort, all the while talking furi- ously about the qualities of the com fiour that kept the pieces and the struc- ture together. Finally, he challenged the executives to see who could build the tallest tower. The executives so enjoyed and boldly for help-not in a desperate When the catcher got down on his the demonstration that they green- way, but with the confidence of a bril- hands and knees to show the neophyte lighted Alan's project. liant favorite, a talented student seeking a particularly "cool" camera angle, the While artists-who constituted about sage advice from a beloved mentor. pitch turned into a collaborative teach- 40% of the successful pitchers I ob- Consider the case of one neophyte ing session. Ignoring his lunch appoint- served-are not as polished as show- pitcher I observed, a young, ebullient ment, the catcher spent the next half runners, they are the most creative of the screenwriter who had just returned hour offering suggestions for weaving three types. Unlike showrunners and from his first trip to Japan. He wanted the story of the young drummer into a neophytes, artists are fairly transparent. to develop a show about an American series of taiko performances in which It's harder to fake the part. In other kid (like himself) who travels to Japan artistic camera angles and imaginative words, they don't play to type; they are to learn to play taiko drums, and he lighting and sound would be used to the type. Indeed, it is very difficult for brought his drums and sticks into the mirror the star's emotions. SEPTEMBER 2003 121
  • 6. M A N A G I N G Y O U R S E L F • How to Pitch a Brilliant !dea Many entrepreneurs are natural neo- and neophytes can win the day through One well-known example occurred in phytes. Lou and Sophie McDermott, enchantment and charm. From the 1985, when Coca-Cola announced it was two sisters from Australia, started the catcher's perspective, however, show- changing the Coke formula. Based on Savage Sisters sportswear line in the late runners can also be the most dangerous pitches from market researchers who 1990s. Former gymnasts with petite of all pitchers, because they are the most had tested the sweeter, Pepsi-like "new builds and spunky personalities, they likely to blind through glitz. Coke" in numerous focus groups, the cartwheeled into the clothing business company's top management decided with no formal training in fashion or Catchers Beware that the new formula could effectively finance, instead, they relied heavily on When business executives ask me for compete with Pepsi. The idea was a mar- their enthusiasm and optimism and a my insights about creativity in Holly- keting disaster, of course. There was a keen curiosity about the fine points of wood, one of the first questions they huge backlash, and the company was retailing to get a start in the highly com- put to me is, "Why is there so much bad forced to reintroduce the old Coke. In a petitive world of teen fashion. On their television?" After hearing the stories later discussion of the case and the im- shopping outings at local stores, the I've told here, they know the answer: portance of relying on decision makers McDermott sisters studied merchandis- Hollywood executives too often let who are both good pitchers and indus- ing and product placement-all the themselves be wooed by positive stereo- try experts, Roberto Goizueta, Coca- while asking store owners how they got types-particularly that of the show- Cola's CEO at the time, said to a group started, according to the short docu- runner -rather than by the quality of the of MBAs, in effect, that there's nothing mentary film Cutting Their Own Chth. ideas. Indeed, individuals who become so dangerous as a good pitcher with no The McDermott sisters took advan- adept at conveying impressions of cre- real talent. tage of their inexperience to learn all ative potential, while lacking the real If a catcher senses that he or she is they could. They would ask a store thing, may gain entry into organizations being swept away by a positive stereo- type match, it's important to test the pitcher. Fortunately, assessing the vari- If they rely too heavily on stereotypes, idea buyers might ous creative types is not difficult. In a meeting with a showrunner, for exam- overlook creative individuals who can truly deliver the goods. ple, the catcher can test the pitcher's expertise and probe into past experi- owner to give them a tour of the store, and reach prominence there based on ences, just as a skilled job interviewer and they would pose dozens of ques- their social infiuence and impression- would, and ask how the pitcher would tions: "Why do you buy this line and not management skills, to the catchers' react to various changes to his or her the other one? Why do you put this detriment. idea. As for artists and neophytes, the dress here and not there? What are your Real creativi^ isn't so easily classified. best way to judge their ability is to ask customers like? What do they ask for Researchers such as Sternberg and them to deliver a finished product. In most?" Instead of being annoying, the Lubart have found that people's implicit Hollywood, smart catchers ask artists McDermotts were charming, friendly, theories regarding the attributes of and neophytes for finished scripts be- and fun, and the fiattered retailers creative individuals are off the mark. fore hiring them. These two types