CONTENTS:

1. How to Take a Summer Vacation from Agency New Business
2. Your Confidential Client List – It Can Get You Invited or Get You Tossed
3. The New Business Provocateurs – Your Head Must be Spinning
4.  Are You Being Deluged with E-mails from Uninvited Senders?

HOW TO TAKE A SUMMER VACATION FROM AGENCY NEW BUSINESS

Is it enough to say you’re earned it? The constant, continuing pressure to connect, to tell the agency story, to request an initial meeting and then-some. It’s a never-relenting series of organizations, prospect lists, calling, talking, cajoling, fake and real smiling and being sincere that sometimes leads to a face-to-face meeting. Some of you (making the calls) may be following the original “Spark/Torch” procedure where the Spark (caller) and Torch (Sr. AE) were meant to go together on that first meeting. Too often, the agency bastardized that model and only the Torch made the meeting. So the client’s first question was – “Where’s Sharon (Spark)? Torch says – She’s back at the agency – Prospect says – what is this, bait & switch? The lesson here – don’t play tricky games.

So how about enough already … Stop the grind and let me get off! If you’re a commission-only employee (I hope not) then vacation pay isn’t part of the deal. If you get it, thank God. But regardless, the grind will get the best of you down. It’s summer and clients too are looking for a break. Since there is no really good time, check with your family and plan a vacation. Try 2 weeks but one week at a time. That way you won’t likely miss anything. If you bring your cellphone, emergencies only and don’t check e-mail. Your office should be instructed to call if something is critical.

Have fun and write me – when you get back!

YOUR CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT LIST – IT CAN GET YOU INVITED OR GET YOU TOSSED

Have you given any thought to how we or clients use your confidential client list? For starters, clients never see it; it’s strictly for our use. Stay with me and you’ll learn why it’s not optional that you keep that list complete and up-to-date.

Clients make the first pass on a Search. After they register and select their desired agency attributes, we see their results and call to interview them by phone. We’ll make adjustments to what they did based on what they tell us. That generally surfaces additional candidates with some better matches. We take control of their search and continue to fine-tune until we narrow to a manageable collection of 30 or so. In most cases, that still is too many. To cut that group to something we can invite, we now check to confirm you and the other agencies have worked with clients in the vertical markets you’ve claimed in the upper section (Fields Served). By exaggerated example, let’s say you checked Industrial Equipment – light. Now we spend time on your website. We’ll check your client list there and may find nothing but fashion accounts. But before that turns the tide, we look to your confidential client list with us. If that too is nothing but fashion, we drop your firm from consideration and contention. End of story!

Moral of the story – keep your client list current, complete and up-to-date.

THE NEW BUSINESS PROVOCATEURS – YOUR HEAD MUST BE SPINNING

In the good old days (not sure when that was) there weren’t many “new business services” agencies could use to help them at new business prospecting or business development. Just now I Googled “tools for agency business development” and found more than a few:

11 Must Have Ad Agency Business Development Tools 
Top 5 Free Marketing Tools for Growing Agency New Business
2016 trends for advertising agency business development
The Guide to New Business Tools for Agencies
New Research Reveals the Top New Business Development Tools
Study: 12 Tools That Most Ad Agencies Use for New Business 
Top 50 Tools to Run and Scale Your Ad Agency
5 Prospecting Tools Your Ad Agency Needs Now
Business Development Best Practice 
Agency New Business Tools Archives
Agency Business Development Websites

In many respects, it could take months to decipher the offerings, then to examine, test, try, install and debug your choice. I’m forever grateful we’re now on the end of delivering high-quality, pre-qualified prospects to some of our perfect-fit agencies. Be sure to get your share.

ARE YOU BEING DELUGED WITH E-MAILS FROM UNINVITED SENDERS?

Are you experiencing what we are?  An onslaught of new uninvited e-mail “senders” – businesses who apparently think we would be interested in new services and new products far from our realm of interest. I particularly hate the chatty first-person intros – “Hi Chuck, since you are doing this and we are selling that, let’s get together!” I’ve taken to devoting Friday afternoon to conducting a “remove” campaign on all those – hoping that at least some will never return.

P.S. – How about a little entertainment?  Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AgencyFinder

CONTENTS:

1. We Can Audit Your Profile & See Who it Attracts.  It Won’t Cost You; Shall We?
2. Want to Discover Which Clients Have Already Checked You Out? 
3. The Most Important New Business Person at Your Agency
4. GIGO – Garbage In; Garbage Out – It’s Still an Issue
5. Turn Up the Volume

WE CAN AUDIT YOUR PROFILE & SEE WHO IT ATTRACTS. IT WON’T COST YOU; SHALL WE?

When agencies registered in the past, they understandably wanted some idea of what search traffic they might expect. The best we could do at that time was look at their completed profile and take an educated guess based on what was there. Then our webmaster proposed an ingenious solution – we run the content of your profile against all searches during the previous 12-months and generate a report, and we’ll share that with you. This offer is for those with a completed and approved profile with a Power Index greater than 85. Drop me an e-mail to say yes.

WANT TO DISCOVER WHICH CLIENTS HAVE ALREADY CHECKED YOU OUT?

