Sales Presentations – Selling Creative Work
Direct Mail, Ad and TV Commercial Presentations
Not every kind of creative work from an ad agency should be presented in the same manner. This article is based on Drayton Bird's advice on how ad executives should present various types of creative work to their clients.
Making a Direct Mail Presentation
Bird suggests that if there are only two or three people present, it is "perfectly OK to show a dummy and go through that pack, starting with the front and back of the envelope, then opening it up to show how the piece 'tracks'."
If large numbers of people are present, Bird recommends a concept board showing an enlarged version of the envelope and all the various pieces within that envelope.
Presenting Ads and TV Commercials
While presenting ads is pretty easy, TV commercials do tend to be a problem. Says Bird: "In my view, it is a mistake to go through a complete storyboard. (Apart from anything else, all too often later on, the client will ask why the rock you referred to on the left hand side of Frame Three didn't actually appear in the finished commercial.)
The best way to present a TV commercial, according to him, is to tell the story – paint a word picture. Using just two or three key frames so that clients understand what's happening, should be enough.
Bird points out that trying to read out the copy and simultaneously describing what 's going on in the pictures in a storyboard can be a nightmare of a task.
Should Creative Copy be Read Out in Presentations?
Not if it is long, says Bird. "No sane person wants to listen to you droning on interminably through a 4-page letter, no matter how brilliant."
The important thing to do is to take people through the key parts of a communication: the presentation of the offer, the opening, how the benefit is emphasised, the captions, the subsidiary headings (subheads), the P.S. – and anything else the presenter thinks particularly important.
Effective Presentations Bring the Audience Close to the Material
Bird suggests that during the presentation, the ad executive can sometimes walk up to the audience and bring the ad or concept board close to them so that they can see it. Then he can let them look at the package, or examine the ad – but only after he has finished the presentation. He should let his audience "play with it, get involved in it."
How to Handle Documents in Presentations
For presentations that demand a document, Bird says: "For goodness sake don't give it to the clients before or during the presentation. It will be a distraction; it will be flipped through while you're talking."
The sensible way is to produce the document at the end of the presentation for clients to read afterward. If the document is very long, an executive summary not more than two pages in length should be provided at the beginning. This will be a relief for clients who are too busy to plow through the morass.
Tips to Remember While Presenting Creative Work
In the case of direct mail, it's all right to show a dummy if there are only three people present. The pieces should be tracked through for clarity – which element comes after which should be made clear. For a larger audience, it's best to use a concept board.
As for TV commercials, just two or three key frames of the storyboard should be enough for clients to understand the concept. Bird advises against reading out copy especially if it is long. Instead, clients should just be taken through the main sections such as offer, headline, subheads, captions and the P.S., etc.
The audience should be given the chance to see the creative work up close and to get involved with it if it is interactive in nature. Documents, if any, should be reserved for after the presentation.
If you enjoyed this article, you might want to read about structure and timing of the presentation, the theme and right attitude, dealing with questions, and more.
Source:
The Notes of Drayton Bird – Commonsense Creative
Tips From Drayton Bird on Sales Presentations
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