| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience? | |
|---|---|
| Larry Caringi - VP Client Partnerships | All agency discipline experience no client side -AD, PR, MedComm |
| Patrick Kearns | 16 years in business development roles. Last 2.5 years at Syneos. Prior 13.5 years at medical publisher BD roles such as Medscape - with agency lite services. No other standalone agency experience other than Syneos. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Been in the industry for 20+ years. Previously, was at Boehringer Ingelheim from 2003-2007. In 2007, I moved over to the agency side, initially in med comms with Synapse. Accounts included Bayer, Genentech, Onyx, BMS. In 2008, moved to DraftFCB as SVP account services - accounts included Merck, Vivus, GSK, BI, MedImmune/AZ. From 2012 until 2021 was with Evoke SF (formerly Giant Creative Strategy) as Managing Director and then Chief Growth Officer |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | I have spent the majority of my entire career on the contract side of healthcare. I started in outside sales and moved into management with many different Pharma companies, most notably Novartis and BMS. I took a 12 year hiatus to raise my family and came back into the workforce with GSW/Syneos health 9 years ago. Since then I have been working in New Business |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | I work with our internal new business teams to drive conversion from incoming RFPs to Pitch. I also complete RFI documents for agency teams to submit to potential clients. Within the past year, I've primarily supported new business opportunities in public relations and our digital & media landscape across communications. |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | worked on the account management side for GSW for 5 years before moving into new business. Worked with clients such as Gilead, Ethicon Endo Surgery, Takeda, Abbott Vascular, and Eli Lilly. |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | I have been in the healthcare advertising field since 2019, starting from Viscera (now VMLY&R Health), in their business development team, focusing on rare disease accounts and supporting new business for RFP's and occasional prospecting as well. A few of those clients were Biogen, Atara Bio, Ultragenyx, BioMarin, Vertex Pharma, Gilead, GSK and other top Pharma companies. In addition, with Marketing initiatives as well. Earlier in 2021, I shifted my focus to Account Strategy and Planning on Rare Disease, specifically Alexion, with a hybrid role in it's New Business activities as well. I was supporting both the PNH and aHUS indication's with their account planning, new project strategies and tactical planning, both for Ultomiris. In Sept 2021, I shifted to the Syneos Health Ad Growth Engine team and currently working on New Business Growth Strategy and management. |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | 20+ years experience in account management with GSW |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | I work with our internal agencies on new business conversion |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | Prior to Syneos, I worked on the Walmart account at FCB Chicago, I also worked for Ron Foth Advertising on Safelite Autoglass, Rusty Bucket, Bob Evans, and Santa Monica. I worked on the client side for an estate planning/asset protection law firm for a bit as well. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | 25 years as a growth leader within healthcare advertising agencies. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Agency Experience: Syneos Health 2.5 yrs; WebMD/Aptus Health - 4 years (Business Development at both companies) Client Side Experience: Boehringer Ingelheim - Director Omnichannel Center of Excellence - 4 years; Bristol Myers Squibb 14 years - Abilify DTC Marketing, Ability Sales Operations Lead, Convatec (Medical Devices) Global Digital Marketing, Global Medical Marketing, Marketing Lead - Burn Care |
| What has been your role in the new business and organic growth efforts of the agency? | |
| Larry Caringi - VP Client Partnerships | New business development |
| Patrick Kearns | 100% dedicated to business development in a prospecting and procurement relationship lead role for global accounts. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | To source additional opportunities for the agencies and to help identify potential organic growth opportunities for existing clients |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | I have been involved in targeting, prospecting and responding to new business requests. I currently build capabilities presentations and pull together RFI/RFP responses. I am responsible New Business operations and content curation. I also support Salesforce across our Communication group. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | As a BD coordinator, I help advance SYNH Comms agency teams in their conversion efforts by managing timelines, team members responsibilities, orchestrating cross-functional connections, pitch rehearsals, and more behind-the scenes action from receiving an RFP to Pitch. |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | pitch excellence for converting new business opportunities - I manage an agency agnostic team that provides support to the agencies when they pursue a new business opportunity. Inclusive of pitch/project management, strategic story development, rehearsal running/coaching, content mgmt, presentation development, etc. |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | I have been partnering with Sharon Boyden, VP Growth Strategy, on various RFP, Pitch and supporting the Business Development individuals with their initiatives as well. My focus has been on all Advertising pitches, and recently mostly Managed Markets. Lately, I have been also supporting Donna on the Operations side to shape up our content and build new content for RFP's and new business initiatives. |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Lead the proactive marketing and reactive response to BD |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | I support the conversion of new business opportunities by connecting agencies to people/products in the network, providing pitch management support & leading the process, advising teams strategically, leading pitch rehearsals and coordinating all design/editorial support. |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | My role as the BD coordinator is to coordinate all new business/growth projects across the Syneos Health advertising agencies by assisting in pitches/written proposal processes. I have an active role in the day-to-day delivery of pitch excellence, creating a more fluid and organized process within pitch/proposal development projects by helping coordinate and define meeting structures and purposes. I also actively develop and refine pitch content and story flow to ensure we are answering the ask and going above and beyond in our delivery. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | I prospect and I manage the team. I am a player coach. Our team lives above the agency brands and have account ownership. they are responsible to sell across advertising, PR, medical communications and payer marketing. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Leading business development for the West U.S. (Mid west to the west) for all of our biotech clients of all sizes (top 20 to Small emerging companies |
