How to Pitch Like a Pro - Using the Power of Storytelling to Build Influence

This article is part of the Unleash the Leader Within series and focuses on L - Looking Towards the Future, the first pillar of the L.E.A.D. framework. Today, we’ll see how crafting a strong narrative can help you get buy-in and lead with more confidence.

You’ve probably been there.

You’re pitching an idea - a new tool, a process improvement, or a key hire. But getting people on board with your vision is proving to be more challenging than you imagined. Why does it feel so difficult?

Because convincing anyone has very little to do with data and logic. People are much more irrational than we want them to be.

A great pitch isn’t a list of facts or a structured argument, it’s a carefully crafted conversation. The discussion you have with the individual or group which you want to come on board with your idea will define your success. When done well, you create the kind of emotional and intellectual alignment that drives people to say, “Yes, let’s do this.”

Want to learn how to become a master of influence to maximize your impact? I’ve got you!

There’s a deceptively simple three-step approach to crafting an influential pitch. Whether you’re talking to an executive, a peer, or even your partner at home, these steps help you frame your ideas in a way that connects, resonates, and leads to action. It turns out pitching a vacation in Greece isn’t that dissimilar to convincing your boss to put you up for a promotion.

Step 1: Define Where You Want To Go

Before you even schedule a meeting, get clear on your goal.

What do you want to happen? What would make you feel successful? This is your "where to", the destination you're pitching towards. This is the future you wat to become a reality, one you hope others will be excited by as well.

This clarity will anchor your message.

Ask yourself, are you looking for:

• More resources?

• Executive buy-in?

• A green light to move forward?

• Someone to simply back off?

Every pitch has a purpose, and defining it upfront helps you shape a message that hits.

Without a clear vision, it’s easy to ramble or over-explain, and that confuses your audience. With one, you can focus on what truly matters and build a case that aligns with your objectives. It also gives your audience a sense of direction: “Here’s where we’re trying to go.”

That directional clarity is the starting point for influence.

Step 2: Understand Where They Want To Go

Now that you know what you want, it’s time to understand what matters to the person (or people) you're pitching to. This is where empathy comes in.

What are they trying to achieve? What pressures are they facing? What metrics define their success? How are they incentivized? Your pitch will only land if it speaks to their goals as well as yours.

This is why relationships matter.

Building trust and taking time to understand someone’s motivations before you start your pitch makes all the difference. If you know their “where to,” you can position your ask as something that helps them get there. You are ready to show them what’s in it for you (WIIFY).

But remember that this doesn’t happen through assumptions, it happens through conversations. Meetings. Curiosity. And paying attention to what people say (and don’t say) about what matters to them.

Step 3: Align Where We Can To Go TOGETHER (a.k.a. Make the Pitch)

Every great pitch has a backbone. A structure that organizes your thoughts and moves your audience from problem to solution.

Start with a shared VISION. Paint a vivid picture of what could be if you partner together, and show your audience the better future your idea will help create. Talk about the benefits which help reach their objectives. Use simple, visual language to make the unified vision easy to understand. Allow them to describe what they see as well, which implants the story in their brain as well and makes it feel their own.

Once everyone is clear on the ideal state, introduce the PROBLEM that is stopping you from getting there. Show what’s wrong, what’s at stake, and why the current situation needs to change.

Finally, bridge the gap by asking questions which guide the other party towards your SOLUTION. By asking questions, again the thoughts feel owned by them and they don’t need as much convincing, because it was their idea all along.

Some examples:

• What could we do together which would rid us of this problem?

• How would things pay out if we explored {put in your solution here}?

• What would the impact be on {their goal} if we tried {your solution}?

The solution takes you from problem to vision, and it’s the main thing you’re trying to convince your audience of. Presenting it in this way makes it appear to be less of a pitch and more of a mutual exploration of the possibilities which will get both groups closer to where they want to go.

Bonus step: Share the unified vision with other teams …

When promoting your solution to teams which primarily need to be informed not consulted, I recommend using the “What, So What, Now What” framework. I’ve explained it in other articles about exec presence, but here’s a reminder of how it works:

• What? Describe the current state. Detail what you’ve observed and what could be improved.

• So What? Explain why it matters. What are the implications, risks, or missed opportunities if things don’t change?

• Now What? Propose the next steps, highlighting the business value or ROI of your solution.

This approach of vision/problem/solution paired with What/So What/Now What guarantees your pitch is both inspiring and actionable, driving the change you want to accomplish.

Putting the Pitch Into Practice: A Real Example

A VP of Product came to me with a challenge: they needed to convince leadership to invest in their team’s efficiency. They had great ideas but weren't sure how to sell them.

We used the 3-step influence framework to shape their pitch:

Step 1: Define where you want to go
Their goal was a faster, more effective product team, delivering high-quality work with better morale. They linked that vision to business outcomes like meeting deadlines, delighting customers, and retaining talent.

Step 2: Understand where they want to go
They did their homework: reviewed company goals, recent board decks, and talked with senior leaders. They learned that leadership was focused on reducing delays and increasing leverage, both priorities that matched their pitch.

Step 3: Align on where to go together
They framed their proposal as a strategy and opened the door to conversion about it. Thanks to pre-meetings, all critical players Using the What / So What / Now What structure, they showed how their initiative supported both visions.

In the end, they got buy-in because leadership saw their idea as a solution to their goals as well.

Tips for Crafting Better Pitches & Pitfalls to Avoid

The framework provides the structure, but there are a few key principles that can take your pitch further:

1. Timing matters: pitch your idea when your audience has the mental space to engage. Bringing up a big idea in the last five minutes of a meeting or when your stakeholders are overwhelmed is a quick way to fail.

2. Balance hubris and humility: show confidence in your research and ideas, but let the door open for collaboration. For example, saying “Here’s my recommendation, what would you add to make it even stronger?” shows that you know what you’re talking about but are open to others’ ideas.

3. Tailor your pitch to your audience: executives want to see strategic alignment and ROI. Teams want to know how the idea will make their work easier or more impactful. Speak their language to gain their trust.

But even the best ideas can fail if they’re pitched poorly. So here are some mistakes to watch out for:

• Jump straight to the solution: set the stage first, or your audience won’t feel the urgency to act. Start by defining the problem and the vision.

• Drown in data: data supports your story, but it’s not the whole story. Bring forward the insights and implications behind the numbers.

• Skip emotional buy-in: people make decisions with both their heads and hearts. Use examples and relatable language to connect emotionally.

   

Conclusion

Pitching isn’t just about presenting your idea, it’s about making it matter to the person across the table. That starts with clarity about what you want, a real understanding of what they care about, and then connecting the two in a way that feels relevant and valuable.

When you approach your pitch as a strategic act of alignment, not persuasion, you don’t just increase your chances of getting a yes. You lead with influence.

So, what’s your next big idea? Map it out using this framework. And watch how quickly you turn a “maybe” into a “yes!”.

Hi! I'm Tami and I transform tech executives and their teams into stronger leaders, ones that master influence and maximize impact. Through dynamic group trainings and meaningful one-on-one coaching sessions, I share how to leverage my L.E.A.D. framework to make every vision a reality. I provide actionable advice which strengthens leaders' influence and impact. If you're ready to Unleash the Leader Within you or your team, schedule a chat with me to discuss your goals.