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How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline with High Quality Leads with Dan Englander

You hustle hard to get business, win a big account, spend the next three months up to your ears in work, and then it's all over and your pipeline is empty again. Sound familiar? It’s the feast or famine cycle of agency new business. It seems that we can counsel our clients about the importance of new business sales and the whole lead gen thing but somehow we can’t seem to get around to doing it for ourselves. My podcast guest Dan Englander and his team at Sales Schema are the experts at solving the agency sales, lead gen, and new business problem.  Dan and his team have a systemized process that they believe can put prospects into your pipeline and money into your pocket. Dan and I will walk you through the important steps he takes when counseling agencies including: How Dan helps agencies fill their sales pipelines Why you can’t rely on referrals from your network for sales Why creating content is not a sales strategy Why you need to systematize pipeline work and why you need to allot daily time for working on your pipeline Honing in on a particular niche when generating quality leads Why driving prospects to your website is not what you want to be doing Why you need to have a follow-up plan in place for your cold emails Why you need to get on the phone with a lead as soon as possible How to word cold emails so they actually resonate with cold leads How Dan’s company helps agencies hone in on their niche Why cold emails have to come from a real person (and which person inside an agency they should come from) Why you [...]

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Why Networking is Important for Business Development Success with Judy Robinett

Networking. The mere mention of the word conjures up images of sweaty glad-handing at chamber meetings and networking events that are filled with salespeople rather than decision makers and just waste your time. Your biz dev plan can’t all be referrals. You have to have a path that will help you generate new business for your shop. My podcast guest Judy Robinett shows you how to take networking to the next level with Power Connecting and why networking is important to business development in your agency. Judy uses three simple questions: How can I help you? Do you have any other ideas for me and who else should I talk to? These form the backbone of every successful networking opportunity. Let her show you how to develop a networking foundation that serves others and in the end, serves you too. Judy and I show you how to get out of your own way, push aside your fear and take the networking risk with: Judy’s background Why networking is important for biz-dev (and why referrals alone is not a biz-dev strategy) The 5+50+100 Rule: why you need to target 50 people Why there is no lack of money keeping you from getting funded Positioning yourself to be invited to the right events (and which events you should target) Judy’s strategies for being a good networker and how she interacts with strangers How to deepen the relationships you already have Why you need to kick fear to the curb and just talk to people How to provide consistent value to your network so that you keep relationships fresh Why you should reach out to people you feel like are above you Judy’s Top Ten Power Connecting Tips [...]

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How to Develop and Execute the Right New Business Program to Attract the Right Clients with Mark Duval

I know you have one in your head – but if I were to ask you to show me your new business development program (diagrams, action plans, actual tools to help with execution) – could you? I know, I know – you get most of your leads through referrals. While those are lovely to have – relying on them means you’re about to get stuck. We’re giddy about referrals because it means we don’t have to sell and most agency owners hate the “S” word. And that’s what I talked with my podcast guest Mark Duval about. He teaches agencies how to prospect and sell.   In this conversation, we work our way through the idea of how to develop and execute the right new business program so you can attract the right clients. Join Mark and I as we share these tangible, actionable steps by focusing on: Mark’s background and how he got into the business of helping agencies Why you need a written new business plan Why you need to work on your differentiation Finding the right new business program for your organization Finding the right number of clients (and finding the right amount to bill them) The danger of sounding desperate to clients The importance of attitude and behavior Questions any agency should ask their prospects Why you need to serve up who you are and what you do on your website Understanding what your prospects consume and figuring out how to position yourself as a thought leader in those spaces Making introductions between prospects and the people you know that they need to know Why you should set up Google alerts on prospects you really want to work with Figuring out [...]