It’s happening right under your nose! It doesn’t sound a ringer or blow a horn, but our system does note and document when any client search brought your firm to the surface. I can’t offer a clickable link, but it’s easy to get there.

Login to your account as you would always do. You land on Registered Agency – Record Maintenance. Click at #15 – Agency Search Activity Detail and there you are. That report shows date, budget, Fields served, and client location.

That’s the traffic your profile is generating.

THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW BUSINESS PERSON AT YOUR AGENCY

Put to an open vote, I can already hear the scramble at your agency. I certainly expect your Director of Business Development to rush to the front to make a claim (unless he/she is already on the phone); if your firm is on the small-size your agency president might lay claim. But I say NO to those and many others. I assume you have a glorious website, you’ve optimized and rationalized, and your PPC is spending as intended. Bottom line (and supported by analytics) is you have satisfying inbound traffic.

Now it’s either a Homerun or a Zip-Zero.  Your most important new business person at the agency? Your telephone system! The prospect decides to call your agency. In the majority of cases, they reach the infamous “Voice mail Announcement.” Most commonly they hear “Thanks for calling X Agency. If you know the extension of the party you’re trying to reach, enter that now.” What they don’t often hear is “If you’re interested in exploring a working relationship with us, enter extension 101. If they do happen to know the New Biz extension or that of the CEO, if those parties aren’t able to pick up, they may be offered this option for an emergency – “here’s my cell phone number, give me a call.” They follow instructions only to hear – “Sorry I can’t get to the phone; please leave a message.” I often wonder just how much client business is lost when you allow it to drop into the hands of “The most important new business person at your agency.”

GIGO – GARBAGE IN/GARBAGE OUT – IT’S STILL AN ISUE

Modestly speaking, AgencyFinder.com is the most powerful, precise 24/7 New Business Service (i.e. – On-line Search Consultant) on the Internet. When you built your profile we gave you more than 500 data fields to select from, to advertise and broadcast the breadth and depth of your agency attributes; then 7 – 500 word essays, a Case History and a private client list.

Because that’s the case, we can match clients to appropriate agency candidates to the nth degree – but to do so we need your help and consideration. Please keep your profiles current, up-to-date and accurate. If you click and claim it, you can be found and matched for it. If things have changed, go in and de-select some items. We don’t want to take your valuable time to manage a miss-match, but when it happens, we’re also taking the client’s time and ours as well.

TURN UP THE VOLUME

Would you like to see more activity? Agencies paid at the Manager Plan Level take precedent over those that aren’t. Paid agencies can also benefit from AgencyFinder.com counsel. If you’d like to turn up the volume, upgrade to Manager Plan level and do so here: UPGRADE TO MANAGER PLAN: https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/plans-and-prices/

CONTENTS:

1. Leads for Sale, Great Leads for Sale, Get Them While They’re Hot!
2. Who is Going to Answer That Phone?
3. Wild & Crazy Websites
4. Search Announcements & Stuff

LEADS FOR SALE, GREAT LEADS FOR SALE, GET THEM WHILE THEY’RE HOT!

Ridiculous you say? I would agree but when you take a close look at many agency new business services, they’re not far from suggesting that. On local radio, I hear ads for web services suggesting that all a business need do is let them know how many “leads” they want per week and they will deliver. Can you imagine!  Now let’s define a lead. Their lead is NOT someone ready to hire YOUR firm now; their lead is NOT prequalified and their lead is NOT someone who has even talked with this lead provider. Here’s what I call a lead …

My friend Russell went to lunch yesterday at McDonalds. Sitting quietly by himself, he couldn’t help but hear what’s being said at a nearby table for 4. They’re not too happy with their agency; they talk about looking around. He listens to hear who they work for; when he learns he writes it down. Then he called the President of a local agency he knows and told him the story. That’s what I call a lead.

Here at AgencyFinder, our registered agencies have been getting invitations to speak with vetted and qualified advertisers for years. Those advertisers were ready to hire an agency and they had a pretty good idea what the agency should look like. Agency invitations go to those where their profile meet the client specs. Our agencies get “invitations” or as the dictionary says – a situation or action that tempts someone to do something or makes a particular outcome likely. Don’t find yourself doing business with a lead machine.

WHO IS GOING TO ANSWER THAT PHONE?

I know of agencies paying $4,000 to $5,000 monthly to have third-parties working elsewhere make outreach calls trying to find someone, almost anyone who will agree to a meeting with the agency brass. On a score from 1 to 10, I rate those meetings at a 2. But who knows, once in a while it’s possible to strike Gold, so if the numbers work, why not? Now let’s take a look at that practice.  Contractors make the outreach call. That’s an expensive call, and I’m not talking about toll cost. Let’s assume the caller connects and has a good chat and asks for a call-back. Contractor has a process. Having implied he/she works for and at the agency, the number that was left goes to voicemail only, answered only in the contractor’s name and voice. That’s another story.

