Show Me Your Battle Scars

The pitch is over and the team are returning to the office.
“How did it go?” you ask.
“The pitch went well but when it came to the Q&A it was a different story”
"They asked some really tough questions."
"I don’t think they really wanted us there.”
And then they retreat to their respective desks to lick their wounds.
Ok, so here is an easy question
If you were responsible for half a million pounds (or a whole million or two), would you be fawning over the first person to walk in?
Would you act like their new best friend?
Of course not.
It’s not just agencies that have had a tough time.
Clients are under more pressure than ever to deliver ROI.
So they need to be absolutely sure that they’re backing the right team.
How good are you under pressure?
How well do your ideas hold up, how badly do you want this opportunity?
How good are you at measuring achievement?
It may look as though they’re checking their Blackberry and ignoring you, but I can promise you they’re hanging on your every word.
They’re rooting for you to succeed, so get out there and shine.

Under Pressure?

OK, so it’s been a tough year.
Budgets were tighter, timescales shorter, and expectations greater than ever.
But we got through it, and we’ll do the same again next year because that’s just what we do.
So it pains me when I hear complaining about the pressure of a pitch.
Pressure is trying to find a job in a depressed economy.
Pressure is raising kids as a single parent.
Pitching isn’t pressure.
It’s a reward for all the effort we put in.
It’s our time to shine, and a chance to showcase our best work.
The spotlight’s shining in our direction; we just have to step into it.
Don’t feel pressured.
Feel proud.

Look Into The Eyes, Not Around The Eyes…

Derren Brown is now a household name thanks to his talent for illusion, hypnotism and mind-reading.

Ultimately though, much of Derren’s effectiveness lies in his ability to surreptitiously manage other people’s thought processes.

He’s able to encourage them to make the associations he wants them to make – and they’re not even aware he’s doing it.

It’s all about steering people towards a conclusion you’ve pre-determined, and you can do it without a jazzy waistcoat or a glamorous assistant.

Often during a pitch situation, under the pressure of time, you can remove the logic flow from the pitch and short-hand the journey for your audience.

Its a mistake.

In telling the full story of how you got to “your answer” you can set the parameters for expectations, and keep your audience on track.

It may sound a little manipulative, it’s not, it just encourages everyone to focus on the same end-point.

While we’re on the subject of mind control, beware of the tendency for self-hypnosis.

These are the moments when your pitch team has spent so long convincing each other of the brilliance of the pitch that it’s possible to fall under the spell of a shared delusion.

Get someone outside the team to give your pitch the once over before you set off.

Now, try eating this onion as if it’s an apple…

Guess Who’s Pitching This Morning?

I don’t mind admitting that I have a fondness for sequels.
Bigger, better... more.
Seriously, what’s not to love?
This post is a sequel of sorts.
I wrote back in August about the Haka, and I suggested finding one that works for you before you go into your next pitch.
So here’s mine, and funnily enough, it’s taken from a sequel
(The Matrix Reloaded).
When I first heard this I thought it would make a great pre-pitch speech, then forgot all about it for a while. .
Obviously, it’s modified slightly for Jack Morton and personal relevance – it’s been a while since I waged war on our mechanical overlords.
(to be delivered in the style of Lawrence Fishburne's Morpheus)
I stand here before you now truly unafraid!
Why?
Because I believe something you do not?
No!
I stand here without fear because I remember.
I remember that I am here not because of the path that lay before me, but because of the path that lies behind me!
I remember that for 70 years we have pitched and won.
I remember that for 70 years they have sent agencies to beat us.
We are still here!
Today let us send a message.
Let us raise the roof
Let us tremble these walls of earth, steel and stone!
Today let us make them remember that Jack Morton is here.
Let's go get 'em!

2ND...3RD...4TH...Guessing...

One of the toughest things about being an incumbent agency on any pitch is the ability to second-guess the client.
They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, whereas a lot of knowledge can be downright stifling.
There’s always value in being an agency of record.
The real value comes from understanding the clients goals and objectives.
Not from being able to pre-empt the potential pitfalls of the idea.
You may know the colours they dislike, the places they’ve been and the things they’ve tried.
But if you focus too much on the detail, you’ll only end up getting in your own way.
Don’t constrain your thinking with the lessons you’ve learned.
The other agencies are busy making it up as they go along, and they’ll be the ones who wow your client with some truly surprising thinking.
Energy and enthusiasm will win the day.
So try to stop yourself from saying “You know what, they’re not gonna like that.”
Because they just might.

It’s Never Over Until...