| List the agencies that you do/will compete against most often in competitive reviews/RFPs. In the eyes of clients, what do they provide of value that you do not? | |
| Patrick Kearns | Large holding companies - WPP, IPG, Publicis, Etc. Main advantages of these agencies is scale / number of employees, range of agencies able to handle conflict and full range of DTC and HCP expertise vs Syneos who is smaller as a comms group, lacks DTC expertise and fewer number of agencies overall. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Areas 23, McCann, FCB Health, Abelson Taylor, The Bloc, Klick, etc. Some of them perceive the competition stronger creatively |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | McCann, Fingerpaint, Havas, Ghg, Triple Threat They are seen as having more DTC and OCX experience |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | N/A- I am not aware of our frequent competition as I have a strictly internal role. |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | IPG, Omnicom, Publicis, Eversana, Havas... potentially stronger global footprint, collection of agencies to choose from (holding companies), DTC experience, deeper digital expertise |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | Fingerpaint, McCann Health, VMLY&R, WPP etc. They might have stronger strategy towards patients and competitive pricing. |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | HAVAS, Area23, McCann... DTC experience |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | Area 23, Fingerpaint, Havas, Grey, Since I am not on the agency side, I do not have any client interaction and do not have insight into where they provide value and we do not. |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | FCB Health Digitas Health Omnicom Health A lot of the time I think we are seen as more strategic and clinical, whereas other agencies are seen as more creative shops that break out of healthcare. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | Our PR team is white hot and win everything. Advertising needs the most help. We come in second often. The reasons are cited as weakness compared to the competitors in data, digital, creative, DTC....our heritage is more physician centric marketing with some patient. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Evoke, Havas, Area 23, In Touch, Precision Value, Capgemini, Deloitt - I feel they have stronger branding, a solid story around their offering and better case examples |
| Overall, where have you experienced the greatest challenges with competitive reviews/RFPs? When you don’t win, what are the most common reasons? Consider internal challenges as well as external prospect challenges. | |
| Patrick Kearns | see above. Additionally we struggle to come up with killer ideas / concepts easily and often have convulated processes to come to a single minded proposition. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Based upon my experience, its typically cost or relationship as the driver for losses. Seldom is the strategy wrong but creativity (or perception) or based on prior relationships tends to be the most common areas |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | I think that our biggest challenge currently is our business strategy. We need to get better at putting a stake in the ground, and support it with a solid business strategy. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Some general situations I've experienced in my time within new business at Syneos includes: playing by the rules a little too closely, resulting in a loss as we did not push the ball as much as other competition. We've also lost new business to the client's incumbent agency, even though RFPs were sent out in hopes of onboarding a new agency, I've noticed client's backing out last minute and using the team they already have which is incredibly frustrating. Another result of a loss includes us not having enough "experience" as an agency to be awarded work, specifically in the digital/OCX space. Overall, most of the reasonings I've seen for losses are due to other competition standing out more than us. In my experience, we've come in second place a lot of the time. |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | another agency goes more above and beyond the ask than we do or has better case studies to demonstrate deeper experience in a specific area |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | Greatest challenges is being able to serve CX or general strategy, especially custom towards the RFP. We are above and beyond, but need to be specific with Strategy and Experience. Especially because of the client work load we have and balancing that with New Biz. Getting resources early is also a challenge, and Las getting creative early to be able to improve or comment is also an internal challenge. Having the account person involved is also a challenge sometimes. |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Defining the business opportunity and how we will reach it, creative and experience- the connection between the two. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | Challenges with new business opportunities - staffing - with agencies having a focus on billable work, new business becomes a side job and availability is so slim - also related to staffing, we don't have a strong pitch bench - RFP timing and/or ask being unreasonable External feedback on why we don't win - other agencies going "above and beyond" the RFP ask (or more above/beyond than than we do - this is a best practice we do flex in most RFPs since it seems to be cost of entry now) - creative weaker than others or they don't see the connectivity between strategy and creative - other agencies having better (or more understandable) global footprint - sometimes we seem too big - smaller clients feel they could be a small fish in a huge pond |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | The greatest challenges often come internally with last minute changes to the thinking that changes our whole story. A lot of the times when we don't win they say it's because of the relationship with the winning agency. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | We take on a ton of pitches. The agencies feel tremendous pressure to pitch. We have burned them out. there have been many new leaders providing different go/no go criteria. We have a strong strategy team but our creative teams are decentralized regionally with no leader. The Syneos brand isn't synonymous with advertising. It's better known as a Pharma research organization and a contract sales org (rent sales reps). |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Showing compelling and relevant examples of our work and experience |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| Patrick Kearns | A fully integrated healthcare communications network, built within a product development organisation. