New business pitches typically involve at least two phases. In the first phase, the client issues a brief to several potential suppliers, requesting a written proposal from each of them. Companies submitting the most promising proposals are then invited to present their ideas in the second phase. The flow chart below outlines what pitching usually involves.

The first step is to review the brief and decide whether or not to submit a bid (see Pitch Prioritisation Matrix). Consider what would be required to develop a strong pitch and deliver a successful project. If you believe you could do both, the next step is to bring together the pitch team. This could be any number of people, depending on the size and complexity of the project, and may require the help of external partners. Once assembled, the team needs to identify who within the client’s organization will ultimately decide whether to hire you or a competitor. The team must then establish the key needs relating to the brief of each decision-maker (see Section 10.2).
 
The next stage is designing the solution. Complex projects may require you to estimate and re-estimate the cost of different product or servicing scenarios that would appeal to the client. Once the team has agreed on what to propose, the next step is to develop a narrative that communicates the proposal in a powerful way before the proposal document is produced and sent to the client.
 
If invited to take part in the second round, involving an in-person or virtual pitch presentation, another phase of work begins. Presenting content taken directly from the proposal document will rarely be effective, so the team needs to devise a presentation that brings the ideas to life.
 
If the client is interested in working with you, you’ll usually need to negotiate more detailed expectations, terms and conditions before finalizing the deal. Whenever you quote a price, be sure to spell out exactly what the client will receive, including any assumptions you’ve made. Avoid simply reducing the price to close the sale, unless this amounts to just 2-3% as a 'goodwill’ gesture. Instead, explore scenarios involving cost-saving changes to what the client would receive, or the speed of delivery, in order to offer a lower price.




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