Getting to know who you are speaking with and making the right first impression is vital. Here are some best practice tips to help you set off on the right foot.
Do your research on who’s coming, their career experience as well as current roles. Gauge what they will bring to the room and the conversation.
Keep numbers as small as possible; relationship chemistry doesn’t happen with a committee line-up. Even if it’s a broad integrated pitch, avoid the long line of experts
and look for your best multi-position players.
Get the right balance (context dependent) between ‘real team’ and your management ‘rockstars’. Clients want to see people they will work day to day with but don’t
underestimate the effect of some star power.
Make sure your team have brilliant chemistry together, particularly when mixed level. The real deal can’t be faked, and it’s contagious for the clients. Confidence and fun will then win out over nerves and pressure.
This doesn’t have to mean volume of meeting content or jumping ahead to early creative work. That is a high risk strategy which can go either way. But work out how
you and your agency can stand out from the rest – in a way that’s true to who you are - in your research / passion / thinking about their brand and the opportunity.
The chemistry should be a taster of how good your team can be, and how much you seem to gel with the clients. Use the time wisely – don’t burn it up on ‘transmit’ mode. Have the confidence to follow a good conversation off the prepped slides.
Assuming you get through to next stage, this is your chance to get crucial insight and understanding for the pitch itself. Like a date, your new prospect is only interested in your past performance (current clients) up to a point, and while they need to get to know you, no one falls in love with a self-interested bore.
Nominate one person on the team (probably the one with the least to do) to write down all the client comments and points – exactly as they come. When hopes are
high, everyone tends to hear what they want to hear, especially on the back of newly formed brand theories.
What are the questions – what you’re likely to be asked and what you want to ask. Who’s going to field what? Plan to be slick and give everyone their chance.
Whether it’s an icebreaker, proving your passion and effort or making yourself memorable. The golden rule is: think twice before you do anything that you would
feel embarrassed about if you don’t make it through.