THIS WEEK: Why You'll Lose Your Next Pitch
You'll Put the Wrong People in the Room
Agency teams often follow the instructions of the prospect... only to find out the winning agency did not.
This happens commonly with the request for the presentation to be made only by "the people that will work on the business." The quality of the presentation team is further diluted with a desire to have all the department heads present.
Only put your best presenters in the room.
You have worked weeks (if not months), you have invested capital, and you have invested the morale of the agency. There is too much at stake to put any subpar presenters in the room. This is 2009 and you must capitalize on every single opportunity.
The Benefits of One Core Pitch Team (perhaps several core teams for larger agencies):
> Pitch decks are written more quickly: As the team begins to develop a POV together more often, they develop an ability to work together and align their thinking in less time.
> The team is on one page: Not everyone knows who will answer each question and, more importantly, the answers are all in sync.
> Over time, they gel as a presentation team: A genuine chemistry and sense of humor comes through. As the client feeds off of this energy, they are drawn to the agency team.
> Transitions are smooth and seamless: Rather than interrupting the flow of the presentation by introducing the next speaker, the next person begins just as the previous person completes their thought. Smooth like butter.
> Rehearsal time is reduced: As your core team presents together so often, rehearsal time can be reduced.
I understand the client's desire to have the presentation be made by those they'll be engaged with on a day-to-day basis. However, here's what happens:
> Agency A sends in their all-stars. Agency B sends in those that would work on the business, overall an average ability at presenting.
> Agency A leads, inspires and persuades the room.
> Agency B bumps through their presentation, never inspiring the client... looking mediocre at best as compared to the first agency.
> Nine times out of ten, the client can't help themselves as they select Agency A. We see this time and time again in our training.
The bottom line: Everyone is motivated by a great presenter that commands the room.
When the team that will work on the business is requested, our recommendation is to put forward a hybrid team: your best presenters, augmented by those that would work on the business. This will guarantee your best chance of success, while not offending the client.
