How to Handle Sceptics in a Pitch—Without Pushing or Persuading
Do you ever feel like some members of your audience have already decided against you before you’ve even spoken?
They walk in without making eye contact. They check their phones. They cross their arms before you’re introduced.
It’s not always personal. Scepticism is a default setting for many audiences. It’s a defence mechanism against being “pitched to.” And if your approach feels even remotely like a Sales Pitch, their walls will stay up.
So, what’s the alternative?
You don’t fight scepticism. You disarm it.
Ignore Sceptics at Your Own Risk
For years, I made the mistake of ignoring the sceptics in the room. I thought that if I focused on the receptive people, I could just outpace the resistance.
I don’t recommend this approach. It’s like trying to ignore a rubbing shoe.
Sooner or later, your discomfort becomes obvious—and then you’re not just battling your own unease. You’re signalling weakness to everyone.
A better strategy? Get on the front foot. Acknowledge the tension. Call out the resistance. Take control before they do.
How to Flip Scepticism Into Curiosity
The best way to handle sceptics? Beat them to their own objections. Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss calls this an Accusation Audit.
Voss recommends imagining the worst things your counterparts might think or say about you, then labelling these negatives up front.
Why? Because when you say it first, you control the narrative.
And since every pitch is a form of negotiation, an Accusation Audit is one of the sharpest tools you can use to lower resistance before it builds.
Here’s How It Sounds in Action
Instead of letting sceptics stew in their doubts, I bring them to the surface before they do.
Let’s say I’m pitching an advertising proposal. I might open like this:
“It’s easy to have preconceived ideas about advertising.
We’re too expensive.
We care more about awards than results.
We spend other people’s money without putting any of our own skin in the game.And, in the wrong hands, all of these things can be true.
But in the right hands? We take what’s authentic about your offering and make it compelling for new opportunities, growth, and prosperity—without wasting a dollar. That’s what I’m here to demonstrate today.”
I’m not defending myself.
I’m not getting defensive.
I’m proactively showing that I understand their concerns—and shifting the conversation toward what really matters.
It Works Because It Disrupts the Pattern
Sceptics expect defensive energy.
When you acknowledge their concerns instead of arguing against them, you short-circuit their resistance.
I used a version of this when pitching to a conference of faith-based development funds in 2020.
I knew they were cautious about marketing—and that many saw it as a poor investment. So, I said this up front:
“For many of you, the concept of marketing may verge on the blasphemous.
And you have far more important things to be investing in.But what if marketing wasn’t the devil?”
That’s all it took to open the door.
From there, I reframed marketing as not a cost, but a messenger—one that, in the right hands, could amplify their impact rather than dilute it.
Did I convert every sceptic? Probably not.
But some key makers got it, and we’re still working with them today.
This Is the No-Sell Way to Handle Sceptics
You don’t need to convince sceptics to drop their guard.
You don’t need to win them over with pure persuasion.
You just need to disrupt their resistance—and give them a reason to listen.
How to Apply This in Your Next Pitch
Do an Accusation Audit before your pitch.
What’s the worst someone could assume about you?
What’s the biggest bias they might bring?
What might they be thinking—but not saying?
Call out the tension early.
Acknowledge their resistance—without apology.
Show that you understand their concerns.
Reframe the conversation around what actually matters.
Move forward without friction.
Once you’ve disarmed their scepticism, don’t dwell on it.
Shift the focus from defending your position to creating clarity.
When you do this, you remove the need to sell—because you’ve already won the right to be heard.
Sceptics Are a Gift
A sceptic in the room isn’t a problem.
A sceptic who never engages is.
Handle them the right way, and they won’t just drop their resistance. They’ll lean in—because they’ll see something they weren’t expecting.
Someone who gets them.
Someone worth listening to.
P.S. Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss is one of our book club favourites and a must-read for anyone looking to master audience alignment and frictionless negotiation.