Monday 30 Apr 2007
Pitching is mission critical for design agencies – get it right and you land the job. Digit looks at how to create the perfect pitch.
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For many, public speaking – even if it’s addressing a handful of people in a room – is the stuff of nightmares. But what if your livelihood depends not only on addressing senior executives, but wowing them with your craft and insight?
For designers and creative agencies, pitches and presentations are the means by which new clients are won and existing ones retained, and mastering this art goes way beyond important. It’s mission critical.
On this subject, one truth shines brighter than any other: there are no short cuts or easy-fit solutions.
“A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to win you much business,” confirms Tom Chapman, director of London multimedia agency Creative Cherry (www.creativecherry.com).
“Good presentations are all about connecting with the client. Clients need to be excited by what you’re showing them, whether it’s a dry corporate brochure or a cutting-edge viral campaign. Central to this is striking the right balance between surprises and meeting expectations.”
Such a connection can’t be hotwired, but is borne out of long hours of painstaking research.
“Research is the most important thing, as it becomes the foundation on which to build your presentation,” says Rob Gonzalez, co-founder of London multi-discipline design agency Love Everyday (www.love-everyday.co.uk).
“If you try to wing-it with an allsinging, all-dancing presentation with no substance, you’ll be exposed.”
“Research is essential,” agrees Chapman. “Anything less than a thorough understanding of the client and sector will leave you wide open to failure. Lack of preparation will kill a presentation before it’s started. Know your client, and sell your work the best way you can.”
Although vital, solid research will come to naught if the presentation is an unstructured mess. “Make sure everyone knows what they have to say and do, because this will help prevent things straying off the subject,” advises Andrew Pengilly, director of A2 Design (www.a2design.co.uk).
Tom Chapman is a big believer in getting off to a flying start. “The client will probably make their mind up about you within the first three minutes, so give thought to those all-important icebreaking questions, which help the client see you as a real person.”
The presentation itself “should begin with a short and concise introduction about your own company, and the areas in which you specialize,” says Gonzalez.
“Tell them your ideas on the brief then show them visuals that convey these ideas, but most importantly try to show how you understand the market, which is where the research comes in.”
“Be enthusiastic, but never oversell,” stresses Chapman. “Simple pointers rather then long-winded explanations are the key, and whatever the reaction keep your focus and stick to your presentation plan.”
It’s a good idea to round off with a clear outline of your intentions, and invite some questions from the floor.
“Try and get the client to commit to a follow-up, because if there’s a date in the diary it’s less likely to end up as one that got away.”
Experienced creatives stress that pitches and presentations require different approaches in order to succeed.
“Presentations are more collaborative and communicative,” says Adam Devey Smith, managing director of Derbyshire-based identity and branding agency The One Off (www.theoneoff.com).
“Pitches are about winning, and you win by pitching ideas not an approach. Get them to appoint you to talk ideas.”
Christian Stanley, managing director of eight-man West London agency Crumpled Dog (www.crumpled-dog.com), says that it’s best to meet and discuss ideas rather than present when pitching for work.
“Show an understanding of the client’s business, and offer a solution,” he says. “For presentations, take one big idea, present it, then shut-up.”
Team games
But even with thorough research and sound structure, pitches and presentations will still fail if attention to detail is lacking in other areas. Such as who to take.
“For a presentation, it has to be the guys who best understand the content of the ideas, and who can answer questions,” says Stanley. “For a pitch, it should be those most likely to do the job if appointed, as clients like to know who they’ll be dealing with.”
For a pitch to a new client “it’s likely you’ll want to send in the big guns and make a powerful impression”, says Chapman. “That said, a big show of force can be intimidating.”
Ben Terrett, founding partner of The Design Conspiracy (www.thedesignconspiracy.com), agrees. “If I were a client I think I’d worry about a company that brings six people to an initial meeting,” he says.
The most crucial thing, though, is that the person doing the talking must be properly prepared for the task.
“Whoever is presenting or pitching should have been involved with the preparatory work, and preferably from the outset,” says Roz Nazerian, cofounder of design and illustration agency Minx Creative (www.minxcreative.com).
“Standing in front of a client cold to the facts will be detrimental, and potentially embarrassing.”
Thought, too, needs to be given to the mode of presentation. Do you go for traditional boards or mount a fullscale multimedia extravaganza?
“We find people get distracted by ‘shows’, and that it’s better to have a conversation,” contends Stanley.
Design consultant Paula Ribeiro (www.artideasdesign.co.uk) believes there’s value in using a slideshow “only to illustrate products or ideas that are best presented visually, and if they’re relevant to the prospective client”.
Chapman warns to tread carefully on slideshows. “We’ve all endured death by PowerPoint one too many times. Use it to outline key strategy by all means, but pare things back and be concise at all times. As for visual gags and clip art, leave them behind!”
Gonzalez finds slideshows too formal, and prefers methods that give more scope to interact with the client.
“We usually present work by mounting prints on to foam board, as it does our work more justice than on a laptop or a screen, and there’s something personal about it.”
And what of portfolios? Is there a way to maximize their impact? “Pick three or four things you’re really proud of – samples with a nice story behind them is good,” says Terrett.
