Everyone associates Saatchi & Saatchi with Mrs Thatcher
and the Conservative Party, but in fact Garland Compton, in the days before it
became Saatchis, pitched and won the business in the run-up to one or other of
the previous 1974 elections. Both were effectively won by Labour, so it’s not
surprising that there’s no residual memory.
But I recall the pitch. It was one of the most frightening
experiences of my life. The great and good of the party, led by the terrifying
Lord Carrington, were lined up in front of me, waiting for my words of wisdom.
I hyperventilated, scarcely able to get a word out.
How on earth did we win the work? I've no idea.
Afterwards, I told one or two people what had happened to me
and got consistent advice, best summed up as: ‘You’d probably be better off not
doing presentations. Stick to what you’re good at, whatever that is.’
Of course, that made me determined to get better at
presenting – and at dealing with my nerves in such scary situations.
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