Pitch Masters
The Pitch Masters Podcast is dedicated to helping you win more business. No matter how good your products or services are, without the right story, branding, and marketing, you might not get noticed. Danny Fontaine, AKA 'Pitch Guy', interviews a master of pitching from industry in each episode and covers how behavioural science, psychology, storytelling, creative, and theatre all play huge roles in the success of your business.
Episodes
S1E01: Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy and Behavioural Science Guru
Rory Sutherland talks great pitches, disastrous pitches, the importance of behavioural science in sales and advertising, overcoming public speaking nerves, and dressing up as a chicken.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social media for video clips of the episode, or visit the website for more information.
S1E02: Tommy Schaff, Founder of Major League Sales and sales coach extraordinaire
Tommy Schaff talks prospecting, psychology, velveteen rabbits, Tony Robbins, getting beaten to class president by a drug dealer, being your authentic self, honesty, vulnerability, the power of questions, and buying Dwayne Johnson’s old clothes.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social media for video clips
S1E03: Jeremy Connell-Waite, Master of communications at IBM and all round inspiring bloke
Jeremy Connell-Waite talks about how a hospital machine changed his career path, storytelling, emotions, Donald Trump and Joe Biden's inauguration speeches, JFK, and the art of being a master communicator.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social media for video clips of the episode, or visit the website
S1E04: Adam Morgan, Executive Creative Director @Adobe, Author, and Podcast Host
Adam Morgan talks about the battle between emotional-driven creative and data-based selling, dealing with a hostile audience, the formula for creating memories, the (correct) length of headlines, hooking up people to fMRIs to measure their emotions, and doing a front flip off a table in the middle of a pitch.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if
S1E05: Helle Williams, Senior Sales Executive @Sogeti
Helle Williams, Senior Sales Executive at Sogeti, talks about the importance of research before a pitch, the power of asking questions to gain winning insights, how to sell in Sweden, and being a woman in the male-dominated industry of IT consulting.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social media for vid
S1E06: Doug Hall, Master Inventor, best-selling author, and TV personality
Doug Hall talks about his unique system for coming up with ideas, why he gets senior people to say dumb things, the blueprint for a winning pitch, how to tap into your subconscious, judging some of the best and worst pitches on TV, and creating custom bourbon in under 5 minutes.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Foll
S1E07: Martin Brooks, body language expert, author, & communications coach
Bill Clinton’s Thumb Of Power, Barack Obama’s Pinch Of Salt - just two tips from episode 7 of the Pitch Masters Podcast with body language expert, Martin Brooks.
When we pitch, present, or speak in public, we often focus on the content of what we’re saying, and in reality, a HUGE amount of our success lies in non-verbal communication, ie, BODY LANGUAGE.
Martin is a Communication Performance Coach
S1E08: Robin Dreeke, spy recruiter for the FBI and best-selling author
TRIGGER WARNING:
This episode contains some disturbing and occasionally graphic stories of the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent events that unfolded.
Robin is an ex-FBI Agent and his career was focused on the hardest pitch of them all – recruiting Russian spies to work for the US government. His work has taught him many life lessons and he is a master of eliciting trust from
S1E09: Dr Kimber Shelton, Psychologist, Author, Speaker, & Educator
This week I speak to psychologist Dr Kimber Shelton who talks about the differences and considerations that people of colour face when they are pitching, as well as cognitive distortion, all-or-nothing thinking, mirror neurons, eye contact and a whole lot more.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social medi
S1E10: Jeff Gothelf, author of Lean UX, speaker, educator, and all-round inspiration
Jeff Gothelf talks about the power of Lean UX and how it’s evolved over the last 10 years, how he creates compelling stories, the importance of preparation, how we all need to ‘plant our flag’ for success, and the tale of the human cannonball.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, and if you can, leave a review. Follow me on social media for video clips
S1E11: Viv Groskop, author, journalist, broadcaster, and stand-up comedian
Viv Groskop talks about channelling the right energy when we communicate, flight or flight, the challenges that women face that men often don’t, why we should commit to a speaking event before we are ready, her journey from corporate-world to freelance, dealing with nerves, and how we all need to remember to be HUMAN.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it
S1E12: Thomas Erikson, best-selling author of Surrounded By Idiots
Thomas Erikson, the author of international best-seller Surrounded By Idiots (and many more books), talks about personality tests, the DISC profile, and how we can use it in a pitching scenario to serve our audience. We also discuss leadership styles, how to make people like you, and why we all need to be ourselves
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone else who might appreciate it, a
S1E13: Simon Sinek, best-selling author and inspirational speaker
This week on Pitch Masters: Simon Sinek.
