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Why Fickle Clients Are More Profitable In the Long Run

Everyone wants to be the quarterback — the agency that signs a client and is ushered right into the C-suite to serve as the backbone of the client’s marketing strategy. Your agency loves clients like these because they value the same thing you do: the work. They expect you to be the workhorse of their marketing department that can do it all, which leads to a partner dynamic rather than a vendor relationship. According to an Agency Management Institute report, these “looking for love” clients make up 29 percent of companies out there. And while you probably enjoy working for these companies, they might not be the best for your agency. Demanding, Fickle Clients Are Actually More Profitable The AMI report identified another subset of organizations looking for agencies: the clients who like to play the field. These clients see their agencies as a necessary evil, not a core part of the team. They usually look for specialists, rather than generalists (such as PR or SEO), and often have a number of agencies on retainer at the same time. They tend to be fickle and apt to change agencies frequently — even if their current agency is doing a good job. These clients won’t give you the warm fuzzies, but they can come with big benefits in terms of pricing, budgeting, and time commitment. Because playing-the-field clients are specifically looking for tactical expertise, you don’t have to work hard to sell them on your agency. They already know what they need, and they wouldn’t be talking to you unless they’d recognized your ability to fulfill that need. These clients also tend to have bigger budgets and are willing to pay a premium for your brand of [...]

September 6th, 2017|

Are you a wonderbread factory or an artisan bakery? with Drew McLellan

[easy-social-share buttons=”facebook,twitter,google,linkedin,mail” counters=1 counter_pos=”topm” total_counter_pos=”leftbig” style=”icon_hover”] 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 those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”     What you’ll learn about in this episode: Two types of agencies: “Artisan bakery agencies” (every project they produce is custom made for a client) and “Wonder Bread factory agencies” (where they follow systems and processes to produce the same limited set of things for every client) Why clients often work with both of these kinds of agencies, sometimes even at the same time Misconceptions owners of both kinds of agencies have about each other Assessing what type of agency you own (and why it may fall in the middle of these two types) Some of the pros of running an “Artisan bakery agency”: you can hire millennials, you can be [...]

September 4th, 2017|

Win More Business — Attendee Details

Thanks for registering for the Win More Business Workshop/s! We’re looking forward to spending 2-4 days (depending on if you’re attending both workshops or just one) with you, talking about how you can position your agency so you stand out, attract your right fit clients and avoid the mistakes that agencies make every day in new business presentations, RFPs, and even over coffee conversations. We will definitely be adopting the AMI philosophy of — "you will gain in proportion to what you share" - so I’m hoping that everyone will come to the workshop ready to learn from each other and hopefully from us as well. We will also be honoring the AMI commitment to confidentiality so please come ready to get to know each other’s agencies — warts and all. Here’s everything you need to know for the workshop. LOCATION: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Once you register for the workshop, we will work with you to find a hotel room for your stay. The original room block has sold out. Watch for an email from us within 24 hours of receiving your registration form. SCHEDULE: We’ll start every morning at 8:30 am with breakfast in the meeting room. We will start the actual workshop at 9 am each morning. We’ll shut down on day one at 5 pm and on day two at 3 pm. Same pattern for day 3 (5 pm) and day 4 (3 pm). ATTIRE: Please come to the workshop in casual clothes. Shorts, polos, jeans — whatever makes you comfortable. However — meeting rooms tend to be chilly and I tend to set them to chilly so you might want to bring a sweater, sweatshirt etc. MEALS: We will provide [...]

August 31st, 2017|

How to Nurture Relationships & Build Your Network with David Fisher

  “I hate networking.” I can almost hear the collective moan from agency owners when the subject of networking comes up. Most of us think it’s either a waste of time or it makes us feel uncomfortable, like used car salesman uncomfortable.   But in today’s world, networking is a necessity. And not just any networking, it’s a new landscape of the hyper-connected selling where social media networking and old school sales and communication skills are the keys to building personal influence and creating human connections. My podcast guest is David JP Fisher or D-Fish to those who know and love him. He is a coach, speaker, author, and president of Rock Star Consulting where they love networking and all of the power, benefits and new business it can bring your way. His two most recent books, Networking in the 21st Century: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It and Hyper Connected Selling: Winning More Business Through Personal Influence and Human Connection, are all about the power of networking. Join D-Fish and I as we ramp up your new business, one personal interaction at a time with: Why you can’t rely on referrals for new business Networking: why it’s relational -- not transactional How to build your network so it's stronger and serves your business better Why size matters in your network -- and why not every connection has to be a strong one Leveraging the social capital you create and making the ask at a time where you don’t come off as desperate How to build and nurture relationships Why young professionals really need to work on building their network The power of the one-on-one and taking the opportunity to build [...]

August 31st, 2017|

Create Content That Creates Revenue – Attendee Details

Thanks for registering for the Create Content that Creates Revenue Workshop! We’re looking forward to spending a couple days with you, talking about how you can easily and consistently create cornerstone content that drives revenue (making money for creating your content — what a concept!) and establishes your unique thought leader position. We will definitely be adopting the AMI philosophy of — you will gain in proportion to what you share so I’m hoping that everyone will come to the workshop ready to learn from each other and hopefully from me as well. We will also be honoring the AMI commitment to confidentiality so please come ready to get to know each other’s agencies — warts and all. Here’s some general information for the workshop. Please fill out this brief questionnaire before coming! Click Here to Fill Out Form! The sooner you do it, the better job we can do to make sure you get the most out of this class.  Here’s everything you need to know for the workshop: You can download all of this information here to keep handy until the workshop: Download PDF WORKSHOP LOCATION: This hotel WILL sell out.  So make your reservation now please. Disney’s Yacht & Beach Resort 1700 Epcot Resorts Blvd Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 Call 407-939-4686 and use event code GO730320 for discounted price of $255/night. SCHEDULE: We’ll start both mornings at 8:30 am with breakfast in the meeting room. We will start the actual workshop at 9 am both mornings. We’ll shut down on day one at 5 pm and on day two at 3 pm.   We're hoping that on the evening of day one you will be our guest for dinner. We’ll meet at [...]

