Marketing Procurement Pitch Process – Best Practice Guide.

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Introduction Pitching for business is a tense affair. Success for an agency can lead to fruitful and prosperous client relationships… failure reverts back to the drawing board, with lots of time, effort and cost spent in the process. This guide sets out the pitch process, different types of approaches, and tips for agencies and clients alike, on how to prepare for a marketing agency pitch. Let’s look at how a typical RFP process looks, from a client perspective.

A Client’s perspective

RFP - Considerations A standard RFP will usually have four phases; 1.) Preparation 2.) Discovery 3.) Assessment 4.) Decision

Preparation The preparation phase will begin with setting objectives. This will usually consider what the client’s overall business strategy entails, how that impacts it’s marketing strategy, and flowing down into its category strategy. Specific requirements will be outlined, including delivery requirements, engagement models, budgets, anticipated volumes, etc. At this stage, a client will establish clear assessment criteria, which will support the assessment process typically, cost, service, quality and innovation will be considered factors. These will be included in an RFP brief, a written document to be shared with participant agencies. Finally, the working team will gain buy-in from executives/senior management, to ratify a RFP sourcing approach.

Discovery Once preparation has been completed, client teams will identify agencies and compile a list of potential suitors to participate in the RFP. The sources are many, and there is no prescriptive approach - sources may include; • Incumbent agency/ies • Previous agencies worked with • Award-winning agencies/Top 10 lists • Procurement-recommended agencies • Specialist consultant-recommended agencies

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• Agencies sourced through desktop research Shortlisted agencies may be invited to a kick-off call - this will set expectations (e.g. process, requirements, timelines). A client may show engagement/support from seniors to add additional weight to the audience. This briefing will allow agencies an opportunity to declare themselves out, if for example the agency is unable to meet some key requirements. Agencies will be asked to complete a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Sometimes referred to as Confidentiality Agreements, either before or after the kick-off call, to ensure sensitive information shared in the process remains confidential. An RFI (request for information) process is a shortlisting approach used to gather information on agencies. This will focus on standard questions about an agency’s corporate make-up - it’s infra-structure, financial health, supply base and policies… As well as satisfying ‘know your supplier’ good practice, it can also identify any unsuitable agencies, who may not meet key client criteria.

Assessment An RFP (request for proposal) is a client’s invitation for formal submissions of a proposal for the opportunity. It will usually involve a written proposal, and often a presentation opportunity to present in-person. Agencies may be shortlisted at various stages of the RFP process, as a client whittles down the preferred agencies.

Decision Finally, a client will evaluate all proposals and presentations against the pre-set criteria agreed in the preparation phase. Approaches and level of complexity varies, but often project teams will look to aggregate a working team’s scores to establish the final outcome. This will then form the basis for a recommendation to be proposed to senior management, with a view to gaining approval. All participants in the RFP process will receive feedback on the process, including positive and constructive feedback. The successful agency will additionally be informed of the outcome, and guidance on next steps for the contracting process.

Different pitch approaches to take? The approach to an RFP can depend on a number of different factors that are important to a client, at any particular time… speed, time, resource, complexity and cost. Here are a few different types of pitches that a client may use;

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Table 1 - Steps in the Pitch process by Pitch type

Standard Light

pitch Chemistry Tissue Workshop/ pitch in a

day

No pitch

PREPARATION

New Brief � � � � � �

Set Objectives � � � � � � Form a team � � � � � � Gain buy-in � � � � � �

DISCOVERY

Identify agencies

� � � � � �

Pre-RFP kick-off call

� � � � � �

Gather credentials (RFI)

� � � � � �

RFI shortlisting � � � � � �

ASSESSMENT

RFP � � � � � �

RFP shortlisting � � � � � � Presentation � � � � � � Chemistry session

� � � � � �

Tissue pitch briefing

� � � � � �

Q&A � � � � � � Tissue pitch � � � � � � 1 day workshop � � � � � �

DECISION Evaluation � � � � � �

Award/feedback � � � � � �

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Table 2 - Pitch approaches

What is it?

PITC

H TY

PES

Standard A full comprehensive RFP process. Usually led by in-house procurement teams.

Light pitch A light-touch briefing process. Focussed on quick turnaround, often project based opportunities, or discrete activity.

Chemistry A ‘getting to know you’ session (sometimes referred to as a credentials pitch). No creative brief. Focused on the strategic approach, culture and relevant experience of the agency. Decision on who to appoint is made after the chemistry meetings.

Tissue An exam question, over 1-2 weeks Focused on the speed of thought and creativity of the agency. Decision on who to appoint is made after the tissue pitch.

Workshop/pitch in a day

A 1-2 day workshop session A lens into the Agency Focused on the thought process and creativity of the agency Decision on who to appoint is made after the ‘pitch in a day’.

No pitch A ‘pitch in a day’, involving 1 agency (incumbent) A lens into the agency Focused on the agency’s ability to adapt, and challenge existing norms Decision on who to appoint is made after the ‘pitch in a day’.

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Why use it?

PITC

H TY

PES

Standard Where clients want a full and professional approach to a key supply solution or project.

