Is your marketing agency committing one (or all) of these 7 deadly sins in the pitch process? Read part one here.

Reason #4: Poor chemistry

Chemistry checks are one of the most important aspects of a client/marketing agency partnership.

For many clients, their agency partner can become like part of the family, working as an extension of their existing team and ultimately, spending a lot of time together. It's important therefore that cultures are compatible.

'A straight-laced corporate machine looking to partner with a laid back, young, and hip agency, the partnership may not work out,' say the Marketing Profs, who aptly use Gorilla 76's term of "beerability" as a solid metric for a client/marketing agency chemistry (in essence, would you have a beer with them outside of work and enjoy it?). Talking contiually about your own agency or having one person dominate the chat, as examples, is likely to turn potential client partners off.

If the two parties don't hit it off in the initial pitch process/meeting chances are they won't be working together in the future.

Solution:

In all honesty, there's little a marketing agency can do on this one. The agency search and selection process is a lot like dating. If the spark isn't there, it can't be forced and is better catching early on than half way through the creative process. Our advice; demonstrate clearly what your marketing agency is about, talk about the client, show some character and that old classic, be yourselves. If they don't remember you, they won't hire you!

Reason #5: Incompatible approach, ethos or different ideas

Firstly, it is constantly surprising to us how often a marketing agency will pitch concepts where strategy and creative are misaligned.

So as well as ensuring their approach is compatible with what the client is looking for, marketing agencies should be confident they are walking into meetings with a strategy that is not only effective but strategically feasible. Incompatibility is often something that only becomes apparent in the room and agency teams should avoid bending or conforming to a client ethos that doesn't suit their own approach. This will only affect the work long term.

Solution:

Perhaps your way or working is a bit out there for a client, or they're looking to achieve results in a different way to what you're offering, either way, understanding the client before you step up to the plate should help with any avoidable clashes. Are they progressive or traditional? How does their ethos differ to your own? Establish this before you create your strategy and you lesson the risk of disappointment.

Reason #6: Budget/size disparity

This seems pretty obvious, but make sure you may attention to what the client is saying through their brief from the outset. Is their budget smaller than you're used to? Equally, does the amount of work the project requires greater than your workforce can handle?

At the end of the day, marketing agency teams need to be honest with themselves before they walk in the room and push aside all desires of securing more business for the sake of their bottom lines.

This is one of the most common pitfalls agencies make, with clients coming to use distressed at the amount quoted by the agency in question, or by the agency' seeming inability to structurally handle the task at hand.

Reason #7: Sometimes the odds aren't in your favour

The marketing agency search and selection process really is really is a lot like love. We're not going to put it down to fate, but sometimes there just are agencies out there better suited or more compatible to the brief and client. This could be due their size, relevant experience, talent, their ideas or just the energy they bring on the day.

In which case, brush yourself off, congratulate yourselves on making the long list and go on to fight another day (...or brief).