No one ever prepares you for what it's like to wait on the results of a pitch

This week we pitched a campaign concept to evolve a brand we recently introduced to the market.

It was intense. Late nights, early mornings, working through lunch, pitching, repitching, throwing ideas out only to bring them back in.

Yesterday, we pitched our first round of computer comps to the account team.

I was nervous, but proud. Our work was solid, it was on brief, and it had a distinct voice.

The other members of the team pitched their ideas too. All of it solid.

Then it came, something I was entirely unprepared to hear.

The creative director recommended my team's campaign as the best concept for the client. This includes his campaign, the ECDs campaign and the senior teams campaign.

I just about jumped out of my chair and kissed him. I could barely contain my pride. 

Until...

Until he recommended that we take 24 hours to improve on all the work. 

We worked hard all day today to perfect our campaign, as did the rest of the team. 

We will represent to the account team on Monday to pick our final two campaign recommendations to the client.

And despite the momentum behind our idea, I'm going to be on pins and needles until the decision is made. And then I'm going to be on pins and needles until the client makes their decision. 

If our campaign gets picked, I'll be on cloud nine.

If it doesn't, well that's just something I'll have to learn to deal with on my own.

The point is, no matter how good your program is, nothing will ever prepare you for the first time you pitch a true campaign to a client and how to handle victory or defeat.

PJL