Agencies are dysfunctional. The best ones have great lateral-thinking people (creative, idea-centric) . . . and great liniear-thinking people (strategists, implementers). Without both, they either have no ideas or can’t execute the ones they have.

This “collaboration” creates constant conflict . . . which only gets resolved by the two “sides” working things “through” over time.

When it comes to new business, they try to do the same thing.

The problem is that new business operates on an unnatural timetable that doesn’t allow for that. So, the “sides” can’t really resolve the differences and, as a result, they wait until the moment when "they have no choice" and usually end up with a far-less-than great presentation . . . which is a real problem because it's the presentation and the people and how they perform that's important, not the ideas.

The solution is to appoint a Pitch Captain. A (rotating) person on the management team who decides everything: who will be on the pitch team, what they will say, what will be shown and drives the timetable. Everyone else can advocate, argue and comment, but after the P.C. makes a decision, they become loyal followers. That includes the CEO and ECD. This allows the presentation to come together in an optimum manner.

From Robb High’s New Business Boot Camp 2.0.