PR Pitch Hacks, Red Flags and a New Way of Pitching

The episode of the PRmoment Podcast titled “PR Pitch Hacks” features host Ben Smith in conversation with agency Hannah Sharratt of Axe & Saw, exploring how PR pitching currently works and how it should evolve.  Ben opens by noting that pitching, alongside timesheets and AVE, is one of the most emotive issues in PR, with recent years marked by excessively long shortlists, reverse pitch auctions and widespread ghosting of agencies.  Here is the link to a previous PRmoment Podcast with Tui's Amy Dowling, where she outlined a recommended 12 stage PR pitch process. He argues that in‑house teams often overcomplicate what should be a structured, courteous process, and that following a clear best‑practice model would save agencies time and deliver better client–agency fit. Hannah, who likens pitching to dating with its “icks, tricks and hacks,” describes both the traditional pitch process and her more disruptive alternative. Traditionally, brands move from longlist to shortlist, run chemistry sessions with three or four agencies, issue a written brief, then hold pitch meetings where agencies present polished strategies and big ideas before a Q&A, followed by a delayed decision and often poor feedback.  From an agency standpoint, chemistry sessions are critical for understanding how clients think, why the brief exists, what their vision is, and who the real decision‑makers are. She stresses the need to research and challenge in advance to bring a point of view, not just show up passively. Hannah’s proposed four‑step model retains the chemistry session but demands a much clearer, more brief. She insists on explicit budgets, not necessarily large but realistic, so agencies can shape ideas to fit.  She also wants success metrics and decision‑maker clarity set out from the start. Her major innovation is replacing traditional pitch theatre with a live workshop.  In this setup, the brief lands shortly before the meeting—perhaps 24 hours in advance—and the pitch itself becomes a collaborative working session. The agency leads, dissecting the brief, challenging assumptions and building ideas in real time with the client. She argues that this is far better for assessing how an agency thinks, responds under pressure and will work day‑to‑day than judging them on speculative deck polish. This is reinforced by her estimate that only about 10 to 15 percent of pitched ideas are ever implemented once legal, brand and procurement weigh in. The conversation also covers red flags and etiquette. For Hannah, no budget, fuzzy timings, overlong unfocused briefs and “blue‑sky thinking” requests without a defined sense of “bold” are strong warning signs. She is particularly wary of tissue sessions dominated by junior stakeholders that send agencies down the wrong path before senior decision‑makers appear at the final pitch. On ghosting, both she and Ben are blunt: decisions should come within 10 days to two weeks, and losing agencies deserve meaningful feedback, ideally via a phone call. Finally, they discuss how independent agencies like Axe & Saw use pitching strategically. Averaging roughly one pitch a week has helped them nearly double revenue in a year, but Hannah emphasises intentional growth: each win should either pay the bills or shift the agency’s trajectory, and profile is built as much through consistent, visible work as through formal announcements and awards. ***“I think pitching, agency pitching, is like dating. Everyone loves to talk about the icks and tricks and the hacks, and everyone gets very heated and irate.”*** — Hannah Sharrett, \[0:01:58] ***“We’ve seen extraordinarily long long lists, reverse pitch auctions, and loads and loads of ghosting… it’s one of those topics that always stirs the passions, particularly with agency folks.”*** — Ben Smith, \[0:00:03] ***“I don’t think it should be slick‑Rick presentations at all. I think the best pitch should feel like a live working session.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:03:16] ***“If they can’t make a decision throughout the pitch process, that probably suggests they can’t make a decision that easily throughout your working relationship.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:06:29] ***“I’m actually not looking for the biggest budget. I’m looking for the most honest conversation about where the budget actually is.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:03:16] ***“In a dream world, 10 days, max two weeks. Anything longer than two weeks is offensive, or you can’t make a decision.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:11:42] ***“If you don’t win, proper feedback is the most valuable thing you can give an agency. It’s the one thing that says, ‘This hasn’t all been for nothing.’”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:11:42] ***“If a client says they want bold but they can’t define what bold means to them, they’re probably not ready to buy bold.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:17:39] ***“Bold without a budget—that’s the ultimate destructive combo.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:18:43] ***“Every pitch matters because every client changes your trajectory.”*** — Hannah Sharratt, \[0:24:48]