The Pitch

In class last week, we talked about the art of the sales pitch, which is one of the most common displays of selling in movies, tv, and cinema. Below I have attached a link for an all-time personal favorite “pitch” from the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”. In this scene, actor Will Smith (who plays successful wall street broker Chris Gardner), is pitching himself to lead manager Jay Twistle. While Chris attempts to pitch himself, his credentials, and his background, Twistle is so focused on solving a Rubik’s Cube that he is barely paying any attention. After realizing how little attention Twistle is giving him, Chris takes the Rubik’s Cube from a struggling Twistle and goes on to solve it with ease. While it may seem unimportant, this little display of intellect and problem-solving from Chris definitely goes a long way whenever he is selected to be a part of the firm later on in the film.

Even though this “pitch” is not as typical as popular sales pitches might be, it definitely points out the power in knowing who you are talking to as you are pitching yourself. A pitch’s primarily intended to generate curiosity and interest, as well as elicit further discussion in a sales scenario. Here, we definitely see Twistle becoming more interested in Chris and his abilities after solving the Rubik’s Cube, which inadvertently became the main focus of Chris’ pitch. Sometimes, as it is evident in this scenario, demonstration is often better suited for distracted audiences, and can become a memorable experience that will keep the prospect focused on who you are.