The Perfect TYPO3 Pitch: Proven Strategies for Success

Are you preparing for an upcoming pitch for a TYPO3 project? Drawing on extensive long-term experience from within the TYPO3 community, this article outlines practical insights and proven methods for increasing your chances of success in TYPO3-related pitches.

To maximize your chances in a TYPO3 pitch, focus on three core factors: demonstrating technological expertise, strong project management capabilities, and reliable resource planning. These elements create trust and heavily influence a client’s decision when selecting an agency.

And, of course, chemistry matters as well—while it cannot be engineered, a team that naturally collaborates well will always make a positive impression.

TYPO3 is a powerful CMS that requires solid experience. Use your pitch to demonstrate that your agency possesses the necessary expertise:

► Team size
Show that your team structure fits the project and that you remain operational even in unforeseen situations, such as illness or temporary absences. Ideally, several members of the potential project team should join the pitch—familiar faces later help to build trust.

► Certifications 

TYPO3-certified developers and integrators signal technological competence. Even beyond pitches, maintaining a strong certification base is valuable. Market leaders in particular also pay attention to whether a TYPO3 service provider has other relevant awards – for example, their membership status with the TYPO3 Association, an official partnership status with the TYPO3 company (i .e.,  TYPO3 Solution Partner), and whether they actively contribute to the core.

► Reference projects 

Present comparable use cases that demonstrate your ability to execute complex TYPO3 projects successfully. Anecdotes about how your agency has retained or acquired and supported similar TYPO3 customers. Ideally: a client from the same industry, a client with the same specific challenges, and a client of similar size. This shows that you can also implement the plans that the client has for their TYPO3 project. 

Clients value excellent project management. While aspects such as transparency or reliability become fully visible only later in collaboration, the project manager should already demonstrate them during the pitch. They should guide the technical parts of the presentation and explain how they will address the TYPO3-specific aspects of the project.

Demonstrate that your resource planning and availability are reliable. Ideally, your team is not only large enough but also stable, with low turnover—clients want continuity and dependable support.

We want to share how we provide clients with a transparent first impression of our project workflows and the tools that support them.

► Project management tools: Use professional tools such as Atlassian’s Jira and Confluence to support transparent communication, structured planning, and detailed documentation.

► Methods: Established methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban help ensure flexibility and continuous improvement.

The structure of a successful TYPO3 pitch often follows these steps:

It may not seem worth mentioning, and yet we occasionally receive feedback from clients during pitches that other participants apparently put little effort into "going the extra mile."

► Analysis: Conduct thorough research on the client and their needs

► Needs Assessment: Evaluate whether the client is aware of all their critical IT challenges (and has outlined them in the briefing)

► Requirements Alignment: Check whether the requirements stated during the pitch align with this

All of this is absolutely essential — just like assembling a potential project team in advance of the pitch that precisely matches what the client is looking for. That is why we recommend for the project manager and at least one developer to be present during the pitch presentation.

To maximize your chances in pitches and win new clients, demonstrate your technological expertise and relevant references, as well as your project management capabilities, and ensure that your resources are optimally managed. In the pitch, credibly prove that you have the necessary number of TYPO3-certified developers for the project and that your agency is firmly rooted in the TYPO3 ecosystem. This lays the foundation for pitch success and the resulting projects.

By the way: You can read more here about how to take on these projects in a way that leads to long-term, successful client relationships.