Selling in a new concept

When presenting new brand concepts to clients, I begin by first explaining that some of the ideas they may find uncomfortable. That's normal. Concepts which are new, and have never been tried before, are so foreign they make us feel uncomfortable.

I advise clients to substitute the emotion 'uncomfortable', for 'unfamiliar'. The unfamiliar needs time to grow on you. Snap judgements don't work. You have to play with them, stare at them and keep talking about them.

Unfamiliar concepts provide opportunity for change. I once presented to a group of financial advisers, two names for their new capital lending business.

As I expected they liked the familiar name (the one I presented first), but fell silent when I presented the second name. The name was so different, they had no frame of reference to measure it by. At the end of the meeting they thanked me for my time, and said they would get back to me later in the week.

Later that week I got a call. Although the name initially shocked them, it had begun to grow on them, and the more they talked about it, the more they could see how it would work.

One art director I knew from Mojo Sydney used to say, 'whatever you say, make it very'. A well known copywriter in Singapore tells his clients that 'it's okay if the concept does not resonate with all people. Every new idea ostacises a few people.'


Herman Miller and the chair nobody liked

Take the Aeron chair, design by Herman Miller. All the feedback they got from the industry and market research told them people hated the chair. Despite the negative feedback, in the 1990s it became Herman Miller's fast selling chair.

It wasn't that people didn't like it. It was just so unfamiliar, they were going to need some time to get used to it. The market research and opinions of others in the organisation were falsely interpreted.

Now the chair looks passé, because this unfamiliar chair, is now familiar. Since its debut, there have been hundreds of copies made. The elastic material, integral to the Aeron has been introduced into chair design by other chair manufacturers.


Ideas need bold people to champion them

Every day new ideas get born because someone was bold enough to back an unfamiliar idea. That risk pays off. The idea gets noticed immediately, is printed in newspapers and talked about on television.

In this competitive business world, there is no space for mediocrity. If you have a well-known brand name, you can survive on mediocrity for a while. However, if you are a start-up business, you can't take the risk.

For different reasons, some clients are more risk-adverse than others. If you believe you have a strong idea, and want to see it become adopted, try giving the client tangible materials they can touch, hold and share.

Win-win negotiation for the selfish

Years ago I read about the concept of win-win negotiation. I never really understood why one party would seek the other party to win. After all, it's hard enough articulating our needs, without the additional burden of having to think for the other party. Unless you are spiritually inclined, who cares?

As long as my needs are met, it’s up to the other party to negotiate their needs right?

Wrong. Negotiating for clients makes sense for the selfish too. Putting aside a moral standpoint, if we negotiate a good deal for the other party, we are more likely to get what we want.


Referrals and repeat business

The business world is so competitive, our services can all look the same. Computers and the internet have dropped barriers to entry in many industries, and made competition flat. In the 21st century, it is referrals and repeat business which is the cash cow.

The days of opportunistic bargaining, where you could push a win-lose deal, and still win overall are far and few. Opportunistic negotiation is where you go for the best deal, no matter what the cost of trust, because you are unlikely to do business with the person again. For example a one-time car purchase, or while travelling in a foreign country, you get a good price on a painting.

Whether it is with clients or suppliers, we are having longer term relationships.

What client or supplier will refer you, or do business with you again, if they lose on their last deal. Even if you have a contract in place, and you gave the other party a fair chance to negotiate their needs, it is not enough.


Negotiating for clients and suppliers

In theory it is up to the client to do their own research, check the contract thoroughly and understand what benefit you are providing. This is rarely the way it works out. Although you can prove on paper they signed the contract, they will secretly despise you and label you untrustworthy.

Their experience, negative or positive, is more important than the contract if you want to do business with them again, or make a referral.

The negotiator of today needs to do more than secure a good deal for their company. They need to lock in the client or supplier's trust as well, to increase the chance of repeat business.

Win-win has a direct dollar and cents outcome.

Guarding credibility

Credibility is a tangible asset, which to varying degrees, we acquire during our careers. Like putting money in the bank, it builds over time.

Like a character in a computer game, imagine yourself with an energy bar which represents credibility. The more of it you have, the more influence you can exert. The more influence you exert, the more you achieve with your working day.

