Rob Davis, President and CMO at Novus Media.
The connection on a first date. McCartney and Lennon. A VC taking a shot on a first-time entrepreneur’s vision. An immediate melding of minds between a prospective client and the business selling a product or service. The alchemy of bringing multiple things together to create a memorable pitch and start an exciting partnership all depends on chemistry. Sometimes opposites attract—as is the case with the sentimental bassist and the political guitarist. Other times, two parties complete each other’s sentences. In any event, when it works, it just works.
And while, in some regards, chemistry is nearly impossible to fake, that doesn’t mean you can’t be attuned to what drives chemistry with business prospects and what you, as a company pitching and keeping business, can do to make chemistry work for you.
You cannot fake capital C chemistry.
It can be tempting to pretend you are someone else to win a new client. Your bottom line will look robust, but no internal deception goes unpublished. You won’t be able to keep up the facade of whatever version of your company you pitched if it’s not true.
If, for example, you specialize in regional business and an opportunity arises to pitch a global client, better to simply say it versus trying to stretch and be something you’re not. Better to stay true to your values and know another client will come soon enough if this one isn’t right. Maybe they will still want to take a chance on you. Either way, your honesty goes a long way.
Plus, keeping a misaligned client happy is a miserable experience, and the stress of it will impact your relationship with other clients that you are more aligned with.
Speak their language.
Everything around a pitch should focus on the prospect, not your company. It can be as simple and easy as using their brand colors in sales materials or focusing on examples and case studies that demonstrate similar business challenges. That demonstrates to them that this is not some templated pitch—that you built it from scratch (or near scratch) and that you customized your recommendations to their business.
Honesty is the only policy.
My company excels at many things, but we’re also transparent when a request comes in that isn’t our sweet spot. A client recently asked us if we were experts in a specific area of marketing; our honest response was we could do it, but there were probably better options. That turned into other incremental business and a strong testimonial because they trusted us when we said something and, therefore, extended their network to us.
Another simple trick to avoid seeming evasive: Answer questions with yes or no, first; get into the explanation afterwards. I have seen so many sales professionals prevaricate in their answers to simple questions. Clients can sense the uncertainty from a mile away. Answering the questions head-on, no matter how thorny the answer, commands respect.
When in doubt, listen.
In the service business, clients may want a company that tells them what to do. Or they may want a company that proposes different options and lets them decide. I’d argue a smart company is comfortable with both scenarios. But your company will only know what the client wants if you listen. And, while clients may differ in many regards, I can assure you that every single client wants to be heard above all. Demonstrating this can range from simply recapping what they discussed in a prior meeting, to delivering goodie bags that reflect an interest they shared.
Have data, but don’t forget to make a connection.
I am often reminded of when my mentor told me that human beings select with their hearts and use numbers to justify what they do. In other words, people often use emotions to make their decisions and look to verify through data. While we are very much a data-driven organization, we understand the role emotion plays in the decision-making process. Simply showing prospects a bunch of numbers, but not making that emotional connection is a grave error. Empathy coupled with scientific reasoning is the real sweet spot. Let’s be honest—most competitors that pitch them are probably also good. What separates the firms they select to work with is who can make that connection. Yes, they want to know you have a sound methodology, but they also want to know they won’t dread every phone call and update. One former client told me it was what they called “the beer test”—they picked agencies they would want to sit down and have a beer with.
Above all, be memorable.
Never be afraid to evoke whimsy for the sake of making that connection. We had a presentation some time ago that followed the theme of “hidden gem.” So, of course, we thought—let’s include one of those children’s mini archaeological dig kits where you chip away at sand and rock to expose a hidden gem as a leave-behind to remind them of what we discussed. That lets them know we’re always thinking about them. If you have ever spent time client-side, you likely remember that going through pitch after pitch can be something of a slog. What usually stands out is the connection made during the pitch and the answer to a simple question: Who do I want in the trenches with me?
The iconic Maya Angelou quote comes to mind: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Ideas and processes are important, but the relationship between a company and a prospective client is what will matter most as strategies change or an external event requires a pivot. Being attuned to chemistry is the best way to win new business that will turn into a lasting relationship.
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