When The Notebook Comes Out...

...it's a good thing.

If you aren't a natural 'performer', pitching can be a difficult, tension-filled ordeal, especially at events like Banff where you generally get only 10-15 minutes with network or company execs...people whose days are PACKED with dozens of pitch meetings like yours. And most times nothing fruitful comes from it on the day (though I suppose if they shout "I'm in!" and plop down a development deal contract in front of you then yes, you could take that as something positive, but that usually doesn't happen). You're really just hoping to just strike a chord or create some interest or at least make a decent impression.

Here's how most go: there's the introduction or reconnection...the casual "how ya doing/been" chit chat that dovetails into the "What are you working on these days?" question. And so you start your pitch (or pitches, as it may be). They listen. They nod. There may be some questions (a good sign), but most times you hear the "That's not really right for us." OR "We've already got something like that" shutdown.

But if at any point the pitch recipient gently touches your arm and says "Hang on a sec" and then reaches into his/her bag for a notebook and begins to WRITE SOME THINGS DOWN...and then says something like: "That's interesting, please continue" or "I'd like to see more on that one" --- you should chalk that up as a small victory.

Because I've taken A LOT of those meetings over the years and most of the time, they don't reach for the notebook.

Today someone did.


In other news, the St. James was crowded and LOUD tonight...tough to converse. But met some more friends/fans of the blog, and Epstein and McGrath are a pair to be reckoned with...very entertaining lads, they be.

And at the end of the day, it's just a toy.

So it goes...