A common role for an agency of record representing blue-chip brands is serving as first line of defense for various types of B2B pitches.  I sat through hundreds of these over the years:  sports properties, entertainment promoters, celebrities and influencers, non-profits, tech developers, and the list goes on.  Even if we ultimately gave our client a no-go reco, they were still great opportunities to pick up all kinds of valuable industry insights.

Of course, for every outstanding presentation, there was another that could’ve cured insomnia.  Maybe the team enjoyed the sound of their own voices.  Maybe they thought overwhelming amounts of data were the key to impressing people.  Maybe they were so enamored with their pristine 75-slide deck that they forgot it was, in fact, 75 slides.  Who knows.

Being a history buff (and not only because it’s a convenient source of inspiration for sales smarts), these experiences invariably led me to recall one of my favorite quotes of all time.  In the midst of WWII, Winston Churchill issued the following directive to Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty:

“Pray state this day, on one side of a sheet of paper, how the royal Navy is being adapted to meet the conditions of modern warfare.”

The context is what makes this so classic.  Churchill, a former First Lord of the Admiralty himself, was clearly exasperated with longwinded memos from his military brass.  Even, mind you, on topics as broad and important as this.  He was also staring annihilation by Luftwaffe in the face, a situation that called for complete and accurate defense intelligence at all times.  The point is, if this type of request is coming from one of modern history’s greatest leaders as Western civilization was on the brink of collapse, then you can afford to give your own POV a word diet.

After all, that’s what a good sales pitch is, right?  It’s your point of view on a particular challenge faced by your prospect, what’s needed to solve it, and how you’re going to save the day.  This is obviously a gross generalization, but it serves as the backbone of a strong pitch.

And that was my message to my team coming out of the aforementioned presentations.  I always liked to use them as teaching moments for our own sales materials.  As in any agency, business development was everyone’s responsibility.  Renewing retainers, expanding scopes of work, responding to RFPs—all of these were sales jobs in some way, shape, or form.  This required shrewd minds and sharp communications.

So, what sort of factors should you consider when it comes to presentation length?  My POV, if you will, would be to ask 10 questions as part of what I like to call the Churchill Test.

1. Is it fit for purpose? For instance, if you absolutely must include your start-up’s backstory for some reason, fine.  But please don’t do it three meetings in.
2. Does each slide advance the offer? If all your prospect cares about are your local capabilities, why are you dedicating valuable real estate to your global network?
3. Is it clear? Like, really clear?  Unless you’re speaking to end users, keep the industry jargon at bay.  Execs making the decision want (and need) plain English.
4. Is the copy presentation-friendly? Headers, bullets, and takeaways are pretty much all you need.  Protracted sentences and **gasp** paragraphs lead to them reading rather than listening.
5. Have you minimized the content without sacrificing the message? Cut ruthlessly.  Add to your talk track if necessary.  You can always insert more detail into a leave-behind.
6. Can you condense things with visuals? Sometimes a strong graphic or visual aid supported by your voiceover can take the place of various text-heavy pages.
7. If it’s long, is it long for a reason? Different sales stages require different content.  Some industries are more complex than others.  Just make sure what you’re packing in is essential.
8. Could it use an appendix? Your awards, client list, case studies, leadership bios, technical diagrams, etc. are all great.  Are these really that important when the clock’s ticking, though?
9. Does it leave time for discussion? If the meeting’s an hour, do not create an hour-long presentation.  They’re going to have questions, and Q&A is fertile ground for persuasion.
10. Does it bore you? Ad god David Ogilvy once said, “You cannot bore people into buying your product.”  Be your own litmus test.

The Churchill Test can be a great guide for trimming any pitch, particularly one for that all-important first meeting.  Keep in mind that concise doesn’t always mean “short.”  The goal is to say what you need to say and say no more.

That goes double if you’re pitching the Prime Minister.

Feel like you’ve written a novel when what you need’s a pamphlet?  Can your printouts dent concrete?  Let’s take a look and see how we can thin things out a bit.