Chemistry is that funny stuff in the space between people.
Four types of people; which one are you?
It’s not about you or me, but what’s between us. That space is called Chemistry and it’s a driving force in new business. Chemistry is rarely talked about. Firms don’t like to say “we just didn’t like you” when explaining to an agency why they weren’t hired. Strategic direction, better fit, outstanding idea are all better reasons to go with another firm. Perhaps it would help if we called it “Likeability” as in “I like one firm more than another.” But Chemistry is more than that. Good Chemistry has more to do with meeting expectations, as in “I think we could work with these people best.”
Losing the Chemistry Battle.
Here’s why it’s so important: We tend to like people better who best meet our expectations. Who seem like us. We understand them easier. We don’t get surprised. In short, we want to work with them. Hence we hire them.
In many searches, the search consultants or the key client-side decisions makers will realize that “any of these agencies can do the job.” The search process then becomes about which one firm do “we want to work with.” That’s Chemistry.
Winning The Chemistry Battle
- Learn how to win more new business by profiling prospects from the way they talk, act, dress and project themselves.
- Understand how agency chemistry is enhanced by choosing the right new-business tactics, such as what to feature, who to have in the room, what to discuss and how to stage key meetings and presentations.
- Improve the agency’s new business performance by better understanding the prospect and how the final agency selection decision will be made, even if the prospect doesn’t provide this information.
- Protect agency new business investments by identifying those new business competitions where the agency is a long shot with little chance of winning and those opportunities where the agency has a strong advantage that needs to be enhanced.
- Use the four quadrants of Headline®, Body Copy®, Illustration® and Logo® to re-shape agency new business procedures so that agency new business efficiency increases, and the agency adds top-line revenue.
Chemistry Wins New Business reduces the time and wasted effort required to win new accounts because the agency better understands what agency skills are valued higher and what initiatives are not important.
Photo by Calisto-Photography