August 29th, 2017|

Create Content that Creates Revenue

"I want to learn from people who have done it and every AMI workshop is taught by someone who teaches from experience and shares their tough bumps along the way, as well as the path to success!" Content. It may well be the most over-used word in agencies today (if you count synergy, partner and win/win as givens!) but we can’t deny that it’s here to stay. It’s not just a part of our lexicon but when done well/right — it’s a significant part of our revenue and business development efforts. Every agency is creating content. But many of them aren’t all that happy with the consistency or quality even though it’s taking up a serious amount of agency time and attention. If you have to create it — why not monetize it? In this workshop, we will teach you how to move content from the costs/investment side of the ledger to the income/profit side. Whether you want to write a best-selling book, be a sought after speaker, create a podcast or video series or something else -- we'll show you how to do it and how to leverage it! You’ll walk way from this two-day, immersive workshop knowing how to: Monetize your Content: Get paid to create it Get sponsors for it Use your content as the Trojan Horse of Sales™ Create and execute an entire business development strategy baked around your content/thought leadership Authoring a Book: Identifying the topic that will drive your agency’s business development Self-publish or agent/publisher (Pros and ons of both) Sample pitch letter / proposal template to follow Sample contracts (what to watch for and avoid) How to land an agent/publisher if you choose that option Time to write [...]

August 26th, 2017|

How to Utilize A/B Testing and Conversion Optimization to Drive Sales and Leads with Justin Christianson

“It doesn't really matter what you're selling because, at the end of the day, we're dealing with people.” But people can be tricky – why do they do what they do? Most of us have figured out that we do things for one of two reasons, to avoid pain or to gain pleasure and our customers are no different. So how can you use that information to drive leads and sales? According to my podcast guest Justin Christianson, it’s by utilizing split (A/B) testing and conversion optimization. Justin’s vast knowledge of split (A/B) testing and conversion optimization borders on the fanatical. So fanatical, he wrote a book about it, “Conversion Fanatic: How to double your customers, sales and profits with A/B testing”. Join Justin and I and see how split (A/B) testing and conversion optimization can get people to take the desired action that you want them to take by learning: How Conversion Fanatics was born Why you have to track and learn why people do what they do The basics of conversions Big mistakes people make when attempting to get people to convert How to start testing for conversions How to get your clients to actually do case studies Some of the most surprising things Justin has learned from conversion testing What makes an employee good for conversion work Why split (A/B) testing and conversion optimization are two very different things Why you must approach working with other agencies for a client with no ego VR and video: why these two technologies are only going to grow in the future How Justin stays on the cutting edge How to pick the clients that are right for your agency Justin Christianson is a 15-year digital [...]

August 10th, 2017|

SS Client Filter Download

Check out your Sweet Spot Client Filter All clients are not created equal. Find your perfect match. That’s what this tool is all about. Download my Client Filter Now! © 2017 Agency Management Institute. All Rights Reserved.

July 17th, 2017|

How to Create Content that Plays to Your Unique Strengths with C.C. Chapman

“They've got to feel like they're getting something out of it so they keep coming back.” “If you give them something on a regular basis, create something to give back to them, that's when a community starts building.” “You've got to make me feel welcome, give me a reason to come in and sit down, and then give me a reason to stick around.” Do you sense a theme?  My podcast guest C.C. Chapman is all about giving and building community. He firmly believes that when we give, we can build something great. C.C. is the co-author of the International bestseller “Content Rules” and is also the author of “Amazing Things Will Happen.”  He travels the world teaching companies how to understand content marketing with the goal of creating tribes of people with a shared vision and goals.  He has worked his magic with companies like Nike, HBO, American Eagle Outfitters, ONE, Verizon FiOS, and Coca-Cola. It doesn't matter what kind of community you're looking to build, C.C. and I will show you how to do it through:   Social Good: giving your employees an opportunity to make a difference How to pick the right cause for your agency to support Don’t be too humble: why you need to talk about the non-profit work that you do The International bestseller “Content Rules” C.C. co-authored Speak Human: the most violated rule from “Content Rules” Differentiation: what makes your agency different? Creating content that plays to your strengths Why you can’t afford not to create content for yourself (and how to get it produced if you honestly don’t have the time to do it personally) Building trust by giving away at least pieces of what you do [...]

July 6th, 2017|

Thank you

Your Sweet Spot Client Filter is on it’s way! Please check your email. Finding your perfect match. That’s what this tool is all about. If you’ve been in the agency business for more than a week, you know there are clients we love and clients who suck the life out of your agency. The better you know yourself, the better you will be at identifying and chasing after those sweet spot clients that you love to work for, your team is excited to bust a hump to please and in return, the client appreciates all of your efforts. Finding your perfect match. That’s what this tool is all about. If you’ve been in the agency business for more than a week, you know there are clients we love and clients who suck the life out of your agency. The better you know yourself, the better you will be at identifying and chasing after those sweet spot clients that you love to work for, your team is excited to bust a hump to please and in return, the client appreciates all of your efforts. © 2017 Agency Management Institute. All Rights Reserved.

July 5th, 2017|

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