I’ve read Simon’s books and watched the Ted Talks as I’m sure many of you have, but what I really wanted to know was: how does he pitch?
In this episode, we go on a journey together through the end-to-end lifecycle of a pitch: ideation, structures, pitch decks, presenting, nerves, relationships, and all of those other stages that we have to go through for a
S1E14: Ben Williams, ex-Royal Marine, author of Command Mindset, and co-founder of Loopin
Ben Williams is a values-driven, authentic, and vulnerable person. He also happens to be an ex-marine, the author of Commando Mindset: Find Your Motivation, Realize Your Potential, Achieve Your Goals, and the co-founder of the team-wellness app, Loopin. In this episode of the Pitch Masters podcast, we talk about self-confidence and belief, humility, psychological safety at work, and the time that
S1E15: Matt Batten, award-winning Executive Creative Director
Matt Batten is an Executive Creative Director in advertising who’s won over 150 awards internationally. In this episode he talks me through his ten-point-plan for pitching, shares how a flawed loyalty programme landed him the Coca-Cola account, and plies me with multiple anecdotes about brilliant, emotional, and hilarious pitches from his career.
If you enjoy the show, please share it with someone
S1E16: J Schwan, former CEO of Kin + Carta, entrepreneur, and tech services investor
In episode 16 of Pitch Masters, I speak to inspirational leader and former CEO, J Schwan. We have an incredibly candid talk about what being a CEO really involves. We discuss red and blue oceans, pitching to investors, choosing the right clients for your business, the importance of having a great mentor, and using the story from the movie 300 to motivate a team to success. Grab a coffee (or someth
S1E17: Neil Mullarkey, Austin Powers star, author, improv comedian and business guru
Episode 17 of Pitch Masters features the incredible Neil Mullarkey, star of Austin Powers, author of Seven Steps to Improve Your People Skills, and In The Moment, actor and improv comedy maestro. We talk about how to use improv in business, how to cast the perfect team for your pitch, debunking the myth of “Yes, and…”, mirror neurons and monkeys, and, of course, Swedish-made penis enlargers.
I was
S1E18 VIDEO VERSION: Jeb Blount, global sales guru and best-selling author of Sales EQ
Jeb Blount is sales royalty. He's published 15 books on selling, including Sales EQ, Fanatical Prospecting, and Objections, and he's been top of my Pitch Masters hit list since the show began.
In this episode we cover a huge amount of ground: qualifying deals, closing deals, relationships, stories, 'the ledge', 'murder boarding' the chessboard of sales, how to withhold information for leverage, a
S1E18: Jeb Blount, global sales guru and best-selling author of Sales EQ
Jeb Blount is sales royalty. He's published 15 books on selling, including Sales EQ, Fanatical Prospecting, and Objections, and he's been top of my Pitch Masters hit list since the show began.
In this episode we cover a huge amount of ground: qualifying deals, closing deals, relationships, stories, 'the ledge', 'murder boarding' the chessboard of sales, how to withhold information for leverage, a
S1E19: Nancy Duarte, communication expert, author, speaker, and CEO of Duarte, Inc
Video version available on Apple Podcasts and Youtube.
This week on Pitch Masters: Nancy Duarte. Listening is essential for anyone who wants to improve their pitches, presentations and storytelling.
Nancy is another one of my all-time pitching heroes. Her work on ‘sparklines' has had a huge impact on my career and the way that work, and I use her methods every single day at IBM to create the mos
S1E19 VIDEO VERSION: Nancy Duarte, communication expert, author, speaker, and CEO of Duarte, Inc
This week on Pitch Masters: Nancy Duarte. Listening is essential for anyone who wants to improve their pitches, presentations and storytelling.
Nancy is another one of my all-time pitching heroes. Her work on ‘sparklines' has had a huge impact on my career and the way that work, and I use her methods every single day at IBM to create the most compelling pitches and presentations.