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | 100% healthcare focused Vertically integrated to seamlessly solve your key challenges Have supported >90% of products approved by the FDA over the past 5 years |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | Our passion for healthcare runs deep in our veins at GSW. Our focus on healthcare is more than a business strategy, it's our mission. This mission is propelled even further by the Lab to Life corporate philosophy of our parent company Syneos Health. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | Full service collection of communications agency 100% dedicated to helping healthcare clients around the world achieve their business objectives and get their products in the hands of those patients who need them. Powered by the only truly end-to-end product development company which gives you access to some of the 28,000 experts we have on the frontlines of healthcare to fuel more holistic solutions that make an impact. |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | Nimble, Proactive and Strategic. |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | A healthcare only network, with agencies that complement each other to provide you with a holistic connected conversation with all three main customer groups- HCP, patient and payer. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | Syneos Health Communications offers integrated strategic, creative, and operational expertise to help you optimize performance, reduce risk, and expedite delivery of healthcare innovation to patients and healthcare professionals worldwide. |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | As an agency completely devoted to healthcare, we are fiercely focused on health; it's more than just our business, it's our passion. With experts spanning the globe touching every corner of local markets that affect your business, Syneos Health has access to front-line experts who can lean in on the most pressing challenges at a moments notice. We take creativity to the next level bringing your brand to new heights while becoming a reliable and trusted extension of your own team. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | Syneos Health is 100% focused on the pharmaceutical industry. We understand the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem better than any other |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | GSW specializes in advertising and promotion for biopharmaceutical clients across all key customer segments including HCPs, patients and payers. We are particularly strong in digital promotion and customer experience design for Oncology (I would reference the specialties and therapeutic areas the prospective client I was talking to would care about the most) |
| If you’ve participated in proactive prospecting, how would you define your most important prospects and prioritization of that list? | |
| Patrick Kearns | 1. Align to agency areas of TA expertise 2. Align to existing case studies / creative examples 3. Pipeline analysis - number of new launches in next 3 years. 3. Look a like companies to existing business. |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | Our most important prospect our the Pharma top 50 clients. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A does not apply to my role |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Top 20 Pharma. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | N/A |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | -- |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | building a portfolio of customers that aligns with the brand story. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | 1) Likelihood to buy (e.g. they have a compelling need or based on market factors like their launch timing I know they will have a need) 2) People that are familiar with our company and have a positive perspective of the company 3) Potential deal size |
| How are you currently reaching out to your target prospects? For example, are you emailing, calling, sending messages through social media, etc.? If so, what has been most effective in generating a response? Please be specific. | |
| Patrick Kearns | Focus on emailing and social selling. Attend industry congresses and award ceremonies when possible for in person networking Tend not to cold call or using other platforms such as SMS / WhatsApp. Email has been effective. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Am doing all the above and very dependent from client to client. Some are very responsive to emails, some are more open to texting/calling |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | Our Comms BD team has target customers and actively prospects. The rest of our new business team is more focused nonreactive responses. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A does not apply to my role |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | We have direct sales, social media, though leadership, industry publications and some digital marketing. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | N/A |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | -- |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | LinkedIn, Thoughtleader emails. Linkedin is working |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Leveraging personal connections through colleagues or referencing work we are already doing with their company or colleagues |
| Knowing how busy agency teams are, how effectively are you able to consistently follow up with your targeted prospects? (10 = consistently: never let top of mind interest and awareness drop; 1 = inconsistent fits and starts) | |
| Patrick Kearns | 10 |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | 8 |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | 6 |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | 8 |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | 7 |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | 9 |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | 7 |
| Separately from one-to-one outreach, are you (or is your agency) doing any content marketing to generate awareness and engagement with your prospects? | |
| Patrick Kearns | it tends to be done at a syneos level. But there is content developed specifically for SNYH communciations. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Not that I am aware of - unless I happened to see something that a prospect posted |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | Our Comms marketing teams has done some social media campaigns. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | yes, we have a team that does marketing of our communications division as well as some of the individual agencies |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A does not apply to my role |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Yes |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | N/A |