Now let’s say the prospect is in a hurry, so rather than waiting for a return call, they find and call the main number on the agency website. Now it begins – the looping “Who is going to answer that phone!”  Agencies nowadays have voicemail to cover the desk, so we get the – “Thanks for calling AgencyOne. If you know the extension of the party you’re calling, enter it now. For an agency directory, press 1. For this and that, press this or that. For New Business Press 4.” You’re routed to the Marketing Department. “No one can take your call. Please leave a message.”

I can be impatient, so I have learned to punch O for Operator. If a human is hovering somewhere nearby, that generally gets them. But as it stands, the O request too often loops you back to a voicemail announcement. At some smaller agencies, I have literally tried every extension they offer, yet that fails to surface a human. For that and any of the other important incoming calls, imagine the consequence of such treatment. Don’t let this silent killer cost you business. I suggest the “O” option should ring at 4-5 desks with Hell-to-pay when a phone goes unanswered by a human. One final note: please see that whomever answers NEVER asks the bane of anyone charged with agency new business – “will they know what this call is about?”

WILD & CRAZY WEBSITES

You should see them! Each and every day new agency registrations flow across the transom. A full registration will take an agency a day or two to finish (not all at once but a bit here and there). In the meantime we always check out their websites. We “land” at each with the eyes of a client, hoping our experience is positive. And these days it is! What an incredible array of graphic and executable genius! Gone are the days of horizontally-centered tiny-type mono-tone pages, now replaced with full-width, full-color, animated or video sequences with an indescribable variety that is unrelenting and entertaining. I pity the poor client that has to choose these days. But remember, your agency profile (as in data elements) is what will make your first connection; your website makes the second, and your due-diligence interview makes the third. From that point on, their site visit, your guided agency tour and your team chemistry help seal the deal. Here’s to a great presentation!

SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENTS & STUFF

Periodically and as they occur, we post news of concluded client searches we’ve managed.  Most go to conclusion but some stall out, get rescheduled for a later time, or client gets cold feet and cancels. We’re seldom happy with the latter. You might want to take a look at our terms they’ve agreed to – as you know, free is never free without conditions.

Client: Calmer Corn Heads, Inc. Location: Alpha, IL Budget: $250K – $500K assorted services Client-Category: Agricultural Equipment & Supplies Awarded to: Charleston Orwig, Hartland, WI Contenders: Davis, Harrison Dion, Chicago, IL, Morgan&Myers, Waukesha, WI, Trilix Marketing Group, Des Moines, IA
Client: HireRight Location: Irvine, CA Budget: TBA Client-Category: Business services, computer software Awarded to: One-Eighteen Location: Los Angeles, CA Contenders: Sagon-Phior, Los Angeles, Fraser Communications, Los Angeles
Client: SMR Solutions for Vendor Control Service Location: Concord, MA Budget: <$100,000 fees public relations Client-Category: Aerospace Defense Awarded to: Grove, Concord, MA Contenders: BCB Group, Wallingford, CT P&M Advertising, Agawam, MA
Client: Strativity Group Location: Hackensack, NJ Budget: TBD Media relations Client-Category: Business services, professional services Awarded to: Client decided not to hire an agency
Client: Ukies Location: Atlanta, GA Budget: <$100,000 public relations Client-Category: Fashion, women’s, Shoes & Footwear Awarded to: suspended for shoe production revisions
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MAKE YOUR PAYMENT, UPGRADE TO MANAGER PLAN: https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/plans-and-prices/  

CONTENTS:

1. Go Easy Into 2016; Plan and Execute Carefully
2. The Latest PitchCast Postings; Anything there for you?
3. If Your Website has a Team Tab, You Should Be There Too
4. At Services Offered, Have You Claimed All You Can?
5. Attention – New Business Is for Those With Active Profiles; Is Yours?
6. A New Business History Lesson; But You Won’t Be Tested

GO EASY INTO 2016; PLAN AND EXECUTE CAREFULLY

If our experience over the years is any indication, clients (as in those you want to hire you) do the same thing we suggest you do – take the month of January to plan your strategy and execution. There may be an argument to play the early-bird thing, but in most cases, unless their worm has surfaced, your bird will just eat dirt!

THE LATEST PITCHCAST POSTINGS; ANYTHING THERE FOR YOU?

Take a look at what came across our transom the last part of the year. Some are already history, but you will never know unless you ask!

1. People Love the Taste of Chicken – Can you Help This Producer Sell More
2. Calling all Farmers, Need Help Selling Corn Heads; Yes Corn Heads!
3. The Folks Who Perform Thorough Background Checks Need to Hire an Agency – Southern CA
4. B2B Management Software Company Seeks AOR
5. Growing Toy & Game Manufacturer Looking for an Agency that’s a “Kid at Heart

IF YOUR WEBSITE HAS A TEAM TAB, YOU SHOULD BE THERE TOO

Most agency websites, in recognition of the fact that chemistry is a critical element in agency selection, see the wisdom in an agency “Team” tab.  There you’ll find the smiling faces (photo or illustration) of the key players – at least that’s how they are presented. For a first-time visitor, they may care about your management, but if they want to reach out to hire an agency, they want the new business contact. If that’s you and you aren’t posted yet, show this to your boss and ask it be done. It needs your photo and a pleasing bio!

