The Biz Dev 100: Camilla Cramsie, head of new business, Creature

Name: Camilla Cramsie

Job Title: head of new business and marketing

Agency: Creature

What were your highlights of last year?

Joining the team here at Creature last October is number one. I joined fresh off the back of maternity leave having had daughter number two and was welcomed with all the usual warmth, excitement, interest, passion and general goodwill that anyone who knows the team here will be very familiar with. We've had some great opportunities and wins in the past 9 months as well which is a testament to the cracking people who work here. Looking after the bees on our roof is also pretty great.

What has been your most memorable win - and why?

Probably a Policing pitch for the Home Office a good 6 or 7 years ago now. It was the first pitch I'd worked on where I'd played a major role and it was an intense three-week pitch process, so winning it was an incredible feeling. It gave me a real thirst for the New Business side of agency life and prompted me to start thinking about a permanent move into new business from account management.

How would you describe your approach to business development?

There are so many elements to the new business role, it's easy to get bogged down in the sheer breadth of what you're getting to grips with every day, so I make sure I keep my priorities top of mind. My number one focus is getting that potential client through the door to meet the brilliant team here. I'm naturally competitive so I spend quite a lot of time scheming and making connections to make sure we're one of the agencies marketers put on their list to meet. A full pipeline of prospects and meetings is a delicious feeling. (Geek. Alert.)

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

One of my favourite bosses used to say when things got tough, "Guys, it's only advertising." Whilst I don't mean to make light of what we do, I think it's particularly important when you're working in New Business, where emotions can run high and the pressure is on, to keep your sense of perspective, and most importantly, your sense of humour.

What would be your number one tip to anyone starting in business development?

Always look for solutions and ways to solve problems, be a 'can do' person and remember: the devil is in the detail. That's three isn't it, oh well, over-delivery is no bad thing either.

What is your new business soundtrack?

Leftfield Space Shanty or similar gets me powering through when I need to tackle an RFI that won't write itself.

Brands looking to appoint a new agency should look to The Drum Recommends for help. The Drum Recommends offers reviews of agency partners by their own clients to offer insights to the rest of the industry when hiring.