Copywriters are always anxious about how their precious work is going to be presented to the client for approval. The sad fact is that most account executives don't make the effort to understand the copywriter's thinking behind the creative work to be presented. This means the agency suffers as a whole because the work fails to sell.
Says Drayton Bird: "Long amateurish presentations are the basis of our business. Many presentations which certainly should succeed do not because they have not been rehearsed or timed." Here is a guide for account executives, based on his notes on the subject.
Effective Presentation Skills for Account Executives
Account Executives Should Make Sure the Agency Backs their Presentation
Account Executives need to know why the creative people think their idea is a good one. If they don't know what's in their minds, they can't explain it to the client. They may even find themselves in the uncomfortable position of presenting work they don't agree with or worse – hearing their creative team enthusiastically put forward views they don't share.
The creative work, after all, is the visible manifestation of all the efforts of the agency. All concerned must be committed to it, and understand the reasoning behind it.
Structure, Rehearse and Time the Presentation
The presentation has to be carefully structured with each element given its due weight. And also carefully structured to ensure the account executive doesn't spend time talking about his agency, when the client wants to hear about his own problems.
The number of clients the agency has or the number of directors and accounts only acts as support for the presentation and should not be kept in the beginning.
When the magic moment the client has been waiting for arrives – the presentation of the creative work itself, the client shouldn't be half asleep.
Besides, the presentation must be timed perfectly so that it does not go beyond the time allotted to it. Drayton Bird says that a majority of presentations overrun which often leads to failure.
So the presentation must be rehearsed at least once and each section timed carefully. Says Bird, "I recall some years ago making a presentation with three of my colleagues to gain what turned out to be, eventually, our largest client. We did the whole thing in 55 minutes. And it included presenting over 20 pieces of creative."
Finally, account executives should err on the side of brevity, not length.
Successful Presentations Seek Criticism
Presenters are constantly tempted to believe their presentations are brilliant. This is wrong. They should be as critical as they can be and listen carefully to the criticism of others. It is a good idea to present to someone who has nothing to do with the presentation, and ask for feedback.
What Makes a Business Presentation Great?
Successful presenters always try to understand what they are presenting. They make it a point to structure, rehearse, time their presentation and invite criticism so they can improve it.
Learn More Through These Related Articles
You may want to read about how to recognise a good creative idea. And how copywriters get them. And here's advice from Drayton Bird on how to write the perfect creative brief.
Source:
- The notes of Drayton Bird, former International Creative Director and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather.
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