5 Strategies to help you nail your next client pitch

You’re standing in front of the execs.

Your mouth is dry despite the excessive amount of water you’ve consumed leading up to this moment. Your heart is racing, palms clammy.

You gulp your last dry gulp. It’s time to begin your pitch.

This can be one of the scariest parts of your entire career – pitching something you’ve worked hard on for weeks, months even, to your clients.

Knowing they could (metaphorically) throw it at the wall, leaving you heartbroken…rejected… standing in the cold rain on your own….

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Because my anxiety-riddled ass is going to help you ace your pitch. You can trust me, we’re in this together now.

Unfortunately, you can’t just rock up with your simple slide deck and a few talking points and expect to woo anybody. You need to create an engaging presentation that will showcase the value of your idea to your clients in a way they can’t deny.

So, here are 5 simple strategies that will make your pitch (almost) irresistible.

Depending on the strength of your idea, that is (you can’t roll sh*t in glitter and call it gold, darling).

1. Focus on your client’s needs.

This seems obvious. But it's surprisingly easy to accidentally make a pitch about your ideas and why you think they’re good. Pulling random USP’s out of a hat and hoping one sticks is not going to charm anyone.

Focusing on what your client needs means asking open questions that are relevant to your client.

Think about it this way. People spend money to solve a problem. So once you understand what the problem you need to solve is, you can tailor your pitch to help them solve it, whether it’s a strategy, a campaign, or a piece of creative.

2. Tell a powerful story.

I spoke last week about the power of storytelling in marketing. And its power rings true when it comes to your pitches, too. Think of the most engaging and successful presentations you’ve seen. I can bet they’re all story-based.

A story can humanise your idea, making it easier to connect with. So, offer an engaging solution that will connect your client to their audience.

You can further this by tapping into your clients’ emotions. Whether it’s outrage, adoration or empathy – appeal to their human side – then keep that feeling central to your pitch.

Remember: over everything, people will always remember how you made them feel.

3. Lead with tailored insights.

Coming across under-prepared and under-researched has got to be one of the biggest red flags for a client. After all, if you don’t care enough to know about who you’re pitching to, why should they trust you?

That’s why staying clued into what’s happening with your clients’ consumers and knowing what audiences you’re targeting is an absolute must.

Extra points if you can show you know more about their audience than they do. Using real data you’ve collated can be the difference between a deal or a decline.

4. Gauge the current climate.

Not only do you need insights into your client’s audience, you also need to know how that audience behaves and what drives engagement. Talk about changes in your client’s industry, and how those changes will affect their campaigns. This will ensure your pitch reflects the real world and isn’t made of fluff.

When you've got this information, you can point your clients in the right direction to help them become more effective with their campaigns.

5. Memorise!!! Your!!! Pitch!!!!!

Stuttering over cue cards or reading off your slides is just not going to be effective. Literally do what you did with school speeches and practise in front of a mirror. Yes, it feels stupid. But it's going to make your delivery 100% better.

This will be easier if you keep it short, which is infinitely better anyway.

That way, you can leave time to have a real discussion at the end and iron out any concerns your client may have.

See, pitching to clients is not all doom and gloom.

The bottom line here is the more you seem like you know what you’re saying, the easier it is for the client to make a decision in your favour.

You've got this ♡

-Sophie, Writer