In one recent pitch, every team member had a different favorite agency — all justified by the same scorecard. That’s when it hit us: objectivity is comforting, but it’s often a mask. A truly good process creates shared understanding, not just shared numbers. Creativity, Strategic thinking, Chemistry, Price, Cultural Fit. Detailed scorecards, measured criteria and team evaluations. Looks scientific and professional. But: Everyone scores differently depending on mood, background, and internal politics. And let’s be honest: even the term strategy means very different things to different people in the same room. Sometimes the decision feels right — or wrong — long before the scoring sheet is filled. But most companies suppress that instinct because it seems unprofessional. Ironically, that’s when mistakes happen: when teams ignore what their experience and intuition are already telling them. Better to really assess the team work and team performance of the agencies: Do they all show interest, challenge you, ask for more information and always act consistently – who is (not) talking? What if you visit their premises? Does it still feel like their shiny powerpoints, branded shirts, amazing references and great teams calls?

For us, it’s okay to trust your gut — when you’ve done the work to understand why it’s reacting that way. Get the briefing and the pitch documentation right: Bad briefing – bad pitch. For sure!
When the pitch process is too “objective,” stakeholders feel safe — but don’t talk. They fill out their sheets, then argue over numbers rather than meaning. Misalignment isn’t solved by Excel. It’s solved by dialogue from the very beginning – involving most stakeholders. We have done it like that many times, found partners and built true realtionsships. And even the agencies enjoyed this process. Let’s pitch together!