This article is based on Drayton Bird's advice on how to make successful presentations. Bird was former International Creative Director and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather and these tips were previously only available to the employees of Ogilvy & Mather. His advice applies not just to account executives, but also to anyone who makes business presentations.
To begin with, the presenter must have checked out the venue of the presentation and planned the seating, etc. accordingly. At the presentation itself, punctuality is most important.
Says Bird: "You can lose the sale before you begin if agency stragglers stroll in after the appointed time of the presentation. Being unpunctual shows you don't care about the opportunity. That your are impolite and incompetent. Moreover, it is expensive to have highly paid executives sitting around waiting for some minion to condescend to appear."
Outline the Problem and the Objectives of the Presentation
This is extremely important. All the agency people present must agree on the objectives. It may even be worth pinning the objectives up on the wall prominently and leaving them there so that everyone can be reminded of the subject at hand.
Another advantage is that if the client has suddenly changed the brief – which can sometimes happen – he can tell the agency about it immediately, thus avoiding wasted time.
Explain the Rationale Behind the Creative Work
The account executive making the presentation must be able to explain the reasoning behind the creative solution. No matter how brilliant the creative and the presentation may be.
According to Bird: "Few of us – either clients or agency people – are good at analysing complex problems quickly, or immediately appreciating why particular creative solutions are arrived at."
Therefore, a sound rational is a must. The presenter must tell why the agency has done what it has done, cite other authorities, give proof.
For instance, if a headline is long, the presenter should explain that research has shown long headlines work better than short.
Effective Presentations Use Repetition
Bird points out George Bernard Shaw's advice on how to write a play successfully: "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em; then tell 'em; then tell 'em again."
This is a good principle for presentations. The presentation the account executive has laboured on and thought about is now familiar to him. But the client has never heard what the executive is about to say. It may be difficult to take in. "Repetition will do the trick," says Bird, "as long as you don't treat the client like a halfwit. A good idea is to simply say: "Is this clear?"
How Many Creative Solutions Should Be Presented?
"Preferably only one. The one you believe to be best," advises Bird.
On the other hand, there is no reason why the agency cannot go through some of the alternatives it rejected before coming up with the perfect solution.
"But if the client insists on having more than one solution, you should not forget there are more ways than one of skinning a cat. But only present alternatives that you genuinely believe in. You are not there just to demonstrate how many clever ideas you've had.
Discuss the merits of each solution, ending up with what you believe to be the best one. If you aren't sure which is best, don't be afraid of admitting it."
One danger when showing alternatives is that clients are tempted to combine two to three and produce a "mongrel." That's why the ad executive must make his arguments crystal clear. Another danger is that the client will pick the alternative the agency does not support wholeheartedly. Which is why one creative solution is ideal. And no more than three ideas should be presented.
How to Make Effective Presentations
To ensure that only the best creative solution is picked by the client, a presenter should have a clear objective for the presentation, sound rationale for the creative work, and must avoid confusing the client with too many creative solutions.
If you enjoyed this article, you might want to read the others in this series on theme and attitude, and structure and rehearsal.
Source:
The Notes of Drayton Bird - Commonsense Creative.
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