Jody will be speaking on Friday, October 9 at 2:45 PM.
Session Title and Description:
Get Past the RFP! Persuasive Writing for New Business
Think about how often your written words are the first thing your prospects see.
“Too often good agencies succumb to bad writing. When it’s in high-stakes documents like proposals and client briefs, you put revenue at risk.”
Emails, proposals, website copy, case studies – they’re all responsible for making a crucial first impression. Yet too easily agencies fall back on jargon, generalizations and wordiness when trying to get their message across.
But when that game-changing RFP comes through the door, it’s your ability to write persuasively that distinguishes you from the competition and increases your chances of winning the business.
In this session, you’ll get tips and techniques for breaking bad habits and getting more comfortable with writing in a concise, persuasive way. Highlights include:
- A process for better writing and editing
- The role of “boilerplate” content and how to use it more effectively
- Methods for incorporating storytelling to turn the mundane into
something compelling - Tips for answering even the most unanswerable RFP questions
Agency executives responsible for writing high-stakes documents tied to revenue, client satisfaction and agency development should attend.
More About Jody
She is the owner of the Sutter Company that helps advertising agencies and marketing firms get the clients they want by taking a more strategic, proactive approach to business development.
“A long time ago, a psychic told me that I’d be a professional writer, which was amusing because at the time I was in a more traditional sales job that required good old-fashioned pounding the pavement, not pounding on a keyboard.
As my career developed, I started to lead business development teams at design firms and ad agencies — large and small, traditional and cutting-edge – including R/GA, Carbone Smolan Agency, OMD, Havas and The VIA Agency.
Currently, I run a business development consultancy, The Sutter Company, which helps ad agencies and creative firms take a more proactive approach to growing their business.
After finally getting tired of seeing too many of my clients fail to get past the RFP round, I developed a training series called Persuasive Writing for New Business with journalist Ashley Milne-Tyte. Through live workshops and one-on-one coaching, we help agencies transform their writing into powerfully persuasive documents.
Because I believe we have a responsibility to positively shape the industry, I’ve been a board member of the New York chapter of the national design organization, AIGA, where I co-chaired “Grow,” AIGA NY’s first conference dedicated to sustainability in design. I’ve served on committees at the 4A’s, the Advertising Women of New York and the ANA. I’ve also been a contributor to Advertising Age and Agency Post, writing about the thrill of victory and agony of defeat as a business development professional.”
Connect with Jody via Twitter: @JodySutter #FuelLines
