On a hot Texas day last September, a team from Richards Partners put on sneakers and pedometers and walked to the American Heart Association (AHA) offices to pitch Start! business, a program that seeks to get people walking.

"Demonstrating passion helps differentiate you," says Ruth Fitzgibbons, principal at Richards Partners. "If you really want [the business] and it's a great fit, blow the roof off in terms of a creative approach to making them see that. By walking ...