When pitching high-profile individuals, understand their inner circle (agent, manager, PR, spouse). Only one person has real influence, while the others act as gatekeepers. Pitching the wrong person leads to a fast 'no.' Your first job is to identify and target the true decision-maker.
When pitching experts or celebrities, they don't care about your resume or how great your idea is. People care about themselves. The most effective strategy is to build trust by asking authentic questions about topics they are passionate about. This makes them like you, which is the real goal.
Effective leaders adapt their feedback style. Creatives respond best to high-level, observational notes that identify a problem (e.g., "my attention wanes here") without prescribing a solution. In contrast, marketing or product teams often prefer more specific, tactical feedback they can directly implement.
Contrary to the belief that masters "just chill" at the top, MasterClass's top instructors consistently ask for notes and want to improve their work, even after it's published. This reveals that the drive for constant improvement is what defines mastery, not a state of arrived perfection.
MasterClass CEO David Roger assumed his stutter made him seem less intelligent. After seeking direct feedback, he learned others perceived it as endearing and felt more connected to him. Our internal narratives about our flaws are often completely wrong and far harsher than reality.
Successful negotiation requires focusing on the ultimate prize. If your counterpart needs to vent and says things you disagree with, let them. Arguing every minor point is counterproductive. Acknowledge their feelings and guide the conversation back to the primary objective of closing the deal.