![]() A pitch is not where the final, polished brand is unveiled. The final piece of the puzzle the client is looking for is: can they deliver? It’s the tense that’s crucial here: can they deliver, not have they delivered. (When companies complain about extortionate quotes do they consider this?) 5. #VIEW WHICH ARE UNREPLIED EMAILS IN OUTLOOK FOR FREE#Won or lost, putting an effective pitch together consumes vast amounts of otherwise billable studio resource, and doing it for free inevitably leads to higher sector-wide costs in an attempt to recoup lost revenue. A pitch is not something undertaken lightly, and we believe agencies are well within their rights to ask for a token fee. We’re held to ransom by a buyer’s market in which free-pitching is expected. It seems basic, but so many agencies clam up when it comes to discussing pitch costs. The lesson from this is that we should always be looking to poke holes and reveal a better path if we can. ![]() Is there scope to turn the brief on its head? Can you find an opportunity to elevate yourself and prove your indispensability? Clients respond to those who do (we recently learned this the hard way, narrowly losing to an agency who spied an opportunity to leverage themselves against us). It’s worth putting together a questionnaire before you agree to pitch. According to the Design Business Association’s most recent What Clients Think report, 68 per cent of winning presentations go against the brief in some way. That said, there are ways of upsetting the pitching apple cart that aren’t unfair on your competition. Make a call early on and don’t be afraid to challenge the company if you sense things aren’t kosher. If the odds are stacked against you from the off, they won’t get any easier as things progress. A fair game lets the merits of each agency shine through and ultimately means the client can make a more informed decision. Of course, not all agencies are created equal, and some will have the advantage of bigger teams and more resources but, as a small agency ourselves, we also know there’s great strength in being flexible and agile. Most people agree that companies shouldn’t issue extra credit assignments out of the blue. ![]() If agencies are given briefs at different times, without a chance to schedule or prepare, how can companies expect to get a real sense of what they’re capable of? Similarly, if the brief later mutates into something only the more resource-rich agencies can take on, then the goalposts have quite clearly shifted. The exercise of pitching is designed to determine whether an agency a) understands the problem and b) can respond with creative flair and originality to give a point of difference. Is it just us who sees a problem here? 2. Pretty soon, a conscious uncoupling brings things to a close, and the next line up is briefed for a new job. The missing ingredients of mutual respect and chemistry mean the whole thing starts to taste bitter. Superficial relationships can slide towards a lack of collaboration, which in turn leads to unsatisfactory results and a breakdown in communication. If there isn’t, the chances are neither of you will want to go ahead anyway. It’s important to chat face-to-face to see if there’s a spark. The objective here is not to settle for a one-time thing, but to explore the possibility of a future with a prospective partner. Is there chemistry?īefore you can even consider pitching, you have to establish something straightforward: do we like each other and are we compatible? This is why a chemistry meeting is vital. So, what can agencies do to avoid the ‘pitchfalls’ and win the work they want? 1. And it's not great for the creative process, either. It’s not good for clients it's not good for branding agencies. Finally, the cookie-cutter response: “Thanks for your presentation, but.” Sound familiar? If not, you’re one of the lucky ones. But four weeks have passed, and all those unanswered emails and non-committal responses have punctured your initial enthusiasm. ![]() No decision should take more than three weeks. ![]()
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