B1 · Intermediate · Pitching Ideas · 198 words · ~2 min read

💡 The Pitch That Went Sideways

Language focus: Pitching ideas · expressing doubt & agreement

The London Startup Mystery

By the end of her first week, Maya was asked to pitch a logo concept for Aurora, the agency’s biggest client. She had stayed up late preparing, but as the meeting began, her confidence wavered. “Just be yourself, and back up your ideas with solid reasons,” Tom whispered encouragingly.

Maya clicked to her first slide. “I’ve come up with three directions,” she explained. “This one is bold and modern, although I’ll admit I have my doubts about the colour.” Priya nodded thoughtfully. “I like the fact that you’re being honest. Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page before we take it any further.”

A senior designer raised an objection. “I’m not entirely convinced the typography works,” he said. Rather than panicking, Maya stayed calm. “That’s a fair point. Could I run a revised version by you tomorrow?” The room seemed to relax; she had handled the criticism gracefully and without taking it personally.

“Honestly, that took guts for a first pitch,” Priya said afterwards. “You’re clearly not afraid to think outside the box.” Maya glowed with quiet pride. Yet on her way back to her desk, her eyes drifted once again towards Daniel’s dusty, abandoned notebook.

Key vocabulary (6 words)

pitchnoun
A presentation in which you try to persuade people to accept an idea.
conceptnoun
An idea or plan for something.
confidencenoun
The feeling of being sure about yourself and your abilities.
objectionnoun
A reason why you disagree with something.
typographynoun
The style and arrangement of printed text.
feedbacknoun
Comments about how good or useful something is.

Phrasal verbs in this episode

  • come up with — To come up with means to think of an idea or plan.
  • run by — To run something by someone means to show it to them for their opinion or approval.
  • back up — To back up an idea means to support it with reasons or evidence.

Comprehension quiz

  1. What does Maya pitch?

    • A logo concept for Aurora
    • A new office
    • A holiday plan
    Show answer

    A logo concept for Aurora

  2. How many directions did she come up with?

    • Three
    • One
    • Ten
    Show answer

    Three

  3. When the designer objects, Maya…

    • panics
    • stays calm and offers a revision
    • leaves the room
    Show answer

    stays calm and offers a revision

  4. “On the same page” means…

    • reading a book
    • in agreement
    • on page one
    Show answer

    in agreement

  5. “Think outside the box” means to think…

    • creatively
    • quietly
    • quickly
    Show answer

    creatively

  6. “Run a version by you” means to…

    • print it
    • show it for your opinion
    • throw it away
    Show answer

    show it for your opinion

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