presentation

What Your Ad Agency Can Learn From The Army

Peter · June 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Your Ad Agency Failed. Now What?

“Oh well” should never be the last thing you say when your ad agency failed to sell in an idea, a new advertising program or are at the losing end of a pitch for a new account.

“Oh well” simply isn’t good business. Advertising agencies need to have a process for evaluating what did not work (even what worked) in order to improve its business systems — including how to pitch ideas. I suggest that agencies consider using what the U.S. military calls, the After-Action Review (AAR). Here’s a definition from the Air Force:

An after-action review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables soldiers to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get maximum benefit from every mission or task.

Stop Failing… The Ad Agency After-Action Review

7 More Ridiculous Ad Agency Presentation and Pitch Mistakes

Peter · March 3, 2015 · 1 Comment

7 More Ad Agency Search Consultants On “The Single Worst Presentation Mistakes”

Here is Part Two of a list of ad agency sales presentation and pitch mistakes from some of the most experienced people ever to sit on the buyer’s side of a B2B sales presentation table. This list, and the next three parts are from my book, “The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.” The poster on the left has all of my top 12 agency presentation mistake cartoons. These are all in the book.

Don’t miss Part One of the series and its first 6 mistakes… it is right here.

Mind Blowing.

As you will see from this series on agency presentation and pitch fails, most agencies make these mistakes. Yes, it is hard to step up and say that you and your team also make these kinds of mistakes. But, according to my agency search consultant friends, and their zillions of hours sitting across the table from you, you are in fact making these mistakes.

Pete Bogda: ABA Consulting, Inc., Texas

The common/worst mistakes that agencies make is not starting with the folks who will be on the client team, but load the room with agency top brass and/or stars. [Read more…] about 7 More Ridiculous Ad Agency Presentation and Pitch Mistakes

The Worst Presentation Mistakes: Part One

Peter · February 19, 2015 · 1 Comment

Sixteen Ad Agency Search Consultants On “The Single Worst Presentation Mistakes”

Here is Part One of a list of sales presentation mistake insights from some of the most experienced people ever to sit on the buyer’s side of a B2B sales presentation table. This list, and the next three parts are from my book, “The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.”

This expert list is one of the last chapters in the book. I consider it a coda to my detailed advice on how to nail a presentation. In this case, I wanted to see what people who have listened to thousands of hours of sales presentations from what should be the best presenters in business (advertising agency executives) had to say about mistakes that occur all too often. The list, the agency search consultants observations and thoughts are both instructive and surprising to anyone delivering a business presentation. I think that the learning here is applicable to a very wide range of businesses… and individuals as we are ‘selling’ all day long.

Part 1

Just because I was in the mood to highlight even more agency mistakes, I asked sixteen of the world’s leading agency search consultants for their answers to the question, “What are the worst pitch mistakes agencies make?”

These opinions come from consultants that have sat through thousands of agency pitches. After reading their comments, imagine the eye rolling that they must do when many of us are presenting our truly brilliant ideas and work.

Again, my goal is to point out what not to do. Hidden between the lines of these answers is what to do to help you win.

Vasily Ananin: Agency Assessments International, Russia

Here are my thoughts on the topic of your question: To present, the people in the pitch should have the best presentation skills throughout the agency.

Presenters should be able to answer any client questions without the help of colleagues.

If you want to win the pitch, it is better that the presentation is conducted by the GM of the advertising agency.

One of the biggest mistakes during the pitch is that the agency offers services that they can’t knowingly perform. I mean that the agency, during the tender, promises to customers something that they obviously can’t deliver (they are bluffing). This behavior has a very negative impact on the reputation of the agency.

Laura Bajkowski: Principle, Bajkowski+Partners, New York

Inside Look: An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

Peter · January 11, 2015 · Leave a Comment

An Inside Look At The World Of An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

This interview is all about the world of an advertising agency search consultant and how your firm might get on their radar. To understand this world, I interviewed leading consultant Russel Wholwerth of External View Consulting Group. The interview is in my book, The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches. Sales message coming… buy the book at the top of this page. I’ve sold lots to your competitors. By the way, I know for a fact that everyone that has read this book is now much better looking, smarter, richer and thinner.

Go Forth

If you think that your agency isn’t ready for the primetime of being vetted by an agency search consultant, here are a couple of Russel’s insights that are s applicable to even a two-person shop – tone-deaf is not a good thing:

PL: Conversely, are there any standard presentation blunders that agencies make — over and over?

Russel: Agencies can often appear tone-deaf to the client’s needs. These agencies tend to be intoxicated with their own attributes like the number of offices they have around the world.

Here is one more BIG insight:

Russel: We get at least 20 to 30 inquiries from agencies every week. Most agencies act as if they have no clue how we operate or that they will need to really stand out to generate interest.

Imagine, this is how some agencies run their business. Read on… [Read more…] about Inside Look: An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

The Video: How To Write An Advertising Agency Book

Peter · December 8, 2014 · Leave a Comment

My HubSpot Inbound Conference Video: “The Advertising Agency Book – From Idea To Publication in 6 Months”

Here is a video of the talk I gave at HubSpot’s Inbound 2014 conference. Watch my presentation to find out how to write an advertising agency book by mid 2015. Yes, you can do it.

The video will show you how to get a good head start on adding this special arrow to your new business quiver. I discuss the multiple benefits of writing a book; that it can be done relatively quickly (I wrote my 65,000 word The Levitan Pitch, Buy This Book. Win More Pitches. in less than 6 months); how the book will drive your thought-leadership program and how your agency is particularly well set up and well endowed to get a great business-building book out the door.

Writing is a good thing

As I’ve written before: I got the speaking gig at Inbound 2014 because I write for HubSpot’s Agency Post. Using thought leadership to gain broad awareness of your agency is, well, its a very good thing. Here’s my earlier post on the value of guest posting: “Why I Guest post On Agency Post.”

Here is my dedicated post on writing an advertising agency book and how it can be used for new business outreach. The post includes the PowerPoint presentation I used in the following video.

To help you find the gems in the 30 minute talk, I’ve put some highlights below.

Video Timelines

This are approximate…

Intro: :00 to 1:30
6 Months, Really?: 1:30 to 3:00
The how to: 3:00 to 7:00
Mistakes: 7:00 to 10:50
Objectives and Strategies: 10:50 to 25:00
Recap: 25:00 to 30:00

OK, Buy The Book – I wrote my book for you. I want you to win more pitches.

If you read the book you will pitch better than your competition.

Here’s more:

You will mange your agency’s pitch process much better.
You won’t burn out your employees.
You will plan better.
You will reduce your pitch budget.
You will strategize better.
You will arrive better prepared.
You will present better.
You will win more pitches.
You will retire earlier.

Buy multiple copies of the book as Christmas / Hanukah gifts right here: Amazon

Buy the “How Not To Win A Pitch” poster here: Society6