Sullivan Anthony - You get what you pitch for: control any situation, create fierce agreement, and get what you want in life

As we begin, let me clear up a common misconception right off the bat.

Pitching is not about selling.

Pitching can be used to sell, but thats not the same thing. Pitching is more. Pitching is about connecting with another human being. Its about being authentic about your ability to meet somebodys need or solve his or her problem. Its about filling up the room with positive energy until the other persona recruiter or judge or credit card service rep or whoeveris delighted to give you what you want. Become a master at pitching and you become a boss at three skills that can change your life:

1. Connecting with other people instantly.

2. Taking command of every environment.

3. Getting people to see you as the solution to their problems.

Pitching and the ability to persuade people to give you what you wanteven if they started out regarding you with suspicion or even hostilityis power. Its figuring out what someone cares about and then caring about it yourself so you can give them what they need. Its engaging a person face to face and eye to eye so they feel like youre speaking directly to them, even if there are fifty other people in the room. Its turning a crowd of glowering strangers with their arms folded into a legion of fans ready to say yes enthusiastically to whatever you propose, what I call fierce agreement. Its the power to get the job, get the girl (or guy), get the part, make and save money, get better service, advance your careerdo just about anything you want to do. Unless you live on an island or spend your days playing video games in your parents basement, happiness and success in life depend on persuading someone else to give you something you want. Youre constantly pitching, even if you dont realize it. If you walk into a Jeep dealership, youre pitching the salesman and sales manager, trying to persuade them to give you the best deal on a shiny new Grand Cherokee and the best price on your trade-in.

If you see someone interesting and attractive at a bar or nightclub and want to get their phone number, youre pitching them. Youre trying to engage their sense of humor, get past their natural skepticism at being hit on, pique their interest, and build some trust so theyll take a chance on meeting you for coffee.

When you walk into your bosss office for your annual performance review, youre pitching her on how you gave the company amazing work during the past year and convincing her that you should receive a gold-plated review, a fat raise, and maybe that corner office thats been standing empty since last quarter.

If youre a server or bartender, youre pitching customers every time you clock in. Youre talking with them, paying attention to small cues and body language, listening to their terrible jokes, finding ways to make them feel taken care of, and possibly acting as their therapist, confessor, partner in crime, or wingman for the evening. Why? So you can get a big tip, pay your bills, and afford a vacation to Mexico where somebody can wait on you for a change.

Im pitching you in this introduction. Its true. Im trying to connect and get you excited so youll keep reading, and Im using all my enthusiasm and boyish charm to do it. (Its a shame you cant hear my English accent, because its dazzling.) If youve read this far without even realizing it, then it worked. Thats the power of the pitch. The better your pitch, the better your outcome. But becoming a pitching superhero doesnt just happen.

Convincing people to give you what you want is an art form that takes charisma and confidence, but no great pitchman becomes great based just on those qualities. The good ones make themselves great with practice and discipline, mastering a series of skills that have proven themselves from the street markets of coastal England and the home shows of America all the way to the election stump. Those are what I call the Pitch Powers.