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What we learned from losing a pitch
We lost a pitch we really wanted. The feedback was hard to hear, and it changed how we present work to every client.
Zola Okafor
Strategist
Last spring we lost a pitch we had wanted for years. The feedback was polite and painful: great ideas, too many of them.
Show one thing
We had presented six routes to prove our range. The client heard indecision. Now we show one idea, explained well, with two alternatives in the appendix.
Range is our problem. Conviction is what the client is buying.
A detail from a recent project.
Tell the story first
We also start with the problem in the client's words before showing any design. People buy the thinking before they buy the logo.
We won the next three pitches.
What we changed
Our pitches are now shorter and quieter. One route, one reason, one page of numbers. We have won four of the last five.
Number | What it covers | How it moves |
|---|---|---|
Scope | Everything that exists on handover, listed plainly | Only by agreement |
Calendar | Weeks, with the two dates that matter | Fixed up front |
Fee | One figure, no hourly line under it | Agreed before we draw |
Key takeaway
Show one idea, explained well, and let the client ask for more.
Pitching · Industry · Lessons
Written by
Zola Okafor
Zola writes names, taglines and the voice guides that keep a brand sounding like itself.
