Pitching practice: So you want to get your invention on TV?

Each time after I appear on television, inventors, small business owners and PR professionals ask if I can put their product in my next segment. I honestly appreciate hearing from people who have innovative new products. Over the years that’s how I’ve found some of the best gadgets for my segments!
 
However, not every product pitched can make it into every segment. And there are things you can do to make your pitch more powerful for me or really to anyone who does TV/radio/print/internet. Here are a few helpful guidelines:  

• First, know to whom you’re pitching. Watch their segments, read their articles—see if your product truly fits what they are about. For a television gadget segment, I’m looking for products that are fun to demonstrate and are easy for viewers to instantly understand the purpose of that product. I only get about 15 - 30 seconds to showcase a product. If the pitch takes three paragraphs to explain what the product does, then it’s probably a product I have to pass on. When I email TV show producers about my segment, I only get one line per product to WOW them. If they are not WOW-ed, the product is dropped. Even print reporters want the pitch short and sweet. If we want or need more information, trust me, we will ask for it.

• When pitching your product, include a photo, your contact information and just a few sentences about the product. Is it the “world’s first ever” or the “smallest” or maybe the “least expensive”? Give me something that makes this product “newsworthy.” What’s the “Wow” feature? What problem does it solve? Why would viewers care about it?

• Also make the subject line interesting. Something like “Double Your Closet Space For Under $20” will catch my eye. Don’t waste the subject line with “Hi” or “You really need to see this.” And I would suggest that you include the product’s price and where consumers can purchase the product.

• And since my medium is television/video, I gravitate towards products that are very visual and fun to demonstrate. Products that move or let the hosts interact with them usually go right to the front of the line. If your product has an easy to demonstrate feature, let me know that. Send a photo that shows it being demonstrated or an even better idea would be to send a link to YouTube so I can see your product in action.

• All of my television segments, articles, and blogs have a theme. One week it could be bathroom gadgets, the next week it might be garden gadgets. Usually the producers pick the theme. The themes change and finding the right products for each theme is part of the challenge. If you see an opportunity that fits your product, let me know. But please be realistic. If the theme is car gadgets, don’t send me your toilet bowl light.

I’m well aware that my segment is only as good as the products in the segment.  If I have fun, interesting products, then my segment will be fun and interesting. If my segment is entertaining and informative, then I’m invited back to that show. So please help me help you to help me.

Steve Greenberg is on the Executive Board of the United Inventors Association/UIA, and the author of “Gadget Nation”, which comes out in paperback this Fall. Steve also appears on various television programs around the country, including NBC’s Today Show, showcasing innovative new products.

Comments

[teofilo dominguez mora]

What is the wow: imagine the whole east coust of the US being delivered by only a powerPlant working non-stop the whole year. A silence, carbonless, smoothy large sumerged facility that offer you the surest control of output never seen. we can begin by 4TW and increase if needed so much the demand order.ask the experts what TW does mean.

[beverly pitts batten]

my product is patented and I have a super wow presentation but it has not been manufactured as of yet jackbatts@yahoo.com