In this hour, y
S1E20 VIDEO VERSION: Jim Highsmith, Co-creator of the Agile Manifesto, Storyteller, Adventurer
In February 2001, 17 anarchists assembled in the Snowbird ski resort in Utah, USA. They had no fixed agenda and spent two days in lively conversation, creating what we all now know as the Agile Manifesto. A new mindset and movement were born that would change the face of software development, but they could never have guessed just how far-reaching, famous, and infamous their work would become. One
S1E20: Jim Highsmith, Co-creator of the Agile Manifesto, Storyteller, Adventurer
In February 2001, 17 anarchists assembled in the Snowbird ski resort in Utah, USA. They had no fixed agenda and spent two days in lively conversation, creating what we all now know as the Agile Manifesto. A new mindset and movement were born that would change the face of software development, but they could never have guessed just how far-reaching, famous, and infamous their work would become. One
S1E21 VIDEO VERSION: Carl Hewitt, Inspirational Digital Marketing Agency Founder & CEO
Welcome to a truly inspiring and motivating episode of Pitch Masters with Carl Hewitt, a young CEO of a digital marketing agency who founded the company when he was just 17 years old. He tells me the struggles he’s overcome with age bias, how he’s grown a business from door-to-door selling, how we can all use personas properly to win over an audience, how small tests always win the day, how he han
S1E21: Carl Hewitt, Inspirational Digital Marketing Agency Founder & CEO
Welcome to a truly inspiring and motivating episode of Pitch Masters with Carl Hewitt, a young CEO of a digital marketing agency who founded the company when he was just 17 years old. He tells me the struggles he’s overcome with age bias, how he’s grown a business from door-to-door selling, how we can all use personas properly to win over an audience, how small tests always win the day, how he han
S1E22 VIDEO VERSION: Hilary Salzman, the Business Storyteller
You've probably heard of the power of storytelling in business, but how do we actually go about doing it - and do we need to be a natural-born storyteller? Enter, Hilary Salzman, the Business Storyteller.
Hilary is the founder of 22-stories.com and she's on a mission to get more people telling stories to grow their business. In this episode of Pitch Masters, we talk about why we should tell sto
S1E22: Hilary Salzman, the Business Storyteller
You've probably heard of the power of storytelling in business, but how do we actually go about doing it - and do we need to be a natural-born storyteller? Enter, Hilary Salzman, the Business Storyteller.
Hilary is the founder of 22-stories.com and she's on a mission to get more people telling stories to grow their business. In this episode of Pitch Masters, we talk about why we should tell sto
S1E23 VIDEO VERSION: Peter Coughter, bestselling author of The Art of the Pitch
In this episode of the Pitch Masters podcast, I speak to yet another one of my all-time pitching heroes, the legendary Peter Coughter, founder and CEO of Coughter & Company, Professor at VCU Brandcenter, and author of one of my favourite books - The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills that Win Business.
In this episode, we discuss a lot of pitch material - the fear we all have
S1E23: Peter Coughter, bestselling author of The Art of the Pitch
In this episode of the Pitch Masters podcast, I speak to yet another one of my all-time pitching heroes, the legendary Peter Coughter, founder and CEO of Coughter & Company, Professor at VCU Brandcenter, and author of one of my favourite books - The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills that Win Business.
In this episode, we discuss a lot of pitch material - the fear we all have
S1E24 VIDEO VERSION: Oren Klaff, bestselling author of Pitch Anything
Oren Klaff is the real deal. He raises vast sums of investment capital every single day using his unique and hugely popular methods of pitching - as outlined in his international bestselling book, Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal.
We talk about a LOT of topics: swagger, making money, persuasion, human behaviour, capital markets, Anthony Scaramuc
S1E24: Oren Klaff, bestselling author of Pitch Anything
Oren Klaff is the real deal. He raises vast sums of investment capital every single day using his unique and hugely popular methods of pitching - as outlined in his international bestselling book, Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal.
