CONTENTS:  

1. Working from Home Isn’t Such a Bad Norm
2. Being Fee Paid Will Make Sense if You Aren’t
3. How to Onboard New Clients at AgencyFinder.com
4. Three Quick Ways to Improve Your New Business
5. As You Resume, Consider Upgrading Your Plan
6. Time to Pull Out Your Favorite Tchotchkes
7. What Can We Do For You

WORKING FROM HOME ISN’T SUCH A BAD NORM

Seems like we’ve all become accustomed to the “talking Head” look, and no one is surprised or bothered when a child or dog passes by in the background. It’s the admission and acceptance that we can all work from wherever we wish and it doesn’t compromise the quality of the work we do or the resulting results. This therefore may represent a real breakthrough for how and from where we work.. But what hasn’t changed – children home from school needing attention, needing care and feeding, and anything to keep them occupied (and quiet). This time though, background noises don’t require an apology.

BEING FEE-PAID WILL MAKE SENSE IF YOU AREN’T

Our AgencyFinder search service has always been free to clients but our agency new business service isn’t free to agencies.  In a way it’s the e-Harmony or Match.com of the advertising industry, at least from the standpoint that our fees, like theirs, pay for “opportunity introductions.” Like theirs, our fees aren’t a function of victory nor are theirs based on a kiss or physical embrace. That’s a different profession with much higher rates. Our dainty $500 Annual Manager Plan fee is paid letting you be found and introduced to a client, to hold your “due-diligence” phone interview. All that for your $500 initial installment. More detail here at Plans & Prices.

HOW TO ONBOARD NEW CLIENTS AT AGENCYFINDER

For an agency that’s participated in any of our client agency searches, you know the drill. But if you’re a recent enrollee or haven’t seen traffic you hoped for, this is for you! But also a good veteran refresher..

First some facts: We’re a search consultant with a large proprietary database of enrolled agencies

1. All agency profile data was contributed by that agency – it was not curated (scraped)
2. We are not a directory. Prospects don’t navigate the site looking at your bits of data
3. Your agency becomes a candidate when your data matches the prospect’s search
4. Your paid status entitles you to participate for 12-months in any and all reviews
5. Your candidacy is not a function of your paid status (you don’t pay to play)
6. At Manager or EVP you’re eligible to hold your due-diligence interviews
7. At EVP you are paid to participate in all phases of all* client reviews
8. Prospects will see your profile when you’re a matched candidate
9. Your “free” Iridium profile is an elaborate business card

Steps to ensure your agency’s participation:

1. Enroll and enter your data at ENROLL NOW
2. Complete INITIAL data entry where called for
3. At STOP – Tick any and all that apply
4. Confirm there is a fee for our services
5. Check your email and capture your login data
6. Build an AgencyFinder email folder
7. Login and build out your profile – data entry plus essays
8. Set Your Record Active when fully finished – review first
9. Email to schedule audit & review
10. When invited in client search, PLEASE RESPOND always
11. If participating, read and follow search instructions
12. Best of Luck! (call Chuck to discuss)

To become an active and eligible candidate:

1. Review finished profile and make needed edits
2. Study Agency Plans & Prices to weigh your options
3. At minimum, select and pay for Manager Plan
4. Do not OPT OUT

THREE QUICK WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR AGENCY’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Lord knows how many agencies or pr firms or whatever there are – that’s always been debated. However Goto LinkedIn and they report 5,415 Agency New Business Hunters group members; 32,227 Global Business Development group members; 326,857 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.

AS YOU RESUME, CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR PLAN

Urgent – If your firm isn’t already at one of the paid levels, I can’t imagine anyone from your agency enrolling here, building your profile and then NOT wanting invitations from clients looking to hire. Our free Iridium plan is essentially a business card listing but not a ticket to the show, so if you want to engage a client prospect with your due-diligence call and interview, you need a paid registration. Smaller agencies generally select our Manager Plan; larger firms seem to prefer the EVP plan. For complete details start HERE; finish HERE. Questions? Just ask!

TIME TO PULL OUT YOUR FAVORITE TCHOTCHKES

You tell me; has email become complicated or what? Has social media become complicated or what? Has reaching prospects become complicated or what!

Yes, Yes, and Yes. But there are times when what was old is new again. I’m talking about old-fashioned direct mail (no offences meant to those in the industry).

In case the word is not in your vocabulary, Webster and others define it as “an object that is decorative rather than strictly functional; a trinket.” Some tchotchkes got downright large. Agency creatives built or branded crazy, intriguing, funky, silly but all very clever assemblages and the new business team shipped them to carefully curated prospects. Well done, they brought at least a smile to the recipient. But they got to the intended. Some examples.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

Every year, save the past few, there has been a new crop, a new batch of enthusiastic agency new business folks. Some come to that table with previous experience; others are brand-spanking new. So regardless of your status, if staying or moving, if there’s something you need with regard to agency business development and you don’t find it here, let me know.

Thanks for taking time to look this over; as we have since 1997, we look forward to getting you face- to-face with a great prospect.

Then & Now – We built it for you!