You and your team are good at what you do. You’re smart, you work hard, and you’ve excelled in your professional skill area. But you’re not salespeople. Since money doesn’t grow on trees, and there’s usually a correlation between effort and earnings, something needs to keep the lights on at your agency. Conversations Are The Key It’s as simple as having regular conversations with the right people. “The key to selling is conversations.” Directed, purposeful, simple conversations. If you start with the assumption that you provide a service that has value, then you change your mindset from sales to providing solutions to your customer. Chances are you’re passionate about how your agency can help your customer, so this mindset transition from "sales" to "assistance" is easy. You’ll discover, through a friendly conversation with a prospective customer, that you can identify what their issues are and how your agency can solve them. You then fine tune your solution, and voila! Now you not only have a new customer, but you’re a bona fide salesperson too. Easy, right? Sales calls are simple conversations with prospects who may or may not become clients. If you relax, your demeanor will alter; your breathing will slow, and you’ll find yourself talking with an interesting person. When you LISTEN (yes, all in caps) it is amazing what you’ll learn. Put the two together, with a little direction and a purpose, and you’ll find that your ordinary conversations will become extraordinary sales opportunities. Scheduling time to talk with prospects is critical The trick is to find the right people to have these conversations with on a regular basis. Finding prospective clients is the part of the sales job that so many people [...]

In December 2018, Wired published a shocking account of Elon Musk’s infamous firing sprees during Tesla’s Model 3 production struggles. According to the article, Musk’s frustration with low productivity and failure to meet standards led to the firing of some 700 employees -- many of whom never knew why they got the boot. Tesla hit several of its lofty goals last year, but with a workforce motivated by fear, will the company’s success eventually crumble under the stress of the employees creating it? Musk’s behavior is the polar opposite of how most managers handle unproductive employees. In many cases, managers allow bad behavior to continue for too long before stepping in to do damage control. In an article I wrote that was recently published on Entrepreneur.com, I dive into the difficult conversation employers need to embrace to assure that their agency maintains the level of productivity and professionalism they need. I'd love for you to check out my insight and give me feedback on how you handle difficult conversations with your agency employees.

Most agency owners don’t have backgrounds in finance. Agency owners who shy away from responsible financial management typically run into unnecessary challenges come tax season (if they even make it that long). By following a few simple tips, agency owners can master administrative tasks that come with running a company, especially in today’s changing tax climate. If you're in need of solid information to navigate the rocky road of agency management and keep more of your own money, Forbes.com recently asked me to provide a resource to assist their readers with tax law comprehension. I’d love for you to check it out and let me know if these explanations resonate with you and your agency.

Businesses lose employees all the time. What’s the problem? In a word, culture. You can throw money at top talent all you want, but if you don’t inspire your teams, you’ll struggle to attract employees in competitive job markets or retain your best workers in the face of tempting offers. To create that happy culture, you don’t need to start Free Beer Fridays or let everyone leave after lunch. You simply need to improve your emotional awareness and give your employees the environment, motivation and perks that matter to them. You need to create the culture. Entreprenuer.com recently tapped me to provide some tips on how to create a culture that not only attracts the best employees, but also keeps them at your company when headhunters come calling. I’d love for you to check it out and see if any of these ideas may help you amplify your agency’s culture.    

Collaborative creativity has turned agency life upside down. Account services personnel are just as likely to bring innovative concepts to the table as graphic designers. In this rearranged agency atmosphere, managers and CMOs have to learn how to bring forth everyone in-house to achieve creative genius. In order for agencies to develop a culture where creativity is a scientific problem-solving technique, the key is to see creativity as a process rather than an innate talent. Creativity is a teachable group sport: All it takes is a coach willing to lead a team to creative victory through old-fashioned trial and error. If you're seeking the tools to become your agency's all-star creative coach, Forbes.com recently asked me to put together a resource to help agencies learn some of the most important strategies to spur creativity in your team. Let me know what you think- I’d love to hear the creative tools you use to bring out the best in your agency.

A stellar resume isn’t enough to stand out in a pack of fellow applicants anymore. Sticking to traditional methods no longer works; applicants must prioritize new methods to differentiate themselves. The key is to think like a marketer and devise a personalized campaign for each company with which you’re hoping to land an interview. The most effective method will show possible employers that you are a genuine, relatable individual who’d make a great addition to their team. If you're inspired to start a self-marketing campaign, and improve your visibility as an applicant, check out the article I recently wrote for Recruiter.com to learn how to stand out amid the sea of qualified applicants.  Let me know what you think!