Winning a pitch is usually decided before the pitch itself even starts, according to Justin Cohen, author of Pitch to Win: How to Present, Persuade and Close the Deal. His book distils years of coaching entrepreneurs and closing multimillion-rand deals into a practical framework any small business owner can use to sell themselves and their business more effectively.
What matters most before you even open your mouth to pitch?
“The pitch is generally won before the pitch. It’s won based on how well you understand what the people you’re pitching to really want and need, so that you can tailor your pitch accordingly,” Cohen says. Preparation, not charisma, decides most outcomes, which means the real work happens long before anyone walks into the room.
How do you actually figure out what a potential client wants?
Cohen uses the first part of any meeting specifically to uncover the client’s real objectives, rather than launching straight into a prepared pitch. Every person you’re pitching to is different too: “For some it may be more about the return; for others about disrupting an industry.” Assuming every prospect cares about the same thing is one of the fastest ways to lose their interest.
Why does making the pitch about the client, not yourself, matter so much?
“The businesses you pitch to don’t really care about you, your company or your list of features and benefits. They care about themselves. Where you and your offering can help them meet those needs, that’s where they’re interested,” Cohen says. Practical research helps here too, he suggests looking up the business or person online beforehand, and calling any mutual connections to gather additional context before the meeting.
What’s the best way to actually highlight a client’s problem?
Ask purposeful questions rather than stating the problem outright. “The best way to do that is to get them to discover the problem themselves by asking the right questions,” Cohen explains. Letting a prospect arrive at their own conclusion about what’s wrong tends to land far better than being told directly, and it naturally leads into genuine listening: paraphrasing back what you’ve heard shows you were actually paying attention. Preparation like this also makes it easier to recover if an earlier pitch has already failed, since knowing exactly why it fell flat is the first step to fixing it.
Does small talk actually help win a pitch?
Yes, according to Cohen, small talk is “a good stepping stone to big talk.” Building a real connection matters because, as he puts it, “the more they feel that you really understand who they are and what they want, the more likely you are to win.” He also pushes back on a common misconception: salespeople aren’t necessarily extroverts or introverts, the good ones are simply skilled at both listening and talking.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the single biggest factor in winning a business pitch?
Preparation and genuinely understanding the other party’s specific needs, according to Cohen, matters more than the delivery or charisma of the pitch itself.
Should every pitch follow the same script?
No. Cohen stresses that different prospects care about different things, so a pitch tailored to one person’s priorities, such as return on investment versus industry disruption, will land better than a generic script.
How can an introvert become good at pitching?
By focusing on genuine listening and preparation rather than trying to force an extroverted style, since Cohen argues effective salespeople combine strong listening with the ability to talk, regardless of personality type.
Originally published in February 2020. Updated September 2026.
