Martin discussed how for both clients and agencies, the pitch should be the start of a meaningful relationship, looking at what both sides need to consider throughout the pitch in order to ensure that they have a successful partnership rather than a marriage that fails after a few months of acrimony!

1. Starting off on the right foot
Thursday 1st October 2015

2. AKA “Ah yes but…”

3. 1. Background/Mindset

4. Understanding clients

5. New client New requirement
Statutory Dissatisfaction
Why clients change agencies

6. Top 10 things agencies need to remember about
new business clients
1. They will ultimately end up post rationalising their decisions
2. They don’t like giving bad news! You will always “come a close
second”
3. The majority of large pitches still tend to be “distress purchases”
4. Meeting someone at a conference doesn’t constitute “a relationship”
5. Most of them don’t enjoy pitches!

7. Top 10 things to remember about new business
clients
6. At the early stages they are looking for reasons to exclude you
7. Agencies are often better when they are not right for everyone
8. They want to know how you can help them.
9. The best pitches are about finding the agency to work with, not just
solving the problem
10. Clients are human beings!

8. The Agency Mindset

9. Do you really want to
do this pitch?

10. The key factors to consider
Money
Creative/
strategic
opportunity
Level of
interest and
reward
Availability

11. Other factors to consider
Process
Reputation of
client
Seniority of
client
Instinct

12. Do agencies pitch too
much…
or not enough?

13. Average number of competitive pitches by
discipline in 2014
Discipline Number
Advertising 10
Digital 11
DM/SP 13
Integrated 16
Media 22
PR 37

14. Never forget:
Win the pitch…don’t just try
and solve the problem!

15. 3. What makes a successful pitch?

16. The best pitches are well paced

17. Hunger and enthusiasm goes a long way

18. Agencies should never go over the Marketing
team’s heads

19. The cult of the team, not the cult of the
individual…

20. Why do agencies feel the need to swallow
‘truth pills’?

21. Engagement is key to chemistry...and starts the
moment the client walks in the door

22. Have they met the other agencies/consultancies
with whom the client currently works?

23. Make the best use of tissue meetings and Q&As

24. Know when to shut up!

25. Have they got the logo right?

26. Agencies shouldn’t spend the last day/days
getting the last 5-10% right

27. Have they got the right number of people in the
room?

28. Everybody must have a role, particularly if they
are running the business!

29. Do they just talk to the most important person in
the room

30. The authority to say “yes”, but the influence to
say “no”

31. Less is more when it comes to creative
work/ideas

32. Is there a recommendation

33. The best pitches are like good dinner parties

34. Summary
1. Clients want to work with hungry teams of people
2. Agencies need to put themselves in the shoes of the client
3. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
4. Clients will end up post rationalising their decisions
5. Never forget that clients (and agencies) are human beings!

35. Thank you