Business Development interview prep.

Senior agency new business coach - has run new business at a creative shop or media agency, owned the pitch list, written hundreds of RFP responses, led chemistry meetings, lost pitches and won them.

What interviewers look for

  • Can the candidate run a pitch end-to-end - qualification, capture, chemistry, RFP, tissue, final, debrief - not just project-manage the deck?
  • Do they understand pipeline economics - inbound vs outbound, qualification rigour, conversion rates by stage, time-to-close - or is BD just hope?
  • Can they orchestrate creative + strategy + media + account on a 4-6 week pitch sprint with no direct authority?
  • Do they navigate chemistry meetings + procurement + intermediaries - reading the room, defending rate card without losing the deal?
  • Are they commercial - rate card, scope of work, AFA design, margin protection - not just 'we'll figure it out in scoping'?
  • Can they learn from losses - structured debriefs, intermediary feedback, pattern recognition - or do they blame procurement every time?

Behavioural questions to expect

  1. Walk me through your career.

    What it tests: Story coherence + agency new business readiness. Chief growth officers and presidents want a line from your background through agency-side BD to why this firm specifically - not 'I drifted from account into new business'.

  2. Tell me about your most significant pitch win.

    What it tests: Depth + ownership + measurable outcome. Tests whether the candidate frames new business as won pitches + AOR conversions + attributed revenue - or vague 'we got along well with the client'.

  3. Tell me about a weakness, a failure, or feedback you have received and worked on.

    What it tests: Self-awareness + maturity. Fake weaknesses ('I work too hard on pitches') fail immediately. Senior new business professionals must show they can take CCO and CEO feedback without defensiveness.

  4. Why agency new business - vs client-side marketing, consulting BD, or martech sales?

    What it tests: Authentic interest in agency growth life. Agency new business is unusual: intangible product, creative + commercial tension, intense pitch sprints, win-or-lose binary outcomes, intermediary politics. Generic 'I like winning' answers fail.

  5. Why this firm?

    What it tests: Firm-specific homework + cultural fit. Bar: specific reasons grounded in this firm's recent pitch trajectory, capability mix, holding co context, and named conversations - not 'great creative work'.

  6. Why this move now in your career?

    What it tests: Strategic timing reasoning. Tests whether the move is reactive (burnt out, pushed) or considered + aligned with career arc.

  7. How do you see this firm's recent pitch trajectory + new business position?

    What it tests: Firm-specific homework + honest comparative read. Tests whether the candidate has done the work - trade-press review reporting, recent wins and losses, intermediary signal - or relied on the agency's own marketing.

  8. If you joined, what do you think the biggest new business priority would be in year one?

    What it tests: Strategic thinking + diagnostic instinct. Distinguishes candidates who have studied the firm from those who pattern-match.

Technical concepts to master

Pitch + RFP mechanics

Qualification + go / no-go
The disciplined decision to pursue or pass on an opportunity based on capability fit, holding co conflict, budget signal, decision timeline, and likely conversion.
Capture plan
Pre-RFP intelligence brief on the client, decision-makers, incumbent agency, evaluation criteria, and political context.
Tissue session
Mid-process meeting with the client to pressure-test strategic + creative direction before the final presentation; not always offered, but always taken when offered.
Scope of work + rate card
The commercial document defining deliverables, hours, fees, and rate card behind the pitch response; the most-negotiated artefact in any AOR pitch.

Prospecting + qualification + pipeline

Inbound vs outbound mix
Inbound (intermediary briefs, referrals, awards-driven, inbound web) vs outbound (sector targeting, CMO mapping, thought leadership, event presence); the mix shifts with agency stage.
Pitch intermediaries
Pitch consultants (AAR, ID Comms, Roth Ryan Hayes, Flock Associates, etc.) who run agency reviews on behalf of clients; relationships with them are core NB infrastructure.
Conversion economics
The funnel maths - lead -> qualified opportunity -> RFP invited -> chemistry -> shortlist -> final -> win; with conversion rates + time-in-stage at each step.
Holding co conflict checks
The discipline of checking holding co (WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, IPG, Stagwell, Dentsu) conflicts before pursuing - clients often restrict the holding co from working with a category rival.

Chemistry meetings + procurement + commercial

Chemistry meeting choreography
Deliberate attendee selection + conversation arc + room-reading approach for the first formal client meeting; gates entry to the RFP.
Procurement gate
Client procurement teams own commercial terms (rate card, scope, payment, IP, term); they are not the decision-makers on creative but they kill more deals than the marketing team.
Remuneration models
The pricing structures - retainer (monthly fee), project (fixed scope), value-based or outcome-based, hybrid - shaping the commercial conversation.
AOR vs project pitch
AOR (agency of record) pitches compete for multi-year integrated relationships; project pitches compete for a defined deliverable. They run very differently.

Agency review + market intelligence

Trade press monitoring
Daily monitoring of AdAge, Campaign, Adweek, The Drum and equivalents for pitch announcements, CMO moves, holding co news, and category shifts.
CMO mapping
Tracking which CMOs have just landed, which are on their way out, and what they did at their previous role; new CMOs often trigger agency reviews within 6-12 months.
AOR history + incumbent intelligence
Knowing which agency holds the AOR, how long, what work they've done, and what's likely driving a review; intelligence shapes capture plan.
Category + competitive set read
Understanding the client's category dynamics, competitive set, and recent marketing moves; gives the pitch strategic credibility from the chemistry meeting onward.

Practical drills

  • A category-leading client has issued an AOR review through a major pitch consultant. Response due in six weeks. Walk me through how you run the pitch end-to-end.
  • You have a 90-minute chemistry meeting with a target client next Tuesday. The CMO + brand director will be there. The agency is competing against three rivals. Walk me through how you prepare and run the meeting.
  • The CEO has asked you to build a 12-month plan to grow the agency's new business pipeline. Walk me through your approach, including target sources, qualification framework, and what success looks like at the 12-month mark with rough conversion maths.

Smart-question anchors

  • New business function structure - dedicated NB team vs shared; reporting line; CEO sponsorship
  • Pitch win-rate + KPI ownership - what NB is measured on at this firm
  • Intermediary relationships - which pitch consultants the firm works with + depth
  • Pipeline + qualification discipline - source mix + go / no-go culture
  • Recent pitch trajectory - notable wins + losses + what they signal

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