I’m a firm believer in never giving up until you’re certain it’s all over.
The pitch presentation isn’t always the finish line.
Sometimes it’s just a pit stop on the journey.
And a bad pitch doesn’t have to mean that it’s all over.
I’ve been in the industry long enough to have heard countless stories about disastrous pitches, where the agency refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.
They returned to the office, not with their tail between their legs, but with a fire in their belly.
So they stay up all night, bash out some great new concepts and have an honest conversation with the prospective client.
They said “We know we dropped the ball but we want this more than anyone else.”
And the following day, they go in there and prove it.
And they win.
It’s like classic mythology – what feels like a disastrous ending, isn’t an ending at all.
It’s a phase known in storytelling circles as ‘The Ordeal’* and it’s the life-or-death moment where the hero realises what’s needed to ensure victory.
The phase immediately after?
That would be ‘The Reward’.
So go on, be the hero.

*see Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey

Who Dares Wins

Ask anyone who’s ever raised a championship cup over their head and they’ll tell you there’s no feeling quite like victory.
Sure, it’s the polite thing to say it’s not the winning but the taking part that counts, but who really wants to be the perennial loser?
Participation only gets you so far.
But the real joy in winning is facing an opponent who’s better than you are.
And coming out on top.
There’s really no challenge in beating someone who’s not as good as you and your team.
Besides, how much does that kind of victory really count?
It’s much more fun to prove to yourself, and everyone else, that you’ve got what it takes to beat someone who has an advantage over you.
That might be a bigger budget, a more experienced team or a wider global footprint.
On the other hand, they might just be the incumbent.
The challenge may be greater in tackling a ‘superior’ opponent, but we should all thrive on thinking around the problem.
That’s takes real creativity.

Size Does Matter

As Tom Peters says, "You can't shrink your way to greatness."
Or to put it another way, you won’t move forward if you back away from a challenge.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to go for a pitch, remember the following:
You can’t win business by not pitching.
You can’t win business by not developing great ideas.
And you can’t win business by not telling great stories.
It simply doesn’t happen.
If you’re feeling the pressure, change the game.
Make it work for you, rather than against you.
Often the people who act like they’ve got nothing to lose make the biggest leaps.

Things I Know...

I know there’s no tooth fairy.
I know Darth Vader is Luke’s dad.
I know the secret’s in the sauce.
I know that the slutty girl will be the slasher’s first victim.
I know the magician’s got cards up his sleeve.
I know the glass is sometimes half empty.
I know toast always lands butter side down
I know the brief isn’t always right.
And I know that to win a pitch you have to get everything right.
Not nine out of ten.
Not 95%.
Everything has to be right
Everyone has to be on the same page.
Committed, enthusiastic, hungry and willing.
If not?
I know you’re going to lose.

You Can't Handle The Truth

As Col. Nathan R. Jessup in A Few Good Men Jack Nicholson delivered one of the most memorable movie lines ever and perpetuated one of the biggest untruths (here)
That somewhere there are people who can’t handle the truth.
Your cheque’s in the post. I’ll be in touch. It happens to everyone. We’ve all heard those clichéd untruths used to spare other people’s feelings. And clients are no different – that was a great meeting, we loved your idea, we’ll call at the end of the week.
We’re grownups though.
And contrary to Colonel Jessup’s thinking, we can actually handle the truth.
In fact, it’s tremendously disempowering to protect people from the facts they need.
In most situations, as soon as the truth’s out there, people just deal with it.
So please to all of you clients out there, we’d rather hear it than be strung along in the false hope that something good will come of it.
Not all our solutions are going to be right, our mix of people may not fit, and that’s OK we know that we’re not always successful.
The point is we want to be the best and try win every pitch so much better that we get the news early, learn and move on.
We can handle it!

Everybody Pitches

A friend of mine (yes George it’s you) has bravely decided to remodel his entire flat, and told me that he invited three different builders to tender for the project.
Rather than simply turning up to give a quote for the work, each of the would-be contractors gave a full pitch presentation.
The contractor who gave the best presentation did end up winning the job.
The amazing thing was it wasn’t just the presentation that won it for him, he was also the one who bothered to follow-up his pitch and ask for feedback, kept in touch, suggested new materials and a cost saving.
In short he made it clear that he was passionate about the job.
I think it’s always educational for those of us in agency roles to experience a pitch from the other side of the table.
It gives you an insight into what makes a great presentation, and also shows you firsthand what it takes to win.
Remember though the presentation itself is only part of the process, don’t be afraid to follow up and do make it clear that you really want to do the work.
You’ve invested huge amounts of time and effort in the opportunity, don’t waste it by forgetting to ask for the business.

Get Running

On the whole we agency types are a pretty optimistic bunch. But we’re still prone to a bit of moaning every now and then.
Funnily enough it’s the same old gripes, time and time and time again.
My top three over the last 20 years would be:-
1. “It’s too complex a challenge”
2. “There’s not enough money.”
3. “We don’t have time to turn it around.”

Here’s the funny thing, despite all that, we still manage to get it done.
We fill in the blanks ourselves, we amend our proposals to bring it in on budget, and we achieve great things irrespective of time scales.
But how much better could the results be if we spent less time chuntering and just got on with it. Because at times like these, you can bet that’s exactly what the competition is doing.
Think of it like a game of tag, you’re it from the playground.
If you touch the brief, it’s yours.
So are you gonna stand still, or start running
Come on RUN!