Light pitch Where clients want a speedy solution for a short-term need. Output is in the form of presentation of ideas. example: Project-based opportunity.

Chemistry Where clients want their agencies to know and understand them. Output is in the form of credentials. example: Specialist experience, e.g. brand consultancy.

Tissue When clients want their agencies to be able to react quickly to them. Output is in the form of ideas. example: social media.

Workshop/pitch in a day

When Clients want to understand the culture and capabilities of an agency, and whether they are compatible. Output is in the form of ideas, and (maybe) solutions.

No pitch When Clients want to freshen up an account/relationship that has gone off the boil. Output is in the form of new thinking.

Drawbacks

PITC

H TY

PES

Standard Time - the process, whilst comprehensive, can be long and drawn out

Light pitch Time - a speedy process may result in some things being overlooked Chemistry Quality of output - chemistry sessions are not always the best indicators of

the quality of the output of an agency Tissue Due diligence - a light approach may not allow a client an in-depth

understanding of an agency’s make-up or capabilities Workshop/pitch in a day

Intensive process - this approach requires everyone to fully commit to the session

No pitch Complacency - an agency who knows it is in a 1-horse race, may not offer the most competitive solution

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Benefits

PITC

H TY

PES

Standard Light pitch Variety of requirements - a light pitch is useful for clients who have a steady

stream of varied requirements of lower importance. Low commitment.

Chemistry Mixed/Specialist capabilities - where a hybrid of capabilities, and/or particular market knowledge, is/are required. No immediate creative objective - when a fully mocked up creative solution is not required. Lighter touch - when clients wish to explore agency capabilities in depth without a formal pitch. Speed - when clients need a quicker/swifter decision. Strategic focus - if clients need a strategic rather than a full creative view. Time & Cost - if clients have limited resources and need to save time and money. Speedy Onboard - if clients need to find an agency or consultancy partner and get them on board in order to help us define the ultimate brief.

Tissue Open Minded - if we are open to different solutions, and ‘brave’ Agency creative insight - when we want to see how an agency develops ideas and thinking Real time & dynamic - e.g. a Social tissue pitch can showcase the agency’s monitoring skills which can provide insight about the brand’s social presence, enabling strategy and ideas to be developed quickly. Broad Agency understanding - when broad strategy and creative is needed swiftly (this approach is not about getting the agency to provide fully developed ideas).

Workshop/pitch in a day

Teamwork - team dynamics, mindset, approach, seeing teams in action. Interactivity (client and agency) - people dynamics, relationship building. People behaviours - can clients and agencies envisage working together? To test thinking on feet - to test ideas at speed. Speed - intensive process, but supports a speedy outcome.

No pitch Freshening things up - ideas, people. Re-setting the focus/objectives. Challenging the way things have always been done. Showcasing new skills/ideas. Avoiding a lengthy pitch process - cost, time and resource.

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Thinking creatively about pitching Pitches can tend to follow a standard process - written proposals, formal presentations, etc. Clients tend to revert to hosting sessions on their own premises, usually for convenience (to avoid travel), and also to allow for attendance of senior managers, who may have tighter schedules and therefore less ability to travel. When meeting with multiple agencies, it can also allow for a more condensed process. However, only operating from one site can mean that many clients miss opportunities, such as understanding where the agency has travelled from, understanding their organisational culture, the environment which they work in, and their corporate structure and operating systems. Holding presentations offsite at an agency venue, not only gives a client the opportunity to sample the agency’s set-up first-hand, it shows an interest in understanding the agency, over and above commissioning them for delivery of work. The formality of a meeting room-based presentation is all too familiar with corporate environments, and is appropriate for a lot of important and complex tender opportunities. However, many agencies (and clients) will say they remain unstimulating with this mundane and antiquated process. How will the client understand our organisational needs from a power point deck and 30 minute presentation? Consider having a non-office meeting or using technology as an enabler. Ultimately, the final selection process will be dictated by whatever the client requirements are. But the chances are that no client will have a mandated requirement to sit in meeting room for several hours pouring over power point decks and limited presentations. It’s important for clients to focus on their selection criteria, and allowing that to be the basis for a pitch or presentation environment. We’ve all looked at the diary with dread, when we see 3 x 2.5 hour RFP presentations… locked in room 2B all day… attendees will be far more enthused about attending a session that has a more creative approach.

Assessing a pitch

Once the pitch process has been run, a client will review proposals against pre-set criteria. Scoring approaches (including a key) should be clearly defined ahead of the presentation sessions, to ensure scorers are using a consistent approach. By asking scorers to score individually, and then aggregating, will offer a representative view of the group, and avoid any group bias.

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Agency Perspective Briefing

There are a number of questions that agencies can ask at the briefing stage, to establish client requirements and to help prepare a good proposal. A good client will set good context, but a list of a few key questions is given below;

• Context - what has brought about this opportunity? Has there been a change

of strategy? Has there been an internal re-structure, or a newly appointed senior manager? Are there performance issues with the incumbent agency?