AT SERVICES OFFERED, HAVE YOU CLAIMED ALL YOU CAN?

Who knows what the client will want? But the more the merrier (as in quantity of vertical markets or services you’ve laid claim to).  We use our Histogram to see what our agencies have claimed and how many. Here are some with low counts; if you can claim them it’s to your advantage; please do!

Services: (120+ choices)

Beta testing:
Business development training
Business plan development
Custom publishing
Digital production
Environmental/ecology marketing
Experiential marketing
Gaming
Geodemographic mapping
Green initiatives
Initial public Offerings (IPO’s)
Labor Relations
Lobbying
Logistics
OOH (Out of Home)
POP (Point-of-Purchase)
Political campaign management
POS (Point-of-Sale)
Pre/Post IPO marketing
Shopper marketing
Telemarketing (inbound call center)
Telemarketing (outbound)
Word-of-mouth marketing
Youth marketing

Same is true for Vertical Marketing Experience:

Fields Served: (180+ choices)

Agrichemical
Auctions
Building materials
Chemicals
Cloud service vendors
Cruise lines
Dry cleaning
Fabrics, Yarns, Sewing notions
Floor coverings
Flour & Cereals
Funeral industry
Horse Racing
Infant/adolescent items
Licensor, Licensing
Logistics
Lotteries
Medical & physicians groups
Medical (In-home care)
Metals
Mining
Oil & Gas
Plumbing
Religious organizations
Relocation services
Rental (equipment)
Rental (vehicles)
Research Organizations:
Shipping
Solar goods & services
Veterinary products & services
Waste & water treatment

ATTENTION: NEW BUSINESS IS FOR THOSE WITH ACTIVE PROFILES; IS YOURS?

Some agencies quit our registration process prematurely and don’t realize they did so. When you begin, you are walked through 2 or 3 pages. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A complete profile contains more than 500 data fields you select from and claim; then 7 short essays you are meant to write, same for case histories and confidential client list. When that’s finished, you click at Item #13 – Set Your Record Active. When you log back in here you’re greeted with “Welcome Back Agency Name.” If you didn’t get that far and you still need to finish, you’re greeted with just “Welcome to agencyfinder.com.” We assume every agency registers because they want new clients. Please finish things up so we can do that for you!

A NEW BUSINESS HISTORY LESSON; BUT YOU WON’T BE TESTED

If you expect an agency new business service to bring you new clients, I would suggest they know something about how agencies go about getting new clients; as in the do’s and the don’ts. And that service needs to be much more than a simple directory or database; it needs the inclusion and management by experienced new business veterans. To my point, I officially entered the “agency new business arena” upon joining Sanders Consulting in 1990. At the time, Sanders were THE unchallenged agency new business experts in the US and would eventually branch out to add England to the mix. Stuart and his gang tackled educating agencies at new business from the largest (like McCann) to small regional specialists. We produced seminars on diverse topics including the then revolutionary “Re-Engineering.” But we did more than teach; they taught us. The combination was powerful and memorable and to this day many remember their “Spark & Torch” training and they clearly remember Stuart.

In 1994 I left Sanders to launch Sales Marketing Institute; still consulting in agency new business but from a different angle. My team and I tackled the small-to-medium agencies promoting one-on-one training and consulting. There were exceptions, namely multiple sessions at Campbell-Ewald in Detroit. Two years in on a return trip from there, teaching new recruits hired to replace two we trained a few years prior that it hit me – there weren’t enough hours, days or consultants to cover all the agencies that needed help. Flying home I was reading a book on entrepreneurship and one paragraph struck me. It suggested, “An entrepreneur isn’t someone who invents something new, but rather takes things that exist, combines elements with one from another and introduces a fresh new solution.” I took some of the concepts I discovered at iMarket (a D&B and Lotus Notes product), built a re-configured version for client & agency match-making and voila – 11 months later in 1997, AgencyFinder.com emerged fresh and new, ready to make marriages. To my knowledge, AgencyFinder was then and still is the first Internet ad industry client/agency match-making service that functions as an agency search consultant. And to those with historical recall and to his credit, registrant number one was the agency search consultant Skip Pile.

Now it’s 2016. 19 years later and we’re the oldest, established and maybe most unconventional agency search consultant around. At a time when the Internet was evolving, to the delight of advertisers looking to hire an agency, we introduced our “Free Search” model. Ironically even after all these years, agencies occasionally question why they need to pay our annual fees. They don’t realize clients search for free and always have, so agency annual fees power our service.  If anyone working at business development spends a few minutes with us on the phone, they invariably come away as a firm believer. I note with pride that our payment model is now the standard for the likes of many like e-Harmony, Match.com, HomeAdvisor.com and a new player – A Place for Mom.

Our staff of experienced consultants, aided by our powerful onboard proprietary search engine gets the job done.  That’s true more than 10,000 times since 1997. But we’re only as good as our content, as in “your finished profiles.” So set aside some time during these first weeks of 2016 to finish up.  Login here to begin:  https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/agency-login/

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FOR MORE ACTIVITY, UPGRADE YOUR PROFILE: https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/plans-and-prices/  Get a leg-up with Manager Plan.

