Demonstrating your capabilities

Our positioning makes claims of expertise. Usually in a vertical sector, or a particular discipline.

Having made these claims, we need to back them up with proof-points that demonstrate our promises are true. We typically do this through our credentials.

Education and qualifications.

Time in business.

Previous work.

Experience.

Awards.

Etc.

Before we’re awarded work, we almost always have to demonstrate our capabilities, in an introductory meeting, commonly known as a credentials, or creds meeting.

There can be a lot riding on it. It can feel nerve-wracking. So we feel pressure to ‘perform’.

It isn’t as simple as just showing past projects though.

Credentials meetings should be about establishing a good fit for both parties. It’s a process that needs careful consideration and thorough preparation.

Different types

Not all creds meetings are the same. They're usually conducted with new prospects, but sometimes they’re with a client you’ve worked with before.

This means that what your prospects know about you before the meeting can vary widely.

Sometimes a creds meeting is to assess your general capabilities. At others there’s a specific project in mind.

These variables can (and should) mean that you prepare for, and conduct, credentials meetings in very different ways.

A common factor across all creds meetings is that they're an opportunity for you to continue qualifying your prospective clients. (See last week’s article on Qualification if you missed it).

Objectives and outcomes

As with any meeting, it pays to begin by carefully considering the objectives of a credentials meeting.

For each different type of creds meeting (see above) there are certain things that a prospect will be seeking to learn about you.

Perhaps less obviously, it’s important to consider what you want to get out of a creds meeting.

For example, a simple, but often neglected objective, particularly with new prospects, is to find out what they already know about you. And whether it’s accurate.

We might think that potential new clients research us thoroughly before meeting us; reading through our back catalogue of content, and every case study on our beautifully written website. They don’t.

And hands up who’s website is out of date…

As well as our objectives, we should consider the outcomes of a successful credentials meeting.

How do we want them to feel about us afterwards?

And again, what will we have achieved? How will we feel about them and the work being discussed?

Preparation

Credentials meetings are usually quite short. Especially when a prospect is seeing multiple agencies.

So to make the best use of the precious time together, it helps to cover off as much as possible before the meeting itself.

To use the above example, you can ask them to tell you what they know about you in advance. Then you can use the meeting to emphasise the good points, fill in any gaps, and correct any misunderstandings.

You should also do your homework, researching both the people you’ll be meeting, and their company.

What’s going on in their category?

Who are their key competitors?

What are their biggest challenges?

Those are the kinds of things that should determine what you talk about and show. Not what you’re most proud of.

You should also decide who from your team should attend. It sounds simple, but fielding the right team is critical. As is assigning the right roles to everyone.

Getting that wrong will really irritate your prospect and dramatically diminish your chances of success.

People buy people

Sometimes, separate ‘Chemistry meetings’ are held to understand personal and cultural fit. If not, it’ll be one of the things being assessed in your credentials meeting.

Remember the old saying, it’s true. People buy people.

During the meeting

Whether conducted in-person, or online, all the usual meeting rules apply.

Arrive on time.

Make sure the tech works.

Be clear about the meeting objectives.

Start with a brief round of introductions.

Don’t overrun.

When I was working client-side, an agency arrived late to a creds meeting, leaving me and my whole team waiting for them. This was annoying enough, but when they eventually arrived, they were all carrying drinks from the local coffee shop. They’d clearly prioritised getting themselves a drink over arriving at the meeting on time. (We had to put up with crappy coffee from a machine!)

They’d blown it before they’d even arrived.

Now it’s time to make sure you avoid by far the biggest, and most common mistakes people make in creds meetings:

Speaking first.

Speaking too much.

Talking about yourself.

Doggedly trying to get through all of your 187 pre-prepared slides.

DON’T. DO. IT.

My rule of thumb is that you should aim to speak for the middle third of a credentials meeting. So 20 minutes (max) out of an hour. No more.

How you can help them

Your aim is to demonstrate how you can help them. Make them the hero of the story, not yourself.

There’s a lot more on all of this in my training course.

Lastly, wrap up the meeting with clear next steps. And if possible, book the next meeting to continue the conversation.

Follow up

As with preparation, following up after the meeting is vital.

Make sure it’s prompt (the next working day) and summarises the main points.

You may choose to include slides, or links. It doesn’t have to be exactly what you shared in the meeting though.

If you’re not connected already, this is a good time to connect on LinkedIn. People are much more likely to accept after they’ve met you, and while you’re still fresh in their mind.

Your positioning, value proposition, website, portfolio and networking should all aim to secure credentials meetings.

How you show up in these meetings is critical. They’re often the point when a prospect decides whether to work with you – or not. So it pays to get them right.

My Commercial Skills for Creatives training follows the five steps agencies go through to win work.

The third course in the series is called Running credentials meetings.

It covers the following:

• Identifying different types of credentials meetings

• Objectives and desired outcomes of each

• Preparation, before the meeting

• The importance of the team and who should attend

• Running the meeting itself

• Following up after the meeting

• Higher-level principles

• Practical dos and don’ts

  
  

Outcomes

✔ Awareness of the different types of credentials meetings.

✔ An understanding of what you and your prospect should get out of each.

✔ Confidence in running successful creds meetings, inc prep and follow up.

Here’s a link to the training course. Click the red ‘View course’ button for more content info.

I built a 100-person international design consultancy, before selling it.

Now I work independently, providing:

GROWTH ADVICE: Invigorating creative leaders

COMMERCIAL SKILLS TRAINING: Boosting creative careers