There are days (and we love them) when price isn’t a barrier and that prospect gladly signs on the dotted line and off we go. But, we’ve all had the experience of being in front of a prospect who is excited to work with our agency until the conversation circled around to dollars and cents. [...]
By Robin Boehler & Stephen Boehler (Founding Partners of Mercer Island Group ) Covid-19 has changed our lives and our work. Business as usual has been interrupted, yet your clients and prospects are trying to remain truly operational. Agencies may find themselves in a pitch process that has become a virtual exercise. To capitalize on these [...]
I think agency leaders and owners are incredibly generous people. I’m always astonished at how you take care of your people, often to your own detriment. You give to them in ways that mean you get a little less. It’s just who you are. So as I thought about this week’s message, I decided I [...]
Recently, I was listening to an interview with Craig Berube, coach of the St. Louis Blues hockey team. The interview covered how they've been able to stay very competitive and lead their division while enduring the absence of their most productive player, who underwent shoulder surgery in October. He said two things. “We have a [...]
When business owners are brainstorming new ways to grow their revenue, they first jump to their prospective new client list. Prospective clients who become new clients of yours are great for building revenue, but I argue to look at your current clients instead. Most of your new revenue should come from your existing clients, approximately [...]
Remember the “good old days” right after the recession when incredibly talented employees were easy to find, quick to hire and grateful to have a steady paycheck? The upside to that story is that in 2020 the economy is stronger, the job market is much more stable and everyone is making more money. The downside [...]
Public speaking is something many people fear — even visionary CEOs. Tesla’s Elon Musk, for example, has publicly chastised himself for his lackluster performances. Even if you’re not Musk-level famous, public speaking is an essential skill. It could be argued that every time you speak, you’re doing so to influence opinion, inspire action or stir [...]
In our owner peer group meetings, one of the things we always do is share a recommended app, tool or book. It’s a really easy way to discover some new ideas and tools for getting better without lots of trial and error. One must-read book has surfaced to the top over and over again and [...]
I repeatedly hear other agency owners lament their inability to find that mythical salesperson who can sell to prospects so owners don’t have to. My response is always the same: Are you sure that person isn’t already inside your agency? From my experience, successful salespeople have typically grown up in the agency (or at least [...]
We’re all blogging, writing newsletters, trying to speak at conferences, etc. We’ve got content coming out of our ears but content does not equal thought leadership. If you and 1,000 other agencies all blogged about the new Pantone color of the year — that’s content, not thought leadership. No one is going to pay you [...]
