Chatting with the managing partner of a top 30 firm recently I was impressed to learn about one of the processes he insists on in his office. It concerns formal pitches that follow on from the submission of written tender documents. The teams involved in such pitches are required to rehearse in front of the managing partner. The objective is to ensure that the teams are adequately prepared before they face the prospective client. This is a CRUCIAL stage in any pitch process.
It seems that I last addressed this point in a blog post over two years ago: Preparing tenders when pitching for work. Although I have also written over 40 subsequent posts containing advice on the pitching process.
Anyway, here is an update on my 7 tips:
1 – Remember that the written tender is like a CV. Its job is to get you to the next stage. Too long or detailed and it won’t be read.
2 – Try to ascertain with whom you are competing. Even if you don’t know for certain, you can guess – local competitors, bigger firms, smaller firms, a niche practice, a more general practice. Identify your relative strengths and be ready to refute any perceived weaknesses – from the prospective client’s perspective;
3 – Be consistent when you attend the formal pitch. If what you say you will do is different to what you promised in the written tender you will lose credibility;
4 – If you claim to be a team, be a team. If you’re not already a team admit it. Otherwise when it becomes apparent (and it will) you will lose credibility;
5 – Do not assume that everyone on the selection panel has read your written proposal – some of them may have just scanned it; Some may have been drafted in to add weight to the panel at the last minute. Even if you ask have they all had a chance to read it, be aware that few people will want to publicly admit that they haven’t given it the attention you think it deserved.
6 – Beware that at least one person will challenge something in the written proposal – be prepared;
7 – Plan for the face to face meeting. Anticipate the questions you’ll be asked. Ensure the team will give consistent replies;
It was in the context of this final point that I had an idea last week – when I drafted this blog post. It’s all very well insisting that the team rehearse their pitch and take questions from the managing partner but that won’t always be convenient. Also in a close knit team there may be too much familiarity and a lack of spontaneity. Maybe there’s a role for an independent to attend such rehearsals. I’m not saying I have a lot of time to provide such a service but I’m sure it would be very valuable were I to do so. What are the other options and how effective are they?
Offering a critique service for teams rehearsing presentations seems a great entrepreneurial idea, Mark. Reminds me of one of my lecturers at University bemoaning the fact that none of us had ever had an English teacher mark our laboratory write-ups! It’s usually a good idea to get an outside view.
I don’t have first hand experience of how the sales cycle works in the Tax and Finance arenas, but hopefully you will have had considerable communication with the prospective client before submitting a written proposal, and this will have enabled both parties to understand the problems and the circumstances in which they exist. If it isn’t offered, you can always ask!
This should then lead on to mutual understanding of the full value – to the client – of having the problem fixed. Before putting your written proposal on the table you can have ‘flown kites’ around fee bands, payment terms and other Ts & Cs, so you’ll know what the prospect is likely to find acceptable before you put pen to paper.
You will also have been able to identify all the decision makers and hopefully identified their preferred communication styles, thus enabling you to word your proposal in terms that will appeal to those decision makers.
Add this to Mark’s unerringly excellent advice, especially asking “What if?” and “So what?” as part of pre-empting the awkward questions, and you will stand a good chance.
When you get to the presentation meeting, as Grant Leboff suggests in his excellent book, Sales Therapy®, don’t ‘close’; ‘suggest’ instead. Then seek commitments, and reciprocate with your own.