Learning how to pitch: 7 mistakes most agencies make

Most agencies believe they already know how to pitch. They’ve done dozens of them, after all. But winning consistently isn’t about experience; it’s about learning how to pitch with intent, structure, and rehearsal. The truth is, most teams repeat the same habits that quietly cost them the win.

Pitching isn’t another presentation; it’s a performance. It’s the culmination of team chemistry, preparation, and control. Agencies that take the time to learn how to pitch as a discipline (rather than treating it as another project deadline) see higher conversion rates, better client relationships, and stronger internal alignment.

At Great Pitch Company, we’ve seen the same mistakes play out across hundreds of agencies. The good news? They’re easy to fix once you know where to look.

1. Treating the pitch like a presentation, not a performance

The first mistake is confusing information delivery with persuasion. Most agencies focus entirely on what to say—the content—while neglecting how to say it. As Michael Parker writes in The Perfect Pitch Process, 90% of effort goes into the content, leaving the pitch strategy and performance as an afterthought.

But a great pitch is theatre with purpose. The client’s decision depends as much on how your team comes across as on what you show. Learning how to pitch means understanding that your energy, confidence, and interaction will be remembered long after your slides.

Agencies that treat every pitch as a live performance: one that’s rehearsed, timed, and choreographed, stand out immediately.

2. Ignoring chemistry

Many teams walk into chemistry meetings thinking they’re informal chats. They’re not. Chemistry is the deciding factor before the formal pitch even begins. It’s where the client assesses if they can work with you, trust you, and enjoy collaborating.

Ignoring chemistry is one of the most expensive mistakes agencies make. Clients don’t just evaluate ideas; they evaluate people. The best teams plan for chemistry deliberately, choosing who attends based on personality fit, ensuring listening outweighs talking, and designing the interaction to feel natural but controlled.

At Great Pitch Company, we help teams treat chemistry meetings as the pitch itself, not as the warm-up.

3. Over-focusing on content and under-focusing on delivery

Agencies often obsess over getting every word right while overlooking tone, pacing, and body language. But 55% of communication is non-verbal. A strong message delivered poorly won’t land.

Learning how to pitch involves understanding the rhythm of communication. Great presenters pause, change pace, and use silence effectively. They make eye contact, speak with conviction, and sound like they believe in what they’re saying.

Ultimately, delivery (not words) turns rational arguments into emotional conviction. It’s emotion that moves audiences to act. Teams that rehearse the delivery as much as the content consistently outperform those who rely on slides to do the work.

4. Not rehearsing as a team

Individual preparation is not the same as team rehearsal. A well-crafted script can still fail if the team hasn’t practiced together. In this sense, pitch rehearsals should be mandatory, with clear leadership, fixed dates, and dress runs well in advance.

Yet most agencies rehearse once, usually the night before, then hope adrenaline carries them through. It never does.

Learning how to pitch as a team means rehearsing your transitions, handovers, and rhythm. It’s about practicing energy flow and coordination so the client sees cohesion, not competition. Rehearsal builds trust inside the room and confidence in front of it.

Great Pitch Company sessions replicate this process, testing performance under real conditions and ensuring each presenter knows their moment to lead, support, or listen.

5. Failing to answer the real brief

Another common mistake is misunderstanding what the client is really asking for. Agencies often respond to the written brief but ignore the subtext, the pain point, politics, or pressure driving it.

Teams should keep checking and re-checking the brief, especially as they approach D-Day. The clues to what the client wants are usually there, hidden in phrasing or scoring criteria.

Learning how to pitch means learning to listen deeply. Ask yourself: what’s motivating this pitch? What’s the client under pressure to prove internally? The most persuasive agencies position their story as the solution to those real, often unspoken needs.

6. Using generic casting

Agencies often assign pitch roles by hierarchy or availability. The result? The wrong people in the room. Clients notice when presenters are miscast, when enthusiasm feels forced, or expertise doesn’t match the question.

Parker’s rule is simple: “Pick the team most likely to win, not just the one available”. That means thinking about personalities, not just roles. Who connects naturally? Who listens well? Who brings calm authority or contagious enthusiasm?

At Great Pitch Company, we coach agencies to cast with intent. Chemistry starts before you speak. It begins with who’s in the room and how they make the client feel.

7. Losing energy mid-process

Finally, the biggest silent killer of great pitches is fatigue. Long pitch cycles, multiple stages, and internal politics drain focus and enthusiasm. Agencies start strong but fade by the time of the final meeting.

Parker calls this “keeping on courting”, maintaining momentum and energy all the way through. Clients can feel when a team’s energy drops. The antidote is structure: daily progress checks, internal updates, and constant re-energizing of the team’s belief in the idea.

Learning how to pitch includes learning how to lead through the grind. Winning teams sustain curiosity, positivity, and urgency until the very end.

Why learning how to pitch is an advantage

Pitching is the most expensive activity an agency does that doesn’t guarantee revenue. Yet, ironically, it’s often the least formally trained. Agencies invest heavily in creative and strategy skills but rarely in pitching itself.

Learning how to pitch professionally, how to manage energy, rehearse performance, and design chemistry has a measurable ROI. It improves win rates, strengthens internal teamwork, and leaves clients with lasting trust, even in losses.

At Great Pitch Company, we help agencies turn pitching into a competitive advantage. Using principles from decades of proven experience, we train teams to perform under pressure, rehearse with purpose, and deliver with confidence.

Final thoughts

Winning pitches don’t happen by accident. They’re built on structure, discipline, and deliberate chemistry. The best agencies treat learning how to pitch as a core skill, not a side project. Every presentation, every meeting, and every rehearsal becomes a chance to improve performance.

At Great Pitch Company, we help teams master that process, bringing together strategy and storytelling to create pitches that inspire confidence and win business.

Learning how to pitch isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about learning how to perform at your best when it matters most. If your next pitch really counts, get in touch today and make sure it lands. And if you need help, contact us today and we’ll teach you how.