Pitching Yourself: How to Sell Your Story
🗓️ LES ALFRED POSTED TO THE GROUP CHAT MAR 19, 2026
CAREER & PERSONAL BRANDING | Marketing & Cultural Virality
Manifesting is great, but sometimes you have to ask for the opportunities you want. For ambitious women, pitching is one of the most valuable skills you can have because a well-crafted pitch can open up so many doors of opportunity and visibility.
As a full-time podcast host, I’ve been on both sides of the pitch, and have learned exactly what a pitch needs to have to land. Here’s what you need to know to write a stellar pitch that gets you closer to your next big opportunity.
Pitching Yourself: How to Sell Your Story
1. Do Your Homework
First and foremost, you need to know who you’re sending your pitch to. It sounds obvious, but missing important details like the correct name of the publication or organization you’re pitching to, or misspelling the name of the person you’re sending the pitch to can make all the difference in how your pitch is received.
Each pitch you send should be tailored to its target recipient. Paying attention to these details shows that you care and aren’t just copying and pasting the same blanket pitch to a bunch of people.
For example, I changed the name of my podcast over a year ago, and still occasionally get pitches addressed to the old name of my show. Those typically get archived immediately because it shows the sender hasn’t engaged with my work in over a year, and didn’t research before hitting “send.”
When pitching, I also think it’s best to do via email vs in someone’s DMs, especially if it’s someone you don’t know. Not only is it more professional, but it’s easier for the person you’re pitching to find your message, and doesn’t put them on the spot to give you an answer right away.
If I want to pitch someone and don’t have an email address on hand for them, then I may start with a DM for warm outreach to initiate the conversation, then I’ll ask them what the best email is to send more information. After that, I’ll follow up with a more formal pitch via email.
2. Lead with Their Goal, Not Yours
When sending a pitch, your first instinct may be to tell the recipient what you want from them. In order to make your pitch stand out, you need to flip it. While you’re crafting your pitch, take some time to understand what their goals are and how you can help them reach their objective.
As a podcast host I love receiving pitches where the guest shares how the topic or conversation they’re pitching can help my current audience, and can help expose my show to new listeners. That’s so much more appealing than someone sending a pitch that is all about what they want me to do for them.
Whether you’re pitching to be a guest on a podcast, to contribute a freelance project, or to speak at an event, position your offering as a solution to the recipient’s problem, not as a favor you want them to do for you.
3. Make Your Unique Edge Clear
Your pitch should also make the value proposition you offer clear and easy to understand. What’s a unique angle only you can bring? What credentials or experience do you have that makes you an amazing fit for the opportunity?
Ultimately, you’re selling your story and unique experiences. A pitch is not the time to be shy about what you have to offer. State it clearly and concisely.
4. Close with a Specific Ask
The end of the pitch should help facilitate the next steps to keep the conversation going. End with a specific call-to-action such as an invitation to hop on a quick call and discuss further (along with a few available times), or asking what the next best step is to proceed.
After sending, if you don’t hear back from the recipient right away, plan to follow up within five to seven days. I typically will follow-up two to three times after sending the initial message if needed.
The Anatomy of a Strong Pitch
Let’s put it all together. Here’s how a strong pitch should flow:
Subject line: specific and intriguing enough to get them to open
The hook: why you’re reaching out to them, and why now
The value exchange: what’s in it for them
Your edge: why you’re the perfect person to help
The ask: one specific next step
Manifesting is what sets the intention, and aligned action like sending the pitch is what gets you in the room. What’s one pitch you’re planning to send this week?
