When I started researching self-help webinars, Julie Solomon’s Pitch It Perfect course was one of the first few I came across. I didn’t figure I would be hustling for affiliate marketing deals yet with only 30 some-odd Instagram followers, but she was bright and fun and popping up everywhere, so I figured I would give the masterclass a shot.
The first two things I noticed before the webinar were that a.) Mrs. Solomon brilliantly had a robot responding to all of her Facebook messages so she had a perfect response score (which I later learned was a common and sometimes misused tactic,) and that b.) regardless of what she knew about Instagram followers and pitching, the girl knew how to make a pretty workbook. It turned out to be one of the longer workbooks of the bunch I printed, but the prompts were easy to follow and had plenty of space for taking notes. I grabbed my colored pens, tried to shoo the cat away from my half-drunk glass of sweet tea, and settled in for the webinar.
The Pros
- Mrs. Solomon has a really great personality. She has honed her voice and is confident in her public persona. Her honesty and excitement made it easy to stay engaged for the hour and twenty minutes that the webinar lasted.
- Mrs. Solomon had great information and thoughts on successful pitching. The main premise had me smacking myself in the head and saying, “No, duh! Why didn’t I think of that before? I have a degree in English, for goodness sake! I could teach a class on audience!” All that to say, it was good of Mrs. Solomon to say it explicitly.
- Throughout the webinar, Mrs. Solomon listed several actionable items that someone could complete and probably use for success without having to pay for her full course. She gave lots of examples and encouraged us to take pictures of the material she put on the screen.
The Cons
- Mrs. Solomon helped me realize the point of free webinars. Regardless of whether the free webinar had great content or was a waste of time, it was all a sales pitch for their continued training course. And, of course, the paid training courses were never cheap. Mrs. Solomon’s paid course hit about middle of the road at a one-time price of $497 for life-time access to the content and Facebook group.
- Mrs. Solomon did follow up with lots of emails, especially initially, but they were pleasant, entertaining, and full of hilarious Gifs, so I wasn’t really mad. The emails are relegated to sales and don’t provide much follow-up value, at least from what I have seen in the past month, but they are sparse enough that they don’t bother me. It would be easy enough to unsubscribe through the hyperlink at the bottom, too, if you preferred.
What I tried
- The biggest change I made after watching the Pitch It Perfect webinar was to update my biographies to be service-focused. When she said it, this hit me like a no-brainer. Of COURSE people will respond better to content directed to them instead of babbling on about myself! It actually gave me the most clarity on what to write in a biography that I’ve ever had. I always hated coming up with four sentences about myself. “Umm, I write, I love my family, and I love fluffy little dogs named Teddy Bear.” Focusing on my audience’s interests and needs made it so much easier to tailor my biography to the strengths I could offer. It hasn’t made any dramatic changes to my follower count, but I do feel more confident in the way I introduce myself virtually.
- If I ever venture into the influencer business model, I will absolutely refer back to the notes I took at this webinar. She gave a great step-by-step guide for what to include in a press kit, and she encouraged us to take pictures of the email examples she put on the screen for us to refer back to later. Even if I don’t become a great internet influencer (ha!), her tips will easily be transferred to the publishing and writing realm for article pitches and agent queries.
Initial Conclusion
If your business or creative dream involves “pitching” in any way, shape, or form, I would soak up all the free knowledge that Julie Solomon is willing to dish out. The Pitch It Perfect course really is geared towards influencers, so you may want to save your money on that one if your work doesn’t revolve around brands on your Instagram feed. (If it does, this could be a really great course for you.) She has several other courses at a variety of price points, so if she offers a course that really speaks to your need, she seems like a really knowledgable and interesting person to learn from.