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The Power of Social Selling and Making Connections for Your Business with Phil Gerbyshak

My podcast guest Phil Gerbyshak is the walking, talking definition of a social connection. Phil takes great delight and is a master at using all things social to help businesses gain that next great client by making authentic connections.        For Phil, it’s not that Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn are the end all and be all of social tools but instead Phil’s focus is on using the social tool of your choice to get to know and connect with your peers, clients and the world around you. By being valuable and by sharing what you know, you open up the door for opportunity.   We had a great conversation about social selling and what that can mean for agencies today: Social selling: getting people to convert for you Making a connection with someone online (this isn’t a follow or a like) Why keyword targeting isn’t necessarily the best path to success Why Phil actively connects people he thinks should know about each other How Phil uses LinkedIn as a powerful sales and research tool Why you have to share content that isn’t your own Why you should congratulate your competition — and why you need to be genuine about it Phil’s strategy for creating content people need and starting conversations Cultivating and leveraging testimonials How to use your pinned post wisely Things you can do right now to start putting into practice the ideas from this episode Phil’s podcast “Conversations with Phil” Phil Gerbyshak is a speaker and a trainer, who delivers programs on the power of technology, social selling and connection. With a unique speaking style—part technology and sales expert, part entertainer—Phil keeps his audiences awake and engaged while providing micro-tactics to help you [...]

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Effective New Business Strategies and The Four Most Vital Areas of the Sales Funnel

New business, new business, new business. It’s something that I find myself talking to agency owners about every single day. Unfortunately most agencies are so busy retooling their business development program to chase new prospects that they forget their most important new business target – their current clients. 70% of your new revenue should be coming from your existing clients … 70%! What new business strategies do you have in place to make sure that happens? New business opportunities aimed at new prospects always have to be a part of the plan but you also need to be courting your current roster of clients. In this podcast, I give you a path to follow to address both your 70% and your 30%:     Why about 70% of your new revenue should come from existing clients How to teach your AEs to grow the business that they’re serving The new business strategies for you, the business owner, to focus on new business The four areas of the sales funnel and how to work with all four The system for reaching out to your 25 best prospects Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with [...]

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How to Write and Publish a Book with Anthony Paustian

Almost every agency owner I know wants to write a book. How about you? Is this the year? If so, where do you start? Where do you go? How do you do it? How do you stay disciplined enough to get it done? There’s a huge difference between wanting to write a book and actually writing one. Enter my guest, Anthony Paustian, who in addition to writing many books himself, both through the traditional route and as a self-publisher, coaches busy professionals to produce great books. He takes aspiring authors from concept to final product with as little pain as possible but just enough nagging to get the job done. Anthony and I cover the step by step process for how to write and publish a book by answering: Why Anthony decided to become an author and a coach What keeps someone that wants to write a book from actually doing it How to get past the thought that your book won’t be valuable enough The process for getting a book from your head and into an actual book How to turn your blog into a book How to successfully proof your writing Why you need to speak about the topics you write about What the editing process is like once your book is in the hands of an editor What you need to have for your book to appear in a library Why you don’t need (or even necessarily want) your book to be on shelves at Barnes and Noble The best way to sell your book What kinds of e-books you should sell First steps people can take right now to get going Dr. Anthony Paustian was given a rare opportunity in life [...]

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Painless Prospecting for New Business with Tom Martin

As times change, so must agencies. AMI does some research every summer and in talking to CMOs across the country, it's been very clear that clients are no longer interested in only working with just one agency anymore. In fact, our study showed that over 50% of them want to work with multiple agencies, allowing each other to do what they do best but not letting them run the show. In learning how to be a part of that blended family team, there is opportunity. That’s just one of the topics that I chatted about with my podcast guest, Tom Martin. He helps agencies take advantage of that opportunity. He gets them to the place where the client sees them as the ultimate partner, a consigliere, if you will, versus the guys that just execute ad strategies. He finds that the real money is in becoming a partner who can think, ideate and grow a client's business.   But how do you find those partner clients? He does all of this through his system of Painless Prospecting where you wake up, open your inbox, and there's a lead waiting for you instead of having to go create that lead. It’s investing in your agency to build not tomorrow’s lead, but the lead that’s six months or a year down the road. Tom and I dig into the nuts and bolts of this with: How prospecting for new business has changed over the years Why clients no longer believe in hiring just one agency How to define your value to your clients when delivering ideas instead of “stuff” Correctly positioning your agency in the days when your client first discovers you Painless Prospecting: how to get [...]

