If you want to Never Lose Another Pitch it is important to first understand what a pitch is and what a pitch is not.

What a pitch is not, is a “contest of ideas.”

While it may suit creative types like myself to argue “the idea is everything” the bitter truth is that this is simply not the case. Most people, clients included, would not know a brilliant idea if it hit them in the face with a shovel.

(The reason for this is straight-forward. Most good original ideas make no sense. My kids love the cartoon Rick and Morty, but I would not wanted to be at the meetings where the idea was pitched. You know, a burping, schloretic grandpa  takes in grandson on intergalactic adventures while tackling the problems of their disintegrating family. You can imagine the silence that met that pitch.  Genius ideas are bafflingly strange.: think  Uber, Facebook, Graphene. If they were made more sense, someone would have invented them. )

So forget about having original ideas, as only people brave enough to fail and practiced at recognising them (the US Army, Netflix) will grasp them anyway. Most times a pitch confirms a decision that has already been made. Let me give you an example.

In 2018, Amazon decided they needed a new office. But that sounded a bit boring, so instead they called it a “second HQ” in addition to their current HQ in Seattle.

So they encouraged US cities to pitch to become Amazon’s second HQ. Many cities jumped at the chance it create jobs and boost the economies of their local cities. Two hundred and thirty eight US cities fell over themselves to offer tax breaks to Amazon.

Of those, 20 cities made the shortlist. As well as major centres such as New York and Washington DC, Dallas, Denver, Newark and Montgomery MD also made the cut.

Who do you think won? In the end Amazon selected New York and Washington DC as their new second HQs. What do you think they had in common? They were both less than half an hour’s drive from one of CEO Jeff Bezo’s homes.

Put another way, all those other cities never stood a chance. Would the world’s richest man really spend time in Montgomery MD over New York or Washington? Of course not.

The important learning for pitchers is this: Amazon are not the exception. This is the rule.

Pitches are mostly won or lost before the presentation. (The pitch deck is just the proof.) Someone always has an unfair advantage. If it is not you, don’t pitch.

But there is a better way. Make sure it is you. Stay tuned and we will show you how.

Related stories

Never Lose Another Pitch 2: Positioning matters

Never Lose Another Pitch 3: how to successfully position your business

Never Lose Another Pitch 3: how to successfully position your business

Never Lose Another Pitch 4: know your clients’ one true customer

Never Lose Another Pitch 5: discover the “real brief”

About the author

My name is Andy Pemberton. I am an expert in data visualization. I guide global clients such as Lombard Odier, the European Commission and Cisco on the best way to use data visualization and then produce it for them: reports, infographics and motion graphics. If you need your data visualized contact me at andy@furthr.co.uk or call 07963 020 103

Posted in: Infographic of the day