Spec Work When Pitching
This is an interesting POV written by Seth Godin and applies to our everyday life of pitching new prospects.
The ongoing debate of spec work as part of the pitch process is well, ongoing. The fact is, in many cases “spec work” can be showcased through highly relevant past work creative for past clients with identical or extremely similar marketing issues. Or as Pablo Picasso put it, “I often paint fakes.” Meaning much of his “new” work was a derivative of something prior rather than an original.
Take this insight and apply to new business pitching BUT… the critical component is to exemplify the purpose and relevancy of the work to that prospective client’s specific needs.
I hope you enjoy the quick, insightful and applicable words here written by Seth Godin.
Painting fakes and singing covers
When a pop band goes on the road to promote a hit record, they’re almost certainly re-singing a version of their work that matches what the fan expects to hear, not the daring, original work that they actually might feel like playing that night.
And when, twenty years later, they go on a reunion tour, the same is true, but even more so. The band make-up has changed, their tastes have changed, and they’re an oldies act now. Playing covers of their own work.
Every once in a while, Pablo Picasso painted a daring new work of art. But most of his 10,000 paintings rhymed with the ones he’d done before. In his words, “I often paint fakes*.”
Fakes and covers are an essential element of the creative cultural economy. But when we engage with them, we should do it on purpose and not be confused about what we’re getting (or creating).
*Painting fakes
Ed shares this story with us, via a friend of Pablo Picasso.
I was staying with Picasso in his studio. Every day, dealers would come by to authenticate paintings they were trying to sell… they would ask the painter if the painting was real or a fake.
A dealer came by one day, Picasso glanced at it and without hesitating said, “fake.” Later that day, two more were identified as fakes.
The second day, a different dealer came by. Picasso hardly looked up. “Fake!” he bellowed.
After the dealer left, I couldn’t help myself. “Picasso, why did you say that painting was a fake? I was here, in this studio, last year when I saw you paint it.”
Picasso didn’t hesitate. He turned to me and said, “I often paint fakes.”
Pitch with Passion, Lisa
