In last week’s encore interview with Robin Boehler — we talked about the biz dev practices that she and the team at Mercer Island Group see when they’re sitting on the client’s side of the room. If you listened to that episode — you heard me say that if you implement the best practices Robin shared, you’re going to see the difference in your win rate.

And because I want you to be as prepared as possible as you step into 2019 — I invited Steve Boehler and Lindsay O’Neil, also from Mercer Island Group, to join me for this week’s episode. Think of this as a new biz one-two punch!

There is nobody more in the fray of seeing why agencies win, lose, or how the pitch process plays out than Steve, Lindsay, and their team. And nobody is more generous in sharing what they observe.

This episode will give you the inside look at how agencies present themselves (accidentally and on purpose) and the influence each nuance has on our prospects as they weigh one agency against the others.

We talked about the prep work agencies need to be doing so they’re ready to make a successful pitch. My guests dove into the details like researching a prospect, building out a business profile, preparing your PowerPoint so it stands out, some best practices around rehearsing, and even how your agency should ask for a client’s business at the end. Because making the “ask” really matters.

Steve and Lindsay also shared examples of case studies from agencies that won a pitch because their teams showcased the client as the hero in the work, as opposed to putting the spotlight on themselves.

Whether you’re pitching a new prospect — or you’re strategically merchandising the work you did for an existing client during the last year — the case study process we discuss is worth the listen alone!

I’m excited for you to listen to these two (this one and episode #163 with Robin) interviews because I know Robin, Steve, and Lindsay will help you put your best foot forward in 2019.

And if you found the episodes helpful – you can get even more by spending 2-4 days learning from Robin and Steve Boehler at AMI’s Win More Business workshops this January. Learn more here.

What You Will Learn About in This Episode:

How to build a detailed dossier for your prospective client in about two hours
Why learning how a prospective client talks about themselves is a valuable piece of information to uncover in your research process
How to ask the right questions that uncover a prospect’s business issues while instilling confidence that you understand them and their industry
Why preparing brilliant case studies like those of FIG Agency makes your client the hero — not your work
How to make your client a celebrity as McCANN WORLDGROUP did for its client, State Street Advisors with “Fearless Girl”
Why less is more when it comes to the written proposal and what are the key elements that must be included — and most agencies miss
How to front-load your proposal and presentation so that you focus on the client and not your agency
How and why you should invite your prospective client to your agency for a visit
How to build and document your business issue success experience so it is at the ready for your next presentation
How to let a client know at the end of the presentation that your agency wants their business without sounding schmaltzy

Ways to Contact Steve Boehler and Lindsay O’Neil:

Website: www.migroup.com
Phone: 206.236.0447

Episode 164: How to ask for the client’s business, with Steve Boehler and Lindsay O’Neil

Build a Better Agency Podcast