Pitch Anything
by Oren Klaff
Because How You Frame It Changes Everything
Most of us think pitching is about polishing the message. This book taught me it’s about controlling the frame.
Pitch Anything gave me a totally new perspective on persuasion—how to hold attention, create status, and drive action. I’ve used it in boardrooms, high-stakes negotiations, and even internal meetings where the stakes were less about money and more about alignment.
What the Book Is About
Oren Klaff draws from neuroscience, venture capital, and dealmaking to introduce a method he calls “STRONG”:
Set the frame
Tell the story
Reveal the intrigue
Offer the prize
Nail the hook-point
Get a decision
But the core idea is this: in any pitch, someone controls the frame. That frame shapes how information is received, who has the power, and what happens next. If you’re not framing, you’re being framed.
Klaff doesn’t just explain this—he demonstrates it, with stories that show how he flipped the dynamic in meetings where millions were at stake.
Why This Book Mattered to Me
I’ve been in rooms where attention is short, stakes are high, and every word matters.
Before reading Pitch Anything, I’d spent years refining what I said—my language, slides, structure. Klaff shifted my focus to how I held the room. It changed the game.
The idea that you are constantly “frame battling”—competing narratives, power dynamics, status cues—resonated immediately. It’s not just for salespeople. It’s for anyone trying to move people, win buy-in, or drive decisions.
As a lawyer and executive, I’ve found Klaff’s techniques especially useful when presenting new ideas to skeptical audiences. Whether it’s pitching innovation to a traditional team or aligning stakeholders around a bold vision, this book helped me lead conversations instead of chasing them.
Key Takeaways
Control the frame or be controlled by it. Whoever controls the frame controls the conversation.
Status matters. High-status communicators lead. Low-status ones chase.
Pitching is theater. Logic matters—but only after attention, intrigue, and emotional resonance are secured.
Who Should Read This
If you ever pitch—ideas, initiatives, investments, products, or even yourself—this book is for you.
It’s a must-read for founders, lawyers, consultants, and leaders who operate in high-stakes environments. It’s especially valuable if you find yourself doing everything “right” in presentations but still not getting the results you want.
Also: if you think you don’t “sell,” this book will challenge that idea in the best way.
Final Thought
Pitch Anything isn’t about being slick. It’s about understanding human behavior, attention, and power dynamics—and using that understanding to communicate more effectively.
It’s bold, sometimes brash, but incredibly useful.
If you want to pitch with confidence and control—not just hope your ideas land—this book gives you the edge.
