Landing a contract with Ford as a diverse supplier requires a well-crafted approach. Let's dive into key things to avoid and what information strengthens your pitch.

The speaker emphasizes that the most important element in a pitch is understanding how your product or service aligns with Ford's specific strategy. They recommend avoiding generic presentations and instead tailoring your message to showcase a clear fit within Ford's existing plans.

The speaker highlights successful pitches that demonstrate how the product or service directly benefits Ford's manufacturing process, the end customer, or cost efficiency. They emphasize that highlighting cost savings, weight reduction, and time savings resonates strongly.

The speaker advises that after an unsuccessful pitch, it's crucial to understand why it failed. Was it the presenter's delivery, lack of specificity, or simply bad timing? Don't waste time refining a perfect pitch that wasn't rejected on its merits.

The speaker identifies the most common mistake in pitch decks as being generic and failing to clearly explain why the company is the ideal supplier.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of design thinking for crafting a successful pitch. This involves understanding your audience's needs and tailoring your message to showcase how your product or service directly benefits Ford's manufacturing or the customer experience. They recommend using storytelling and highlighting cost savings, weight reduction, and time savings to grab attention.

The speaker highlights that the best pitching advice is to be the most informed person in the room. Confidence built on thorough research and belief in your idea is key to convincing investors or buyers.

The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of a clear and comprehensive pitch deck that outlines your offering, its value proposition, customer benefits, accessibility, and trustworthiness (through case studies or testimonials). They emphasize that showcasing a commitment to continuous improvement resonates with large corporations.

Karen Dumas, founder of Images and Ideas Incorporated, has extensive experience in communications, including PR, public service as chief of communications for Detroit, and journalism across various media.

Karen Dumas, founder of Images and Ideas Incorporated, has extensive experience in communications, including PR, public service as chief of communications for Detroit, and journalism across various media.

The speaker stresses that PR is crucial for businesses of all sizes and should be used proactively. PR helps build a positive brand image and prevent crises, offering services beyond just crisis management like strategic planning and community engagement.

Marilyn & Karen describes two key experiences that shaped their understanding of PR. The first was a personal realization in college about the communication signals companies send through everyday interactions. The second was being mentored by industry giants who encouraged them to pursue a career in PR.

Marilyn & Karen highlights two main changes in the PR industry: 1) an influx of people who see PR as an easy fallback career, and 2) the rise of social media and a 24-hour news cycle. These factors require PR professionals to adapt and navigate new challenges and opportunities in a fast-paced digital landscape.

Marilyn and Karen emphasize the importance of learning from your mentors, both their strengths and weaknesses, and highlight the value of mentorship for young professionals.

Despite facing challenges like public scrutiny and a lack of early mentorship, Marilyn & Karen find their greatest professional difficulty came from understanding how to best serve clients with creative PR strategies.

Marilyn & Karen emphasizes the importance of client selection and collaboration. They look for honest, responsive clients who actively participate in their PR strategy, understanding that a successful partnership is key to achieving communication goals.

Marilyn & Karen clarifies that while marketing and PR are separate disciplines (marketing sells, PR builds reputation), they must be aligned. Negative PR can sabotage marketing efforts, so a strong brand image built by PR supports successful product or service sales.

Marilyn & Karen highlights the rise of social media and digital platforms as a major change in PR. People can now control their own narratives and access information instantly, diminishing the role of traditional media and requiring PR professionals to adapt to this new competitive landscape.

The speaker emphasizes lifelong learning and the importance of building strong relationships with clients and media. They highlight the decline of traditional media and the rise of social media platforms where anyone can control their own narrative. PR professionals must focus on having clients with valuable stories to tell.

Marilyn & Karen highlights honesty, integrity, and strategic self-promotion as key to success in PR. Media coverage is no longer the sole measure of a campaign, with social media engagement and audience response playing a larger role.

Marilyn & Karen discuss earned media, which is media coverage gained through merit, like being a subject matter expert, rather than through paid advertising. They then use themselves as examples of earned media by highlighting their professional accomplishments and contact information.