“Choose work most relevant to the client, whether this is printed samples or live Web sites.”
So much for factors over which you have control. Now for the really scary part: the rules of engagement with the clients themselves. Some prefer ad hoc interaction, while other, such as Tom Chapman, like to keep matters more delineated.
“We like to present our ideas all the way through, so the client sees where we’re coming from without things being diluted by interruptions or questions.
“Remember, it’s your big moment, so enter into dialogue on your terms, but without being overbearing. If a client wants a question answered then use common sense, but don’t lose your focus or your train of thought.”
Listening skills
Gonzalez is a believer in encouraging clients to be vocal, both during and after the presentation. “Clients want to be heard when they speak – a ‘we’re designers, we know better’ attitude will cause friction,” he says.
“Listen patiently and do not be tempted to interrupt,” advises Paula Ribeiro. “Let the client talk themselves out, and then ask questions.”
Whichever approach you adopt, says Terrett, it’s important to be relaxed. “Don’t read from a sheet, maintain eye contact and speak slowly. Don’t be nervous – you’re talking about your work, and the people in the room have come especially to see you. That’s a good thing.”
“Try to remain genuine, openminded and friendly,” urges Nazerian. “Listen, engage, advise and inform. The client is seeking a creative partner, one that not only fulfils the stated criteria but one they can connect with.”
And don’t get obsessed by how your efforts will stack up against those of the competition.
“The primary objective is to present or pitch your ideas, company, and solutions to the client, not necessarily to out-pitch another’s,” says Nazerian. “Put all your effort into ensuring you’ve covered all the criteria.”
That, and play to your strengths. “Give yourself a unique selling point,” says Chapman. “Believe in it, and give the client a reason to think that they’re not going to get that particular service from anyone else. If you’re a small agency and cheaper than everyone, for example, let them know.”
“Ask questions that help draw them to your unique selling points,” says Paula Ribeiro. “Don’t sell services or products, but sell results, and how your services will work for them.”
Gauging client reaction midpresentation, meanwhile, is a job not only for keen ears, but sharp eyes, because body language can tell you much about how your efforts are going down.
“Yawning is a real giveaway, and a lack of engagement, such as eye contact, is rarely a positive sign,” says Adam Devey Smith. Silence rings alarm bells for Gonzalez.
“If they think you’re wasting their time, they will almost certainly find it difficult to hide.” But, says Chapman, silence can sometimes be golden. “It can just mean they’re completely blown away.”
Reading the signs
A positive sign “is the compulsion to touch”, believes Nazerian. “If they make a point of handling your work it’s generally a sign of interest.”
She adds that negative signs to look out for include crossed arms and legs “which indicates closed body language”.
But, contends Chapman, such defensive body language can be misconstrued. “It may just be the client’s way of putting up a barrier when faced with something they weren’t expecting,” he says.
“Equally, smiles and knowing glances may not mean that the client is loving what they’re seeing, just that they’ve seen it before.”
But occasionally you won’t need the subtleties of body language to tell you things are going badly – it will be stomach-wrenchingly obvious. When this happens, how can you get things back on track?
“Empathize, and try and keep the client on side,” says Chapman. “If the client simply doesn’t like the work, all is not lost. Find out what they did like about it, and how you can put the rest right.
“Demonstrate you’ve understood their comments, and show you’re keen to get the work back in front of them once you’ve put it right. They’ll respect you for this - most clients enjoy being part of the creative process.”
“Stop digging and be honest,” says Terrett. “Try and work out what’s wrong. Ask ‘This isn’t what you were expecting, was it?’”
But for Gonzalez, the odds are you may as well pack up and leave. “I’d say there’s no way to rescue a presentation that’s going badly, not unless you have an idea that you’re building up to that will knock the socks off everybody in the room.”
Most designers have endured the dreaded tumbleweed moment, when they’re facing a sea of blank faces. “Our worst pitch was actually our first,” reveals Nazerian.
“The company we presented to was a top ten accountancy firm, and nerves got the better of us and our grasp of the English vocabulary starting slipping. It was hugely deflating, yet enormously beneficial, as it opened our eyes to the enormity of presenting yourself within a business environment.”
But tumbleweed moments don’t come any more excruciating than those endured by The One Off’s Adam Devey Smith. “I once presented to Apple at their headquarters from a Sony Vaio,” he says. “It didn’t seem important until I got it out in the boardroom and nothing connected to it.”
But that was nothing compared to his pitch for Mattesons. “When I turned up, it wasn’t the meat-pie people as I’d thought, but a builders merchants. The presentation I’d prepared was completely irrelevant.”
Astonishingly, he winged it. “They never knew. I just talked, and listened – and got appointed!” But when all the hard work pays off there can be few more satisfying experiences for a designer than a presentation that brings in business.
“A recent pitch required us to design a new visual identity for an events company,” says Gonzalez.
“We created A3 mood boards showing three alternative routes. They instantly took a liking to the first design and practically told us they wanted that design there and then. We had done our homework and were confident in the work we were presenting.”
Regardless of approach, every successful pitch has one thing in common, says Chapman. “The common theme is always enthusiasm and clarity of communication. You’re selling a client to themselves, and any client wants to feel good about what they do.”
Sean Ashcroft
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