Pitching as a toy inventor can be an intimidating process, especially if you’ve never done it before. But what if you could get the inside scoop from an industry executive at a major toy company? Just imagine if someone from, say, Hasbro, told you exactly what pitching to their company is like, step-by-step. Or, if they let you know exactly what they want to see in your sizzle reel. Stop imagining! Because that is what today’s episode is all about.

Today’s episode features an incredible interview with Tanya Thompson, the Senior Director of Inventor Relations for Hasbro Gaming. Her division sees around 1,500 game submissions per year, so Tanya really knows what works in a pitch and what doesn’t. She shares information specifically on how to pitch directly to Hasbro, but she also shares tips that are useful for pitching to any company, like when to put text in your sizzle, how much information to share about where else you are pitching, and whether or not you need to make a prototype. This episode is a must-listen for anyone, beginner or expert, who wants to gain confidence with pitching or improve their pitching materials using tips from an expert.


EPISODE CLIFF NOTES

• Learn how Tanya went from school teacher to toy industry executive [01:01:16]
• Find out the differences in marketing  between specialty and mass-market games [00:09:20]
• Learn how pitching games is different than pitching toys [00:13:44]
• Find out the best time of year to pitch new products to large toy companies [00:17:12]
• Learn exactly how to pitch directly to Hasbro as a US or international inventor [00:25:44]
• Find out step-by-step what it is like to pitch to Hasbro, from first contact to optioning the game [00:29:46]
• Learn what information is important to disclose in your sizzle reel [00:39:04]
• Find out why prototypes can give you a competitive advantage [00:43:17]
• Learn exactly what inventor relations executives want to see in your sizzle reel [00:53:51]
• Find out what e-mail tactics to avoid when reaching out to an inventor relations executive [01:04:58]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/107

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