Client retention strategies are critical in your agency -- especially considering one third of all advertising agency clients expect to change agencies within the next 12 months. Let me rephrase that for you -- one third of all clients are going to FIRE their current agency within the next 12 months. Do you think that your marketing [...]
If you're wondering what does an account executive do all day in a successful agency management system -- you've come to the right place. At Agency Management Institute (AMI), we've trained hundreds of account executives, helping them understand their role with their clients and within the agency. To be able to perform the myriad of [...]
Most agency people are creative, hopefully innovative and client minded. All of which is great on its own, but can fall short when it comes to running your business as a business. Even though the thought of systems, formulas and best practices might seem restrictive and overwhelming, they are necessary to making sure your business [...]
Have you ever wondered what your agency employees want from their boss -- AKA you? I just spent two days with a room full of account executives, teaching them how to add more value to their agencies and their clients. As part of the conversation, we talked about improving employee relations and the difference between [...]
A personal development network is a great way to grow as an agency owner and employee, and your agency will succeed because of it. Back in the early days of my agency career, I worked for a shop that would not allow employees from other agencies into our building. So if you were hosting an [...]
Every good agency is big on planning for their clients. They facilitate strategic plans, they build marketing plans and they guide clients through the process of developing a digital strategy that can be woven into their overall communications plan. But agencies stink at planning for themselves. Which is why I created a one page business [...]
At Agency Management Roundtable (AMR) we've been preaching this for years. Agencies need to get out of the "making stuff" business and get into the business problem solving business. Agencies need to behave like consultancies. We need to shift from doing to thinking. Our clients expect us to help them hit their goals and dodge [...]
Every agency owner knows that they need to devote more time and attention to their business but they're so busy helping clients with THEIR business, it's tough to carve out the time to take care of your own. Any time I chat with an agency owner, they admit they struggle with the same issue -- [...]
Agency management can be a challenge as the economy teeters back and forth between recovery and residual crud. Things feel like they're getting better and according to all the agencies we're talking to -- they are. But it's not all blue skies yet. I'm not trying to go all Eyeore on you...but let's stay careful. We've [...]
Don't get carried away with your enthusiasm about the increase in business activity. We are recovering from the Great Recession. You've survived it and have earned the right to celebrate. A little. But now is not the time to take your eye off the prize. In this recovery period, agency management can be tricky, because we're [...]