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR INVITATION?  That’s our important New Business question.

The proposition – You’re one of our special registrants looking for new business. Regardless of type, you built a profile here at AgencyFinder.com so you can be found and invited to speak and ultimately pitch a new client.

Now the good news – your firm surfaced as a candidate in this client’s search. All we need now is to send your invitation so you can schedule your initial client interview.

But there’s a problem. Increasingly our invitations haven’t been getting where they’re meant to go. In your profile you’ve given us your office landline, your fax and your e-mail. Here’s what we do and what’s been happening.

1. We send you an e-mail alert identifying the client, budget and client URL. We mention the full invitation will follow as fax.

a. e-mail gets to you; you do/don’t read it

b. e-mail goes to your Spam folder and is not read. Dead end.

2. We send you a fax

a. Fax gets to you and you read it

b. Fax gets there but someone picks it up and throws it away (thinking it’s an island travel offer in 48-Pt headline)

c. You no longer have a fax – obsolete technology you explain – ask that we scan and send as e-mail attachment

d. Scanning 6 pages – extra steps for us – that too goes to your spam folder

3. We phone to follow-up

a. We have to leave a voicemail (sometimes mailbox is full)

b. Someone offers to take a message; don’t know your schedule

c. You say or they say – never received the fax

d. New fax number and sent again

Consequence?  You’re either a “no-show” or significantly late. And that’s why we ask – HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR INVITATION?

We’re open to suggestions and we figure you’re the one with the answer!

CONTENTS: 

1. How Have Clients Been Finding Your Agency? What’s Been Connecting You With Prospects?
2. Some Simple But Critical Agency New Business Quick Fixes
3. Special Two-For-One Offer Expires Friday July 31, 2015
4. The Joy Of The Summer Intern – What To Assign?
5. When Did You Last Update Your Profile?

HOW HAVE CLIENTS BEEN FINDING YOUR AGENCY? WHAT HAS BEEN CONNECTING YOUR WITH PROSPECTS?

I’ve got a question so stay tuned. The set-up: Each day we’re bombarded with e-mail offers of “lead generation.” More than enough to make your head spin and question what you do already. They all use some combination of social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) or offer to automate something on your behalf. One or some of those must work, right? I’m wanting to know.

Just remember that a lead in their world is a company that meets whatever criteria you gave them for what constitutes a “perfect” client. But also remember this is a one-sided proposition. The lead didn’t pick you yet, you haven’t been screened by them against their criteria, and so in the ever-evolving world of misleading expressions, their lead is a prospect, nothing more.

Here’s my point: Everyone wants more “opportunities” but something must be working for you. That’s my question (for an upcoming article). How have clients been finding your agency? Drop me an e-mail to identify what works.  i.e. – organic, referrals, blogs, Google, Yahoo & Bing, mailing & calling, bulk e-mails, Redbooks, The List, Ad Forum plus any of the agency new business services. I won’t identify your agency – just need your input.

SOME SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL AGENCY NEW BUSINESS QUICK FIXES

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

a. 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.

b. You need a Team, Staff, Leadership or Founders Tab with data. Best to have photos of everyone (unless you’re McCann, etc.) with name and title (don’t make them click to find out) and if you see fit, a clickable link to a short bio.

c. 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!

SPECIAL TWO-FOR-ONE OFFER ON MANAGER PLAN AND EVP BUSINESS PLAN EXPIRES FRIDAY JULY 31, 2015

In case you missed it or put it aside to do later, later has come. We’re offering a two-for-one deal on the Manager Plan ($500 gets you two years) and the EVP Plan (Same $2,995 two-for-one deal) Go here for details. If you have some discretionary funds for new business, the EVP Business Plan is the best we’ve ever offered.  Questions?  Please call.

THE JOY OF THE SUMMER INTERN – WHAT TO ASSIGN?

Summer is great time to bring in talented, motivated and industry-educated Millennials to do what you couldn’t get done otherwise. But caution, not a great idea to put them in “live stream” contact with prospects. A prospect is a treasure, worth their weight in gold, and so easy to bungle! The old expression “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression” applies here. Let them do research, help compile lists, but “no touch” on prospect (probably even clients.)

Interns are often told – get us listed at every new business site you can find! (Wrong!!!)  Garbage in/Garbage out applies here. You don’t want someone with no intimate knowledge of your firm creating a profile that the world can later see.  New business websites need legitimate data from someone with authority and someone who knows.

WHEN DID YOU LAST UPDATE YOUR PROFILE?

Here’s what our records show:  $LASTUPDATE   If that’s been more than 6 months, login https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/agency-login/ and make your updates and corrections. If you’d like our input, drop us an e-mail or telephone. If you’re new at “new business”, I always enjoy talking with anyone new to that assignment.  Call me Toll Free – 1-877-XFINDER

ACTIVATE OR UPGRADE YOUR PROFILE: https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/agency-login/

CONTENTS:

1. Cold Calling Works! Tell the Experts! But Ice Cold Calling Doesn’t!
2. They Called Your Agency to Handle Their Account; You Didn’t Answer. What Happens Next?
3. Have You Checked Our Recent Search Announcement Posts? What About PitchCast Activity?
4. What’s an Agency Cattle Call and Should You Participate?
5. When Did You Last Update Your Profile?

