Win More Pitches: The Pitch Calendar

Just as you wouldn’t undertake an important client project without a timeline, why do many agencies participate in pitches without one? 

Successful pitch management depends on solid project management skills and planning. 

A good Pitch Timeline becomes your roadmap to a more successful pitch. What are the best practices for developing a Pitch Calendar that can drive a successful process? 

A Good Pitch Calendar is a Roadmap

A Pitch Timeline identifies the timing, steps, milestones and responsibilities necessary to prepare a response that puts the agency’s best foot forward. The Pitch Timeline will vary based on the timing, complexity and asks for each pitch; however, most will cover important building blocks of a good pitch, including:

• RFP receipt and dissection
• Planning for and evaluating Q&A
• Preparation of a business profile
• Analysis of business issues
• Secondary and primary research planning and execution
• Strategic insight identification and strategy development
• Creative, media and other solutions
• RFP drafting & finalization
• Rehearsal
• RFP submission and/or presentation

Great Pitches Need Great Prep – Like A Broadway Show

Don’t take our word for it – listen to biz dev stars like Crossmedia’s Neil Smith:

“After running a few hundred pitches, the wins come from being highly organized, following a detailed timeline, and leaving proper time for design and rehearsal. Actors don’t run onto the stage unless they’re in costume, lines learned, and direction applied. Agencies shouldn’t either.  A winning pitch takes the right people doing the right things in the right order. Only with a detailed master timeline do you stand a chance of managing it all, and getting it done with enough time to polish and rehearse.” – Neil Smith, CMO, Crossmedia

The right people doing the right things in the right order. That is the magic of the Pitch calendar.

Count Backwards from a Successful Outcome

A straightforward approach to the pitch timeline is to structure it chronologically. Start your planning with a successful outcome, and then walk backwards, step by step, ensuring everything needed for a perfect outcome comes together on time. The example below is for a 21-day pitch process.

Sample Pitch Calendar

Of course, you won’t always have 21 days to prepare – the example provided is simply meant to demonstrate how the process can be organized and adapted to suit your actual timeline. Remember, certain materials, such as case studies, can and should be prepared ahead of time and then tailored as necessary throughout the RFP process.

Want More Successful Pitches?

One trick is to start with a sound Pitch Calendar. What’s your experience?

• Does your agency create a pitch calendar to guide each important pitch?
• Does your team consistently adhere to the calendar?
• Are there any areas where your agency tends to start later than ideal in the process?
• Looking back, what past mistakes could have been avoided if your team had consistently created and followed a detailed pitch calendar for each major opportunity?