Each of us pitches ideas every day. Sometimes we sell them to a small room full of skeptical colleagues. Sometimes we pitch to a boss, or a board of directors, a new organization, or for the contract of our dreams. It all boils down to an act of human empathy, stirring someone to join you—to agree to follow you.

Through his years of successfully pitching ideas, veteran ad man Allen has seen a pattern emerge: pitches aimed directly at the emotional needs of decision makers are winners. In The Hidden Agenda, Allen describes in practical terms an entirely new way to compel people to follow you and embrace what you are selling. The Hidden Agenda lays out concrete steps to identify the emotional “who” you are reaching, “what” special elements you can use to connect, and “how” through special techniques he developed over years of pitching you invite people to follow you.

This entertaining book moves at a rapid clip and is full of lively anecdotes of hard-won advertising campaigns. From Mastercard’s iconic “Priceless” campaign to Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral campaign, Kevin Allen has seen first-hand how to effectively find, connect, and speak to the Hidden Agenda to win business unfailingly, every time.