If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed on pitching an idea, and you’re not sure where to begin. This is for you.
Step 1 – Research.
Once you’re interested in a company, begin your research. I always start by Googling them, going to their website, looking at their social media, etc.
Take notes on everything. Ask yourself, “What is their overall online presence like?”.
To take this a step further, observe the staff. Who is the CEO? Research the company’s vision and how it came about. Pay attention to what problems they solve, when the company was formed, who their competitors are, etc.
Here’s a great video on researching companies for an interview – the same ideas apply here. Check it out!
Step 2 – Brainstorm.
Now that you understand the company, you’ve taken notes, and you have some observations… it’s time to brainstorm. The best way to start is by looking for problems to solve. To do this, I like to look at 1-star reviews. Solving problems brought up directly from customers will likely bring attention your way.
If you can’t find reviews on Google, Facebook, or elsewhere, then take a look at their competitors. You’ll most likely find simple ideas you can mimic from their competitors. That’s helpful because, ideally, you want to pitch two or three small (yet valuable) ideas.
Step 3 – Go through with completing those tasks.
At this point, you’ve got your ideas, and now some action is required to move forward. Let’s say you decided to rewrite the company’s FAQ page, create posts for their social media, or write some articles for their blog. Whatever your ideas are, now is the time to make them a reality. Some of these may require permission, but for now, finish what you can.
Step 4 – Create a presentation.
I use Google slides to create a presentation, and I try to stick to this layout:
– Main slide (title, my name, the company’s logo, etc.).
– The problem to solve (screenshots of reviews, ratings, etc.).
– Solution #1 (your first value proposition, images of your work).
– Solution #1 benefits (2 -3 benefits, icons, quick explanations).
– Repeat for solutions #2 and #3.
A great way to express your interest is to use the same colors and fonts as the company. I use Chrome extensions to find the exact colors and fonts from their website. It helps save time, and also will catch their attention.
It’s also important to make sure it’s simple. There’s no need for long text because you can elaborate while doing Step 5…
Step 5 – Record a video.
Finally, the last step is to record a video. I use Loom to record both myself and the presentation as I speak.
Start by expressing your interest in the company. Talk about why they appeal to you, and why they are valuable to you. Next, talk about your research: what you learned and what problems you can solve for them. Lastly, go through and talk about the benefits your ideas bring.
After you record, you can go back and trim it down, remove little mistakes, and make sure it flows nicely.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready to send it over! I hope you found this useful, and I wish you the best of luck.
