Because you have done your research and have garnered clear objectives from your prospective client, you know the problem or opportunity at hand. Build a story around this knowledge, pulling in examples from previous successful programs and making it known how deeply you understand the business challenge at hand, before jumping into why your firm should be hired.
Tangential conversations can crop up when a nervous presenter veers off-topic, or when someone on the prospective client team asks a question that then refocuses away the conversation at hand into uncharted (and unplanned for) territory. Connect with your team beforehand and make sure everyone is clear on the intended outcomes of the pitch, and name someone the point person to reel everyone back in. Remember it’s totally fine to say something like “I am really enjoying this conversation, but in the interests of everyone’s time, I’d like us to table that for later and dive into a few of our campaign ideas.”
