by Neil Tortorella
Published in HOW Magazine Business Annual December, 2007
The dog and pony show. The presentation. The pitch. It’s the necessary evil that can strike fear into the hearts of the most seasoned of pros. Mush mouth, failed equipment or software, questions you didn’t anticipate, a hostile audience. They can all come into play during a pitch … and you’d better be ready.
The typical client/designer relationship lasts roughly three years. That’s what the research says. So, new business pitches should be a regular item on your schedule. But, before you start firing up your Powerbook with your brilliant PowerPoint ditty, there are a few things you should know. And that’s what this article’s all about.
The Windup – Finding the pitchee
Before you can do a pitch, you’ll need someone to pitch. Sure, that sounds like a given and it is … to a degree. But, many designers make the mistake of pitching anybody who walks in the door or jingles their phone or inbox. Wooing prospects and doing presentations can be expensive when you consider the costs of preparing materials, lunches, dinners and other methods of entertaining prospects. Add to the mix the cost of capabilities brochures, websites, research time and such and the bill starts to add up faster than rabbits in the Spring.
Be selective and qualify prospects. Only pitch those prospects you know are a good fit for your practice and for those you know you can do great work. Ask yourself a few questions and be rigorously honest with your answers:
- Have I worked in this industry before, or will there be a steep learning curve?
- Will I be working with the primary decision-maker or underlings?
- Does the prospect have the earmarks of being a PITA client? (Pain in the … well, you get the idea)
- Will the project be challenging?
- Will it play to my strengths?
- Does the prospect value what I have to offer?
Does the prospect appear organized and clearly know their goals for the project?
Qualifying is an important factor for David Schimmel, President/Creative Director of New York City-based And Partners. “We try to determine whether there is a good fit between our company and the prospect. Do we have the qualifications to help them properly? Does the client have realistic expectations? Is there potential for a relationship or is the project a one-off? Is the client the right size for our company? Are they in an industry that we want experience in? Is there an adequate budget? Is the chemistry between us positive? Also who are the decision makers and what is their involvement in planning? We avoid beauty contests and try to avoid RFP’s as much as possible.”
The qualifying process has become an easy walk to home base for Amy Mantione, principal of Element Graphic Design in Babylon Village, New York. “I focus on the legal industry so targeting prospects is pretty sustinct. I look for firms that are large enough to need a steady stream of promotional materials and understand the value of professional quality design. Beyond that, attorney’s tend to be very busy and somewhat ‘all over the place.’ So, I look for those firms that have a solid handle on what they’re trying to accomplish with their promotional materials.”
During the qualifying process, you’ll want to ask a lot of questions. In essence, you want to look at all the reasons why you shouldn’t work with the prospect. That may sound counterproductive, but doing so will help keep you safe. Some of the things you’ll want to know are whether or not they’ve worked with a designer before; the scope and goals of the project; the budget; if they have any existing research; who are the competing firms; if they have an existing client/designer relationship and if so, why are they looking for another designer or firm. If the prospect can’t answer these or other questions you pose, you might want to think twice about working with them. There are times when it’s a good idea to let a prospect walk to first base and let some other designer take them to training camp.
Sizing Up the Batter – Doing the background research
After you’ve found a prospect that’s a potential good fit it’s time to roll up your sleeves and do some background research. Initially, a few well-placed phone calls and perhaps a meeting or two will help lay the groundwork. Odds are, you’ll also want to fire up your browser and do some Internet searches to gain insight into the prospect’s company, their industry, competition and such. You may also want to check in with others who have worked with the prospect. Those might include photographers, writers, illustrators and printers. They can give you some understanding about the prospect’s working relationships, ability to pay, etc. A Dun & Bradstreet credit report can’t hurt, either.
Schimmel notes, “We ask questions and read every relevant item we can get our hands on. From the client’s existing communications to competitors materials, trade and business magazines, analyst reports, annual reports, web site(s), HOOVERS, Yahoo Finance, speeches, et al.
After doing our separate reading, we discuss our findings and impressions amongst ourselves.”
Dave Willmer, Executive Director of The Creative Group, adds, “If we’re meeting with a potential client, we want to know as much about the firm as possible – what challenges they face, who their competitors are, what kind of corporate culture they have, how their industry is faring, etc. All of this information helps us understand how our services can benefit them. A lot of people make the mistake of going into a meeting to talk about themselves and their business, but it’s more important to talk about your potential client’s business, and what, specifically, you bring to the table that will help them succeed.”
With this information in hand, you’re in a much better position to explain and describe your design process, fee structure and overall project management. Doing so in a clear manner will help to rest the prospect’s concerns.
Speaking of prospect concerns, in as much as you don’t know the prospect from Adam’s cat, they probably don’t know you either. And, they’re the ones who will be opening up their wallet and forking over the dough. Needless to say, they’ll have some concerns. Address them upfront.