| Skylar Moore, Advertising Growth Coordinator | Yes |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | yes, there is a marketing team that does PR and some thought leadership |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Some but it's limited |
| Getting more specific with your first meeting (virtual or in-person), what is the typical approach? What is the agenda and content you take a prospect through? | |
| Patrick Kearns | short 15 minute max elevator creds deck - 10 slides max. Try and have a conversation rather than show slides. Focus on examples of previous work, Etc. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Set the agenda and share in advance to ensure meeting objectives For capabilities - as the client to walk through their business as an overview and then share key capabilities and additional thought starters to initiate the follow up/proposal process. In addition, I share case studies that are relational to their challenge versus only therapeutic areas. Also, allow for time in agenda for discussion |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | When I set up a meet and greet with a new contact I typically like to get to know them and understand the challenges or problems that they are looking to solve for, and then I will do a brief high-level capes review of GSW/Syneos Health. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A does not apply to my role |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Capabilities, problem identification, ideas. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | N/A |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | I've been doing 15 min intro meetings where I share our POV. I introduce Syneos, gently compare and contrast them to the network agencies. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | I give them a high level overview of our expertise and capabilities as it relates to their role, then I learn more about their role, key priorities, compelling needs and shift the conversation to what our experience is around their key needs and priorities and entice them for a follow up call to hear how we can address their key needs |
| What percentage of your warm leads stall in your pipeline? In other words, what percentage of your leads initially respond but ultimately never convert? | |
| Patrick Kearns | 50% |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | 70% |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | 50% |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | 50% |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | 20% |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | 30% |
| Overall, where have you experienced the greatest challenges with proactive prospecting? Consider internal and external prospect challenges. | |
| Patrick Kearns | it is my full time role so no challenges in conducting prospecting but having new things to talk about sometimes an issue. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Generating engagement from initial response forward |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | I my experience, when you are on the vendor side to any business no matter what your role you are in sales. Delighting the customer and continually looking for new and innovative solutions is what fuels the business. It's the old 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of new business should come from existing customers. Building business with existing customers is easier on all aspects of the business vs. chasing new business and onboarding new customers. Over the past 5 years we have done too much chasing and not enough growing. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | Not applicable |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A does not apply to my role |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | Getting onto rosters and being considered outside of the familiar. |
| Charlotte Rutherford - Associate Manager, New Business | N/A |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | Getting the face to face meeting |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | Having content that is compelling for the second meeting. Much of this has be to created and therefore takes time to create. |
| On a scale of 1-10, when engaging a prospect, how effectively do you lead with the benefits your agency will provide them? For example, how well do you lead with a focus on the prospect and their growth opportunities – versus selling the agency, its capabilities and case studies? (10 = I always have a point of view about the prospect and how we can help grow their business; 1 = I tend to only talk about the agency and our capabilities) | |
| Patrick Kearns | 9 |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | 8 |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | 5 |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | 9 |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | 7 |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | 7 |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | 8 |
| Any final thoughts for us as we prepare to lead you through the training program? | |
| Patrick Kearns | As i am 100% focussed on prospecting - how can i be more effective? what tools and systems could i put in place to do this day in day out. |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | Looking forward to this training |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | 1. we are 100% dedicated to healthcare so some things I have seen come from Mirren in the past (geared towards consumer goods and other industries) will need customized to be made relevant. 2. we have separate teams for prospecting and then conversion of opportunities received 3. there will be a mix of participants from different agencies that provide different services, thus have different processes, tools, and approaches to new business |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | Making sure all resources being used for an RFP are on the same page of the goal to getting the work in as the growth leaders are. Otherwise, it's a one-sided lane. |
| Greg Lewis - SVP New Business | Network consolidation hurts us. We are sometimes kept from the actual buyers by procurement. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | I'm looking forward to the training |
| Please list any Mirren conferences, workshops or webinars you’ve participated in. | |
| Patrick Kearns | none |
| Eric Steckelman, VP Business Development, Communications | I had participated in one conducted at AKQA in San Francisco (around 2014/2015) titled, Keeping the business when you are the incumbent. |
| Donna Racik, VP of Growth Operations | I went to a Mirren conference 4 years ago in NY. |
| Kerrigan McVicker-BD Coordinator, Growth Engine | N/A |
| Cortnee Scale SVP, Growth Engine | I have attended two Mirren Lives in the past and watched several available pre-recorded trainings and attended other virtual series. |
| Sam Maqsood, Senior Growth Strategist | N/A |
| Matthew Mizer, EVP Brand Expression and Growth | I have been to Mirren live 3 times. |
| Melissa Bojorquez - VP of Communications Business Development | None |