Use The Power Of KISS In Your Advertising Agency Presentations

Here is an excerpt on KISS – the art and power of simplicity – from my book on ad agency pitching and presentation management. The whole 249-page advice-rich book can be bought at Amazon. Right here.

KISS

KISS — Keep It Simple Stupid — works.

A jam-packed presentation loaded with agency credentials, too many ideas, too many presenters and a dozen creative executions that cover every issue the client has or might ever have in their lifetime, will not help you win. The client will be overwhelmed, and even worse, you won’t be able to build personal rapport and all important interpersonal chemistry. The client, especially the client that has to sit through four other agency presentations, could even go into deep REM sleep. I have seen it happen.they won’t leave the room hearing or remembering your agency’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Think of it this way:

An over-built presentation could also result in their leaving the room without hearing or remembering your agency’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Think of it this way:

CMO + REM + No memorable USP = No Sale.

I truly want to think that an agency could walk into a pitch meeting room and just present one concise insight that leads to one brilliant advertising idea that leads to one mind-blowing execution that leads to the client decision maker saying “I love you, I need you, where’s the contract?” But I am not that crazy. Or am I?

Keep these super KISS Moments in mind.

 Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was only 272 words long.

Churchill is famously known for his request for brevity in cabinet documents.

M&C Saatchi recognizes that in today’s digital-overload world, where people have the attention span of butterflies, getting even one point across and being remembered for it is golden. In M&C Saatchi parlance, ‘Brutal Simplicity’ rules. They’ve won clients behind this message.

Conversely, we’ve all sat through State Of The Union addresses that are so  jam-packed that we don’t remember anything. Clinton’s 2000 speech was 2 hours, 28 minutes and 49 seconds long. What do you remember him saying that night?

A KISS Tip:

Of course, you can use all the time the client has given you to deliver your presentation. But that does not mean that you need to overwhelm them with detail about your thinking and and agency factoids..

Think Like Martin Luther King & Johnny Cochrane

Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech was only 17 minutes long and included the key (as in easy to remember) line “I have a dream.” 

Johnny Cochrane understood tactical brevity  when he helped O.J. Simpson with the line, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”

You are in advertising and study culture. Think like a preacher, lawyer or even a skilled headline copywriter who knows the power of a concise headline. Think of the power of Apple’s simple tagline that delivered this highly competitive message: “Think Different”.

In the case of ad agency presentations… thinking different can be all about keeping it all a little bit bit simpler.

I am going to be speaking about ad agency new business, how to attract the attention of the right clients and how to win the pitch at a couple of ad agency new business conferences.

I’ll be in Miami in late April for AHAA’s annual conference. AHAA is the association of Hispanic ad agencies.

I’ll head north in May to speak to the membership of Canada’s ICA, the Institute of Advertising Agencies.

This Conference Is For You

I’ll be a speaker at Michael Gass’s Fuel Lines New Business Conference 2015 in Nashville in October. Michael has assembled a fine cast of speakers that will, without question, spark  business building ideas and, more importantly, action plans.

Registration is now open and there is an early bird deal. As the website says, “Super Early Tickets are available for $650 until May 1st, a $300 savings!.’ from this link:

The conference website… Scroll down on that site to see the venue (very cool) and speakers.

Agenda

Inspiring insights, top-notch sessions from the best and brightest new business thought leaders with a laser focus on the NEW drivers of business development. It’s now more important to be found than to chase new business.

Who Should Attend

This premiere two-day conference will include everything needed to create new business success for advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.

If you are charged with developing a new business program for your agency, this conference is for you.

For a more personal experience, the conference is limited to the first 200 registrants. This will allow for greater access to speakers, sponsors, partners, networking opportunities and a greater sense of community.

I hope to see you in the land of bourbon.