Win Quickly, Lose Slowly

I was recently reminded of an old friend I had back in primary school.
His name was Alan Harvey, and he had the strange idea that you only had a certain number of breaths in your life. Maybe he was getting mixed up with heartbeats (here’s the other story)
Anyway, you’d often see him, when he though no-one was looking, holding his breath as long as he could, trying to prolong his life, even as he turned beetroot red.
As much as I laughed at the time (I was cruel), I now find myself thinking a little bit like Alan.
Only my non-renewable resource is energy.
At work it’s in limited supply and needs to be used carefully. An hour long meeting can be a waste of time and can drain everyone’s energy.
There’s a finite amount in any pitch, so the pitch team need to use it wisely.
One of the ways to build toward successful pitch results is to keep energy levels up, instead of running them down.
That means stay positive, short, lively meetings, and fun wherever you can find it.

Pitching To Win

There’s a whole cottage industry dedicated to helping agencies deliver the perfect pitch.
Books, websites, seminars – there’s some great stuff out there to help nip bad habits in the bud and finesse your approach.
But in amongst all the strategies and methodologies, I think there’s a simple solution that we could all embrace.
It’s a single question – what does the client want to get from the pitch?
In an average pitch scenario there might be five or six agencies parading in front of a client team, showing how clever and creative they can be, that’s a lot of strategies, ideas and media options.
We all put a lot into our own pitches; imagine how hard it is to judge between several, complicated and complex proposals?
The client team might be made up of wildly differing personalities and agendas – from finance and procurement to marketing and communications.
But they’ve all got one thing in common.
They want to choose an easy to understand, inspiring idea that they’ll be proud to own and put their name to.
What they are looking for is simple, what they are looking for is always the same thing.
All every client ever wants is something to believe in

Competition

Have you ever lived somewhere with only one decent restaurant?
I have, and let me tell you – no matter how good the restaurant is, is gets dull after a while.
The fact is, competition is a good thing. It’s healthy, and it gets everyone to raise their game.
Remember Avis built a whole brand positioning on that premise, arguing that since they were the second most popular rentals company, they tried harder.
I sometimes hear grumbles during a pitch, “It’s just a beauty parade”.
A competitive pitch keeps us on our toes.
The way I see it, there are very few reasons not to pitch.
Even against an long established incumbent.
It pushes your creativity, enthusiasm and ingenuity. And it makes you give your all in establishing a genuine rapport with the client.
These all sound like good things to me.
So next time you’re invited to pitch, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
Like I said, competition is good.
But beating it is even better.

Let's Take It Again From The Top

There’s an old saying about failing to prepare…
And although everyone’s heard it a million times, I’m amazed at how many people ignore its advice.
Remember my son, Fox (on stage, west end show, Billy Elliott) even though he’s in the show 2 or 3 times a week, he rehearses every day.
Even when you know your performance, your pitch, your presentation, there’s always room for improvement.
Life may not be a rehearsal, but you’ll have a better business life if you put in the hard work and prepare

Ban Miss World

There’s a lot of fuss at the moment about beauty parades.
Are they demeaning?
Do they have a viable place in modern society?
Actually, I’m not talking about Miss World – that’s for another blog entirely.
I’m referring to the beauty parade approach to pitching.
How many people do you think should be involved in the ideal pitch?
Things change pretty quickly in our world.
Clients are busy focusing on budgets, competitors and rate of sale and any number of other things.
You can’t expect them to be keeping up with all the changes in the agency landscape too.
So it makes sense that they want to get everyone in and find out what’s happening in the world beyond their inbox.
The key is to get ahead of the game.
My personal vision of Utopia is Agency Day
Clients set aside a day each quarter, or even every six months for Agency Day.
No brief.
No pitch.
Just an open invite for a number of agencies to “in whatever way you choose come in and impress us”
The objective would be to find the agency you want to work with or maybe the two top contenders and give them and only them a brief.
If nothing else, it’d be a fun way to spend the day.
For clients and agencies.
No swimsuit or evening wear, but definitely a talent round.

Everyone Loves A Loser

The call’s been made. We came a close second.
No cigar.
So what do we do? Take the phone off the hook and head for the nearest bar?
Of course not. This is no time to be drowning our sorrows.
Or making excuses.
At this point, it’s time for a commercial break.
Please read David Kean’s ‘How not to come second’. Genius!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Not-Come-Second-Business/dp/1904879624
He knows all the excuses in the world, and he explodes every single one of them.
Right, where was I? That’s right – how to deal with rejection.
I honestly believe that some of the best opportunities come out of a failed pitch. There are always deals to be done – especially when the client bothers to call and say “We loved you but...”
Listen to the ‘but’. Learn from it. And figure out what other opportunities to exist.
You’re already talking about how great you are, so turn that into something.
Ask about other projects, develop the relationship and build something durable.