We talk about a LOT of topics: swagger, making money, persuasion, human behaviour, capital markets, Anthony Scaramuc
S1E25 VIDEO VERSION: Graham Thomas and The Pitch for British Rail
The pitch to become British Rail’s advertising agency in 1979 is one of the greatest of all time. It involved an immersive theatrical experience that showed an audience a problem in a completely new light. The story has been told to me many times by many people, but always with a different spin. I decided to find out the truth for myself and tracked down Graham Thomas, who was – in 1979 – an Accou
S1E25: Graham Thomas and The Pitch for British Rail
The pitch to become British Rail’s advertising agency in 1979 is one of the greatest of all time. It involved an immersive theatrical experience that showed an audience a problem in a completely new light. The story has been told to me many times by many people, but always with a different spin. I decided to find out the truth for myself and tracked down Graham Thomas, who was – in 1979 – an Accou
S2 E01 VIDEO VERSION: Daniel H. Pink, 7x NYT bestselling author
Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author and expert on human behaviour, joins the show to explore the art and science of persuasion. He shares how modern sales is less about manipulation and more about attunement, buoyancy, and clarity—three traits vital in today’s world of information parity. Pink also discusses the surprising power of ambiverts, the myth of extroverted sales stars, and how regret can
S2 E01: Daniel H. Pink, 7x NYT bestselling author
Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author and expert on human behaviour, joins the show to explore the art and science of persuasion. He shares how modern sales is less about manipulation and more about attunement, buoyancy, and clarity—three traits vital in today’s world of information parity. Pink also discusses the surprising power of ambiverts, the myth of extroverted sales stars, and how regret can
S2 E02 VIDEO VERSION:Chris Hay, AI Technologist & Futurist
Chris Hay, AI Technologist & Futurist
When it comes to pitching, most people think about perfect slides, rehearsed lines, and the sweaty palms that come with trying to stick the landing. But as anyone who’s seen Chris Hay in action will tell you, great pitching rarely looks like a rigid script — and increasingly, it doesn’t happen without a little help from artificial intelligence.
Chris and I
S2 E02:Chris Hay, AI Technologist & Futurist
Chris Hay, AI Technologist & Futurist
When it comes to pitching, most people think about perfect slides, rehearsed lines, and the sweaty palms that come with trying to stick the landing. But as anyone who’s seen Chris Hay in action will tell you, great pitching rarely looks like a rigid script — and increasingly, it doesn’t happen without a little help from artificial intelligence.
Chris and I
S2 E03 VIDEO VERSION: Julian Treasure, Listening Expert and TED Talk Legend
In this compelling episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Julian Treasure, renowned sound and communication expert, author, and five-time TED speaker whose talks have collectively been viewed over 160 million times. Julian reveals why listening, not just speaking, is critical in business, pitches, and leadership. Drawing from his new book, Sound Affects, we explore the profound impact of sound
S2 E03: Julian Treasure, Listening Expert and TED Talk Legend
In this compelling episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Julian Treasure, renowned sound and communication expert, author, and five-time TED speaker whose talks have collectively been viewed over 160 million times. Julian reveals why listening, not just speaking, is critical in business, pitches, and leadership. Drawing from his new book, Sound Affects, we explore the profound impact of sound
S2 E04 VIDEO VERSION: Oliver Aust, CEO Coach and former easyJet Chief Communicator
What separates the world’s best communicators from everyone else? In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Oliver Aust —former easyJet Chief Communicator, bestselling author, and founder of Speak Like a CEO — to talk about how leaders can pitch, persuade, and present with authenticity. From stories of easyJet’s scrappy early days to his philosophy of anti-fragile communication, Oliver sha
S2 E04: Oliver Aust, CEO Coach and former easyJet Chief Communicator
What separates the world’s best communicators from everyone else? In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Oliver Aust —former easyJet Chief Communicator, bestselling author, and founder of Speak Like a CEO — to talk about how leaders can pitch, persuade, and present with authenticity. From stories of easyJet’s scrappy early days to his philosophy of anti-fragile communication, Oliver sha
S2 E05: Lorraine K. Lee, Executive Presence Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author of Unforgettable Presence
Why do talented professionals get stuck in mid-level roles even when they’re doing great work?
In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with executive presence expert, keynote speaker, and author Lorraine K. Lee to explore why hard work alone isn’t enough to grow your career.
Lorraine shares the moment she realised that visibility, not just performance, was the missing ingredient in her own jo
S2 E05 VIDEO VERSION: Lorraine K. Lee, Executive Presence Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author of Unforgettable Presence
Why do talented professionals get stuck in mid-level roles — even when they’re doing great work?
In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with executive presence expert, keynote speaker, and author Lorraine K. Lee to explore why hard work alone isn’t enough to grow your career.
Lorraine shares the moment she realised that visibility, not just performance, was the missing ingredient in her own
S2 E06: Terry Szuplat, Former Obama Speechwriter and Bestselling Author
What can business leaders learn from the pressure, craft, and discipline of presidential speechwriting?
