Prodo - Total Marketing Solutions

If you are about to get into a pitch situation to find a new agency, then here are some tips to ensure that the pitch isn’t the high-point in your ongoing relationship. Prodo have sat on both sides of the table - with all our Management Team coming from ‘Client-side’ so we really have a good understanding of what you are going through.

Top tips to the perfect pitch

• It might seem obvious but make sure you are crystal clear about what you want. All the agencies need to recieve the same brief, within which you need to clearly state your objectives, your target audience and any key requirements. It will help to compare ‘apples with apples’ if you clearly state what is expected at the pitch.
• Create a tick list to evaluate each agency for the pitch. Think about what is important to you, such as did they meet all elements of the pitch brief? Had they done any research? Do they understand target audience? Did they have good examples of past work?
• Look at the people. It’s all too easy to get blown away by impressive presentations - but did you get a good feeling about the people - this might not seem so obvious but these people are going to be working alongside you - do you think they fit with your own team, your philosophy, ethics and as importantly your sense of humour
• Are these the team you will be working with if they get the job? You get on great with the presenters, they are impressive and skillful communicators, but largely that is going to become irrelevant if this isn’t the team you will end up working with. Don’t be shy about asking for a biography of the team who would be working on the account - and if you think it is relevant ask to meet the team at the next stage before you make a final decision
• How stable are they? It’s important to know the company you are dealing with is stable, but that isn’t just about how long they’ve been around or what their books look like. Things such as how much repeat business do they get, what is the average length of time a client stays ‘on their books’, whats the staff turnover like etc.
• Size really doesn’t matter! Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, but only you can decide on that - service levels are important - ask each agency, large or small, how they plan to resource your account. Sometimes a blunt question such as ‘how big a catch are we to you’ elicit interesting answers
• Don’t just go with the flashy presentation. A bit of showmanship is expected, but is their proposal deliverable? Ask each agency to provide a written response to go with the pitch - look at how they present in writing, what is their attention to detail like, does it clearly communicate what they are proposing, are you still convinced?
• What do they say about their current clients? If they have a real drive and passion for their existing clients - it’s usually a good sign
• Price is important but shouldn’t be the only factor - we all know that cheapest is rarely the best, and you don’t always get the best if you pay the most - so what’s the answer to this age old conundrum? Do they tick all the boxes so far, do you feel the service levels are justified in the price, do their other clients feel they get value for money when you call them - and only then factor in the cost (high or low)
• Ask their current clients what they think of them? Don’t just take their word for it - don’t be shy to ask for references, with contact numbers, job titles and length of relationship. And then don’t be shy about ringing them - there is nothing more credible than a verbal reference
• Do they make a great cup of tea! Whilst this may seem frivlous - we know that we make a great cuppa so we thought we’d add it in!

Written by Neil Hancock [Internet Marketing Consultant] Prodo Ltd