In advance of PromaxBDA’s Client|Agency Speed Dating event on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at West Hollywood’s Palihouse, Brief reached out to Nat Geo SVP/Group Creative Director Andy Baker for some tips on how agencies can best present themselves to prospective clients.

At this unique member event, select network clients meet agency heads one-on-one in a series of ten-minute capabilities pitches at their own private table. In one sitting, clients have the opportunity to hear pitches from established companies and from talented up-and-comers. Feedback is given after the event via a rating system, expressing levels of interest in working with the agency, and PromaxBDA connects any matches.

To be considered to participate in this event, potential clients and agencies need to submit their company’s info by this Thursday, October 16 by 5:00 p.m. PST.

Due to the high demand for this event, PromaxBDA will draw participants at random from the names submitted by the deadline.

To submit your company or for more information email Emily Little, Association Outreach Manager at emily@promaxbda.org.

And now, here’s Andy:

1. Know your strength. Don’t try to be all things to all clients - be prepared to answer the “what do you do BEST?” question. (Hint: The answer shouldn’t be “we can do it all!”) Many clients appreciate an honest self-assessment and often look for specialists based on their project’s needs rather than creative generalists. Agencies need to ditch the Fear Of Missing Out on potential jobs (#PromoFOMO) and instead focus on landing the job where they can deliver their best work - which can then lead to even more jobs down the road.

2. Know what differentiates you. Your strength and your differentiator are not always the same. The intangibles beyond “we’re great designers” can make you stand apart from the rest. Do you have a partnership with a well-known photographer or director? Do you have an all-star project management team? Whatever it might be, those little things that can make you easier to work with or more cost-efficient can help make a difference in the decision.

3. Celebrate your successes. Every single agency claims that they’re “collaborative with our clients.” That sounds great and all, but can you prove it? Walk into a pitch with some unique, non-boiler-plate recommendations or success stories from past and present clients, and you might stand out more. Recommendations from past colleagues or friends of the client are often the biggest influencers in hiring a new agency.

4. Ditch (or at least modify) your generic sizzle reel. Customize your message for your audience – know what they’re looking for, and showcase the work that best relates to them. Montage sizzle reels don’t really demonstrate how you can connect with a client’s needs.

5. Do your homework – what are your prospective clients’ challenges? What is your favorite show on their network? Do you have any insight on what you’ve observed? A client is always impressed when they feel like you know more about them than just the obvious stuff.

6. Be self-aware. What is your reputation in the industry? Who is your competition? Know what the client may think about you (and your place in a very crowded industry) before you even sit down, and you’ll be able to better anticipate challenging questions and have a thoughtful response ready.

7. Don’t pressure the client. They get dozens of pitches, cold-calls and emails a week, and you don’t want to be the email that sends them over the edge. Share your work, but don’t be a nag. When they say “we’ll call you if we need anything!” take that as your hint to back off.

8. Be creative in your approach. You say your agency creates breakthrough, clutter-cutting creative? Prove it in your approach to the client. Generic email blasts and DVD/jump drive mailers are the quickest way to the trash heap. But finding a new, inventive way to communicate with potential clients could be the way to get that all-important callback.

9. Showcase personal work. When a potential client sees your work, it’s hard for them to know what’s “yours” and what your client brought to the table - or made you do against your better judgment! When you create personal work that is 100% your vision and aesthetic, it helps the client understand your sensibilities and potentially partner up on the right projects.

10. Make the client’s life easy. Not because they’re lazy (which I guess could also be true), but because they’re likely juggling a dozen or more projects at once, sometimes across multiple channels. With only a few opportunities a year to partner with external agencies, clients are looking not only for talented creative partners, but also ones that are easy and fun to work with - and won’t cause additional headache. Position your agency in a manner that appreciates and understands that client perspective.

10½. Get social. Share your work across social media, post interesting content and thoughtful insights that will make clients want to follow and work with you. Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, etc are all powerful tools for creatives that are often misused or under-utilized. It may not directly translate to work tomorrow, but if done correctly it can grow your reputation and brand. Note: ‘Get Social’ does not mean connecting with a potential client on LinkedIn that you’ve never met.

Andy Baker is the SVP/Group Creative Director at National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD, overseeing all creative materials for the channels across TV, print, digital, out of home, ad sales, press, and trade.

In addition to his day job, Andy’s passion for dissecting the agency/client relationship led him to launch www.TheClientBlog.com, which showcases success stories from NGC campaigns as well as insight into the client’s perspective on the creative process. Follow him on Twitter at @ajbake.

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