Prospects will want to know your level of experience, experience in their industry, whether or not you’ve tackled a project like the one they have in mind, the size of your staff, what kind of resources are available to you and how the heck creative you are. Be sure to have answers to these types of questions.
Be a Team Player
Developing a connection with the prospect, building trust and growing the relationship are pretty dang important. Although, in most cases, we produce a tangible product at the end of the gig, much of what we do in between is largely intangible. We trade in ideas and concepts. We speak of color and typography, form and function. To the prospect, these may sound like so much Greek or Chinese, which is fine if they happen to understand Greek or Chinese. Odds are, they don’t. So, a large part of your job is setting them at ease and earning their trust.
How does one go about creating trust? A good first step is communicating your successes in the form of a case study or two. Many designers go into a presentation, show their wares and say something along the lines of, “Here’s a brochure I did for MondoBig Corp.” It’s a four color piece, printed on this nifty new paper stock from Paper ‘R Us. It won a gold in the Ain’t It Slick Awards.” The prospect likely thinks, “[Yawn] I don’t give a hoot.” This sends a message to the prospect that says you care more about artsy, designy stuff and winning awards, than you do about helping to solve the prospect’s problem-at-hand.
A better idea would be sharing the results of the project. Perhaps something along the lines of, “Here’s a brochure I did for MondoBig Corp. The goal was to help position MondoBig as a leader in the Widget industry and drive new business inquiries. We printed and mailed 2500 pieces. That resulted in 125 inquiries, a 5% response rate, more than twice that of a typical mailing. From those inquiries, MondoBig brought in a bazillion dollars in new business.” I can guarantee you’ll have the prospects full attention and have started to establish trust that you have a good idea of what you’re doing.
For Dave Willmer, trust is everything. “There is no relationship without trust. Before you meet with the client, you can build trust by showing that you’ve done your homework and you have a sense of their business needs. During the pitch, you can help win their trust by listening actively – again, a common mistake is to talk more than you listen. After the pitch you can win trust by providing thoughtful ideas and insights that work for the client.”
Beyond this is under-promising and over-delivering. Repeat that until it’s firmly rooted in your psyche. It should be your business mantra. If you do this simple thing, you’ll always be the hero or heroine. Your clients trust that you can deliver the goods. They might even sing your praises to some associates.
Here’s the cold, hard reality. There are, most likely, a load of other designers in your market ready, willing, quite able and chomping at the bit to serve as your relief pitcher. A large part of the client/designer relationship comes down to a personal relationship. Clients and prospects are people. People buy from people and usually people they like. So, be likable. Find ways to connect with your prospect. Talk to them. Scope out their office. Are there any items that would indicate a common interest? Talk about their job and industry challenges. Show a genuine interest. Be authentic and have integrity. The term “integrity,” by the way, is derived from being “integrated.” That means what you think on the inside is the same as how you behave on the outside. If you don’t have integrity and a genuine interest, prospects will pick up on it and relegate you to the used car salesman arena. You don’t want to go there.
During the presentation, do the same. Find ways to connect with the audience. As David Schimmel puts it, “We try to be sensitive to our audience and read their reactions. We ask questions about their business and the communications issues they’re grappling with. It’s imperative to be a good listener and be genuine.”
Be sure to communicate that both the prospect and their project are important to you. Stress that you’re interested in building the relationship and not simply making a killing on a single gig. These are the folks that will enable you to eat and pay the rent. Yup, they’re pretty important. Let them know.
Spring Training – Preparing for the Pitch
Whether you decide to use a PowerPoint presentation, work on boards or other vehicle, take the time needed to properly prepare. Presentations are close friends with Murphy’s Law. If it can go wrong, odds are, it will. So, it’s your job to do a run-through and then run it through again.
As best you can, pull out relevant pieces from your complete body of work. These should be pieces that either show your work in the prospect’s industry or the type of project, such as an annual report, trade show display, website, etc. Doing so will go a long way toward positioning you as an expert and creating a comfort zone for your prospect.
Think like a prospect. Consider how you can address their concerns and issues with suitable presentation support materials. Be strategic. Being strategic means going beyond that neat font, slick paper or trendy printing technique. It means digging deep and finding ways to be of true value to your prospect. A prospect who may become a paying client.
Also consider the questions they may ask and how you’ll respond. If you put yourself in the prospect’s position, it becomes pretty easy to think up what questions they might ask. Prepare your answers carefully and with insight.
David Schimmel steps up to the pitcher’s mound again when asked about presentation methods. He adds, “It varies depending on how many people are in the room and what format will have the most impact. Sometimes we use Keynote and sometimes print samples or boards.”
