We all make pitches every single day of our lives. From “Would you like fries with that?” to “Will you marry me?”, proposals permeate our lives.

If this is so common on a personal level, why isn’t everyone an expert at pitching new business on a professional level?

Obviously, it’s not that easy. Nothing in new business is black and white – you have to be flexible and adapt to the needs of each potential client. Pitching is an art that, once perfected, still doesn’t guarantee a win every time…but wouldn’t you rather know you couldn’t have done anything better than wonder what you did wrong?

Here’s a quick look at five naughty and nice behaviors to keep in mind when you’re on the pitcher’s mound.

Naughty List

1. Pursuing EVERY opportunity. Think about new business the way you think about marriage – are you compatible? Do you have what it takes to make a happy long-term commitment? If not, don’t waste the time and resources required for an effective pitch.
   
   
2. Telling clients they’re wrong. If we want clients to treat us as experts in our field, we need to treat them as experts in theirs. If they identify a problem, solve it. If they come to you not knowing the problem, figure it out and then solve it. Just don’t pretend to know more than they do about their day-to-day biz. That’s insulting.
   
   
3. Talking at them instead of to them. This isn’t lecture hall. If you bore them, what does that indicate about future working relationships? Keeping clients engaged and excited is half the battle.
   
   
4. Badmouthing the competition. This isn’t a mudslinging fight. Don’t even acknowledge the competition – you’re selling YOUR expertise and talent. Mentioning anyone else just takes focus away from that. Should the client bring up another agency, politely sidestep and move on.
   
   
5. Presenting every ounce of research you have. Presentations are your chance to shine. Highlight the research and insights you developed, but leave the fine print in the appendix. They’ll thank you.

Nice List

1. Treating clients like partners. It’s not always possible, but if the opportunity arises to use the client as an asset, do it. Absorb their insights, learn their biases and make them feel like part of the team.
   
   
2. Doing your homework. Sometimes clients provide you with insights and sometimes they don’t. Either way, take the time and make the investment in your own research. Look at the target demographic, evaluate competitive sets, test your creative – whatever is appropriate to your situation.
   
   
3. Presenting in an appropriate format. Know your audience and where you’ll be presenting. Do you need boards? An electronic presentation? Both? Neither? What about leave behinds? Should you bring thematic props to engage the client, or keep things more formal? Each pitch is different – adjust accordingly.
   
   
4. Keeping things interesting. We’ve all sat through awful presentations. Don’t inflict that on others. Present with passion, excitement and a sense of humor, and don’t read from a slide. Use visuals with big images and brief headlines to serve as a background for what you have to say.
   
   
5. Following up. After the presentation, send a thank-you to the client. This can be as elaborate or simple as you deem appropriate, but it’s important. Thank the client again for the opportunity and make sure they know you’re available should any questions arise. If they know you’re easy to work with, that’s just one more gold star by your name.