Most of us take it for granted, and don't recognise its value until we lose it. Apart from the direct criticism it attracts us, it is the indirect effects are most debilitating. We begin to achieve less. We get fewer responses to email, slower return of calls. Favours and deals that once came your way stop flowing.

When we lose credibility, simple things we take for granted get harder, because we no longer have the cooperation of clients and colleagues. This is rarely stated as fact, and that makes it difficult to address.

Here are a few tips on building credibility.

1. Be aware when credibility is in danger. Highly influential people are aware of the presence of their credibility at all times, and go to great lengths to protect it. They recognise credibility does not come from their title, but from what they say and do. Without their credibility intact, they are useless as leaders. A few years ago I struck a problem with a client that turned nasty. Both of us were at fault, but it was my credibility that took a big hit. In some circles, people still resent me for what happened. Now I'm very careful and guard my credibility.
2. Credibility is built from small things we do. When you make a commitment, keep the commitment. Show you are reliable with the small things, and people will naturally think you just as reliable with bigger issues.
3. Put fires out quickly. If a problem occurs in a relationship, get to work fixing it before it spirals out of control. Don't allow it to fester, even if you believe you are not the source of the problem. Pick a course of action to remedy the situation and follow through a 100%. By taking action to remedy the problem can improve your credibility. 

Credibility is hard earned, and easily lost. It is up to you to grow it and keep it in tip-top condition.

Anecdotes bring a presentation to life

Top performing client service use anecdotes to bring their presentations to life. Apart from setting a conversational tone to the presentation, one which welcomes dialogue, it makes the presentation less mechanical and more human.

If you want a client to appreciate the knowledge and people the Agency has out behind the pitch, be anecdotal. The visuals themselves shown during a presentation are not enough. To tell the full story, and involve the audience in the story, talk about the merits of the creative in the context of the people who did the work.

This is not so easy. For an inexperienced presenter, trying to remember and convey all facts is hard enough. To reach a point where you can be anecdotal, the client service need to be very comfortable with their content. They have to know it backwards.

Trying to recite stories while remembering facts is near impossible.



Example presentation using anecdotes

There can be a lot of pressure on all the parties leading up to the creative presentation. Anecdotal give the presenter creative angles and human perspective to the pitch. This can break down barriers and open conversations which build trust.

Imagine the client service is unveiling a website they have completed building. A speaker who is anecdotal will mention the art director's point of view on why he chose a particular shot on the homepage, what improvements the user group suggested when they tested the registration page and why the client service asked the developer to change text on some pages because I felt it was 'unfriendly'.

“You'll notice this page displays some 'unfriendly messages'. We suggest rewording them to read like this”.

“Our users got stuck here during the registration. They were confused, so we recommend introducing a heading”.

Anecdotes inject life and context into a presentation. They build confidence in the mind of the client, who recognise the agency's contribution. Subtly, the client is being educated on how the agency ticks and delivers work.

In creative pitches, these kinds of insights can provide differentiation against competing agencies.

Meeting room etiquette – where to sit

A lot has been written about the etiquette of where to sit during a meeting. Much of the literature is prescriptive. My advice is not to rely on any one formula, but adopt a seating position which enhances the flow and tone of a meeting.

Deciding where to sit in a meeting is not a decision you should leave to chance.

The position you occupy relative to the client and other parties in the room, says a lot about the type of conversation ahead. Simply put - where you sit, influences where you stand.

In many instances, you will enter a meeting space for the first time. Survey the room, and make calculation where best to sit. Here are two scenarios requiring vastly different seating configurations. 

New business meetings

It's natural the client may want to maintain distance in the first meeting. If the room has a large table, the client may feel most comfortable sitting directly opposite. It is likely they will suggest a seating positions A, B, E and F. A and B are occupied by client, and the other side of the table is reserved for the visiting party. 

This configuration enables both parties to conversely easily with colleagues, while observing the opposing party objectivity.

Positioned on opposite terms, both parties can be more frank and direct than they would sitting beside one another. This makes reaching common ground a little faster. If the client give no seating clues, ask, "Where would you like for me to sit".

