If we can sing our own praises very briefly, RSW/US has had some strong client wins lately. One in particular serves as a reminder of what you should, or really must do before you go into that first pitch meeting.

(I’ll have to be vague in my client descriptions, as it’s very early in the relationship, but you’ll get the point.) This particular RSW/US client and Second Wind member is a B2B communications firm; their prospective client was a major player in the printing/machinery industry. The agency won the business within the last month and recently had their first official sit-down with their new client.

At the end of the meeting, as they were wrapping everything up, the client looked at the agency principal and asked, “Would you like to know why you got the business?” Of course, our principal replied, “Yes, I would.”

“We gave it to you because you showed a genuine interest in how we work and our challenges, and you had obviously done your homework. You didn’t just show up and pitch. It made a real impact on us and our decision,” said the client.

This is a true story. So, what did the agency do?

1. They spoke with RSW/US about next steps, and what initial recommendations we might make.*
2. They did the requisite homework, researching the client’s competition, their market situation, and other issues to help them understand the client’s needs.
3. They stayed with the prospective client, respectfully but persistently. The agency made it down to the final cut and was one of five agencies to pitch, including a local favorite. Unfortunately, they were second to pitch, and had to wait nearly three weeks until a decision was made. In the meantime, the agency principal gathered a list of questions to help prepare for the pitch, and then asked those questions over the course of the three-week period in brief, personable emails. Note: these were legitimate questions, not just token emails to stay in front of the prospect.
4. Finally, the agency recently purchased a competitor’s signature product and familiarized themselves with similar and opposing features, giving them valuable insight to use prior to and during the pitch.

Along with their expertise (of course), their efforts prior to the pitch helped push the agency over the top. This process undoubtedly took effort and time, which can be very hard to come by for agencies. Understandably, you may not always be able to purchase a competitor’s product either, but as to everything else mentioned above, there’s no excuse not to carry out these steps. In the long run, whatever time you take carrying out these types of activities will be worth it. As our client pointed out after learning what won the agency the business, “I felt great after that comment especially, and was very thankful for the agencies that merely showed up to pitch.”

Don’t be one of those agencies. Pitching to win is a valuable skill.

*Second Wind membership can be invaluable during this stage of the process and RSW/US’s new business programs really shine during the prospect’s consideration process as well. We’ll never take credit for a close, but we help our clients get there any way we can.

© 2009 Reardon Smith Whittaker (RSW/US). All Rights Reserved.