Every agency has been there — charging into a new business pitch, and for the next hour or so, presenting great work, their unique approach, and overall capabilities.
If you don’t solve the client first, you can’t win the pitch.
Some agencies even do a deep dive on the client’s industry trends, marketing challenges, current position and more. A few even go as far as launching into a “spec” creative idea that can solve all their problems! It’s the “wow factor” that nobody ever thought of! Ever! Or not.
All these pitches end in the same way. The agency’s team wraps it up, chats with the prospect (who is very congratulatory and complementary), and heads out the door. Looking good, feeling good. Another great pitch! It’s in the bag the agency thinks. Right? Wrong. The prospect never responds or calls back. Or if the prospect does give some feedback, it’s the old “you came in second” line.
What happened? The answer is clear: no one at the agency solved the client.
Before you run out to your next new business pitch, invest time in understanding the prospect. Not the brand, not the client problems, but the people, the decision makers. What are their patterns, their personalities, the way they like to make decisions, how they want to receive information? Build your presentation around the way the prospect thinks and processes information, not how you like pitch. If the prospect is detail-focused, process-oriented, don’t come in with a “wow” fun, high-energy presentation. If the prospect is open, personable, don’t come in, drop the lights and flick slides at them.
Solve The Client: Personality Profiling Wins New Business
Everyone in the world, without regard for race, gender, nationality or cultural background comes in one of four basic human profiles. We teach a simple yet effective way to work with the four main profiles– what we call Headlines, BodyCopies, Logos and Illustrations. Each profile type will make decisions in the way that is most comfortable to them.
Agencies that modify their behavior to make clients and prospects more comfortable will improve the relationship and enhance their chances of retaining or winning clients. Before agency behavior can be modified, the expectations of each personality profile must be identified.
This simple model allows the agency to customize their pitch to the prospect’s decision makers. The more the agency adapts to the prospect’s style, the more they will positively respond.
The bottom line is that trust and creditability are all-important. The guidelines below will help you move toward more trust, honesty and creditability.
Turning Profiling into an Agency Asset:
- Is it clear why an agency with high versatility is best prepared to win more often?
- What would be the advantage to the agency if everyone knew how to profile correctly?
- Would personality profiling improve communication within the agency and with clients?
- How should this knowledge best be expanded within the agency?
Use personality profiling as a way to help you select your best presentation strategy. Strategy is the key to making a good presentation to a prospect. It’s all about the timing, and what makes a prospect most comfortable. You are not presenting to a corporation; you are presenting to people who have likes and dislikes on how they prefer to receive information and make decisions.
If your agency is interested in growth, why not reach out to us. We’ve spent the past 30 years honing our skills as the world’s leaders in new business.
Photo by David Goehring and used under creative commons.
