This entertaining presentation on how to build and deliver killer presentations and pitches was given to the Hispanic marketing association AHAA! ar their annual conference: Miami 4/27/15. The presentation is from my book, "The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches."

1. THE LEVITAN PITCH.
AHAA! Annual Conference
Miami, April 27, 2015

3. THE LEVITAN PITCH.
PITCH SMARTER.
INCREASE YOUR NEW
BUSINESS BATTING
AVERAGE.

9. 1. WHY YOU SHOULDN’T PITCH
2. THE WORST PITCH EVER
3. THE LEVITAN PITCH SYSTEM
4. SOME CARTOONS

10. I’VE BEEN IN
YOUR SHOES.
100+ PITCHES.

11. Peter Levitan
16 YEARS AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI: RAN BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT IN LONDON AND NEW YOURK
7 AS CEO AT TWO INTERNET START-UPS
9 AS CEO AT CITRUS ADVERTISING
3 AT PETER LEVITAN & CO. ADVISING
ADVERTISING AGENCIES ON NEW BUSINESS
www.peterlevitan.com

12. MY
‘FIRST
TIME’

13. EasyLink
First Commercial
Email Service
1983

14. LEARNING
Very Smart / Dedicated Team
Research = ‘Instant Mail’ Strategy
The Right Presentation Technology
We Built Chemistry With The
Client

15. Use The Right
Technology

16. Tell them what you are
going to tell them.
Tell them what you just
told them.
Tell them again.
Tell them again.

17. THE LEVITAN PITCH.
TO PITCH OR NOT
TO PITCH…

18. PITCHING IS:
GOOD FOR YOU.
BAD FOR YOU.

19. PITCHING IS GOOD.
Proof that your agency is
healthy
Proof that your new business
program is working
Proof that you are sexy

20. PITCHING IS BAD.
Pitching is very expensive
Pitching eats up your staff
The 47% Factor
And… You will probably lose

21. SORRY

22. SOME AGENCY MATH
10 RFP’s + 6 Pitches Per Year
RFP = $15,000 X 10 = $150,000
Pitch = $35,000 X 6 = $210,000
Annual Agency Cost = $360,000

23. MORE AGENCY MATH
Annual RFP / Pitching = $360,000
Plus…
Business Development = $150,000
The Real Total = $510,000

24. MORE MATH
If you are a Hall of Fame batter and
win 3 out of 10 at bats…
Your agency’s cost per win is…

25. $170,000

27. You Don’t Have To Swing
At Everything.
So…

28. JUST
SAY
NO!

29. I know, I know.
It’s Hard To Say No.

30. A ‘GO-NO-GO’
DECISION MATRIX

31. How Clients Choose Agencies
Creativity Positioning
Specialization Location
Size

32. How Clients Choose Agencies
Reputation Culture
Chemistry Fear

33. Before you start writing your pitch,
how did the client find your agency?
A Referral
Inbound Marketing
Outbound Marketing
Press = Fame

34. Why do they want you?
Your Fame Your Location
Your ‘Creativity’ Your Attitude
Your Experience & Specialization

35. Why do you want them?
Famous Client Love ‘Creative’
Has Cash Nice People

36. 7 TOUGH
QUESTIONS
Before You Say Yes To The Pitch

37. 1. Have the client clearly stated
what they need?
1. Have they discussed their
budget and compensation?
2. Do you know the client’s
Agency selection criteria?

38. 4. Have you met with the client or
search consultant?
5. What is the client’s agency
history?
4. Should this client hire you?

39. The Toughest Question.

40. Are you the incumbent?

41. Sorry…
Only 10% of incumbents win.

42. OK,
GO
WIN
IT

43. THE WORST
ADVERTSING PITCH
EVER

44. THE WORST
ADVERTSING PITCH
EVER

45. THE PITCH
Saatchi Brothers
Adidas CEO
Fear Of Nike
My Very Own London Agency

48. PHARAOHS

49. Insight:
Sports is a key ingredient
In our humanity.
It brings out the best
In us and it brings the
world together.

51. We Swung
For The
Fences

53. THE MISTAKES
Ego-rich environment
Wrong team for Adidas
No rehearsals
We didn’t know all of the key
decision makers

54. THE LEVITAN
PITCH SYSTEM.

55. 1. PROCESS
1. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
2. PRESENTATION PREP
3. DELIVERY

56. PROCESS

58. PROCESS: The ‘Chosen One’
Brains & Time
Respect
Personal responsibility
Detail orientation

59. PROCESS: The Team
Best presenters only
Strategists
Synergy
Back home / training

60. “Single biggest mistake is forgetting
the client’s brief.”
Joanne Davis.
#1 READ!

61. PROCESS: The Client’s Brief
Study the brief
SWOT analysis
Agency Pitch Creative Brief
Know who will be in the room

62. PERSONAS PLEASE

63. PROCESS: Budget & Checklist
What is the budget?
“Oh shit, did you confirm, which
building, do you have the connector,
who has the leave behind?”

