The Power of a Good Pitch
December 16, 2025
The art of delivering a compelling pitch is something all business professionals should master to be able to get a team on board with a given idea, introduce a new concept or sell a project.
Long used by the sales and advertising industry, a pitch is a short, impactful presentation meant to sway a group of people toward a particular point of view. Creative strategist Gaëtan Namouric, president and founder of Perrier Jablonski, and a lecturer at HEC Montréal, points out that there is a difference between an advertising pitch and a corporate pitch. “In an ad agency, it is understood that the client expects a bit of a performance,” he says. “It’s a whole other thing in the business world, where emotion and intellect have to move together in an intricate ballet.”
Playing to your audience
One of the most common mistakes is assuming that the people you’re pitching to automatically share your enthusiasm. “When you deliver a pitch, you’re already passionate about what you want to do, and you might think that’s enough to win someone over to your way of thinking,” says Namouric. But it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
The question is, then, how do you get other people to share your passion? It’s all about adapting your message to your audience, insists Namouric. “You have to tailor your pitch to the people you’re addressing. The more you know about your target audience, the better you’ll be at getting them on your side. That takes an in-depth understanding of their needs, their concerns and how they make decisions.” Armed with this information, you can fine-tune your presentation and emphasize certain points more than others.
Always be prepared
We all know that things never go exactly as planned, so you should build some flexibility into your pitch and be ready to make adjustments on the fly if needed. “I’ve seen it all, or close to it, during my career. I once had to pitch an idea to someone in a stairwell in the middle of a fire drill,” chuckles Namouric, adding that you may have to present your pitch faster than you rehearsed, for example, or in another language. Hence the importance of doing everything you can ahead of time to be ready for whatever comes your way. But there can be good surprises too, he says: “This type of situation can actually earn you sympathy points.”
Namouric warns that improvisation and intuition are not the best tools to rely on. In the end, clear, structured thinking is more effective in helping you stay on course if something throws you. “I look at a pitch like a chest of drawers. In each drawer, there’s something you can take out and show. Depending on the circumstances, you may want to open a few extra drawers or keep them closed.”
His last recommendation is a reminder that, no matter how hard you work on your pitch, it won’t always pan out. “Nine out of ten ad agency pitches flop,” he says. “You just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game.”
Dive deeper
For those looking to deepen their skills, reflect on their professional role, or explore new approaches to management, Executive Education HEC Montréal offers a rich and diverse range of programs. Whether you're an emerging manager or an experienced leader, you'll find training opportunities tailored to every stage of your professional journey.
Sign up at our training program: Perfect Your Pitch: How to Weave a Compelling Narrative
This article is taken from revue Gestion.