Casting Your Next Sales Pitch

I want to talk to you about the casting side of your next pitch. As you know, we work with shortlist presentations, project interviews, and competitive selling scenarios where teams come together to vie for positions. They interview, and then someone is awarded the project. If you’re involved in this, I’m talking to you. One of the biggest mistakes people make is a hard one to get around: it’s the idea of how we cast our team of presenters. Not everyone can win a job — however, you’re often casting based on who can do the job, which is just as important. Reconciling those two needs can be a bit of a conundrum. This is where AEC interview preparation and interview skills training for professionals come into play. Let me start with my old days in film — when casting meant piecing together an ensemble cast from good actors. But what we had to face was: not every good actor was lead material. There’s something intangible that makes a star a star. It can be elusive, hard to pinpoint. But there’s also something that makes for a great supporting role — and putting those together was an art form. In coaching for sales pitches — particularly in AEC interview training programs — we don’t have the luxury of a casting call. These are the people doing the job. They’re picked because they’re the right people to do the job. But here’s the infamous truth: We can’t do the project if we can’t win it. If we can’t assemble the right people to create that inspirational moment that wins over hearts and minds, we probably won’t get the chance to put them on the project at all. So think about it. The main point of this conversation may simply be: start thinking about it. Let’s reach way back to the pre-positioning phase, long before the RFP comes out — before you apply, before you propose. You’re already forming a team. I’m advocating that you think about casting from the start — and that includes shortlist interview coaching and project interview preparation as strategic tools. We just completed a high-stakes interview for a fantastic project. The team we brought didn’t have star power — they lacked the gravitas, the charismatic confidence, the inspirational oomph. We didn’t win. Why? We didn’t cast it right. We didn’t have someone to fill the leading role. Sometimes the people who need to be on the job just don’t have the interview presence to be the face in that shortlist setting. Same thing in talk shows — not everyone can be the host. You have to find someone who can be the host. In leading AEC interviews, you may need to designate someone as the face of the interview even if they aren’t the most senior. They’re the ones with that charisma. Alternatively, you invest in interview presentation training, AEC presentation skills, or even interview skills workshops to elevate the necessary capabilities. That includes presentation, facilitation, conversation, and emotional intelligence. These aren’t fixed traits — we’ve seen character actors evolve into stars by building these qualities. So yes, they can be developed — but you have to recognize the need early. This is a real consideration that too often gets overlooked. You’re assembling your delivery team and hoping they can win the job. But hope isn’t a strategy. What I’m advocating is a casting beat — an intentional pause to evaluate who is best equipped to represent the team in the room. Also take into account broader considerations like diversity and inclusion. What values does the prospect hold? What community do they serve? Our interview needs to speak on multiple levels of connection. AEC clients today are looking for authenticity and alignment with their values, not just technical competence. And that means putting the right faces forward. In the interview we lost, we had people on our broader team who could have helped us better reflect the prospect’s values — and the community. They could have brought that extra power. But we didn’t include them. There were some constraints, sure — but way back in pre-positioning, we failed to ask ourselves two key questions, not just one. The first question — which we did ask — was: What is the team that can deliver this job? The second — which we did not ask — was: Is this the team that can sell this job? That distinction is crucial. Interview win-rate training hinges on the ability to cast for both delivery and persuasion. That’s why shortlist interview training, group presentation coaching, and project interview training are so valuable. They give you the framework to assess and build that dual capability. So here’s what I want you to do: Put your casting hat on. Take a moment. Ask yourself: Will this group bring that casting horsepower? Will they show synergy, connect with the client, and reflect their values with charisma and inspiration? Because that’s what it takes to sell at this point. Think about the casting. Think about how to prepare for a shortlist interview with as much strategy as you prepare your proposal. And then — build the ensemble cast who can not only do the job… …but win it.