“There is no one-size-fits-all formula for presenting to a client. If we’re in a meeting with a formal organization, we might use a PowerPoint presentation when describing our services; with a small company, we may simply meet over lunch. It’s important to do what is right for that particular organization. If you’ve done your research and have listened well during initial conversations, you should have a good sense of what will work,” said Willmer.
Keeping Your Eye On the Ball
A pitch isn’t the time to solve a client’s particular problem. It’s the time to sell yourself and your practice. It’s the time to differentiate your self or your firm, demonstrate your value and lay the foundation for the relationship.
And Partners focus on strategy and results. “We have created a successful balance of strategy and creativity in solving problems for our clients. We discuss our work in terms of outcomes and in doing so, we connect the dots for prospects,” says Schimmel.
Differentiation means figuring out what you can offer that competing firms may not, according to Dave Willmer, executive director of The Creative Group. “Differentiating your business requires taking a good look in the mirror so you understand what you’re offering that’s unique or hard to come by. You need to give the client a compelling reason to choose you.” According to Willmer, it’s wise to pick two or three specific strengths to highlight, rather than talking about numerous selling points. “People typically will remember no more than three major points about your organization, so you want to choose a couple of aspects of your business to reinforce rather than trying to hit on everything,” he said. For example, when Willmer pitches his own company’s services, he typically emphasizes that the firm’s staffing managers have creative backgrounds and that the company conducts extensive research on hiring and career issues. “Those are two things that most of our competitors cannot say, so those messages make a real impact,” he said. Willmer noted that choosing a couple of key points to focus on also keeps the conversation on track. “It’s easy to ramble when you’re talking about your business because you’re so close to it and enthusiastic about it,” he said. “But clients aren’t necessarily interested in knowing all about you. Their interest lies in what you can do for them.”
During the presentation, it can be easy to lose your focus. The big scary CEO throws you a knuckle ball question. Your laptop decides it’s a great time to go belly up. Sometimes it’s tough to keep your composure when your presentation isn’t going smooth.
To help insure you don’t strikeout, have a back up plan in place if things start to sour. Will you be able to keep the presentation going without visuals? Can you spin a curve ball question to your favor? Test your equipment inside out and backwards. If you’re using a laptop, consider bringing a backup computer. If you’re using boards, be sure the mounted work is square and board edges aren’t crumbled or bent. If you’re using a portfolio case with sleeves, be sure the acetate is clean and clear. Do everything you can to present your work in the best light possible.
It’s also important to remember that the first few minutes can make or break a presentation. One formula for public speaking is to tell them what you’re going to tell them. Next, tell them. Finish by telling them what you told them. So, start off with your key points. Elaborate on them during the body of the presentation and wrap up with the key points again.
Doing a pitch can get the adrenaline flowing and you may find yourself talking fast. When you begin, take a deep breath and slow down. Be aware of your volume and pace. If others on your team will be present, have them drop a visual clue, a hand signal or such, to let you know your pace is too fast or too slow, your volume is too loud or at mouse level.
When it comes to the number of players on the field, Dave Willmer shared his thoughts. “The number of presenters we use depends on the size of the client. In a large corporation where you might be meeting with a group of people, it could be appropriate to bring in a small group of people who could potentially be working with the firm. However, in a smaller company, you might stick with one or two people. You don’t want to overwhelm the potential client. You also don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen.”
Schimmel added, “It depends on what is appropriate to the situation. We will bring other team members along if they have an expertise or an appropriate role in a meeting.”
Also, consider your uniform. Even if the CEO shows up wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts, you should be wearing formal business attire. Amy Mantione added, “I recently did a pitch to a fairly large IT company. My prospect showed up in jeans and a t-shirt. I didn’t see that coming. I wore a business suit and I was glad I did. Even if the prospect is casual, I think it’s important to present myself as a professional, especially since I’m a one-person practice. After the relationship is established, I may consider dressing down if that’s the client’s manner.”
“Ultimately, you want to blend in with your client’s surroundings. Dressing like they do may help them envision working with you. So, if we’re presenting in a very conservative corporate environment, we’d wear suits. If the environment is more casual, we might dress a little more casually. In general, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed,” said Willmer.
The Home Stretch – Wrapping Things Up
As you close out the ninth inning, be sure to restate your key points and ask the audience if they have any questions or if anything is unclear. Be sure to follow up afterwards with a note thanking them for their time and the opportunity to present your practice or firm. Ideally, send a hand written note. Those are rare in these days of email, so they tend to make an impression. Also be sure to follow up with any requested information, additional project samples, client testimonials, etc.
If you’ve done your homework, prepared well and followed the tips in this article, you’ll likely be in good pitching form. Someone once said, “Everything is difficult until it becomes easy.” Pitches are no different. The more you do, the easier and better they become.
