The Ultimate Warrior , if you didn ’ t know
Lindsay Neyjahr takes a look at the concept of ‘ flexibility ’ in the event professional industry
I ’ m not talking about your downward dog or warrior pose – although I ’ m a massive advocate of exercise for both physical and mental wellbeing . Being flexible is a massive buzz word when pitching to clients , and a key requirement throughout the events industry . This isn ’ t particularly new , but it ’ s at the forefront of event professional ’ s minds as the world continues to emerge from the pandemic .
The past few years have been rough , I ’ m not ashamed to say that I was almost broken and struggling with the near constant changes to our lives caused by the pandemic . As a creature of habit ( I always order the same takeaway food ), it took a while to adapt
Lindsay Neyjahr Strategy Director Identity
to the new ‘ norm ’. Working in events , particularly now in pitches , did provide an element of preparation for this . The ability to modify a planned course of action , or overcome a challenge presented , is a core skill in a pitch team and in fact across most departments in the events industry .
The spectrum of flexibility within procurement is vast . Government tenders are
restricted and structured and as inflexible as an Uber driver on a Friday night . Whereas corporate briefs can be loose , with little detail and too much scope , causing frustrations in refining a response to the ageold question : “ What do clients want ?”
There is no cookie cutter approach to pitch responses . Getting under the skin of a client , dissecting a brief and then adapting the response accordingly is critical to success . Timelines change , briefs updated and like buses they all land at once , which can disrupt the whole process .
Maybe I am talking about a downward dog after all . The benefits of yoga can be applied to pitches : increased flexibility ; strength and tone ; improved performance at work . Here ’ s to the next warrior pitch response .
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