Originally posted by finksmart
we consider ourselves in the process of moving from the first category to the second.
If you really are then first thing is to stop feeling like you need to free pitch. If you want to position yourself as a "serious" studio (in inverted commas 'cos afterall, what is serious?) then this part of what I said is even more important:

"that any truly effective design solution for them would require an amount of research on your behalf and client input that could only be justified if the project was signed off. Any design mockup done from an initial hour long conversation without proper research and testing would only take into account the most basic of needs for both the client and, most importantly, the users."

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide...