Please Feed The Animals made a new business presentation last week.
We didn’t have anybody with a British accent talking about psychographics. There weren’t teams of leaders responsible for different sections of the deck. And I couldn’t turn to a boss to bail me out of the rocky bits.
For the first time in my career, I was pitching new business without representing an employer. We showed our past work, sold the shit out the idea (singular), and showed the estimate.
We had some back and forth. Articulated our viewpoint. Overcame objections.
And at the end of the meeting, the client signed the estimate.
Just like that.
It was exactly how you picture new business meetings going down. It literally could not have gone any better.
Then two days ago, after we started getting our team in place and working on the assignment, politics happened. The head of the company decided to it give it to their agency of record.
Needless to say we were disappointed. And so were our direct clients. They thought they had been given autonomy. We thought we had been given the project.
The good news is we learned how to stand on our own two feet. We gained confidence in our model. And, they are paying us for the hours we put in.
All we can say is, shit happens.
But for a while there, the future sure seemed pretty clear.
6 Comments
Good for you! Sorry it didn’t pan out all the way for you, but you’re right, you gained great experience and were able to satnd on your own two feet. They head of the compnay who went with their AOR is disappointing. THe whole notion of AOR is old school, I think and dated. GO for the best ideas, the best people, pick and choose.
Keep chipping away. We’re all chipping away and the teetering edifice of the giant agency is crumbling. Largely this entropy arises from its occupants own doing, but also from those of us who once dwelt there too, and have seen a better way. Maybe not today, but someday we’ll knock off more of these AORs, and break through. Way to go! Keep fighting the good fight.
Since it went so smoothly through the pitch and negotiations, you now have the formula to make it work again with new clients. Keep up the good work and you’ll be rewarded!
Couldn’t agree with Barbara more…we learn from our previous experiences don’t we. Something that I am learning about more and more everyday…and after five months of unemployment, I think I’m finally figuring it out. I’m awake!
Good for you for not letting the irrational fear of change from your prospective client infect your outlook.
You & Jennifer clearly made a great impression on the people you presented to and you never know where people will wind up in the future. If they’re smart they’ll remember you and come calling again.
Thanks for all the encouragement. It’s true…Even though we aren’t working on it, it was still more of a win than a loss. Can’t wait for the next time.
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