64. PROCESS: “War Room”
The hub = focus
Physical format to frame issues
Timetable & responsibilities
Google / Basecamp / ProofHub

65. PROCESS: Meeting Control
Meeting manager
State the objectives
Start on time Time = $$$
Stop and get up!

66. CONTENT

67. Meet
Our Truly
WONDERFUL
AGENCY

68. “The single biggest mistake that agencies
make is that they are still desperate to talk
about themselves, but the best ones talk about
the client from the off.”
Angus Crowther.

69. CONTENT: Client Think
The pitch is about ‘them’
Understand their rational and
emotional needs
Winning is about minds and hearts

70. “No one, in fact, wants to “buy” advertising,
or media, or digital, or public relations.
Rather, prospects are interested in solving
their Business Issues.
Smart agencies bond with prospects around
their problem – their business issue – not the
agency solution.”
Robin Boehler.

72. KISS

73. CONTENT: KISS
Lincoln’s Gettysburg = 272 Words
“I Have A Dream” = 17 Minutes
“If It Doesn't Fit You Must Acquit”

74. WOW!
THEM

75. “At the heart of an effective creative
philosophy is the belief that nothing is so
powerful as an insight into human nature…”
Bill Bernbach

78. CONTENT: WOW! Insights
Digital Tools:
Search / PDF’s / Topsy
eMarketer / Compete
Blogs / Google Trends…

80. CONTENT: WOW! Insights
Agency Tools:
Research / Industry Blogs
Online Surveys/ Interviews
Mystery Shopper / Video
Use ‘Cute’ Strategic Charts

83. CONTENT: Case Histories
“Why are they showing me this
irrelevant and LOOONG case
history?”
“Yawn…”

85. London Advertising Has A Concise Case History System

86. CONTENT: Spec Creative?
Spec sucks
The other agencies suck
Get over it – Just do it
Unless the client is very unreasonable

89. CHUTZPAH
&
BHAG’s

90. CHUTZPAH
&
BHAG’s

91. PREP

92. “Approximately half of advertising professionals
surveyed by Provoke Insights say they are
dissatisfied with the current internal approach
to pitching.
Unrealistic timelines.
Long work hours.”
47%

93. PREP: The Agency System
Take the time to get it right
Have a standardized RFP
and Pitch System
But, be careful…

95. PREP: No Excuses
Blind dates are so yesterday
Hire an industry expert
Hone the client personas
The reverse look-up LinkedIn trick

97. “David is one of the most passionate and
innovative marketers in the business.
David's knowledge and insights into the
brand strategy process (vision,
segmentation, target customer, positioning,
etc...) enabled him to lead a global team in
the development of Mazda's global brand
positioning centered around "Zoom-Zoom".
Having worked for David in Japan, I
witnessed how he easily adapts to his
environment, working cross-functionally and
cross-culturally.”
KIA’s EVP Michael Sprague… Strategic

98. Passionate and innovative marketer
Brand strategy process
Lead a global team
Global brand positioning
Cross-functionally and cross-culturally
KIA’s EVP Michael Sprague… Strategic

99. PREP: Its Sales Stupid

101. PREP: The Script

103. PREP: Rehearse
Rehearse & rehearse
But…
Watch out for over rehearsal

104. DELIVERY

105. DELIVERY: Clock Slavery
Arrive very early
Maintain total control
Have 2 hours? Plan for 1.5

106. DELIVERY: Own The Room
Scout the room -- Ask
Prep if you can -- Goodby
Tech glitches
Be the host

107. Serving / eating food can a major distraction

108. CHEMISTRY

109. “Practically every consultant, or 96% of the
sample, pointed to “chemistry” as the key factor
for winning.
But what exactly is chemistry? Generally
speaking it is simpatico between the client and
agency teams.”
Avidan Strategies

110. “Most agencies don’t pay enough attention to the
chemistry and culture aspects of their pitch. Where
do the philosophies and values of their firm align
with those of the client?
Are your people communicating well and easily with
each other in the pitch? How are your folks attired vs.
those on the client side? Do they talk numbers and
you talk general concepts? Are they all business and
you’re all smiley?”
Bob Wolf

111. DELIVERY: Interpersonal Chemistry
Keep the agency numbers low
Assign roles
Listen, lean in & pay attention

112. DELIVERY: Body Language
Verbal – words, content – 7%
Vocal – tone, pitch, intonation – 38%
Visual – body language, gestures,
facial expression – 55%
Albert Mehrabian.

113. DELIVERY: Leave Behind
Support your brand & story
Write for downstream readers
Do not overwhelm
Be digital and physical

115. DELIVERY: Presentation Tools

116. Death By PowerPoint
Dreaded Bullets
PPT As Tele Prompter
Over Stuffed Slides

117. DELIVERY: The End…
Gently but firmly “follow-up’
Win or loose:
Get honest feedback
Post-pitch questionnaire

118. WHEW!
(117 Slides)

119. Tell them what you are
going to tell them.
Tell them what you just
told them.
Tell them again.
Show… them again.

120. HOW TO
NOT
WIN PITCHES.

133. Available on Amazon
as a paperback and
eBook.

134. peter@peterlevitan.com
Download The Advertising
Agency Pitch Playbook:
http://goo.gl/15fHGc
Thanks.