Don’t Blend In and the Secret to the Winning Pitch

Summer of 1994, I finally made it "big time." I landed an internship at Broadway Video in New York. During that first week, I had to pitch creative to a room full of execs. Let's just say it was a hot mess. It wasn't because the work wasn't good or that I wasn't prepared. It was because I did not understand the most fundamental foundation of pitching. I was "selling" and not "teaching."

Unfortunately, this was a pattern repeated again and again. I won some pitches, lost some pitches, but none of it moved the needle forward. None of it actually solved a client's issues; we were ultimately just selling "cool" creative.

Then one day, many years later, I discovered the most important pitch secret that I've carried with me for the past 20 years, and it's uncanny how well it worked and transformed everything.

The best of the best aren't hired because they're selling creative. They are hired because they are teaching the client something they don’t know—and then applying that knowledge to exponentially change their business. It's all about creating that "aha" moment, where you show them a new perspective that transforms their go-to-market approach and sets them on the path to success. And the process is simple—it’s literally just three beats.

Teach
This is the step that 90% of us miss. But it’s the most fundamental. It’s your differentiator. Why did they bring you into the room in the first place? What is your unique point of view on the industry, the customer, the brand, or the competition? We all have it, but few of us vocalize it (and I'm not talking about those overly verbose catch-phrases on your landing page). This is honest. This is credible. And it is unique. Get the client to lean in and understand that this knowledge will change everything.

Tailor
Next up is the, “Why this knowledge actually matters to your business.” How does your expertise directly apply to their issues? Customize what you know for them, not what they are asking in their creative brief (although you have to do that too). This is about giving them that a-ha moment that makes them think differently about their problem, and that your knowledge is directly connected to their success.

Finally, Take Control
Take them down the path that ONLY you can guide them. Once the other two steps are set up, then it’s a walk in the park. Your expertise is the critical element they've been missing, which will drive significant success for them. This is the part where you present your creative, BUT only after you've framed up why it matters to them.

So, for those of you who blend in, drop off the creative on the table, and disappear into the background. Step forward. Remember - they are not buying your creative. They are buying you. Your knowledge. And your unique point of view. And when you find it, you will be unstoppable.

(A special thank you to Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson of The Challenger Sale for the foundation of this strategy)

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The Generalist vs the Specialist

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Yellow Pants and Authenticity Unleashed