Flash Report – V25.9

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

HEADING INTO FALL – Has your agency come up to speed?

1. You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But They & Agencies Don’t Always Abide
2. Some Simple But Critical Agency New Business Quick Fixes
3. Heavy Thinking – Where Did Your Confidence Go?
4. Your Agency New Business Expenses Are Essential
5. Oil and the Squeaky Wheel

YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT AGENCIES DON’T ALWAYS ABIDE

Sometimes Amused: As the owner of an agency search consulting service, I’m sometimes amused when an advertiser is surprised when not every invited agency isn’t interested in their opportunity. Maybe that harks back to the days when consultants were guilty of sending out 50+ RPF’s (i.e. – the infamous cattle call) and waiting for the chips to fall. Under today’s circumstances, you might expect agencies to pounce on everything new that comes their way. That’s clearly not the case, and never was, but for any company looking to engage new “marketing outsources,” (continued)

SOME SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL NEW BUSINESS QUICK FIXES

As we telephone and speak with our enrolled agencies, we see where a quick-fix would make all the difference. Consider the following and implement as you see fit!

1. Your Contact Us Page – beyond your fill-in-the-blank templates, be sure to show your firm’s physical information.  Name, address, phone, fax, e-mail. No prospect wants to provide information to an agency that could be thousands of miles away, or in a location they deem unacceptable.
2. You need a Team, Staff, Leadership or Founders Tab with data. Best to have photos of everyone with name and title (don’t make them click to find out) and if you see fit, a clickable link to a short bio.
3. If you use an automated phone-answering system, make the first choice – “If you’d like to speak with us about handling your account, press #1” Then proceed with the others. If the caller can’t reach their intended party, if you offer the “Operator” option, be sure that extension is always covered with a real person. Rotate through more than one if necessary. Nothing presents disorganization better than voicemail on the Operator extension!

HEAVY THINKING – WHERE DID YOUR CONFIDENCE GO?

If there has ever been a year when our confidence has taken a knock to the chin, it’s this one. If you are like most agency owners, January and February gave every indication that 2020 was going to be a break-out year for you.

Many agencies reported the most robust January they’d had in a decade and were looking to exceed year-end goals. And then COVID hit. Many of us went two to three months, feeling it was inappropriate to sell at all, and when we did, it was a bit apologetically.

As if that was not enough, the combination of COVID, racial tensions, economic challenges, back to school maybes, and just feeling like we are still being restricted and contained at every turn has caused an underlying malaise in just about every human I know. (Continued)

YOUR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS EXPENSES ARE ESSENTIAL

The agency community encourages clients to keep advertising in down times. The same applies to agency spending for business development. As one of our voluntarily registered agencies, you benefit since advertisers seek us out, typically when they have already decided on a new or replacement agency. And they don’t tire-kick. We’re not a directory either, so clients are granted consulting assistance in their search and selection process.

Things have tightened up here and everywhere. Paid agencies get preference in all client searches. If you want to participate, select and pay for Manager Plan or EVP Business Plan. Full details here.

GREASE AND THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

Have you heard the expression “the squeaky wheel gets the grease?” It means the issue that makes noise of some sort gets attention. So it may not come as a surprise to you that we depend on your registration fees to fuel our efforts. Efforts to connect and capture clients who are looking and ready to hire a new or additional agency partner. For project work (rather common these days) or AOR. If your agency isn’t currently paid, you’re going to be watching from the sidelines. But if you want consideration and an introduction to those clients, get yourself paid – certainly at our least expensive point of entry – our Manager Plan. It’s as low as we can go and you can pay by credit card. All options here . And by all means, please finish your profile if it isn’t!