COLD CALLING WORKS! TELL THE EXPERTS! BUT ICE COLD CALLING DOESN’T!
There’s been a significant sea-change to acknowledge and accept what works in pro-active new business development. In speaking with those charged with fishing for new business, we see things have been changing over the years. It wasn’t long ago (pre 911) that hundreds if not thousands of “Rainmakers” (how many recall that expression?) were busy sending clever dimensional direct mail packages. The content of those mailers posed a relevant question on a related topic with mention that the sender would call the week following. Those adept callers were gifted in the art of extemporaneous conversation and able to carry on to a follow-up conversation and ultimately to the powerful closing line – “Would it make sense for us to get together and meet?” In our book and as we taught it to agencies from Seattle to New York to London, that’s a COLD CALL and it works!

Cold Calls work, day in and day out. Problem is, most agency folks either haven’t been trained properly or don’t have the personality to pull it off. Solution? Train people with the right personality …

In contrast, try pulling up your prospect list and dial the phone. Called party answers and you struggle to get started. THAT’S an ICE-COLD CALL – and few if any can pull that off. But those who suggest Cold Calling doesn’t work probably want to make calls for you (big bucks at that), of they have some fancy e-mail program to sell. If you need help and some suggestions on that topic, let me know.

THEY CALLED YOUR AGENCY ABOUT HANDLING THEIR ACCOUNT; YOU DIDN’T ANSWER. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
They tell us they got your agency name from a colleague so they dialed you up. They wanted to talk about your firm handling their account. One recent caller had a budget of $2.5MM. They said the phone rang and rang so they hung up. They dialed again. This time they got the recording carousel and selected #102 for “business development.” That one rang almost forever but was saved by the bell with a delicate British female voice declaring – “If you’d like to speak with us about handling your account, please leave your name and number. Also describe your needs. Thank You!” I’ll take your money for new business consulting. Pay me and I’ll suggest you answer the phone.

Seems to me if you went to the trouble to install a “new business Interest” extension, you ought to have someone manning that all day each weekday. Voicemail is OK after hours and on weekends. And if your agency doesn’t have a dedicated extension for new business, shame on you.

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUR RECENT SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT POSTS? WHAT ABOUT PITCHCASE ACTIVITY?
Whether you are a long-standing agency with us or a newcomer, from time to time we post recent Search Announcements and do that here:  In those posts, we identify the client, client location, budget, the first few vertical markets where they want the agency to have experience, then the winning agency and contenders (if more than one). Should your agency have been posted here?

When’s the last time you checked the PitchCast postings?  If you see something there that might make a good fit, it we haven’t already contacted you or if you don’t see this client outline in your Agency Search Activity Detail (Report #15), drop me an e-mail.

WHAT’S AN AGENCY CATTLE CALL AND SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE?
Whoever first started using that expression certainly wasn’t a farmer! Today’s definition reads “a theatrical audition that is open to everyone, especially to those who do not belong to a theatrical union.” As I see it, that might only apply today to a website-posted RFP. Or to some hanger-on website services that allow clients to post their desires; then member agencies pay a modest fee to make a proposal and bid. Those are generally minuscule budget logo or stationary exercises. Don’t know any consultants who do that. As for cattle, they seldom come when called; they have to be herded (as in – poked, prodded, rounded-up, shouted at or threatened.

Here’s another definition: It’s a cattle call when they herd half a dozen of you into a hotel room and interview you all at once. And another: An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced. To the point, cattle calls or anything like that aren’t taking place in the agency world or at least in ours.

Now should you participate? Follow this. Regardless of how their search is handled, most clients with meaningful budgets want to have 3 agencies (finalists) competing for their business. So how do they get to three? By starting with more than three. How about six? OK, let’s say you have a budget of $500,000 and you’re in New York. You’re in women’s fashion. Google New York agencies women’s fashion – shows 51,900,000 results. Whoops! That pulls up “modeling agencies.” Try again – advertising agencies – shows 55,300,000. You tell me – how are you planning to cut to six?

Here’s our solution to that dilemma: We challenge our internal search engine to find 15 or more qualified candidates in our AgencyFinder database and we invite them. At that, 3-4 bail immediately for conflict, workload or budget. Next step in our process is the agency due-diligence telephone interview. At that stage, client or agency decisions eliminate 3-4 more. That means 7-8 elect to send agency brochures, relevant samples and a pitch letter. So far, no “face-time,” no travel expense, no spec anything. Clients that follow our advice now select agencies to meet. Where and how many? About 5-6 and at each agency, not the client’s HQ. That visit consists of an agency tour, their “dog & pony” presentation and a wrap-up Q&A. Plenty of time for conversation, case-studies, chemistry checks and that important question of identifying “who will handle our account?” Following site visits, the 3 finalists tend to reveal themselves. They proceed to final presentations (no spec creative) and that’s how it’s been working for us for years! Have a better idea?