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How to Develop a More Profitable New Business Process with Lee McKnight Jr.

“We're a full service integrated marketing agency.” Sound familiar? Trying to be everything to everybody is just one of the big mistakes that agencies today are making when it comes to attracting new business. Agencies hate to leave money on the table, even if it’s “bad money.” But we all know what happens when you chase after or work with clients who aren’t in your sweet spot. They clog your new business processes and cost you time and money. My podcast guest, Lee McKnight, Jr. helps agencies solve this conundrum and many more in the dreaded agency quest for new business. He helps agencies get out of their own way and identify what makes them a unique option and just what certain prospects need. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast including the following: How to prevent your agency from making the major mistakes that agencies make all the time Why agencies need to specialize instead of generalize New business: how to develop a better, simpler new business process How to use a delicately balanced process that uses all different kinds of marketing Why patience is so key in closing on new business The importance of having one person who is the leader on a project Why there needs to be a balance between showcasing the figurehead and the agency The tools you’re going to need to put into practice the objectives discussed in this episode Lee McKnight Jr. is the Director of Business Development for RSW/US in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are a new business development firm that works solely with agencies and marketing services firms. After graduating law school, he ran away as fast possible from that profession and worked for an [...]

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How to Prospect for Clients with Jami Oetting

My guest, Jami Oetting has seen both sides of agency life and is with me on this podcast to discuss new business development for agencies. She worked as a strategist at a full-service agency before deciding that she really liked reporting on what agencies are up to more than living it day-to-day. As the editor of Hubspot’s Agency Post, she gets a front row seat to what is going on in shops all over the nation and boy does she have some perspective. In this podcast, she gives us her take on a wide array of topics from how agencies need to differentiate themselves to tips on how to prospect for clients. The conversation also digs into new business development for agencies in this digital age. Some highlights include: Solely relying on referrals doesn’t make sense anymore. There’s a whole world out there with clients looking for specialists. How to prospect for clients and attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones. We discuss why it’s so much better to be upfront about who you are as an agency, and who you are not. Consider what your agency would look like in five years if you started specializing today, versus what it would look like if you didn’t. People will pay more for specialized expertise. Stay on track with your content creation. Understanding formulas and blocking time to write will allow agencies to create better content in a more efficient and consistent way. Create your niche from your client profile and develop a plan to generate leads from that. spot works with about 2,500 agency partners and about 15,000 customers worldwide. Now, Jami’s blog is one of the largest blogs for agency professionals. It [...]

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New Business Prospecting & Making Your Agency Attractive to Prospects with Chuck Meyst

As agency owners, the topic of new business prospecting is one that’s always on your mind. How do you do it in a way that’s different from every other agency out there? Is there a better way?  Can you truly differentiate yourself?  Who is your right fit client? The value in finding the right prospects for your agency is invaluable, both in terms of time and money. Chuck Meyst understands the importance of finding that match and has spent the past 20 years perfecting the matchmaking sales connection between agencies and clients, which is why I was eager to get him on our Build A Better Agency podcast. Chuck shared his expertise that comes from years of experience working with agencies and their clients. Some highlights include: how a clear focus of your goals and priorities can create something of value for your client and create a better match between you and your client how the word “sales” is not something to fear, but something to embrace, and how to create maximum impact from it how agencies make themselves valuable and different by being good listeners and asking pertinent questions to their clients how to make your agency available for potential matches at his online tool, AgencyFinder without adding extra work. Chuck Meyst has been in sales all his life, from his childhood bike route to CEO and founder of AgencyFinder.com, a matchmaking service for agencies. To listen – you can visit the Build A Better Agency site (https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/chuck-meyst/) and grab either the iTunes or Stitcher files or just listen to it from the web.   If you’d rather just read the conversation, the transcript is below. If you're going to take the risk of [...]

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