Credentials Deck

  1. Open with your elevator pitch — Tell them what you do, for whom (your audience should recognize themselves in the statement), and the expected outcomes. Sounds easy. It isn’t. You gotta do the work and no amount of client logos and lofty statements about your agency culture will replace it.
  2. Back up your elevator pitch with evidence — Quickly support your claim by framing yourself as an authority (once established it’s difficult for the client to undo) and demonstrating why you deserve to be called an expert, whether due to history, technology, specialty or something else equally differentiating.
  3. Tell them why it matters — Address the challenges your clients face and speak to what’s at stake if they’re ignored or not managed by an expert like you. This is a crucial moment and there should be an element of tension. You’re calling out the client on the big problem they need to solve while also offering a reason to bet on a better future.
  4. “Check the box” stuff — If you’ve captured their attention, you’re likely to have permission to rattle off the nuts and bolts of your credentials such as a list of relevant clients, your services, and your process. You’ve given the audience the context they need for this information to be meaningful.
  5. Your agency in action — Aka: case studies. So much can be demonstrated in a case study, even if it’s a short one-paragraph summary. You can show your process at work, illustrate the depth of your expertise (without saying the worn-out phrase “deep expertise”), and to invite the client to begin to imagine what life would be like with you by their side. I’m a believer in the power of three. Two won’t give you room to tell the whole story; four or more will try the patience of your audience. (If you present your case studies skillfully, you may not even need a separate section for the “check the box” stuff. Or you’ll need to rely on it less.)
  6. Your team — Agencies love to claim their people are their competitive advantage yet I rarely see an agency team presented in a compelling way. Take a critical look at your team and see if there aren’t common themes that emerge around the talent you attract, how you recruit, and what you do to continue their professional development. If your deck is explaining how you’re qualified to perform a specific scope of work, make sure your team description contributes to your argument.
  7. Demonstrate a POV — If you’ve got a strong strategic positioning, you’ve already accomplished this at the start of your deck and you may not need this section at all. But, if there’s more story to tell here, tell it now. What other unique attributes are you known for? Tie it into the narrative so they know why they should care.
  8. Tell them what happens next — Always be looking for ways to assert control over the new business process. Don’t assign the definition of next steps to your client. What do you recommend as next steps? What’s your buying process should the client want to move forward?
  9. How to reach you — Name, title, email and mobile phone of an agency leader who has the authority to scope and price projects and can have a substantive conversation about next steps. Also include website url and any other source for additional information. What’s more, make sure each slide has a contact email in the header or footer. Remove as much friction as possible on the path between them and you.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-makes-good-agency-credentials-deck-does-your-even-jody-sutter?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via

Good Cred Deck

Source: https://pitch.com/public/ee1a3531-a0bd-4582-a4bf-9da528a01c68/28c4c816-aa41-4503-9f8b-6dc429684244

Ten Storytelling Tips

Untitled

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sachinramje_10-storytelling-tips-from-elon-musk-to-nail-activity-7050097139799973888-XSVB/

Repetition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzzmqUoQobc

Source: https://kottke.org/17/10/heres-why-we-like-really-like-repetition-in-music

Speech Writing