Number 24 of 52 Lifelong Communication Lessons: The Mad Men pitch
June 15, 2015 |
| Last portrait of Freddie Mercury taken by Richard Gray, 1991. |
The year was 1991.
The first web browser is introduced and the number of computers on the internet reaches one million. Freddie Mercury issues a public statement confirming he has AIDS and dies the following day. The last remaining Apartheid laws are abolished in South Africa. In Canada, the GST is introduced (We were hired to conduct a series of introductory consultation/information sessions across Western Canada).
During my years at the ad agency, pitching clients for business was a regular part of the job. In 1991, we were on deck for a big government contract. The pitch team had been assembled and we were preparing night and day. I loved the pitch, even though it could be nerve-racking. Operating under strict guidelines and working with different teams could send everybody into a tither.
Half of this team was in a different market, which added to the tension. Work styles were not necessarily aligned and processes were all over the map. There were a few in the group so nervous that they were taking Valium, which made the rest of us really nervous. A high strung ad person on drugs was more than unpredictable.
As we gathered on the big day, one of our colleagues surprised us all with a gift of sprigs of heather. He said there was some old Irish legend about how freshly picked heather tucked in a pocket could bring good luck. Before you knew it, we were all stuffing heather into our pant pockets, bras and jackets.
The pitch was super strict. No ice in the water jugs (to avoid distractions), client reps not allowed to show any emotion (no smiling allowed) and the room had to be set up just so (them on one side, us on the other). By the time we got in the room to set up, we were having fits of giggles. The Valium induced ones were more than relaxed now. Our heather toting pal started taping bits of the shrub under the chairs of our client representatives. Too funny.
We pitched our hearts out. The harmony among our team was clearly evident. We had fun together and I think it won us the business. If they had witnessed the tension driven group of the day before, I expect we would have lost the bid.
Our friend with the heather was a savvy adman. He knew we needed to come together and his simple little good luck charm did the trick. Breaking the ice or pulling a team together sometimes takes more than words. A symbolic token can make it all work. Making the stressful moments fun and funny was magical.
Communication Lessons:
- Don't let someone else's rules inhibit creative approaches.
- Be brave enough to bring your team together, even if you are not the leader.
- Keep it all in perspective. I cannot even remember who we were pitching but I can clearly recall the man and the heather.
Fast Forward to 2015:
Through a series of photographs has Caitlyn Jenner creatively started a new discussion and openness for people who are transgender? See how her Vanity Fair cover has inspired other trans people to post their own versions on Twitter - #myvanityfaircover
Posts
0 comments