You Can’t Pitch Your Way Out of Panic

Desperation doesn't stay hidden in agencies. It shows up everywhere—client relationships, team dynamics, even your brand.

When the pipeline dries up, most agencies panic and start pitching more. Here's why that doesn't work: You can't pitch your way out of panic. You have to clarify your way out.

After working with agencies from 2-person teams to global shops, I've seen the same pattern every time. The ones that break out of the spiral don't hustle harder—they get clearer.

Three ways to break the spiral:

1. Stop flailing. Start decoding. Review your last 9 pitches (3 wins, 3 near-misses, 3 losses). Use AI to spot the patterns you're too close to see. One agency discovered their losing pitches all buried the value prop—and those weren't good-fit clients anyway.

2. Narrow the lens. Widen the opportunity. Don't update your creds deck—update your capabilities. "We're creative storytellers" isn't enough. Your value prop needs to solve real, current problems that support buying decisions.

3. Build the flywheel. Make clarity visible. Most agencies neglect their own marketing until referrals dry up. You need systems that keep working when you're not—consistent content, optimized for discovery, scaled through smart automation.

The bottom line: Clarity is how you get out. Momentum is how you stay out.

Stop selling from panic. Start building with purpose.