Leonard Grape’s Post

Hey agency owners, want to know the secret to winning clients in a world that hates agencies? Stop trying to sell, and start trying to help. 🤯 Forget the jargon-filled pitches. Instead: - Offer genuine, free advice - Share your knowledge without expecting anything in return - Focus on building relationships, not client lists I know an agency that landed two major clients just by hosting a monthly dinner. No pitching allowed – just good food and great conversations. Remember: Be the helpful expert first, the salesperson second. How are you providing value before the pitch? #AgencyGrowth #RelationshipMarketing #ValueFirst

Every month I pitch to new clients. We either get the client or get rejected or get ghosted. But every pitch teaches me something. Here are my top 4 learnings from client pitches: 1. Be an active listener. 2. Don't jump straight to the solution. Understand the problem first. 3. If you don't have the solution at that moment, ask for time don't start hitting the bush 4. It's okay to say 'No' to a client. These learnings not only help me in converting the client but also in making a good relationship with them. What is the one thing you learned by interacting with your customers? 

If you’ve finessed your sales pitch but you’re still struggling to convert, you might be doing this one thing... Agency owners often say their elevator pitch with "we do X, Y, Z but we don’t do A, B, C." All I heard was what you DON'T do… Here’s a better approach to your sales pitch → 1. Position yourself as an expert for SOMEONE and a specialist at SOMETHING that solves a specific PROBLEM. If you can’t say it that simply, you need to niche down. 2. Have stories (proof) ready to go. Real results, business growth…not vanity metrics that YOU care about. What are the metrics your client cares about? If you’re not staying on top of how your work ultimately impacts your clients’ businesses, you’re choosing to be a commodity. And that’s why you’re stuck negotiating your rates down every time. 3. Know why your business was built the way it was. Everything about your business should be because it allows you to deliver a better service to your clients. Big team, small team, your processes, your style…all should be because that is what is best for your clients. Be able to speak to that. So scratch the “but we don’t do…” from your pitch and just talk about what you do really well, share the proof, and frame your business as designed with intention. If you're looking to improve your sales pitch and attract the clients you actually want to work with, DM me PITCH. #AgencyLife #MarketingStrategy #SixFigureMindset

Agencies that have a high pitch win rate are not pitching better - they're qualifying better. When agencies hear that another agency has a high pitch win rate, they always want to know what the magic sauce is. Whilst of course some agencies do pitch better than others, I think most of the magic of a high pitch win rate happens higher up the funnel, not at the bottom. If your proposition is clear, you know what a perfect client looks like and then you qualify hard by asking the client lots of questions to work out if they're a good fit... Then there is no way you should be pitching for work that you don't have a REALLY good chance of winning. Your win rate should be at least 60% - at an absolute minimum. Most agencies seem to sit in the 25% - 45% win rate bracket, and I reckon lots could get to comfortably over 60% by changing nothing about their pitch - just by qualifying better. Agencies waste way too much time pitching for work that they are never going to win. That's time that could be used in so many other more valuable areas of the business. We used to ask clients lots of qualification questions, but my favourite was always 'how many agencies are you inviting to pitch for this?'. The worst response I ever received was a client that had invited 36 agencies to pitch... My big toe had more chance of becoming an astronaut than us winning that pitch, so I politely declined the opportunity and decided to focus our efforts on more deserving clients!

It’s that dreaded question that makes many of us sweat. You’re at a networking event, sitting next to someone on a flight, or meeting new people at a dinner party. And someone asks, “So...what do you do?” What’s your response? *That's* your elevator pitch. But mine rarely got off the ground, let alone making it to the top floor. That is, until about a year ago when I discovered the 5Cs Structure. It gave me the clarity I was looking for to punch up my pitch and deliver it with confidence. Although we’ve refined our messaging a few times since then, the structure has remained constant. And our current pitch has created the breakthrough we’d been looking for. So, last month, I thought I would share—and test—the 5Cs with select clients who needed help with their elevator pitches. And the feedback and results have been amazing. So much so that I thought I’d share the 5Cs Structure with you—to, hopefully, save you the four years it took me to *finally* fix my pitch. Check it out 👉 https://lnkd.in/g7S9UX8Q #SystematicSelling #Sales

