Flash Report @ AgencyFinder V26.6 – August 26, 2021

CONTENTS – New Business Tools & Tips for Going Mainstream and Getting Back On-Line

1. Pray That Our U.S. Citizens & Afghan Colleagues Can Leave Safely
2. The Waning Days of Summer – Deja Vu All Over Again
3. Three Quick and Easy Ways to Improve Your New Client Development
4. Does Your Agency Really Need Its Website?
5. Your Agency New Business Expenses Are Essential
6. Oil and the Squeaky Wheel

PRAY THAT OUR U.S. CITIZENS & AFGHAN COLLEAGUES CAN LEAVE SAFELY

The challenges of the business world pale in comparison to the challenge of staying alive! Those we care for will need God’s help, so pray when you can spare the time.

 THE WANING DAYS OF SUMMER – DJ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

As in days past, late summer Fridays used to be a time when agencies worked half days; and quit early for a long weekend. Then to the beach, to the lake, to the desert. Now for many, this coming late summer Friday could be just another day working from home, debating whether the children should go this time for Critical Learning in school, or will I still have my job at the agency. Maybe for those that are lucky, summer is a “split-the-difference.” Whatever it is for you, I do hope you are safe, healthy, compensated and having some degree of “fun!” We MUST get forward and out of this COVID-19/Delta variant universe!

THREE QUICK & EASY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR NEW CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

ADWEEK reports 14,000 US agencies, where 2,085 received Federal funds. Goto LinkedIn and they report 5,384 Agency New Business Hunters group members; 32,227 Global Business Development group members; 262,835 CMO Network group members. Your quick and easy ways to improve are:

1. Join LinkedIn (if not already), then join Agency New Business Hunters, Global business & CMO Network
2. Post meaningful content regularly in all three
3. Retain an agent – one who will introduce you to new clients

First two are self- explanatory. For #3, you’ve already retained AgencyFinder as your agent. As such and with a paid profile, you benefit from introductions to qualified, serious advertisers who are hiring.

DOES YOUR AGENCY REALLY NEEDS ITS WEBSITE?

Silly question you might say, but what’s your website for anyway?

Before You Had Your Website:

Before you had a website, you should have had an agency brochure. Something you kept in inventory for those times when a prospect conversation ended with “can you send me something?” Off went the brochure with an accompanying cover letter. That conversation and package was normally sent by the person charged with agency business development and followed a meaningful telephone conversation. The cover letter was written accordingly.

A good Agency Business Development person (ABD) would make a follow-up call to confirm package receipt and continue with a probative conversation. Using what was learned during that call, the ABD now sent a very carefully considered and grouped collection of materials designed to emphasize and confirm the agency’s suitability and candidacy for handling the client’s business. This process was carefully tailored to each client and each client’s interest; when speaking with a B2B client, there was generally no “show and tell” of fashion-related experience. Conversely fashion prospects were not burdened with industrial examples. Thinking back, didn’t this all make sense?

What’s Your Website Today?

What’s your website today? A pithy mini tome declaring purpose and intent; a collection of everything you do and have done; an introduction to The Team with photos and bios, text hopefully appealing to all visitors, samples of current work in all categories, a listing of current but seldom past clients, concluding with a “Contact Us” page. Not necessarily in that order, but available for viewing.

Many variables determine why an agency is selected by a client, but all will agree that “chemistry” or likeability plays a deciding factor in the final selection. Knowing that, good agency people also know that “chemistry” plays a factor from the very beginning. Meaning – “You never get a second change to make a first impression” and undeniably the ABD can make or break your chance for success from the get-go.

If that’s the case, why not give your ABD star billing on the Contact Us page? A handsome photo, and brief but credentialed bio, and multiple contact options. And while you’re at it, if your ABD is engaged in multiple forms of proactive outreach, rather than pointing to your website in those materials as your competitors do, suggest they engage in an initial telephone conversation; then respond with a “custom digital agency brochure” tailored to that discussion.

How About A New Website?

As to your website? How about other alternate versions – just a powerful page or two featuring a vertical market, then declaring your understanding of the importance of relationships and of one-to-one conversation. Agency-to-client and client-to customer.  Let them know your initial conversation will lead to a uniquely-selected collection of samples and examples specific to their interest and needs. Not like other “we-do-it-all” agency websites.  Incorporate the latest tools to let them schedule a day and time for their call and conversation. Confirm by email plus a real honest-to-goodness agency business card via USPS.

Oh BTW – agency websites are used to recruit new hires too. But rather than burdening someone on staff who often has limited HR experience, why not engage an employee search consultant to narrow the field and present only qualified candidates? (as they’ve done for years)

YOUR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS EXPENSES ARE ESSENTIAL

The agency community encourages clients to keep advertising in down and now unusual 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 finding 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 always get preference in all client searches. If you want to participate, select and pay for  Active Plan or Manager Plan. Almost “chump change” in the scheme of business development expenses. If you have the funds go all the way with our super-saver EVP Business Development Plan. One single payment for the entire year. Full details here.

GREASE AND THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

You’ve 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 on your behalf. 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. I tend to be a bit repetitive because we aren’t like the directories or the conventional search consultants. I urge you to read to understand how our model is different. Point in question – 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 Active Plan. It’s as low as we can go and you can pay by credit card. For the All Options story go here. And by all means, please finish your profile if it isn’t!

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Thanks for taking time to look this over; as we have since 1997, we look forward to getting you face- to-face (or Zoom) with great prospects.

Then & Now – We built it for you!