The Win Without Pitching Manifesto: A Review

Summary

This 102-page manifesto for creative firms explains (1) why pitching is a suboptimal sales strategy for landing customers and (2) how following the 12 guidelines below can lead you to win business and earn more revenue without having to pitch prospective clients.

The 12 guidelines are as follows: 

Proclamation 1: We will specialize

Proclamation 2: We will replace presentations with conversations

Proclamation 3: We will diagnose before we prescribe

Proclamation 4: We will rethink what it means to sell

Proclamation 5: We will do with words what we used to do with paper

Proclamation 6: We will be selective

Proclamation 7: We will build expertise rapidly

Proclamation 8: We will not solve problems before we are paid

Proclamation 9: We will address issues of money early

Proclamation 10: We will refuse to work at a loss

Proclamation 11: We will charge more [and for value delivered, not by the hour]

Proclamation 12: We will hold our heads high

My Thoughts and Recommendations

1. For most of the manifesto, the writer assumes that the reader is in a position where their business is mature and can afford to reject demanding clients. For readers not in this situation, he does eventually acknowledge this possibility and, to some extent, explains how to navigate that reality.

2. The author’s reasoning about why pitching is suboptimal makes complete sense, assuming your products or services are already in demand AND you’re not operating in a market culture where the actions described would be yellow flags for prospective clients

3. What I'd like to see in a future update:

   1. A diagnostic to help readers understand if their business is sufficiently mature for each proclamation to make sense (e.g. at what level of business maturity or financial health can you reject prospective clients who are very demanding)

   2. How applicable this manifesto is across industries and cultures (i.e. some cultures are much more high-trust or long-term oriented, and so short-term concessions may make more sense in some contexts)

Is The Win Without Pitching Manifesto worth reading?

Yes, if the following conditions are met:

1. You already own a business with in demand products or services

2. You feel that you are undercharging or your Sales team can't keep up with existing demand

Still not sure? Then check out an excellent rundown of the manifesto here, and whatever you decide, hold your head high either way.