THE BEST WORK
AND THE BEST
IDEAS STILL AREN’T
ENOUGH

A person can have the greatest idea in the
world. But if that person can’t convince
enough other people, it doesn’t matter.
!
*Gregory Burns

YOU’RE IN THE
COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

If we expect people to follow us, we must
inspire them to do so. We must stand up
and be a leader.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

IDEAS DESERVE A
CHANCE TO LIVE
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

YOUR IDEA WILL BE
JUDGED IN A SMALL
FRACTION OF THE TIME
IT TOOK TO CREATE IT

CLARITY
CONVICTION
GRACE
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

It is a fact of agency life that, with very few
exceptions, the highest paid people in the
agency are the best presenters.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

SOME TIPS:

LEARN THE
AUDIENCE’S
CULTURE & TONE

ASK YOURSELF:
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT
PRESENTATIONS?
WHAT DO YOU HATE?
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

PRESENT YOUR
OWN WORK,
IF YOU CAN
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

What will make you more proud at the end
of the day: The chance to hear yourself
talk for an hour or the chance to hear your
work talked about for years?
!
*Darren Moran, DraftFCB

IN ORDER TO BUY
THE WORK, THEY’RE
GOING TO HAVE TO
BUY YOU.
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

REMEMBER, YOU’RE
BEING JUDGED
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

DRESS THE PART
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

BBC Radio news presenters were required
to wear tuxedos up until World War II.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

DON’T BE SLICK
OR FAKE
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

BE YOURSELF
BE SMART
BE CRISP
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

ENGAGE THE
AUDIENCE FROM
THE START
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

LEAVE YOUR
AUDIENCE WANTING
MORE
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

TALK ABOUT THEM,
NOT YOURSELF
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

DON’T PRESENT
YOUR WORK AS
‘RISK TAKING’
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

CLIENTS WANT
CERTAINTY
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

DON’T LEAD WITH
YOUR CHIN
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

BE PASSIONATE
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

TELL A GREAT
STORY

The most memorable stories are the ones
that are well told. By people, not
presenters. Human connections are
always more powerful than technological
fireworks.
!
*Gareth Kay

Photo Credit: AMC

SHOW THE
CREATIVE PROCESS
AS A STORY

PRACTICE
& PREPARE:

Take at least a fraction of the time you
spent inventing the work and create a way
to present the work. Put that creativity to
work in the name of creativity and do an
ad for your ads.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

DO NOT WING IT
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

Remember, the appearance of spontaneity
is the product of preparation.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

TEAM WORK
COUNTS
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

KNOW WHY YOU
ARE THERE

ANTICIPATE EVERY
OBJECTION
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

PITCH CONCEPTS TO
YOUR EXISTING
CLIENTS
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

IF YOU’RE PITCHING
SPEC/EXECUTIONS,
MOCK IT UP

DON’T LEAVE YOUR
BEST WORK ON THE
AGENCY FLOOR
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

NEVER SHOW WORK
YOU WOULDN’T
WANT THE CLIENT
TO BUY
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

DO NOT MEMORIZE
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

It is far better to speak from the heart, to
search for your words, even make the
occasional mistake, than it is to deliver a
perfect, memorized speech.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

SILENCE IS BETTER
THAN BULLSHIT

CREATE AN
OUTLINE, THEN
TOSS IT
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

Watch a good actor sometime. He appears
to be saying what has just occurred to him.
He’s expressing an idea. A bad actor
appears to repeating what he memorizing.
It doesn’t seem in anyway genuine.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

ORGANIZING YOUR
PRESENTATION:

WHITE SPACE
EXISTS BEYOND
YOUR SLIDES

VISUALS > TEXT

AVOID SHOWING WHAT
YOU ARE SAYING AND
SAYING WHAT YOU ARE
SHOWING

DON’T HAND OUT
MATERIALS BEFORE
YOU PRESENT
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

DON’T SHOW A
SLIDE BEFORE YOU
ARE READY
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

DON’T PACK YOUR
PRESENTATION FULL OF
NUMBERS, FACTS &
CHARTS

The audience does not care about how
much we know. The audience cares about
how interesting what we know is.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

Make a choice about what’s important and
let everything elso go.
!
*Zen Proverb
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

THEY AREN’T GOING
TO REMEMBER
WHAT YOU SAID
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

THEY WILL ONLY
REMEMBER WHAT
THEY THOUGHT
AND FELT
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

THE THINGS I’VE
LEARNED THROUGH
PITCHING:

THERE IS ALWAYS
ONE CRAZY

YOU DON’T HAVE TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEM
RIGHT THERE

LET THE CLIENT
HAVE OWNERSHIP

Don’t win all the battles and lose the war.
!
*Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

KNOW WHEN TO
SHUT UP

PAY ATTENTION

CHANGE UP HOW
YOU PRESENT

FIND A CONNECTION

ORDER YOUR
PRESENTATION
STRATEGICALLY

GIVE THEM WHAT
THEY WANT, THEN
WHAT THEY NEED
Robert Solomon: The Art of Client Service

UNDERSTAND THAT
BUYING CREATIVE
WORK IS HARD
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

DEFEND YOUR WORK
WITH STRATEGY
Luke Sullivan: Hey Whipple Squeeze This

ASK WHY, DON’T
LET THEM TELL
YOU HOW

A great meeting is not the goal.
Great work is. Eyes on the prize.
!
*Mark Fenske, VCU Brandcenter

GO SLOW
ARTICULATE
BREATHE
RELAX

THEY’RE HUMAN,
JUST LIKE YOU

The trick is to understand that you are
simply talking with your audience,
sharing your thoughts. You’re not arguing.
You’re not selling. You’re having a
conversation. You’re giving them a gift.
!
*Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

LEARN FROM
EVERY
PRESENTATION
Peter Coughter: The Art of the Pitch

THE BEST
PRESENTER
USUALLY WINS

LEAVE YOUR
AUDIENCE
WANTING MORE