• Objectives - what does the client want to achieve? • Pre-Requisites - identify any pre-requisites that may preclude/hinder your

participation, things like geographical locations, travel, volumes and time of year, can often mean opportunities are not viable.

• The opportunity - what is the revenue opportunity for an appointed agency? Clients will usually be reluctant to disclose budgets, but you can ask pointed questions about historic spend levels and budget challenges, etc.

• Timescales - what is the high-level timeline for the project, and when does the client want/expect the new agency to be in place? Is there a transition that needs to happen?

• Decision makers - who is involved in the process, and who will ultimately de-cide on a successful agency? This can help you to structure and tailor your proposal to the key players.

• Assessment criteria - is the opportunity about reducing cost? Is the require-ment for fresh ideas/approach?

• In scope/out of scope - what is the scope of the opportunity? (e.g. All territo-ries or just the UK?) Are there any areas that are out of scope?

• Pricing structures - how does the client want to receive pricing proposals? Is there an opportunity to also put forward an alternative pricing model?

Agency tips for approaching a pitch presentation

• Understand the structure of the session - how long is it scheduled for, what parking arrangements are there and what technical facilities will be provided for you to pre-sent. It never fails to surprise me how many presentations start 20 mins late, due to set-up time, informal chats and catch-ups… don’t lose the opportunity to use the time most effectively.

• Client attendees - identify who will be in attendance, and what their role is. Im-portantly, aim to mirror the attendees from your side (to ensure questions and con-versations are managed) or better the attendees (to show the importance of the op-portunity from the agency side). A client will be looking out for personalities and try-ing to visualise working together with the individuals - so bringing along the right people is very important.

• Prepare well - prepare and practice a presentation, including timing, and spokespeo-ple. Aim to spread the presentation around the different representatives, rather than rely on one speaker.

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• Approach - focus on summarising the proposal, but overlaying with additional con-text. You can assume attendees will have reviewed your proposal - at least on a high level - so no need to repeat what’s already been said.

• Showcase your talents - the presentation is likely to be the only time during the pro-cess you get face-time with the client - so take the opportunity to showcase your agencies experience and credentials. Showreels are a quick and effective way of in-troducing the agency and scene-setting ahead of a presentation.

• Be honest - identify your limitations, and be clear about how these are man-aged/mitigated. Transparency from early on in a client relationship, however big or small the issue, is far more preferable than an agency that masks factors that could become sticking points further down the line.

• Show appetite - a client will be looking for an agency that wants their business. So show energy and appetite in the process to impress upon the client.

Summary

Pitch processes vary from client to client, and from opportunity to opportunity.

For clients…

• Get buy-in and commitment to the process - ensuring senior advocacy, secured budget, etc. will avoid projects falling away and embarrassment at a late stage.

• The approach should mirror the RFP objectives - different horses will run different courses, so depending on the emphasis on key factors for any particular project, such as speed, time and cost, etc., will influence the approach taken.

• Consider costs incurred - pitch participation is a costly exercise for agencies, and a big commitment, especially for the smaller agencies. Setting expectations clearly from the outset, as well as co-ordinating a professional process to allow for agen-cies to stand down if the opportunity is not viable, will avoid any frustrations or challenges further down the line.

• Think about small agencies - ethical considerations should be factorered in and op-portunities should be presented to all viable agencies.

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For agencies…

• Be nimble - clients will miss or change projected timelines, go quiet with communi-cation, change their mind on a whim, so be prepared for road-bumps, and be ready to juggle your internal projects accordingly.

• Be honest and transparent - avoid misleading the client with promises or assertions that cannot be backed up in the future. An agency that shows strong self-awareness is far more appealing than one that professes to be flawless.

• Ensure you understand the client’s needs - identifying requirements can help avoid misunderstanding and confusion, and ensure that you deliver a response in line with expectations.

Table 3 - Which Pitch Approach

Standard Light pitch Chemistry Tissue Workshop/

pitch in a day No pitch

Speed (length of process)

Slow Fast Medium Medium Fast Medium

Resource requirement (Client)

High Low Medium Medium

Low (but intense short-term

commitment) Medium

Cost (to Client)

High Low Medium Medium Medium Medium

Complexity High Low Medium Medium Medium Medium

Author CIPS Marketing procurement group Further Information

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a) pitch. Look inside your organisation and define a scope you’re confident will

support your organisational needs. b) Good chemistry between Marketing and the Agencies, and the people who

will actually be handling the account, not just the senior members participat-ing in the pitch process. Ask who will be handling your account and push to meet face to face, as part of the pitching team maybe? Ask the question ‘Can I form a collaborative relationship with this individual to discuss business on a regular basis?’

c) Don’t set agencies up to fail, a successful marketing pitch should clearly define and communicate SMART objectives. Seek understanding and input from agencies involved, utilise their core skills and specialist knowledge. Your ex-pectations and ideas of success may be different to theirs, so work to align KPI measurements with a contract, ensuring ways of working and review process are all clearly defined.

The author is a well-known evangelist and thought leader on blockchain, and particularly its adoption in insurance and legal sectors. He provides bespoke education and consultancy through his own practice. https://www.linkedin.com/in/garynuttall/