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The Perfect Pitch

Notes on My IWIRC Panel Experience
Authored by: Marianne S. Mortimer, Corporate Attorney, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, P.C.

I recently had the honor of moderating a panel, on behalf of the So-Cal Network of the
International Womens Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (or IWIRC), entitled,
The Perfect Pitch. The panel, which sought to provide tips of the trade in relation to
developing and delivering an effective and compelling prospective client pitch, was comprised
of three distinguished professionals in the restructuring community:
Mette H. Kurth, Partner at Fox Rothschild LLP in Los Angeles (The Lawyer),
Teri Stratton, Managing Director at Piper Jaffray in Los Angeles (The Banker),
Victoria L. Creason, Senior Managing Director of VLC Associates, Ltd. in
Chicago (The Advisor)
While each presented a different take on the subject, their collective perspectives on how
best to develop and deliver a solid pitch produced a number of invaluable points. Whether
one has a budding practice in the making, or a blossoming book, each of these savvy professionals summarized what they believe it takes to deliver a perfect pitch. Here are some of
the key takeaways from our discussion.

Be Prepared. The number one mistake made by

professionals when developing and delivering a prospective client pitch is the failure to sufficiently prepare.
All of our panelists agreed that this is a surprisingly
common occurrence noted by clients and professionals
alike and one that can be easily avoided.

fessional), as well as how you could collaborate with a

prospective client on the issues they will likely face in
the future. Most importantly, a well-prepared presentation can smooth over any perceived flaws you may
otherwise have in your presentation or capabilities,
such as a lack of experience within the prospects industry.

In summary, while each pitch will differ by circumstance, our panelists suggested that proper preparation Know Your Audience. According to our panelists,
the second most important aspect to delivering a solid
requires, at minimum, the following:
client pitch is to know your audience. As an initial matter, this means doing some diligence on the people with
Knowing your prospects industry (or, if you dont,
whom you will be meeting. This includes having a solid
bringing someone to the pitch meeting who does)
knowledge of a prospects:
Understanding your prospects pain points
Being able to highlight situational risks and opportunities targeted to your prospect
Background
Asking insightful questions that reflect a genuine Position in and history with the company
desire to better understand what keeps your pro- Political and professional motivations (including, for
spective client up at night.
instance, an understanding of the reason(s) why
you were invited to pitch).
At the end of the day, a well-prepared presentation will
speak volumes about who you are (as a firm and proContinued on page 5

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Having a better understanding of the people with
before concluding, or shortly following, a pitch
whom you are meeting will enable you to tailor your
meeting or call),
pitch to meet your prospects needs and wants. Connecting with and thanking any professionals
Above all else, people want to work with people
who were helpful in securing or preparing you
who are extremely capable and with whom they can
for the pitch,
relate. This means that when you are assembling If you are comfortable, placing a friendly call to
your pitch team, you will want to consider the skills
an insider to stay on the radar and obtain intel
and traits of your audience so you can properly align
on how best to follow-up, and
your team with theirs.
Graciously accepting the final decision - win or
lose.
Know Your Value Proposition. Our panelists
also noted that it is critical to know your elevator Even if you dont ultimately win the work you
speech before you walk in the door. This entails pitched, our panelists all agreed and had examples
being prepared to answer the inevitable why you to back it up that your demeanor and actions folquestion and being able to back it up with three lowing a pitch can make or break your chances of
compelling reasons that reflect the essence of what solidifying your position with a prospect for years to
you and your team can offer.
come. Ultimately, even losing with grace, and asking
for feedback on your performance, will reap rewards
When developing this message, our panelists sug- in the long run. In fact, some of our panelists noted
experiences where a graceful exit following a loss
gested keeping in mind:
deepened relationships with prospects and led to
work in the future.
The likely composition of your pitch audience
In addition to the pitch suggestions and tips, our
(and what will resonate best)
The particular circumstances of the matter at panelists offered a glimpse into their networking and
hand (and what skills will be required for a suc- business development styles by providing additional
tips for aspiring rainmakers.
cessful outcome)
Your personal strengths and weaknesses (and
how you can differentiate yourself/your firm If its Not a Relationship You Enjoy, Dont Attempt to Nurture It. If you dont get along with a
from your competitors).
potential prospect or source of business, move on.
While the message may get tailored and tweaked Not everyone will like you, and not everyone will
during a pitch meeting, having and capably delivering want to do business with you. If they dont, they
a general sense of your value proposition from the arent likely going to want to give you any business.
get-go will give you an edge that can resonate long It is more productive to spend your time and attention on truly enjoyable, and likely fruitful, relationafter youve left the room.
ships.
Follow-up and Be Gracious. Lastly, a pitch meeting does not end when you walk out the door or Cast a Wide Net. You never know from where
hang up the phone. Regardless of how you felt your next lead will come. By keeping a large netabout your performance, a pitch can be won or lost work, you are likely to find opportunities that otherin the follow-up. Each of our panelists stressed the wise you might not. Stay focused and be open to
importance of following up with a prospect in a working with new clients in different industries.
timely and attentive manner. A thoughtful follow-up Dont assume that just because an industry is slow,
there are no opportunities. Opportunities can arise,
could include any or all of the below:
or be created, when least expected so you need to
be open and ready to accept those that originate
Ensuring you have a sense of your prospects from your network and close personal connections.
considerations and timing for a decision (either
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Nurture Your Connections. In order to maintain your
relationships, you need to nurture them.
Stay in touch by sending along tidbits of information or
articles of interest to your contacts. This reinforces that
you are an invaluable resource who is in the know and
helps to keep you top of mind. In addition, actively helping and contributing to the success of your contacts is
another great way to earn good will.

performance) you can set a strong foundation for an

established career. At the end of the day, our careers will
likely be long ones in the restructuring industry, notwithstanding the ebbs and flows of the market. To pave that
pathway towards the end goal, we must nurture our development accordingly.

Overall, what was highlighted throughout our panelists

comments is the consistent theme that the softer skills
of client and relationship development can be just as critical to the success of your career as the more substantive
skills you develop every day. As Ive learned through my
own career, these softer skills are not typically taught
and often need to be independently developed. By focusing your personal and professional efforts towards building a vast and extensive network of contacts, and actively
working to improve your client and relationship development and maintenance skills (including your pitch

Marianne S. Mortimer is an attorney in Stradlings bankruptcy and restructuring practice. Ms. Mortimer has
a broad range of experience advising
clients on a variety of bankruptcy and
restructuring matters. She has represented corporate debtors, creditors,
and official and ad hoc creditor
committees in chapter 11 cases in
courts throughout the country.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Congratulations to IWIRC member Eve Karasik. Eve
was named Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year by the
Century City Bar Association. She received the
award on March 23, 2015 during the Bars 47th
Annual Installation Banquet and Awards Ceremony.
Eve also recently joined Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo
& Brill L.L.P., a Los Angeles-based law firm specializing exclusively in matters involving bankruptcy, business reorganization, commercial law, out-of-court restructurings and commercial litigation.

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