If there is a third party present, who has established a relationship with the client, it is likely they will not take a neutral ground, but sit closer to the client.

If you agree to hold the first meeting informally at a coffee shop or restaurant, try to adopt a seating style comprising of C and D. This position tells the client you are comfortable being close to them and have nothing to hide.

Functionally this configuration is easier to share a laptop screen if you want to show them ideas onscreen. If you decide to open a laptop, recognize it can become a barrier, and pick whether to do this at the beginning or the end of the session.

Work in progress meetings

The client has initiated a project with the agency. All parties are familiar with one another's work style. The agency is due to conduct a face-to-face meeting to show case the work completed to date.

During this meeting, expect all eyes on client service presenting the Agency's work.Take a position where you can simultaneous deliver the presentation, and hold the gaze of all parties present.

That rules out sitting too close to the front in positions C or F. Here you can see your presentation slides, but your back is to 90% of your audience. You will find yourself turning often, missing important cues, dialogue and impairing your effectiveness as a presenter.

If you decide to present sitting, occupy instead the back, centre position G. Although a position which signals arrogance in a new business meeting, from G you can face the projection, and dominate the room with your gaze.

This is a deliberate maneuver to establish you as the key influencer.


Standing while presenting

If you plan to deliver a presentation standing, front furthest from the door D is the spot to be. From here you have line of site to everyone present. Turning to the presentation is easier when standing.

Standing presentations are a good option if you are not expecting too much dialogue with your audience. Instead your objective is to wow and sell your audience with the content of your presentation. Standing takes confidence, and makes an incredible impact.

If you are standing without a lectern, it is even more daring, as you have no cover, and your entire mid to upper body is exposed to view. If you are planning this course, how you dress, your composure,
Standing between your audience and the presentation, you are the most influential person in the room.

If in doubt, give it the overnight test

There is a saying my creative director had way back. He said ‘if you ever had an inkling that the creative was not right, give it the overnight test’. That’s exactly what we used to do. We would hang the artwork on the wall, and examine it the next day.

Writing a proposal or a difficult email late at night can benefit from the overnight test too. Creatives tend to practice this more than client service. With fresh eyes the following morning, you see more objectively.

When you are tired, or distracted, it is easy for the meaning of an email or an idea to become distorted. It is better to delay sending until you have had time to review it the next day.

Delaying sending it can avoid the necessity of apologising and re-writing a new one.

To conduct an overnight test, leave proposals on your desktop, and emails in your draft folder. In the morning you can correct ambiguous explanations, and remove any tone which may be misinterpreted.

This practice backs-up the idea of doing less, but doing it better. By getting it right the first time, you conserve energy and save yourself the time repeating the task.

Vision, first and foremost

Having a vision is what drives results. Vision is foresight to see beyond the hurdles and distractions of now, to what is possible and necessary tomorrow.

To develop a vision, client service need to deeply understand the nature of their client’s business, and the behaviour of their customers. They have to not only come up with an idea, but simulate how it would fly in the face of reality.

Creating a vision requires experience, reflection and conviction. It should come from a person who is closest to the Client, as they are the most motivated to see the project succeed.

Client service need to believe with their hearts and minds in the vision. They shouldn't be precious - instead sharing their vision with many colleagues and laypersons to get feedback.

Once the Client and others in the Agency have bought into
the vision, it becomes a matter of maintaining it through to execution.

This is easier than it sounds. Production is complex, and there are issues which arise not considered before. To overcome these problems and not cut corners requires discipline, and an inbuilt guidance system to check decision-making is inline with the vision.

Protecting the vision from erosion is paramount. The trick is to place a perimeter around what is fundamental, and then guard it viciously. You must be clear on what can and cannot be compromised.

Taking ownership and becoming custodian of the vision may make you unpopular in the short term. However this approach in the long run will reduce the number of client revisions, and make the most of the Agency’s creative people.

Clients don’t engage Agencies to prove they can produce a television commercial, or a website for that matter. They are paying for a vision, and the results which come from a vision.

Client service are doing everyone a favour each time they remind themselves and others of this often forgot truth.