Whether you work in Hollywood or not, the fact is that selling ideas is really difficult to do. The reason the pitching secrets of the most successful writers and directors are relevant is because these people have evolved an advanced method for selling ideas.

Whether you’re a screenwriter, a journalist with an idea for a story, an entrepreneur with a business plan, an inventor with a blueprint, or a manager with an innovative solution, if you want other people to invest their time, energy, and money in your idea, you face an uphill battle….

When I was at MGM, the hardest part of my job was not cutthroat studio politics or grueling production schedules. The toughest part of my job was whenever I had to say “No” to an idea that was almost there.

I had to say no a lot. Every buyer does. The buyer’s work is to say yes to projects that are ready, not almost ready. And no matter how good the script is, if the seller can’t pitch it in a compelling way, how can the buyer see the potential? How can he get his colleagues on board? How can he recommend the seller to his superiors? The fact is that poor pitches doom good projects.

It happens all the time. The ideas, products and services that are pitched more effectively… win. That’s just how the game is played. No sense getting upset over it. Instead, let’s accept the challenge and learn the strategies and tactics that will allow us (and our ideas) to succeed.

-From GOOD IN A ROOM

Business consultant and former MGM Director of Creative Affairs Stephanie Palmer reveals the techniques used by Hollywood’s top writers, producers, and directors to get financing for their projects - and explains how you can apply these techniques to be more successful in your own high-stakes meetings. Because, as Palmer has found, the strategies used to sell yourself and your ideas in Hollywood not only work in other businesses, they often work better.

 

Whether you are a manager or executive with an innovative proposal, a professional with a hot concept, a salesperson selling to a potential client or investor, or an entrepreneur with a business plan, GOOD IN A ROOM shows you how to:

 

Master the five stages of the face-to-face meeting

Avoid the secret dealbreakers of the first ninety seconds

Be confident in high-pressure situations

Present yourself better and more effectively than you ever have before

Whether you want to ask for a raise, grow your client list, launch a new business or find financing for a creative project, you must not only present your ideas in a compelling way - you must also sell yourself, as well. GOOD IN A ROOM shows you how to construct a winning presentation and deliver the kind of performance that will get your project greenlighted, whatever industry you are in.

The techniques used to sell ideas in Hollywood not only work in other businesses, they often work better.”

--from GOOD IN A ROOM

Whether you intend to ask for a raise, sign a potential client, promote a new business or secure financing for a creative project, GOOD IN A ROOM shows you how to:

-Master the five stages of the face-to-face meeting

-Avoid the secret dealbreakers of the first ninety seconds

-Be confident in high-pressure situations

-Present yourself better and more effectively than you ever have before

GOOD IN A ROOM is a step-by-step guide to improving your performance in high-stakes meetings as well as in other areas of your professional life. You’ll learn insider secrets, cutting-edge techniques, and invaluable tips on how to construct winning presentations, persuade decision-makers, and sell your self and your ideas, whatever industry you are in.

STEPHANIE PALMER coaches business leaders and creative professionals in a wide range of industries to help them get their ideas the attention and financing they deserve. As part of MGM’s executive team for six years, she supervised twenty films with multimillion dollar budgets, including the international screen hit, Legally Blond. She has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Variety and on NPR. She lives in Los Angeles.