For over a decade, I sat on the client-side and reviewed dozens of pharmaceutical pitches. Throughout that time, I wondered why healthcare agencies took such distinct approaches to pitching. From the audacious “take it or leave it” to pitching multiple concepts with varying levels of spiciness, all presented with such confidence.How can these distinct methods be successful in a traditional pitch process?It all starts with the brief. Healthcare agencies need to be inspired to do their best work. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) goes a step further by stating, “Inspiration doesn’t come from a template or a deck alone; it requires a well-designed, well-written, and thoughtfully delivered brief and briefing process.”The majority of pharmaceutical marketers share ANA’s point of view. Unfortunately, the amount of attention and time dedicated to these documents leaves much to be desired. A 2015 ANA survey of clients and agencies found a wide gap between each side’s rating of brief quality. While 58% of clients believed that they provided clear assignment briefings to the agency, only 27% of agencies agreed.While issues with the current and traditional briefing process are well documented and are not expected to change anytime soon, how can healthcare agencies prepare stellar pitch presentations?The 4A’s advocates for open communication with clients during the pitch process. “Understanding the type of client this marketer will be, and the type of work the individual clients and the client organization are likely to embrace, are keys to a successful pitch and the beginning of a strong working relationship.”A recent survey conducted by OpenHuddle also identified the importance of a well-comprehended brief by ranking the most critical pitch components.

A great example I witnessed was a pitch that dealt with the complexity of launching a drug with a similar indication, or medical treatment, to another owned product. This team excelled by spending most of the presentation reiterating the challenges identified, aligning with the marketing strategy highlighted in the brief, and ultimately providing applicable solutions.Based on its findings, OpenHuddle encourages healthcare agencies to maximize their opportunities to communicate with clients during the pitch process, which means structuring meetings leading to the pitch while ensuring key stakeholders partake in these discussions. Using these few weeks efficiently and getting the right people involved will empower healthcare agencies to fill the gaps within assignment briefs and fully comprehend their content.Coming back to the two distinct pitching approaches, both were able to win their respective business. The uniting explanation was a complete comprehension of the assignment brief. It made one confident enough to present only one idea and the other to go extra spicy.

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