WHEN DID YOU LAST UPDATE YOUR PROFILE?
Here’s what our records show: LASTUPDATE  If that’s been more than 6 months, Login and make your updates and corrections. If you’d like our input, drop us an e-mail or telephone.
If you’re new at “new business”, I always enjoy talking with anyone new to that assignment. Call me Toll Free – 1-877-XFINDER

ACTIVATE YOUR PROFILE OR UPGRADE IT HERE

CONTENTS:

1. It’s Here – V6.0 AgencyFinder.com
2. Claim These Verticals if You Can
3. Find Your Gold at Pitchcast
4. What’s Your Favorite New Business Service?

IT’S HERE – V6.0 AGENCYFINDER.COM
Without much fanfare, we slipped our latest website into service Friday February 20th, 2015. It’s been drawing quiet accolades; now you’re invited to be a bit more dramatic! The obvious trend is full-screen; with a vertical scroll often an element of many new sites. We chose to stay a bit more conventional, much because we have many pages beyond 200. I did manage to find a graphic of our first home page; take a look here. Remember that was 1997.

CLAIM THESE VERTICALS IF YOU CAN
One of our site management tools is something we call our Histogram. Not exactly a “real” Histogram by definition, but a real-time representation of the data elements claimed by our registered agencies – all 7622 locations worldwide. During 2014 we added new data elements and encourage you to “lay claim.” I checked that report last week and see some glaring gaps. Remember you’re only as good as the data your claim.

Here are some you may have overlooked (and in so doing would be left out of coming client searches). Login here to update.

Fields Served:
Agrichemical
Cloud service vendors
Cruise lines
Dry cleaning
Energy foods or drinks
Horse racing
Infant/adolescent items
IPO’s
Logistics
Lotteries
Medical & physicians groups
Medical (in-home care)
Mining
Oil & gas
Plumbing
Recreational equipment
Relocation services
Rental equipment
Rental (vehicles)
Solar goods & services
Waste & water treatment

Services Offered:
Digital production
Experiential
Gaming
Lobbying
Logistics
OHH (Out of Home)
POP (Point-of-Sale)
Shopper marketing
Strategy & execution

Media experience:
Digital
OHH (Out of Home)
Social media

FIND YOUR GOLD AT PITCHCAST
Pitchcast is our way of giving you a heads-up. A client’s first search outline is often incomplete or miss-framed. When that’s the case, your firm may not be caught by our search engine. Even when your firm is a perfect candidate, you wouldn’t know the opportunity was there. There are other cases where your attributes are a perfect match save one. When that happens you don’t surface as a candidate either.

For that reason, look to Pitchcast periodically. There we post anonymous but rather informative descriptions of a recent client search. If you see a fit or at least want to explore it, reach out to me by e-mail and identify the posting and ask to be considered. That’s all there is to it.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NEW BUSINESS SERVICE?
The agency landscape is full of claimants to agency business development. We’re looking to compile a list and share it back with everyone. Send me an e-mail to tell me who you know, who you use or have used, and name your favorite. Say why if you wish.

CONTENTS:

1. Coming Soon – V6.0 AgencyFinder.com
2. Now Available – All Enrollment Options
3. No One Answers – Don’t be Guilty of This
4. Catch an Unsuspecting Worm
5. Great Reading – Our Agency Essays

COMING SOON – V6.0 AGENCYFINDER.COM
In the tried and true spirit of the advertising industry, we’re proud to announce V6.0, another milestone for AgencyFinder.com. In our commitment to be the Number One agency & client match-making service, we never set out to lead the industry in graphic design or website development. Matter of fact, our initial position was not to try to compete with our agencies, since that was their turf. With our 1997 almost “plain text” homepage, we maintained something along that line until early 2002. We introduced our “globe” version that year or as one associate called it, the “marble.”

Over the last year or so, we’ve seen the emergence of the agency full-screen, scroll-down site. At first glance, many are most striking. Real up-close and personal and in your face! But many start to crumble at user-friendly navigation. A full-scroll from top-to-bottom reveals very little content. It’s only if you search and find the often-hidden navigational tabs do you discover there’s more! We were intrigued and decided to take the plunge. But what you’ll see with V6.0 AgencyFinder.com is full-screen up-close-and-personal with a blending of “brand new and conventional” that we hope you like. Let me hear from you.

NOW AVAILABLE – ALL ENROLLMENT OPTIONS
We recently modified and simplified our enrollment options. There’s an affordable plan for every agency. Note that Iridium is only a “listing,” it’s not entitlement to an invitation or participation in an agency review. Any registered, fee-paid agency at any level has priority over an Iridium agency – in viewings, in invitations, in telephone interviews. If you’ve taken the time to build a profile, you owe it to yourself to upgrade, at least to the Manager Plan. That’s just $500 for the year. You can do so here: https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/plans-and-prices/

NO ONE ANSWERS – DON’T BE GUILTY OF THIS
We conduct regular telephone outreach to our registered agencies so we know – when a human isn’t manning the agency phones, if you elect to defer to an answering device, set the ringers to answer after just a few rings. When it goes beyond 4 rings, most callers will assume you either aren’t there, aren’t open, you’re out of business or where ever their imagination takes them.

