15 Pitch-Perfect Strategies To Win Influencers And Build Partnerships

Forbes

22-05-2025

There's always strength in numbers, especially when it comes to elevating your brand's status in today's marketplace. In a digital economy, driven by social media comments and content marketing, connecting with influencers and high-ranking organizations to collaborate on potential projects is one of the fastest, easiest ways to increase brand awareness and growth. But how do you accomplish that goal if you are an unknown establishment, new to the industry?
With the right methods in place, demonstrating your company's value proposition and credibility doesn't have to be as tough as it sounds. Here are 15 ideas from Forbes Business Development Council members to help you get started with a pitch letter worthy of proposing a collab with any influencer or potential partner who knows little to nothing about your emerging brand.
Analyze your joint total addressable market size and highlight your market cap or valuation factors if applicable. Understand how your organization can fill a gap that exists in the partner's ecosystem, and focus on complementary areas that would add value to your joint customers. Voilà, you have a great start to your pitch letter! - Anoma Baste, Space Matrix
Start with the value prop—why this collab moves the needle for them. Then tie it to a clear use case, shared audience or mutual win. Keep it tight, relevant and confident. The first pitch isn't to close the deal, it's to earn the next conversation. - Aaron Biggs, Summit
As a leader, you must have a strong elevator pitch that's also easy to personalize for the audience at hand, whether that's tailoring it for their company or industry, their job title or their knowledge of your business. A great pitch must also include the "what's in it for me" message, clearly stating why they should care about the value your products or services deliver. - Toby Carrington, Seismic
Keep it short and visually appealing. Use one bold stat or achievement about your brand (for example, early traction or a unique feature) paired with a sleek design to grab attention and build credibility fast. - Vivek Vishal, Honeywell
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Lead with value. Show you've done the homework. Make it clear why this collab makes sense right now. Focus less on your intro and more on what's in it for them—their goals, their audience, their brand. Keep it tight, relevant and easy to say yes to. - Michael Fritsch, Smarter Operations
Start by learning about them. Look into their audience, how they communicate and what they seem to care about. Then, shape your message so it speaks directly to that. Point out where your brand fits with what they're already doing and show exactly how working with you could be useful for them, not just for you. - Max Avery, Digital Ascension Group
When crafting your pitch letter, show you understand the partner's brand and why the collaboration makes sense. Highlight how it can support their strategy and add value to their journey. Focus on strategic alignment and share execution ideas that fit their priorities. This goes beyond just commercial negotiations, demonstrating you've thought through the partnership's long-term potential. - Jayant Walia, Gainbridge
The most effective collaborations start with shared values. If your brand is still relatively unknown, your pitch to a potential partner should explain why you and why now. Then, shift the focus to them, articulating how this partnership would benefit their goals, audience or mission. Make it about co-creating something valuable together. - Raviraj Hegde, Donorbox
Business partners care about outcomes, so pitch the outcome. Lead with what this collaboration makes possible: revenue, reach, speed, relevance. Then prove you're the only one who can deliver it that way, right now. The best partners don't need convincing—they just need a reason to act. - Alexander Masters, MBA, BIDA, Siemens
I always keep it conversational and personal. I avoid sounding like a PR blast because that just feels cold and generic. Instead, I write like I'm talking to a peer—someone I respect, someone I'm genuinely curious about working with. I stay confident, but never salesy or robotic. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy
Lead with a brief, authentic story that shares your brand's mission and connects to the influencer's values. Show you've done your homework, then highlight how the collaboration benefits them, their audience and your shared goals. Clarity and sincerity are key to turning a cold pitch into a meaningful opportunity. - Rahul Saluja, Cognizant
To craft a good pitch, deeply understand the influencer or partner's audience. Research their interests, challenges and expectations. Then, tailor your messaging, tone and unique selling points to highlight how your collaboration benefits them and their audience. Make the value clear—whether it's exclusive content, revenue potential or credibility enhancement—to ensure they see the opportunity. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House
Keep your letter short and clear. Avoid unnecessary words—it should be strict and to the point. All details can be discussed later; the goal of the first email is simply to get it opened and read. Use a catchy subject line, a clear structure, key figures and potential benefits. That's all you need. - Dima Raketa, Reputation House
Craft a concise pitch letter introducing your brand's mission and value. Highlight one key achievement, like a recent milestone, and propose a specific collab idea tailored to their audience. Include a link to a sleek one-pager with metrics and close with a clear CTA, like scheduling a 15-minute call. - Tomer Warschauer Nuni, PRIM3 Capital
Research their career, interests, target audience and pain points. Reference specifics like recent posts. Mention specific content they've created or a recent achievement. Say something like, "I saw your recent post about [specific topic], and it really resonated with me because ..." Showcase how you can help them with case studies, proving tangible results. - William DeCourcy, AmeriLife