You should have seen me before my first pitch – nerves, stress, trying to memorize the presentation… total chaos. As a junior in a digital agency, with very little experience in presenting, I was lucky to be surrounded by people who were already telling me that in six months, I would laugh at myself and the feelings I had back then. There was no shortage of encouragement. Small things, like practicing together, advice on how to stay calm, and support, ensured the successful completion of my first pitch. You can’t imagine how much a simple “If you get stuck, I’ll take over” can mean to someone in the situation I was in at that time.
Several years have passed since that first pitch, and today pitching is my favorite part of the job. How did I go from a terrified junior to a confident Head of Content, Creative & Social? Let’s go through the steps together.
Is there a secret?
It would be ideal if there were one thing you could apply that would guarantee a successful pitch. But, of course, that’s not the case. Developing the skill of presenting involves many factors, and some of the most important are confidence in your knowledge, certainty in the ideas you’re presenting, thorough preparation, and understanding the client’s needs and desires. When you know what you’re talking about, when you’re an expert in your field, and when you take enough time to prepare for the presentation, you’re already on the right path to a successful pitch.
Good preparation is half the battle
Creating a pitch involves several stages: receiving the brief, team brainstorming, generating ideas and strategies, coordinating teams, creating the presentation, and presenting it to the client. Every well-executed stage before the final pitch makes the last phase – the actual presentation of the idea, which is the topic of this blog – much easier.
To make the pitch successful, you need to fully understand the client and their needs. We understand the client best when we carefully study the brief. The pitch must answer all the client’s questions and offer solutions to the challenges they face. Great ideas won’t mean much if they don’t meet the client’s goals. Additionally, creativity without a meaningful strategy to support it won’t be enough for success. Therefore, first and foremost, ensure that you’ve thoroughly reviewed the brief and understand what is expected of you.
Teamwork is one of the key aspects of a successful pitch. More heads are better than one. Different perspectives will broaden the strategy and ensure high-quality creativity, which is crucial for standing out among others who will also be presenting ideas to the client.
Ideas, strategy, design, presentation flow – everything you present must make sense and be connected. The way you present will make it clear to the client how deeply you’ve thought about their challenges, how thoroughly you’ve researched their industry, and how dedicated you’ve been to the pitch.
Practice, practice, practice
After working on the pitch and preparing the presentation, you’ll understand the content, but standing in front of the client and presenting will be a completely different experience. That’s why it’s essential to organize an internal meeting with the team before the official pitch and present it exactly how you plan to present it to the client. This way, you’ll receive feedback from the team on what can be added, improved, or removed from the presentation, which will make you even more confident when it’s time to pitch. Avoid the mistake of thinking it’s enough to just read the presentation in your head – it’s not. Trust me.
It’s also important to note that with every new pitch, you’ll gain new knowledge and skills. Like any other skill, repetition is what will get you to a point where you feel completely confident and enjoy what you’re doing.
People and the human approach
In very serious situations, such as pitching, where a high level of professionalism is expected, we often forget about the human element. What made the biggest difference for me in delivering pitches was this realization. It’s essential to establish good communication with the client and show your character. Delivering only “clean” information, no matter how good, won’t be enough if you want your ideas to stand out. A smile, a simple joke, or connecting ideas with everyday situations can make a big difference, as well as to show your understanding, adding a new dimension to the presentation.
Stay calm – and good luck!
Excellent preparation, lots of practice, and developing your presentation skills over time will ensure a successful pitch. Always keep in mind that you know what you’re talking about, that you’re presenting ideas developed in collaboration with a great team, and that you’re showcasing a strategy designed to help the client succeed. A positive attitude and confidence will be visible in every word and explanation. Put a smile on your face and – good luck!
