What’s the difference between a talented ad executive and a talented and successful ad executive? Often times, the successful one knows how to present.
While many people are lamenting the pervasiveness of spec creative, or the futility of the pitch process, Peter Coughter argues the case for successful presentation and pitching skills in The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills That Win The Business.
Coughter knows his stuff. He co-founded an agency in Richmond and is now a professor at VCU Brandcenter along with a consultant to ad agencies around the world. What he imparts are lessons learned from many years pitching and winning new business.
The Art of the Pitch offers great advice and tips for presentations of all kinds, but even more valuable (and fun) are the stories from other ad execs that complete each section. Bill Westbrook, Jeff Goodby, Anne Bologna, Sally Hogshead, John Butler and others relate anecdotes that are sometimes good, and sometimes embarrassing.
Of all the books that might give you a hand moving up in the ad business, The Art of the Pitch just might be one of the more valuable ones.
Special thanks to Palgrave Macmillan for providing me with a review copy.