What I don't get is why CLIENTS still want pitches. Even if the process got you better ideas. Was the best way of working out if you were a match. And flushed out what it was like to work with the agencies. (And all of that is hugely debateable). The process of pitching guarantees you ONE THING. That when you appoint that agency... Invest big money in them... With their smartest and best brains... That their attention will IMMEDIATELY be on the next pitch. Pitching completely shatters attention away from servicing clients to the best of ability... And onto a relentless conveyor belt of pitches. Every time you hold a pitch, you encourage a system that in turn encourages your agency NOT to focus on you. Particularly those senior brains you you liked so much. It's mutually assured destruction. Absolutely MAD. There are other ways. Nothing else is procured like this. The world has changed. There's too much stuff. Time to put pitching behind us?

6/10 of our pitches used to fail, keeping me up at night until I learned a lesson that changed everything. You see, the majority of us who don't get a project even after pitching tend to shut down. Ignore the situation. Move on. So I started doing the opposite. I started calling the prospect who rejected us. Instead of moving on, I asked questions to understand why I wasn't selected. Mostly, we were the strongest contender, but we missed 1 crucial detail or the other. A conversation with a brand that rejected us changed my approach forever. So here's my so-called winning formula to use after every "no": • Get specific about who won and why • Understand the decision-making process • Learn how the project evolved after pitches • Uncover the hidden factors that played a role The most valuable insights were: - At times, it wasn't about our pitch at all - it was about how we presented our expertise. - Sometimes losing a pitch saved us from the wrong client fit. One prospect told us "we wanted something flashy." That rejection validated our premium positioning. - Most decisions are made in quiet conversations before and after. One prospect chose another agency because of a past relationship we never knew existed. - Projects often change shape after pitches. What starts as a full-service contract might split between multiple agencies or move in-house. Every "no" is a data point. Every loss holds the blueprint for your next win. Now, we treat each loss as market research and 2x'd our win rate. Do you ask for feedback after losing a pitch/deal? Drop a comment if you want my template message asking for insights to improve your next pitch! #pitch #insights #influencermarketing #improvement

Is your client pitch game costing you deals? With 59% of buyers rejecting generic sales approaches, it's time to transform how you connect with potential clients. The secret to winning pitches isn't just in your deck - it's in your approach. Here's what truly moves the needle: • Research shows personalized pitches get 32.7% better response rates • Companies with clear, client-focused value propositions are 68% more likely to win new business • Active listening trumps immediate selling every time Key elements of a winning pitch: 1. Start with genuine connection 2. Focus on their challenges, not your capabilities 3. Tell a compelling story that positions them as the hero 4. Back everything with measurable outcomes 5. Follow up strategically within 24 hours Remember: Your pitch isn't about you - it's about painting a vivid picture of your client's future success. Quick wins for your next pitch: • Record yourself practicing • Create responses for top 10 objections • Keep visuals clean and data-focused • Time your presentation

Have you worked on developing your Pitch? Creating a great pitch is not as easy but many do it and you also can make a Pitch that works for you. Just takes a little effort. This post offers you a guide to make a Pitch for you. Open up and see how you can do this. https://lnkd.in/ge6UKw_m

Why some client pitches fall flat, even when you think you nailed it? A great pitch isn’t about how much you say—it’s about how much you listen. Most of time when people start they keep on thinking to say everything they know but actuallly it don't work all the time and we understand this by the time. Too often, we leave client meetings feeling frustrated, thinking, “They weren’t listening to me!” But here’s the catch: Were we truly listening to them? Clients don’t just want solutions; they want to feel heard, understood, and valued. By focusing on their pain points and showing empathy, we build trust—and trust is what closes deals, not fancy words. In fact, listening intently can do 80% of the heavy lifting in any pitch. Why? Because when a client feels understood, half the selling is already done. Next time you pitch, try this: -Ask insightful questions. -Actively listen without interrupting. -Repeat their pain points back to them to show you “get it.” Because the secret to closing more deals isn’t speaking louder; it’s listening better. What’s your go-to strategy for connecting with clients during a pitch?