Most client projects start with the unenviable task of the tough sell—earning a company's trust and asking them to shun the status quo. During our 99U Studio Session we shared some of our techniques and put them to the test to help attendees learn how to get stubborn skeptics on their side.
2. Preparedby:
About Dan LaCivita
Dan LaCivita brings over a decade of experience to his role as CEO of Firstborn, an award-winning creative and
technology company headquartered in New York City since 1997.
Swiftly rising through the Firstborn ranks since joining in 2003, Dan has the hands-on experience of a former creative
developer, sharp strategic instincts honed from leading long-term client relationships, and innate leadership abilities that
drive Firstborn to be one of the most forward-thinking agencies in the world. His unique perspectives of being both a
thinker and a maker drive this same culture within the company.
Inside and outside the office, Dan can often be found shuffling a deck of cards—a nod to his expertise in the art of close-up
magic. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jen, and his own first- and secondborn, Eli and Luca.
About Firstborn
Firstborn is a digital creative agency based in New York. We help brands transform their businesses through strategies,
ideas, platforms, and content that strengthen their Experience Economies.
We partner with clients to disrupt their categories through the power of digital—from marketing and advertising, to new
product and service creation. Our culture of thinkers and makers from around the world work together to bring these
experiences to life, reshaping how brands like PepsiCo, American Express, HBO, Aflac, L’Oréal and Rolex offer value to
their consumers and differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
Firstborn’s work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including Clios, Cannes Lions, and One Show
Pencils; the agency, itself, has been placed on prestigious rosters such as Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies,
Advertising Age’s Agency A List, and Crain’s Best Places to Work in New York in both 2011 and 2014.
firstborn.com facebook.com/firstborn.nyc twitter.com/firstborn_nyc
7. And new ideas are filled with the unknown.
We’re skeptical of things we’re unsure of.
8. We are skeptical of new ideas because...
They require us to acknowledge that
we’re not currently doing things entirely right.
9. We are skeptical of new ideas because...
They require us to acknowledge that
we’re not currently doing things entirely right.
They often mean more work needs to be done.
10. We are skeptical of new ideas because...
They require us to acknowledge that
we’re not currently doing things entirely right.
They often mean more work needs to be done.
They ask us to take a risk.
11. To get a Skeptic over these hurdles,
we need to build a multi-layered strategy.
They require us to acknowledge that
we’re not currently doing things entirely right.
They often mean more work needs to be done.
They require taking a risk.
16. You’ll need to figure
out how to get your
Skeptic closer to
your way of thinking.YOU &
YOUR IDEA
YOUR
SKEPTIC
To do that, you’ll need
to know your Skeptic.
19. Introvert. Sensing. Feeling. Perceiving.
Avoid conflict and exude a quiet friendliness.
They are open-minded and sympathetic
but prefer not to work with others.
24. • Needs to see the whole picture
• More concerned with the
destination than the journey
• More comfortable with incomplete info
• Wants to be involved in the ideation process
APPROVER
SEEKER
28. The more you know
about your Skeptic,
the easier it will be to
connect with them...
...and convince them.
YOU &
YOUR IDEA
YOUR
SKEPTIC
29. How do you identify your Skeptic?
Online Digging
Channel your inner stalker
Past Decisions
What has your Skeptic green lit?
Phone a Friend
Tap into the Skeptic’s network
40. In 1995, retired NFL player
OJ Simpson stood trial for
the murders of his ex-wife
Nicole Brown and her friend
Ronald Goldman.
in case you missed it
41. Marcia ClarkState Prosecutor
She needed to convince the jurors
that Simpson killed Brown & Goldman.
Source: John Steel, Perfect Pitch
43. Marcia ClarkState Prosecutor
But she also needed to persuade them to act—
to return a guilty verdict.
Source: John Steel, Perfect Pitch
44. She forgot to do that.
Source: John Steel, Perfect Pitch
45. She forgot to do that.
Rodney
King
Distrust
of LAPD
Domestic
Violence
Personal
Connection
with Jury
Involving
Jury
Personally
Engaging
the Jury
Source: John Steel, Perfect Pitch
47. 1944
The ACS issued its first
warnings about smoking
$500MM
spent on anti-smoking
campaigns since 2012
480,000
smokers die every year
from smoking-related diseases
42MM Americans still smoke
55. “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses
—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on
the road, long before I dance into those lights.”
66. “There’s this instructional device between what is, and what
could be. What happens is, suddenly, what is does not look as
appealing as what could be with your idea adopted. So that
contrast starts to make the status quo undesirable, and this
new place in the future more desirable.”
-Nancy Duarte
Source: Nancy Duarte
67. “There’s this instructional device between what is, and what
could be. What happens is, suddenly, what is does not look
as appealing as what could be with your idea adopted.
So that contrast starts to make the status quo undesirable,
and this new place in the future more desirable.”
-Nancy Duarte
Source: Nancy Duarte