may enjoyed being asked to share their Furthermore, studies have identified be unable to deliver specifics about costs knowledge. Once they had struck up a numerous personal attributes that fa- or implementation, but a prototype can relationship with a retailer, the sisters cilitate practical creative behavior. For allow the catcher to judge quality, and it would offer to bring in samples for the example, cognitive fiexibility, a pen- can provide a concrete basis for further store to test. Eventually, the McDer- chant for diversity, and an orientation discussion. Finally, it's important to en- motts parlayed what they had learned toward problem solving are signs of list the help of other people in vetting into enough knowledge to start their creativity; it simply isn't true that cre- pitchers. Another judge or two can help own retail line. By engaging the store ative types can't be down-to-earth. a catcher weigh the pitcher's-and the owners as teachers, the McDermotts idea's-pros and cons and help safe- Those who buy ideas, then, need to be were able to build a network of expert guard against hasty judgments. aware that relying too heavily on stereo- mentors who wanted to see the neo- types can cause them to overlook cre- One CEO of a Northern California de- phytes win. Thus neophytes, who con- ative individuals who can truly deliver sign firm looks beyond the obvious ear- stitute about 40% of successful pitchers, the goods. In my interviews with studio marks of a creative type when hiring a achieve their gains largely by sheer force executives and agents, I heard numer- new designer. She does this by asking of personality. ous tales of people who had developed not only about successful projects but Which of the three types is most likely reputations as great pitchers but who also about work that failed and what to succeed? Overwhelmingly, catchers had trouble producing usable scripts. the designer learned from the failures. look for showrunners, though artists The same thing happens in business. That way, she can find out whether the 122 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
  • 7. prospect is capable of absorbing lessons well and rolling with the punches of an unpredictable work environment. The CEO also asks job prospects what they collect and read, as well as what inspires them. These kinds of clues tell her about the applicant's creative bent and think- ing style. If an interviewee passes these initial tests, the CEO has the prospect work with the rest of her staff on a mock design project. These diverse interview tools give her a good indication about the prospect's ability to combine cre- ativity and organizational skills, and they help her understand how well the Experience what makes applicant will fit into the group. One question for pitchers, of course, the Kellogg School # 1 might be, "How do I make a positive impression if I don't fit into one of the three creative stereotypes?" If you al- ready have a reputation for delivering on creative promises, you probably When you take an executive education program at the don't need to disguise yourself as a showrunner, artist, or neophyte-a r^- Kellogg School of Management, it is taught by the same sumi§ full of successes is the best calling world-renowned faculty, within the same team-leadership card of all. But if you can't rely on your reputation, you should at least make an culture, that made the Kellogg School number one attempt to match yourself to the type in the United States {BusinessWeek 2002) and in the world you feel most comfortable with, if only because it's necessary to get a foot in {The Economist Intelligence Unit 2002). Our research-based the catcher's door. • faculty will provide you and your executive peers with Another question might be, "What if the best thought leadership available, which can be 1 don't want the catcher's input into the applied immediately in your business environment. development of my idea?" This aspect of the pitch is so important that you should make it a priority: Find a part of A sampling of our program offerings follows. your proposal that you are willing to yield on and invite the catcher to come Discover which program is right for you. up with suggestions. In fact, my obser- vations suggest that you should engage the catcher as soon as possible in the de- Pricing Strategies and Tactics Finance for Executives velopment of the idea. Once the catcher Oct 7-10, 2003 • Mar 14-17, 2004 Nov 2-7, 2003 • Mar 28-Apr 2, 2004 feels like a creative collaborator, the odds of rejection diminish. Reinventing Leadership: Corporate Financial Strategies A Breakthrough Approach for Creating Shareholder Value Ultimately, the pitch will always re- Oct 26-31, 2003 • Mar 28-Apr 2, 2004 Oct 19-24,2003 • Jul 11-16,2004 main an imperfect process for commu- nicating creative ideas. But by being Communications Strategy: Kellogg on Branding: aware of stereotyping processes and the Managing Communications Building, Leveraging, and value of collaboration, both pitchers for the Changing Marketplace Rejuvenating Your Brand and catchers can understand the differ- Oct 5-8, 2003 • Mar 14-17, 2004 Oct 12-15, 2003 • May 2-5, 2004 ence between a pitch and a hit. ^ Reprint R0309J Phone: 847.467.7000 • Fax: 847.491.4323 To order, see page 135. ExecEd@kellogg.northwestern.edu • www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/execed SEPTEMBER 2003