CATCH AN UNSUSPECTING WORM
You’ve certainly heard it said – the Early Bird gets one. Everyone (clients and agencies) spend much of January planning what they will do starting February and that planning creeps into February. There’s still time – beat the crowd and pounce on unsuspecting advertisers with your focused and assertive outreach. Use e-mail, USPS, Fax and even telephone. In your phone outreach, don’t be dainty. When connected to the proper authority, suggest politely but boldly – I thought you might be interested in a second opinion! Would it make sense for us to meet?

GREAT READING – OUR REGISTERED AGENCY ESSAYS
Any and all of our agency essay submissions are initially held in a “waiting for review & approval” file. That means we read, approve or suggest necessary revisions to each and every essay in our database. We’ve often thought of publishing a book to give light to the many great compositions we have in inventory. Obviously it’s a challenge for thousands of marketing firms to say much of the same thing in different, unique and compelling ways, but remarkably many manage to accomplish just that. When you craft yours, or when it’s time to update, give it your “best shot.” Your agency deserves it!

CONTENTS:

1. Client Seeks Heavy Duty PR Push for New & Truly Unique Employee Benefit for First Responders
2. The Powerless (Impotent) Rainmaker: Responsibility Without Authority
3. Agency New Business Secrets Every Rainmaker Should Know (or share)
4. Finding London PR Needle-in-a-Haystack from San Francisco & Richmond, VA
5. (IS THIS) Real Bad News for Agency New Business Pros?

CLIENT SEEKS HEAVY DUTY PR PUSH FOR NEW & TRULY UNIQUE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

Our client has developed and will soon announce a new class of employee benefit, designed to address the specific occupational risks of healthcare and law enforcement workers. This product provides coverage in the event of infection with HIV, Ebola, Hep B & C through accidental cuts, bites, needle sticks, or any other bodily fluid transfer. The product also provides benefits for workplace violence.

Cant disclose much publicly, (continued)

THE POWERLESS (IMPOTENT) RAINMAKER: RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT AUTHORITY

The problem is they often have no authority to command what they need to get the job done. In agencies where someone does actually have the title, the person might be charged with making 25 outreach calls each day, mailing 25 letters with great client suggestions, or searching the press for suspect activity. But if that same individual needs some paltry sum of money to purchase, subscribe to, or participate in something that isnt free, our rainmaker runs up against the ever-present lack of authority. He needs to submit a request to someone in finance who would prefer to charge it to a client account. (Note: Some rainmakers will actually advance funds of their own and hope to get reimbursed!)

Here are three areas where you need to consider your investment and how it affects your new business executives ability to actually bring in new clients and projects: (continued)

AGENCY NEW BUSINESS SECRETS EVERY RAINMAKER SHOULD KNOW (OR SHARE)

Every agency has them; every agency new business consultant has them; virtually anyone whos taken a crack at agency new business development will claim to have some. There arent many real secrets, but there are some simple tips worth noting and worth doing.

In the outreach category, you need a computer, telephone with headset, and contact management software (ACT, SalesForce, etc.) That platform will give you a place to create prospect and client databases, plus it allows you to auto-dial anyone in the database and record your discussion notes on-the-fly. Its absolutely THE most efficient way to manage business relationships. Anything less is cheating yourself and your agency.

In the prospect first meeting category, (continued)

FINDING LONDON PR NEEDLE-IN-A-HAYSTACK FROM SAN FRANCISCO & RICHMOND, VA

Were always a bit more than ordinarily motivated when we can manage an International search. The good folks at Baidu came to us in late May this year looking for help not in the US but in the UK. Baidu is Chinas 1 search engine, answering more than 5 billion queries each day. Baidus international products are already in use by more than 120 million people outside of China, but brand recognition is relatively low. They came to AgencyFinder looking for a PR firm in London that could help to both establish their brand and drive downloads of their free products. Speaking of International, Baidu Director of International Marketing is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California on their Silicon Valley campus. Read about their plans here.

Baidu has developed a number of mobile (Android) and desktop (PC) applications available to the wide world. These consist predominantly of … (continued)

(IS THIS) REAL BAD NEWS FOR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS PROS?

A recent Adweek broke a story by Maureen OLeary that portends bad new for agency new business pros. Various recent industry surveys revealed the half-life of someone working at agency new business is measured in months, not years. The article prompted me to check Whos Who at Campbell-Ewald in Detroit; just when I was getting to know Barbara Yolles, shes gone! Many of our contacts there have retired or moved on. Maureen makes the point that new business is a risky business. So I countered with my position based on our experience here at AgencyFinder coupled with my new business consulting at Sales Marketing Institute and Sanders Consulting. I said

Face it, new business is not a job for an agency person. Lets stop trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Most agency people are not fit for a new business because theyre creatives by nature and creatives flinch when their work is criticized. Imagine the internalizations when a prospect tells them to get lost! At VCUs Ad Center here in Richmond, Virginia, unless things have changed, there isnt a single course or a single semester that even introduces the critical topic How an agency gets new business. As in, how do we pay our bills and pay our employees. New business doesnt fit an agency-trained individual and never will.

New business is a sales job (continued)