2 Critical Pitching Advantages You Lose Online—And How to Get Them Back

Pitching has changed.

In the past few years, I’ve pitched to:

• Toddlers tugging at trousers.

• Cats jumping across screens.

• People eating last night’s leftovers.

• Teenagers munching on toast.

I’ve been drowned out by whipper-snippers, chainsaws, and renovations.

And every time I hear, "Sorry, let me just close my window", I’m reminded of one thing:

We’ve gotten too comfortable with pitching online.

Like the frog in slowly warming water, we don’t realise how much we’re losing.

Yes, virtual pitching is convenient—but it’s costing us two critical advantages:

1. You Lose the Ability to Read the Room

Great pitchers don’t just pitch. They adjust in real time.

But online, you’re pitching into a void.

Instead of a dynamic, responsive audience, you get:

• Postage-stamp-sized faces

• Turned-off cameras

• Distracted listeners

And worst of all, you miss the subtle, non-verbal cues that tell you exactly how your pitch is landing.

A nod and a knowing smile mean they’re with you. Furrowed brows and crossed arms mean you’ve lost them.

When you’re in the room, you can spot these cues and adapt—rephrasing, refocusing, or engaging differently to keep your audience on board.

Online, you don’t even know you’ve lost them until it’s too late.

How to Get This Advantage Back

• Where possible, pitch in person. If the stakes are high, get in the room.

• If you must pitch online, control the setup.

• Ask everyone to turn their cameras on.

• Watch facial expressions and micro-reactions closely.

• Leave space for interaction—don’t just talk at them.

A great pitch isn’t just what you say. It’s how you respond to what’s happening in the room.

And if you can’t read the room, you’re guessing.

2. You Lose Half of Your First Impression Power

Former FBI negotiator Chris Voss (author of Never Split the Difference) regularly flies across the country just to be in the room with someone he could easily call.

Why?

Because of Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Rule:

• 7% of first impressions come from words

• 38% from tone of voice

• 55% from body language and facial expressions

More than half of your ability to make a strong first impression disappears online.

It’s not just what you miss by not seeing your audience. It’s what your audience misses by not seeing you properly.

Online, you’re often:

• A small, floating head

• Competing with email notifications

• Hidden behind a slide deck

That’s a 55% disadvantage you can’t afford.

How to Get This Advantage Back

• If it’s an important pitch, show up in person. Presence matters.

• If online, maximise visibility.

• Keep slides minimal—let them see you.

• Use a proper camera setup and lighting—no dark, backlit figures.

• Make full-frame eye contact—don’t just read from your screen.

Your audience makes a decision about you before they decide on your idea.

And if you can’t establish presence, your pitch is working at half power.

Take Control of Your Pitching Environment

Pitching online isn’t the problem.

Losing control of your presence and connection is.

Whenever possible:

• Get in the room with the people who matter

• Use the full range of your communication—not just your words

• Maximise every advantage you have

You’ve worked too hard to have your great thinking undermined by a neighbour’s bathroom renovations.

Show up. Take control. And give yourself the best possible chance of success.

Thanks for reading.

Happy pitching.