Noting the interest, Bruce Ertmann, corporate manager of consumer-generated media at Toyota Motor Sales, couldn't resist the opportunity to make a sales pitch.

FORBES: Crowd Control

By using friendly but authoritative online reps who identify themselves as company brass, these marketers hope to make a sale--or at least a sales pitch.

FORBES: Crowd Control

Consumers also want more than a simple sales pitch these days, and providing or encouraging real-life experiences can make a brand stand out.

FORBES: Message To Brands: Give Americans A Break

New owners make it worse by accosting the uninitiated with a half-hour sales pitch.

FORBES: TiVo

Using algorithms, Data Distilleries' call-centre application can flash up a sales idea in less than two seconds, so operators have ample time to make a pitch that is precisely tailored to the client.

ECONOMIST: Enterprise software