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.

Gains and Losses

Apparently, losing something makes you twice as miserable as gaining something makes you happy.

People will pay twice as much to get back something that they lost than they would pay for it in the first place.

So the next time you find that you’re an incumbent pitching to keep an account, remember that it’s going to hurt twice as much if you lose it.

Rather than giving up and assuming the worst, this means that you need to put in twice as much effort.

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!

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

Standing Out From The Crowd

If there’s one thing that’s sure to fox a creative agency, it’s a straightforward brief.
No tricks, no hidden meaning, just a really simple A,B,C set of instructions.
The biggest challenge when tackling this kind of project, is deciding how to differentiate yourself creatively without coming across as pretentious and self-absorbed.
Surely, it must all come down to the big idea, since that’s what will ultimately win the job.
It’s not about how beautifully presented the idea is, or the reams of insightful strategic thinking that informed it.
It might be a moment in time, a gesture, a legacy, or a behaviour.
But whatever it is, it needs to be a simple, powerful and unpretentious hook.
If you don’t have a great idea to start with, you can misdirect your client with loads and bells and whistles.
But a beautifully wrapped gift box is still just empty packaging once you get past all the ribbons and bows.

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.

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!

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

Oh My, This Is So Unexpected...

I love Oscar season.
Not for the films, and certainly not for the fashion (Bjork’s swan springs to mind here), but for the thank you speeches.
While everyone else loves to pour scorn on their alleged ‘insincerity’, I genuinely believe them. I can totally understand why Halle, Gwyneth and Kate all lost it the moment they got that little golden fella in their hand.
It’s the pinnacle of their accomplishments, and as they stand in the spotlight, they suddenly realise just how many people helped to get them there.
I’m feeling pretty good about things at the moment, things are going well, there’s an energy and positivity around the business, and I’ve had some recognition for the work I’m doing.
So I’d like to take the opportunity now to do my thank yous to everyone who’s helped.
Thanks to Aaron, Abby, Adam N, Adam G, Adele, Adrian P, Adrian C, Adrian B, Ajay, Alec, Alex, Alison, Amanda H, Amanda V, Amelia, Angela H, Angela J, Angie, Arif, Arpit, Asitha, Azim, Bernie, Beth, Brian, Caroline H, Caroline W, Cat, Celia, Charlotte, Charmaine, Chloe, Chris R, Chris W, Christina B, Christina L, Chuck, Cindy, Claire, Clare, Clinton, Daiga, Danielle, David P, David S, David Z, Deanna, Debbie, Devon, Duncan, Elin, Elizabeth, Ellie, Emma, Fiona, Gareth L, Gareth D, Genie, George, Georgina, Geraldine, Gerard, Giles, Gio, Glenn, Harpit, Harriet, Helen, Henry, Hilde, Hugh, Ian S, Ian W, Jacqui, Jim, Jane O, Jane P, Jane W, Jeavon, Jenna, Jess, John M, Jonathan J, Jon H, Jonathan N, Joseph B, Julian, June, Kate S-H, Kate S, Kate M, Kat, Kerry, Kirstie, Laura, Lindsay, Lisa, Liz C, Liz J, Lloyd, Louise, Lucy, Marcus, Martin, Mathi, Matt G, Matt H, Matt L, Matt S, Maude, Meredith, Merryn, Metin, Micaela, Mike C, Mike K, Mike K, Mike R, Michelle, Mick, Mik, Miles, Nadine, Nekhat, Nelson, Nick G, Nick M, Nick M, Nicola P, Nicola S, Noreen, Olly, Owen, Pam, Patrick, Paul A, Paul D, Paul N, Paul V, Philippa, Quentin, Rachael, Rebecca, Regno, Richard, Rob B, Rob O, Robert M, Roger Munro.
You can play the music all you like, this is my moment and I intend to finish.
Rosemary, Sabrina, Sandra, Sarah, Sebastien, Serena, Sharon, Shauna, Simon B, Simon C, Simon D, Simon L, Simone, Siobhain, Stephanie, Stephen, Susannah, Tim C, Tim E, Tim L, Toby, Tom, Tony, Tracy, Yalcin, Zoe C and Zoe J.

For those of you outside Jack Morton that’s everyone here and for those of you here.... I really do mean it
Thank you

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.

The Winner Takes It All

Jack Morton was recently visited by Sébastien Foucan, the creator of freerunning, and star of Casino Royale.
As well as showing some awe-inspiring footage of him defying gravity and battling Daniel Craig, he gave an inspiring speech about how the principles of freerunning can be applied in our day-to-day lives.
But what really stood out for me, as I listened to him speak, was the fact that he is the world’s leader in a field that he invented.
Now that is inspiring.
So next time you come up against a barrier or obstacle, try and look at it differently, change some rules, even create your own rules.
Create your own battleground, define your own terms.
If you invent the the rules of the game, there can be only one winner.