• by Matt Smith , Op-Ed Contributor, September 8, 2017

How’s this for an understatement:  Winning new business ain’t easy. Anyone in the ad agency business knows this to be a universally accepted axiom of corporate life.  It’s the same no matter where you go—huge, multinational agency or boutique creative shop.  

But in more than 35 years in the agency business (at shops big and small) I’ve discovered a few simple truths that, when rigorously applied, have helped me pitch (and win) business at a pretty good rate of success.  These guidelines provide solid direction on how to head off the losers before any real damage is done, and spot the winners from the get-go.  Try these on for size and see if they fit: 

Have a great team. Just because that’s obvious doesn’t mean it’s easy.  It’s not.  But the bottom line is you cannot do it yourself.  And having a "new business guy" who does it alone is not going to work either. That "guy" is focused, and usually compensated on, how many times you get invited to pitch, not how many you win.   

Turn down opportunities that just don't fit. In other words, sit back, look in the mirror and say: “Are we the perfect agency for this client?” Deep inside, you know if you can make a difference in their business. In fact, you know it better than they do. So be honest and don’t pitch business just for the sake of pitching new business. Be true to who you are, don’t change your culture to try and fit in. It didn’t work in high school and it won’t work now. 

Regarding the above, if you ultimately decide that you can’t help, you are now in an entirely different (and potentially beneficial) position.  You now have leverage to talk to the potential client about re-defining the assignment so you can make a difference. I have seriously lost track of how many times this has started a real relationship with a client. 

If you’re dealing with the prospect’s procurement officer in an RFP I have one simple word of advice: RUN! They are cattle calling and they all think they own you! They count beans and know less about marketing and creativity than inanimate objects. 

Let’s say you made one or two cuts and you’re now one of four agencies left in the pitch. For for the next month the potential new client becomes the most important area of intense focus for the entire agency, right?  This attitude is a mistake.  The trick is to treat the prospect the same way you treat all your clients.  Why? Because your existing clients are your best clients. After all, they’ve already committed to you. If you do this, the prospect can smell it. And guess what? They call your references. We always include all our clients as references. 

Remember that you’re not the only one hyper-focused on this process and ultimate outcome. You have everything to gain, but the new client could possibly lose a great deal—her/his job, the company’s future and its reputation. 

When you do a pitch, make it fun.  A good, crazy, all-hands-on-deck pitch, complete with a few late nights and lots of take out food, can and should be fun.  It’s also the perfect remedy for periods of slowness and boredom that every agency experiences from time to time. 

Be careful and cognizant of what you wish for and don't over reach. Did you ever get invited to pitch an account that would double your business? What happens if you win?  Are you ready to double your staff so you can hit the ground running and provide the kind of service a client that big expects?  How would such a victory impact your agency’s culture?  I’m not saying don’t aim high—just be ready for all possible contingencies. 

Pitch a direction, not a specific idea. In 35 years, I have NEVER sold the actual idea pitched. So don’t over think it. Pick a great, relatively broad idea at the beginning and spend time figuring it out. Your job as a leader is about direction and helping your team (and the prospect) see the big picture making tough decisions. 

Failing is painful, but if you left your best on the table you and your team have already won. And I have to add this. Whenever we’ve lost a pitch—and there have been many—in retrospect I realize that almost every time the client was right not to choose us. We weren’t the best fit for them. Could we have made a difference? Hell yes. But they are half of the team, and if you are not a whole, unified group from the start, it simply won’t work.