THE NO-SELL SALES
PITCH PLAYBOOK

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📣 Coo-ee! Let's talk pitching!

You’ve done the work.
You’ve got the insight, the answer, the strategy.
You’re the authority. The pitch should be a formality.

But what happens when the only person who can green-light your idea is more obsessed with being the genius… than backing a good idea?

Cue: the narcissist in the room.

Here’s a No-Sell Sales Pitch approach to handling the most difficult stakeholder of all.

How to Spot a Narcissist in a Pitch Room

You don’t always get a heads-up on the power dynamics. But these signs are a giveaway:

• They hijack the conversation—early and often.
• They reframe the brief—just enough to make it theirs.
• They act like the smartest person in the room, even when they’ve skimmed the deck.
• They don’t ask questions. They make statements with question marks.
• They reject ambiguity—unless it came from them.

Narcissists bring charisma, dominance, a dash of vision—undercut by a compulsive need to be the hero of the story.

Pitching to a Narcissist: 3 No-Sell Moves

1. Let Them Think It Was Their Idea

You're not manipulating. You're managing egos.

Ditch:

Pitch:

Let them see your idea as the extension of theirs. If they feel like it’s yours vs. theirs? You’ll lose.

2. Go for “That’s Right” Over “You’re Right”

Narcissists don’t care about logic. They care about status.

Tie your idea to their identity:

You're not flattering. You’re anchoring your pitch to their need to be seen as visionary.

3. Don’t Challenge—Invite Co-authorship

Cornering a narcissist only triggers defensiveness.

Instead, say:

It flips their ego into an asset—while you hold the reins.

Psych Tip: You’re Talking to a Very Clever Five-Year-Old

Yes, they’re polished. Yes, they know the buzzwords.

But emotionally? Many narcissists operate like approval-hungry kids.
They need to win. At everything.

Others in the room will see this too.
Go too soft, and you lose credibility. Go too hard, and you get shut down.

Walk the line:

• Stay calm.
• Stay clear.
• Hold your ground—lightly.

You’re not here to outshine. You’re here to get the idea through.

Final Thought

You’re not pitching the idea.
You’re pitching the experience of being right.

They don’t want to support the win.
They want to be the win.

Let them hold that belief—without giving away your integrity—and you just might walk out of the impossible room… with your idea intact.
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Want a deeper dive into pitching the narcissist? Read the full article here.​

📞 Phone a Friend – Your Anonymous Pitching Lifeline​
Got a tricky stakeholder in your next pitch? Ask us your anonymous question and we’ll unpack it in a future Playbook.

​Submit your question →​

See you next week,​
​Pete & Rosie – The Pitch Camp Team