Three Things Blog
Leslie Ehm – Founder and Principal of Three Training, spills her training secrets, truths, insights, tips and dirty tricks for making things happen. She dishes on ideation, collaboration and presentation skills and other juicy stuff for agencies, marketers and anyone else looking for that killer edge. Never sugar coated, sometimes expletive-filled, always honest to a fault, this is the peek behind the curtain at Three Training.
Three Ways Agencies Can Win More Pitches
Posted by Leslie Ehm in General, Presentation. 2 comments, leave your own
The post was inspired by all the hoo-ha surrounding the new AMC series ‘The Pitch’ and, more importantly, smartypants Will Burns’s (Ideasicle) response to it on Forbes.com. (Note – I haven’t watched show yet but I’m sure I’ll have more opinions once I have.)
Be sure to read the article but the essence of it was that Will felt the reason more agencies didn’t take part in the show was that they were afraid to expose the fact that they had no ‘secret sauce’ (aka a magical proprietary thinking process). His belief is that every agency does have a secret sauce, but it’s actually their people, not their process. So true!!
I thought I’d weigh in on this one too. I have a unique perspective in that I get to hear from both agencies and clients on what they each believe the other is looking for or doing during a pitch and let me tell you, there’s a big disconnect. So here’s Three Things I think agencies can do to win more pitches.
1. Be curiouser. We always think that we’ll win the business if we claim to know everything on the planet about our client and their business. But without working WITH the client, how can we really claim to know anything more than we could Google? Don’t worry about being smart. Rather prove your curiosity and desire to know. And just be smart in how you go about THAT because it will prove how your collective minds work.
2. Be a true collective. Speaking of collectives, be one. A client has no interest in becoming part of a dysfunctional family and when you have several clients in the room, someone’s bound to have good dysfunction radar. So regardless of roles, only bring people into the pitch who genuinely like and respect each other. Keep ego plays out at all costs. And remember to let the client be the Alpha Dog. Because at the end of the day, if they simply don’t dig you, you won’t get the business no matter how creative and smart you are.
3. Think like the last guys. In my training, I put people through this tortuously fun game designed to make consider the ‘how’, not just the ‘what’ of presenting / pitching. So imagine you’re the last agency up. The previous five teams will have charmed, sparkled and attempted to ‘wow’ the audience. Not just what, but HOW are you going to effectively erase all of them from memory with your truly unique approach. Think like that and it won’t matter where in line you are.
Three Smart Questions to Ask Before a Brainstorm
Posted by Leslie Ehm in Ideation. No comments yet, leave your own
Most of us enter into brainstorms blind. We get an email request, a heads pops into our office or its part of a schedule so we just show up. We bring our brains, some trepidation, and the hope that a) candy will be provided and b) it’ll be over soon. And when we leave, we’re rarely sure if we really accomplished anything. One of the many reasons for this is that we didn’t get a chance to set ourselves up for success. Hell – we probably didn’t even know what success looked like. There’s an even better chance that the stakeholder didn’t know either. This is a recipe for serious time wastage.
So next time you’re invited to a brainstorm, try raising these three smart questions asap. It will not only help to make organizers accountable, but to establish exactly what’s expected of you.
1. Do we have a clear challenge statement and can we evolve if it necessary? Nothing frustrates me more than going into a brainstorm and being told “we’re coming up with ideas around X”. What the heck does that mean? That anything left or right of it is ‘good’ or anything I can think of in the general vicinity of ‘X’ is gold? Course not. This is pure laziness. Stakeholders need to take the time to decide EXACTLY what you’re supposed to be ideating on and then form that into a carefully worded evocative statement designed to elicit creativity. And if they don’t have one, you should know this going in – because it’s a signal that it may be a time wasting cluster-you-know-what. The ‘evolve’ part of the question will tell you whether you’ll have the opportunity for input in the room in pursuit of that challenge statement or whether you’re just a automaton brain for hire.
2. Will we be generating ideas or also selecting them? This will give you a sense of how the brainstorm will or should be structured. For example, if it’s scheduled for an hour and you’re expected to both generate and select ideas, it means that the stakeholder probably doesn’t have a realistic grasp on how long convergence (selection) can actually take. In addition, it will mean that you probably won’t have ample time to clean your brain pipes to allow you to dig into uncharted idea territory. It’ll also tell you how much accountability and / or ownership you’ll have. If you’re generating ideas and then walking away, you’re likely to have no input in the development or selection of the final ideas. Which is fine too – but you deserve to know that in advance so you can deliver on those expectations.
3. What does success look like? Will you be expected to just come up with pant loads of wild and crazy ideas? Or are they hoping to have three perfectly formed and evolved ideas by brainstorm end? Or something in the middle? Establishing this up front will help you look at the time allotment realistically and perhaps even give you a heads up that some pre-work might be advisable. Or if you want to deliver a reality check, you might point out that success, under the suggested circumstance, ain’t too likely and that more time might be needed. After all, if you’re going to participate, you deserve the opportunity to get the job done properly!
