Pitch checker sheet: How to assess if your pitch is good

A strong pitch doesn’t just sound right, it feels right. There’s a shift in energy when a team walks into the room prepared, aligned, and clear on what they’re there to do. But most teams never test for that. They focus on the slides, the case studies, and the words. This pitch checker is designed to cut through all of that.

It’s not a theoretical framework. It’s a practical gut-check used by the best-performing teams we’ve coached at The Great Pitch Company. Use it before any chemistry meeting, creds presentation, or big pitch day, and ask yourself honestly: are we really ready to win this?

1. Start with the audience

The biggest mistake teams make is centring the pitch around themselves. This includes what they’ve done, what they offer, and what they want. But clients are tuning into one frequency: “Can you solve our problem?” Before you go anywhere near slides, refocus the lens. This is their story, not yours.

Pitch checker list:

• Do you fully understand what the client is trying to solve?

• Have you adapted the pitch to match how they make decisions?

• Are you speaking to their priorities or pushing your agenda?

  
  

If the client doesn’t feel seen or understood, no amount of polish will win them over. Mirror their language. Show you’ve read the room. And above all, speak directly to the business challenges they’re thinking about at night.

2. Cast the right team, not the available team

Clients don’t just buy the work, they buy the working relationship. That means every person in the room is communicating something about how collaboration will feel. Bringing the “right” people is about more than expertise. It’s about chemistry, clarity, and presence.

Pitch checker list:

• Did you choose people based on chemistry and clarity, not just CV?

• Is your team dynamic clear, confident, and warm?

• Is someone clearly leading, while others support with presence?

  
  

Think of it like casting a film. Who sets the tone? Who brings credibility? Who builds rapport? A team that clicks—visibly and audibly—makes the client feel confident they can trust you when the pressure’s on.

3. Chemistry check: Would you buy from this team?

Most people underestimate chemistry meetings. But often, that’s where decisions get made, long before the formal pitch. If the client walks away thinking “They just get us,” you’re already ahead. Team chemistry is the human shortcut to trust.

Pitch checker list:

• Does your team come across as interested, energised, and easy to work with?

• Are you treating this meeting like the pitch, not a step on the way?

• Have you created a shared atmosphere, or are you still in broadcast mode?

Get out of presenter mode and into conversation mode. Your job is to co-create a moment where the client can picture you on the other side of the table, solving problems, building momentum, and having fun doing it.

4. Clarity over clutter

Having a strong idea isn’t enough. If it’s buried under jargon, unclear slides, or a scattered structure, it won’t land. You need to lead your audience from A to B to C, without them ever feeling lost or overloaded.

Pitch checker list:

• Can the core idea be said in one sentence?

• Does the narrative build, peak, and land?

• Are your visuals supporting the story, not competing with it?

Ultimately, you don’t need more slides, just sharper storytelling. Try this test: can every team member explain the pitch in their own words and still hit the same takeaway? If not, simplify. Then simplify again.

5. Rehearsal reality check

There’s no such thing as a natural presenter, only a prepared one. Rehearsal isn’t just about timing; it’s about building trust in the team, smoothing transitions, and uncovering what doesn’t work before it counts.

Pitch checker list:

• Have you done a full walk-through with timing?

• Have you practised transitions, questions, and interruptions?

• Have you had at least one honest outsider tell you what’s not working?

A real pitch rehearsal isn’t reading your bit in your head. It’s standing up, full voice, full flow, just like you will on pitch day. That’s when body language, gaps, and team rhythm reveal themselves and when you get the chance to fix them.

6. Delivery check: Are you performing or presenting?

Pitch delivery is where good pitches turn great. And it’s not about theatrics, it’s about presence. Your tone, body language, and energy all tell the client whether you believe what you’re saying. And if you don’t sound convinced, why should they be?

Pitch checker list:

• Are voices varied, pace controlled, and pauses used for impact?

• Is your body language open, relaxed, and aligned with your message?

• Is there energy in the room, or is it flat?

Record yourselves. Listen back. Look for moments where you lose the room. Great delivery doesn’t mean perfect; it means human, clear, and compelling. And yes, that means pausing on purpose.

7. Final impression: Did you leave a mark?

A pitch might only last an hour, but the impression you leave echoes in internal conversations. After you walk out, they’ll turn to each other and ask, “What did you think?” That’s the moment to win, and you won’t be in the room for it.

Pitch checker list:

• Was there a clear close, not just a fade-out?

• Did the client get a sense of shared ambition?

• Did you give them a reason to want you, not just your offer?

End with intention. Don’t just recap. Reignite the story, the feeling, and the momentum. Make it easy for them to picture the partnership and harder for them to imagine moving forward without you.

Wrapping up

Use this pitch checker the day before, not the hour before. Print it. Mark it. Discuss it. Then walk into the room knowing you’ve pressure-tested your team, your message, and your delivery. Great pitches don’t happen by accident. They’re built deliberately.

If your team is preparing for a must-win pitch, we can help. At The Great Pitch Company, we’ve worked with hundreds of agencies to sharpen their message, build high-performing teams, and rehearse with purpose. 

Whether you need pitch training, strategic input, or hands-on rehearsal coaching, our job is simple: to help you win more. Contact us today to learn more.