Pitching and Qualification

We're often asked by our own designers and developers: ‘what happens in the pitch process?’ and that's a good question.

Knowing what and why decisions are made before, during and after a pitch process is something that can benefit an agency’s operation. The more everyone in the agency knows about the decisions that are made, the better the agency runs: knowledge is a valuable asset.

This presentation aims to answer some of the questions we ask ourselves and cast light as to why (or why not) we may decide to pitch for a project.

Transcript

1. View Slide

2. Pitching &
   Qualification
   

   View Slide

3. What’s the
   Pitch Process
   

   View Slide

4. Does everyone know what pitching is?
   In a nut shell…
   1. Receive brief and qualify
   2. Internal meeting, research & concept creation
   3. Craft the pitch and proposal document
   4. Choose team to present present
   Does everyone know what pitching is?
   5. Present pitch
   

   View Slide

5. Before you
   start
   

   View Slide

6. First, ask yourself…
   Does  the  brief  fit  with  our  
   Strategic  objec4ves?  
   Will  it  help  us  get  to  where  we  want  to  be?  
   Remember  your  mountain,  what’s  
   your  vision  for  the  future  
   

   View Slide

7. The Pitching
   rules
   

   View Slide

8. When not to pitch
   If the brief doesn’t fit
   with your specialty
   Eg.  Will  pitching  for  an  ad  
   campaign  benefit  you  or  
   the  client?  
   

   View Slide

9. When the client won’t
   meet you face to face
   Business  is  built  on  
   rela@onships,  get  a  
   feeling  for  their  needs  
   When not to pitch
   

   View Slide

10. If  you’re  too  busy  and  don’t  have  
    the  resource  available  
     
    (always  aim  to  put  in  100%)  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

11. If  you  don’t  fit  into  their  criteria    
     
    (eg.  An  integrated  agency  required)  
     
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

12. If  the  budget  is  undisclosed  
    It  could  be  £1  or  £100,000  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

13. If  you  don’t  understand  the  
    Need  behind  the  project  
    If  it  ain’t  broke  .  .  .  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

14. If  you  don’t  know  the  basis  for  
    selec4on,  is  it  cost,  quality,  
    technology?  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

15. If  their  expecta4ons  are  
    unaDainable/unrealis4c  
    Example:  re-­‐build  ebay  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

16. How  much  will  it  cost  us  to  pitch  
     
    (ie:  does  the  risk  jus4fy  
    the  reward?)    
    Average  cost  per  pitch?  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

17. Only  go  for  projects  you  know  you  
    stand  a  very  good  chance  of  winning  
    And  lastly.  .  .  
    When not to pitch
    

    View Slide

18. Before
    A pitch
    

    View Slide

19. Before a pitch
    Research!  Research!  Research!  
    

    View Slide

20. Before a pitch
    What’s  the  company  background,  
    are  they  who  they  say  they  are  
    Check  background  info    
    

    View Slide

21. Before a pitch
    Find out who you’re pitching to
    (ie: Finance director or marketing director)
    It’s best to prepare yourself
    for specific questions
    

    View Slide

22. Before a pitch
    How  long  have  they  been  with  the  
    company/who  have  they  worked  
    with  before?  
    Each and every person
    have their own objectives
    

    View Slide

23. Before a pitch
    Who  else  is  pitching?  
     
    What  are  their  strengths  and  weaknesses?  
    

    View Slide

24. Before a pitch
    What  does  the  pitch  
    criteria  consist  of?  
     
    why  were  we  asked  to  pitch?  
    

    View Slide

25. Before a pitch
    Most  importantly  keep  in  touch  with  
    everyone  .  .  .  Become  friends!  
     
    You  never  know  where  their  next  job  
    will  be  -­‐  and  what  doors  could  open  
    

    View Slide

26. Fine tuning
    the pitch
    

    View Slide

27. Who do they want to see?
    Creative / technical team
    

    View Slide

28. What’s important to them?
    Visuals, team structure,
    financial stability
    

    View Slide

29. The proposal, who’s
    best to present it?
    

    View Slide

30. The value of
    Your knowledge
    

    View Slide

31. Listen to what they want -
    But explain what they need
    

    View Slide

32. We’re the experts, share
    your insider info!
    The  next  big  thing  is…  
       
     
       
     
       
     
    Example:  hSp://@ny.cc/qv3unw  
    

    View Slide

33. We’re the experts, share
    your insider info!
    Example:  Flash  is  on  it’s  way  out  
    Example:  hSp://@ny.cc/sy3unw  
    

    View Slide

34. Don’t just present,
    Put on A show!
    

    View Slide

35. Presenting a pitch
    People buy into knowledge
    (get the right people involved on the pitch)
    Example:  hSp://@ny.cc/kk4unw  
    

    View Slide

36. Presenting a pitch
    Show your credibility and
    examples of similar projects
    

    View Slide

37. Presenting a pitch
    Try to proactively deal with
    objection and weaknesses
    (ie: responsive Vs web app)
    See:  http://tiny.cc/htymmw  
    

    View Slide

38. Presenting a pitch
    Confidence  is  assurance!
    Explain how to maximise ROI,
    scalability and support
    

    View Slide

39. Presenting a pitch
    Involve everyone in the room
    Remember – we’re designing
    for humans!
    Capture  the  imagina@on!
    

    View Slide

40. Following
    Up the pitch
    

    View Slide

41. Call them!
    Keep in touch, it’s always
    good to talk
    Following up the pitch
    Call  them!
    

    View Slide

42. Following up the pitch
    Tie up any loose ends
    Unanswered questions,
    clarification points,
    any additional info
    

    View Slide

43. about 2 weeks
    After the pitch…
    

    View Slide

44. All of the qualification
    and hard work paid off!
    We get a call telling us
    we’ve won :)
    

    View Slide

45. Or we’ve lost :(
    If so, we ask why we
    lost, and we learn from
    our mistakes
    

    View Slide

46. If that’s the case,
    then quite often . . .
    It’s budget related
    It’s a very competitive market
    

    View Slide

47. Or. . .
    We didn’t qualify the
    project correctly and made
    a mistake in the pitch direction
    

    View Slide

48. It’s something else…
    (e.g. our dress sense!)
    Or. . .
    

    View Slide

49. Suggested
    resources
    

    View Slide

50. Books
    ‘Design is a job’
    ISBN 10: 0-13-285836-3
    ‘Pitching to win’
    ISBN 10: 190573624X
    ‘Paul Arden series’
    ISBN 10: 0714843377
    

    View Slide

51. Keep in
    touch
    @renemorency
    /browserlondon
    in   Search ‘rene morency’
    

    View Slide