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Discussion
- Leslie Ehm
Hey Bob – thanks for the, ummm, tempered approval *LOL*. Glad you liked some of my thinking. Of course this just challenges me to come... 35 days 2 hours ago
- Bob Sanders
Some great reminders! Thank you for the ideas and insight! The first two are more “eh…” everyone knows stuff, but that last... 35 days 3 hours ago
- Tamara
Great article, Leslie! I’m often on camera for short stints and always looking to improve my delivery. Great points, I will definitely keep... 165 days 22 hours ago
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“Leslie is absolutely one of the game-changers. Her expertise and understanding of the creative process is top notch, but the even greater value is in passion and creativity she will ignite in your people and the impact it will have on your organization.” - Mark Ferrier, President, TraffikGroup
"The 2-day session that Leslie delivered to the Pepsico marketing department was one of the best training sessions I've been part of. The content was mind-opening, practical, and useful, and Leslie's ability to engage the crowd was second-to-none. Feedback from the other attendees was off the charts. I would work with Leslie again in a heartbeat.” - Logan Chambers, Marketing Manager – Quaker Bars, Pepsico
“Leslie has reinvigorated one of our existing workshops and transformed it from a good mid-level experience to, as one participant stated, a “mastery level course”. Moreover, her dynamic and enthusiastic teaching style has made her one of our top rated instructors.” - Mark Liebert, Senior Director, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) School of Marketing
“I don't know how Leslie does it, but I've seen the results. Our people are more confident, better presenters and better at selling the work. I have to admit, like all Creatives, I was skeptical about a presentation training course that would be right for Creatives. But Leslie really gets it.” - Judy John, CEO, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
"Leslie Ehm is amazing, seriously impactful and a huge asset to anyone who comes into contact with her. We are happy to call her a partner." - John Minty, CFO, Venables Bell & Partners
"Leslie Ehm is the marketing industry's best kept secret. Her enthusiastic, yet powerful approach and unique ability to motivate professionals to understand that the client/agency dynamic is most successful when viewed as a partnership is invaluable to anyone who wants to take their business to the next level. Her highly effective and inspiring workshop will have your entire team ready, and willing, to move mountains." - Nancy Modrcin, Mattel Canada
"It made all the difference for a successful learning event to have Leslie Ehm’s massive enthusiasm combined with her keen and personally relevant insight into our industry." - Karen Tilley, SVP, Dir. Account Management, Leo Burnett
"The only way to describe Leslie is "dynamite!" She gets participants to truly look into their core, push themselves, take risks, and do it all in front of a crowd. And then she leaves them with the sense that "I can do anything!”. People like Leslie are a rare breed." - Trina Boos, founder, Ad Lounge, and President, Boost Agents
"Leslie Ehm doesn’t just ‘get it’ – she’s actually done it. And she brings all of her experience, passion and smart teaching to every workshop. My team didn’t want the sessions to end!" - Ron Tite, Creative Director, Sharpe Blackmore
"Leslie Ehm has been a fantastic addition to our learning and development programming. She has a natural gift of being able to take an accurate pulse of your organization, where it is and where you are trying to take it. Beyond delivering very thoughtful off-the-shelf programs that really get to the heart of key issues, Leslie is consistently insightful and innovative in providing suggestions and solutions for how she can partner on customized programming and follow-up that really can change the game." - Ellen Nearman, Director, Talent, Organic Inc.
"We thought we were pretty good at both the creative process and presenting our ideas. That was until we invited Leslie Ehm into our agency. Her training and approach is being embraced throughout the agency, resulting in even better work. I highly recommend her." - Tony Chapman, CEO, Capital C
"Idea Noise was fantastic and thought provoking." - Joe Rand, Director of Marketing, Disney Cruise Lines
"Stand & Deliver was one of those experiences that make an indelible impact. The skill with which Leslie Ehm addressed each person and created individualized development strategies was impressive. The transformation was evident in the room and in the way we now think and interact as a team." - Larry MacEachern, Sr. VP, Managing Partner, Color
“I was stunned by the amount of learning, value and the effectiveness of Leslie’s training. She is such a pro, personally invested into every conversation: advising, teaching, providing input, making sure it all sinks in. It's intense, powerful, eye-opening and you can expect to apply it to your job the next day.” - Gene Jigota, Owner & Principal Consultant, TSBC Consulting Inc.
"I walked away with a tangible and effective system for idea generation. It's gold - a formula that can transform anyone into an 'idea alchemist'." - Lindsey Leese, Director, Second City
“We used Three Training for a client training program and Leslie Ehm was fantastic. She is knowledgeable, engaging and creative in her approach. Leslie is right - good things do come in Three." - Tom Hendrikson, Chief Breakthrough Officer, Sixsense Inc.
"There is a lot of training out there, but not much that focuses specifically on creative challenges. Leslie Ehm gets it. She speaks from years of experience and can offer valuable relevant feedback. She has helped reignite the team’s creative spark and I look forward to re-engaging her in the future." - Joel Trojanowski, Creative Director, Armstrong Partnership
"Leslie is an inspiring instructor - she puts her head and heart into really understanding what will make the biggest difference with students and then she puts everything she's got into crafting a learning experience that delivers beyond expectations. As program director at ICA I've worked with a lot of instructional consultants, and Leslie is a top professional from start to finish." - Suzanne Filiatrault Director of Professional Development, Institute of Communication Agencies
"Leslie Ehm creates and customizes a training regimen that speaks to every individual involved, and from several different perspectives. In a matter of seconds, she is able to formulate the lay of the land, immediately analyze and identify with the group she is training and deliver exactly the program necessary." - Linda Cunningham, VP, Green Apple Children’s Centre Inc.
"When my creative team was stuck for the next big yummy idea, we went to Leslie and Three Training for ideation facilitation and came away with tons of delicious ones. My only issue is that she still won’t give me a family discount!" - Erica Ehm, CEO, publisher YummyMummyClub.ca
"All too often the feedback after a training session is muted and minimal, but in this case it was energized and uniformly positive! More importantly, our staff have begun using the techniques with great success…I can confidently say that our agency could not have put our training dollars to better use and that we will be working with Leslie Ehm again in the near future." - Jeff Plotnikoff, Director, Human Resources, Armstrong Partnership