The anonymous PSMG soapboxSTEAM ROOM

Institutional latenessI hate being late for an appointment. My husbandthinks it is an obsession that I have to beeverywhere on time, but I just think it is theheight of bad manners to agree a time to meetand then just not turn-up or turn up late.

I appreciate that there are times when turningup late is unavoidable – the car broke down, the babysitter didn’t turn-up, a client is having a crisis – but habitual lateness is annoying andquite frankly rude. It sends the message that you are not important.

It is popular to call a habit or undesirabletrait in business or public life ‘institutional’. Well I believe ‘institutional lateness’ is endemic in professional services and it really ought to be stamped out. If you say you’ll meet at 4pm,meet at 4pm.

Five minutes late might be fashionable andyes, as a partner or fee-earner, you are likely to be busy and can for the most part be excused.But 10 minutes late, 20 minutes – well that is just bad manners.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but I suspect that many people do not see ‘internalmeetings’ as important – and for the most partthey are not matters of life and death, or withthousands or millions of pounds hanging on them.But they are meetings all the same – and you haveagreed to participate.

Fee-earners are not the only busy people inthe office. In fact, it is probably fair to say that,as a result of the various redundancy rounds over the past few years everyone in the office isbusier than ever. If you are late for my meetingthat means I will invariable be late for my nextappointment, or, worse, you will cut short ourmeeting leaving me needing to come back to youfor the missing information.

A very unscientific piece of research with our receptionists tells me that clients are not kept waiting for appointments. And where thereis any significant delay a message always seems to find its way to the waiting client. So why is itwe are not afforded the same treatment?

10 minutes late,20 minutes – well that is justbad manners.

If you have anything you would like to get of your chest please do email the editor Matt Baldwin – matt@coastcommunications.co.uk. All emails received in the strictest of confidence.

May/June 2012 PSMG 31

GRAHAME JONESSoukias Jones Design

grahame@soukiasjones.co.uk

How to hold a successful

agency pitch

Finding the right agency can be aminefield, so holding pitches hasbecome a popular way of separating

the wheat from the chaff. It is not a perfectmodel, because most agencies are wary ofproviding ideas if they are not being paid.But, if managed well, pitches can provide agateway to finding a true creative partner tohelp you build a distinctive brand identity.

Having spent the past 20 years on theagency side of the pitching process, here is a simple guide I have developed to helpprofessional services firms get the most outof their pitches.

Developing your briefConsult with your wider team to decideprecisely what type of help you need. Is it conceptual, for a website, brochure orcampaign, or design/artwork support? Thenwrite a full and comprehensive brief, makingsure all your internal stakeholders sign it off.There is nothing worse than getting halfwaythrough the process only for key members ofthe team to start creating ripples because theyfailed to provide input on the initial brief.

It is also important to define the type of pitch you are going to hold. Some firmsask for a ‘creative pitch’, where the agencypresents their pre-prepared ideas at themeeting. If you run a creative pitch, expect topay for it – most agencies are small businessesand cannot afford to speculate and take allthe risk. It is both unfair and unprofessionalto ask them to give away their ideas (and theirtime) for nothing. Agree a fee with them –this also has the benefit of setting the tonefor future relations.

Alternatively, some firms hold ‘credentialpresentations’, where the agency presentsprevious projects that addressed similarchallenges to those facing your firm, with the aim of demonstrating their suitability for the task ahead.

Selecting agenciesThere are a variety of sources for agencies:recommendations, websites, agency mailingsand directories. Take the time to check whatprojects agencies have worked on, who theyhave worked for and what they can offer you.Conduct some initial meetings. If you havetime, visiting them will tell you a lot abouttheir operations and their pedigree.

Establish criteria upfront for evaluatingeach agency. This will include things such asproject experience, approach to work, size,culture, expertise and perceived chemistry.This will help you filter out any unsuitableagencies, leaving you with a top three toinvite to officially participate. Don’t betempted to go beyond three as it risks turningthe process into something of a lottery.

Pre-pitch briefingBefore launching the pitch, ensure you have:• developed a full brief for the project;• compiled a shortlist of suitable agencies;• confirmed the selection criteria with the

agencies;• agreed the dates of the presentation and

attendees;• decided what type of pitch you require; and• given the agencies adequate time to

prepare their responses.

Scoring the agenciesDevelop a score sheet to help yourstakeholders evaluate each agency and makea final decision. This is likely to includeareas such as:• demonstration of creative capability;• evaluation of the team personnel attending;• summary of their ideas or case-studies

relevant to the brief;• their process for fulfilling the contract;• the questions and queries they raise; and• ability to meet deadlines and budgets.

Once a final decision is reached, set aside some time to give feedback to theunsuccessful agencies. This will help themimprove their performance next time.

Of course, the pitching process representsonly the beginning of your relationship withthe chosen agency. By setting some timeaside to follow the simple steps outlinedabove, there is a good chance your pitchprocess will yield a profitable and successfullong-term relationship – something that is in the interest of both parties.

Grahame Jones is co-founder ofSoukias Jones Design. We specialise in professional services; whether you are targeting clients, laterals,graduates or staff, we use creativity to help create clear and distinctivebrand communications. View our work on www.soukiasjones.co.uk.

Firms have honed their approach to selecting agencies throughthe use of pitches. But the pitching process itself needs to becarefully managed to ensure a successful outcome, for both firmand agency, says Grahame Jones of Soukias Jones Design.

30 PSMG May/June 2012

Top tips for successful pitches• Develop a clear brief for the works

before starting• Agree the type of pitch – creative or

credentials• Establish criteria upfront for pre-selecting

agencies• Invite no more than three agencies to pitch• Develop a brief for the pitch itself• Develop score sheet to help in selecting

the winner!

Inviting more thanthree agencies to pitch, runs therisk of turning the process into a lottery.