How many hours in total have you spent working on pitches?

I’d guess, hours…and hours…and hours… and that’s not just pulling together the final face-to-face presentation. Frequently now pitches can be a lengthy process involving multiple stages.

If only we could ‘redefine’ the pitch process and save everyone a little more time.

Well, how about this?

On the basis that the traditional client pitch isn’t just about investing time, but also about sharing our best strategies and ideas for free, why don’t we re-frame the pitch question?

Instead of “show me how you would solve my marketing problem”, perhaps we should encourage clients to recognise the rigor required to build a strategy.

Often, irrespective of how much we pour into a pitch, the final media plan that gets signed off ends up being different to the original pitch proposal.

It’s not because the client’s brief differs greatly, but more because it is a truly big ask for any agency to nail a strategy after only a written outline of the challenge.

Surely the big pitch question therefore should be “show me how you will go about finding the solution.”

The challenge for agencies would then become more manageable in terms of hours and resource, whilst the client’s focus becomes more about who they believe will offer the best methodology and working relationship.

Worth a try don’t you think?

Paul Phelps

CEO