How to Write a Kickin’ Capes Deck!
Hello and welcome to AAR Partners’ new biz quick tips shared exclusively with our AAR Partners Agency Growth Program Partners.
The infamous creds deck… for almost two decades I have been watching agencies present their credentials deck to me and then waiting for my reaction to the presentation. Let me start by saying that I have been asking agencies for years to ditch the term creds deck and replace it with capabilities (or capes) deck.
What’s the difference?
Well, credentials are what you’ve accomplished and capabilities are your competencies, potential, proficiencies. In other words, credentials are the results of your capabilities. When meeting with a prospective client for the first time you certainly want to show your accomplishments but not before you highlight the qualifications you and only you can offer that are needed to help solve their brand challenges.
Let’s start with the fact that a capabilities deck is to inform, educate and maybe even entertain a bit. And like any good story, there must be s storyline that threads everything together in a brief 8-10 pages (or shorter, if possible).
So what do you include in these pages? Certainly not everything and the kitchen sink. I have sat through 20-30 pages of a “creds” deck and it is looooonnnggg. Like any good presentation – engage with a story.
- Why you? What’s your story? Your USP? Start with the why and make sure that why threads through every one of the following pages.
- Reason to Believe – support your why and get them to trust you. What is the reason for them to believe that your agency is the agency that only offers what you’re offering and why should they care!
- What’s your agency “formula” or “secret sauce” or philosophy behind your strategic and creative thinking? What is your process to help solve business (not just brand) challenges and again, this should tie back to your USP.
- Bring it to life – now here is the creds part – highlight three mini case studies to help exemplify your capabilities; Showcase your thinking; resources; talents; results and here is the extra credit – make it relevant to their brand needs!
- Highlight your core team and why they are a culturally compatible team internally and externally
- Why are you interested in the prospect’s brand and challenges? Rational reasons are terrific but emotional reasons are richer.
- Offer some top line thinking about the category; consumer or overarching challenges to highlight those credentials as a result of your capabilities
- What’s next – don’t end with thank you! Assertively and tactfully talk about best next steps to help their brand. Just the way you would recommend a direction in a final pitch, you should recommend the best next steps.
- Don’t make it difficult for them to contact you – share all ways to Sunday on how the prospect can contact you and make it easy for them to reach you.
Bottom line? Be brief. Be informative. Be gone.
Most of all make every word count. We often find ourselves detailing year founded; number of offices; disciplines; client roster; key executives. Not that all the logistics aren’t important. But clients are more interested in knowing: Relevant thinking that resonates; short cases that show business solutions; data translated into usable insights; predictive modeling and analytics; talent behind the team and what you’re bringing to the table… all within 8-10 slides.
There you have it. That’s my counsel on this topic and I hope it helps. Look out for more of my new biz quick tips shared exclusively with AAR Agency Growth Program Partners…