In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Terry Szuplat, who spent nearly a decade as a speechwriter for President Barack Obama, to unpack what makes messages land, what makes audiences lean in, and why “generic” is the fastest route to being forgotten.
Terry takes us inside the realiti
S2 E06 VIDEO VERSION: Terry Szuplat, Former Obama Speechwriter and Bestselling Author
What can business leaders learn from the pressure, craft, and discipline of presidential speechwriting?
In this episode of Pitch Masters, I sit down with Terry Szuplat, who spent nearly a decade as a speechwriter for President Barack Obama, to unpack what makes messages land, what makes audiences lean in, and why “generic” is the fastest route to being forgotten.
Terry takes us inside the realiti
S2 E07: Melody Wilding, Executive Coach and Author of Managing Up
If pitching is about persuading people to act, then the workplace version of that skill often comes down to something quieter: managing up. In this episode of Pitch Masters, I speak with executive coach and bestselling author Melody Wilding about how influence really works inside organisations.
Many capable professionals assume strong work will naturally be recognised. But when ideas fail to gain
S2 E07 VIDEO VERSION: Melody Wilding, Executive Coach and Author of Managing Up
If pitching is about persuading people to act, then the workplace version of that skill often comes down to something quieter: managing up. In this episode of Pitch Masters, I speak with executive coach and bestselling author Melody Wilding about how influence really works inside organisations.
Many capable professionals assume strong work will naturally be recognised. But when ideas fail to gain
S2 E08 VIDEO VERSION: Atif Rafiq, Former McDonald’s, Amazon, and MGM exec, author of Decision Sprint
If you think great pitches are about storytelling alone, you may be missing the deeper truth. Persuasion is built on judgment, preparation and the ability to move people. Not just impress them.
In this episode, Danny Fontaine sits down with former McDonald’s, Amazon, Volvo and MGM executive Atif Rafiq to unpack what it really takes to influence high-stakes decisions. From negotiating multimillion-
S2 E08: Atif Rafiq, Former McDonald’s, Amazon, and MGM exec, author of Decision Sprint
If you think great pitches are about storytelling alone, you may be missing the deeper truth. Persuasion is built on judgment, preparation and the ability to move people. Not just impress them.
In this episode, Danny Fontaine sits down with former McDonald’s, Amazon, Volvo and MGM executive Atif Rafiq to unpack what it really takes to influence high-stakes decisions. From negotiating multimillion-
S2 E09 VIDEO VERSION: Gina Balarin, Author, Advisor and TEDx Speaker
Most pitches don’t fail because the idea is weak. They fail because the message isn’t received the way it was intended.
In this episode of Pitch Masters, Danny Fontaine is joined by author, TEDx speaker and advisor Gina Balarin to explore the gap between what we say and what our audience hears. And why that gap is where pitches succeed or fail.
They discuss:
Why communication is defined by
S2 E09: Gina Balarin, Author, Advisor and TEDx Speaker
Most pitches don’t fail because of weak ideas. They fail because the message isn’t received the way it was intended.
In this episode of Pitch Masters, Danny Fontaine speaks with author, TEDx speaker and advisor Gina Balarin about the gap between what we say and what our audience actually hears—and why that gap determines whether a pitch lands or falls flat.
Gina shares how storytelling, language
S2E10: Bob Knakal & the NYC Map Room that Won 92 of 94 Pitches (Full Video)
Bob Knakal joins Danny Fontaine inside the Knakal Map Room in Manhattan to reveal how one room helped win 92 of 94 real estate pitches. This is a masterclass in high-stakes selling, NYC commercial real estate, reputation, market presence, physical experience, AI, hard mail, storytelling and what it really takes to win trust when the stakes are enormous.
Bob Knakal is the Chairman and CEO of BKREA
S2E10: Bob Knakal & the NYC Map Room that Won 92 of 94 Pitches (Audio only)
Bob Knakal joins Danny Fontaine inside the Knakal Map Room in Manhattan to reveal how one room helped win 92 of 94 real estate pitches. This is a masterclass in high-stakes selling, NYC commercial real estate, reputation, market presence, physical experience, AI, hard mail, storytelling and what it really takes to win trust when the stakes are enormous.
Bob Knakal is the Chairman and CEO of BKREA
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