The Agency Accelerator

Do you want to avoid CSHWOD in your agency?  It’s my new favourite term! Many agencies tell me that they just don't have enough hours in the day because they are so run ragged, serving the demands of their clients, and they fear if they say NO they will lose the client. They end up stuck on the Client Service Hamster Wheel Of Doom (CSHWOD!). Let’s dig into this and explore some solutions. Timestamp 02:09 Consider that when you say YES you are saying NO to something else 03.05 The first steps to changing this 3.15 Two kinds of change you need to make 4.06 Getting clear about your scope of work 4.37 Getting clear about service levels 6.13 Ring-fencing time to work ON your agency 7.32 Get stronger boundaries with clients and staff 9.33 Working with ideal target customers 10.23 Allocating time every week to work on your agency and support your team 12.05 Having respectful relationships with clients Useful links: Guide to nichingGuide to defining your ideal target customerCome and join us in The Self-Running Implementation GroupDownload The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Linkedin is a great platform to engage with your ideal target customer yet there are many who use it poorly and don’t get results they hope for so move on to something different. If you've been trying to use LinkedIn to support your business development activities but haven’t yet got results, then listen to today’s episode of the podcast. Today I am delighted to chat with Tracey Burnett, who is a Linkedin specialist and we're talking all things Linkedin; how you can hone your profile as well as a number of invaluable tips on how to maximise the use of LinkedIn to engage with your target audience. [2:07] Introducing Tracey Burnett - a LinkedIn specialist helping businesses find new clients on LinkedIn. [3:41] Tracey talks about how you can create an appealing Linkedin profile. [8:37] 5 tips on how you can maximise the use of LinkedIn to engage with your target audience. [12:18] Measure performance, improve engagement & grow your audience on Linkedin with Shield (Tool for analytics). [13:33] 5 tips on how you can maximise the use of Linkedin for reaching out to your target audience. (continued). [22:47] Do’s and Don’ts for reaching out to your potential new audience on Linkedin. [28:28] Tracey's one piece of advice that she would like to go back in time and give to her younger self. Website: http://www.traceyburnett.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyburnett/ Come and join us in The Self-Running Implementation Group Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

How much of your time do you spend servicing clients? If you feel you have no choice but to spend most of your time in ‘client service mode’, and if you believe if you don’t, you won’t retain your customers, then you will not have time to focus on the future of your agency (e.g. business development, strategy, marketing etc) because you are at the beck and call of your clients. Infact, you're caught up in the Client Servicing Hamster Wheel of Doom (CSHWOD) and you need to find a way to get off it and do something different, and that starts with changing your mindset. In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator, I explore how, as an agency owner, your time needs to be split into 3 ‘buckets’ that will enable you to serve your client’s needs, focus on driving your agency forwards and have enough time to run your agency. [1:02] The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group: Open for enrolment. Find out how you can join fellow agency owners in the journey to building an agency that is less dependent on YOU! [3:36] How much time are you spending servicing clients? Probably too much! [4:23] How to avoid the dreaded Famine & Feast Cycle. No one wants to end up in famine trough where we make bad decisions such as discounting or taking on the wrong type of client [6:25] Learn how to split your time into 3 buckets: REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN and what should your split be? [8:22] Having the right mindset will help you get off the dreaded CSHWOD! [10:55] What is your notional hourly rate? An important discussion to get your pricing right and hit your profit targets [12:13] Why you should dedicate time on building a robust strategy for the future of your agency [13:04] Defining your niche [14:18] Identifying your target audience [14:39] Build a great marketing campaign [15:14] The Self-Running Agency Book [15:39] A piece of advice: Do a few sales & marketing tactics. really well and consistently, don’t get seduced by ‘shiny new object syndrome” You are always the best salesperson for your agency [16: 59] Guide on how to split your time across REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN – where are you today and where do you want to be? [18:20} The benefits of getting your time split right Come and join us in The Self-Running Implementation Group Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Learn more about "notional hourly rate" Learn more about famine & feast cycle Read more about how you can define your niche Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

As we move towards the “new normal” post-pandemic, organisations have become more accustomed to doing business online rather than in person. But what does the future of events look like? Will they remain online or move back to in-person events? In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I'm excited to have Marc Convey, Managing Director of 23 Digital, a video production agency that creates digital content using films, virtual reality & animation We're going talk about the evolution of online events and how companies are using augmented reality to grow their business. [0:53] Introducing Marc Convey, Managing Director, 23 Digital, is a video agency that creates digital content using films, virtual reality & animation. [1:47] How has 23-Digital fared during the pandemic, what changes did they make to not only survive but thrive? [8:30] Biggest challenge faced by Marc working on AR projects. [15:03] Environmental impact of doing events live. [15:36] How do you replicate networking or being around people in a virtual environment? [18:37] The future of videos in marketing. [20:06] How businesses are going to use augmented reality moving forward. [23:59] Marc's one piece of advice that he would give to his younger self. [25:16] Where can you find more about 23 Digital. Marc's Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-convey-b2a452104/ Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

As we come out of the pandemic, is working from home going to continue to be the norm and if so, how do we continue to focus & motivate staff? COVID-19 has brought about a change in the work culture, with people having to adapt to remote working. Some of us have thrived while others have struggled. In this short episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I discuss how this pandemic has impacted our work (with some surprising stats) & share some ideas that my clients are using to keep their teams focused, energised and accountable. [1:16] Working from home: Has it been a benefit or curse? [2:21] Some interesting stats about remote working. [3:28] Tips to help your team thrive while working from home. [6:36] I share some great ideas that members of my The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group have implemented. [7:14] Tips to keep your team motivated whilst working remotely. Subscribe & Review Interested in joining the next cohort of The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group? Learn more here: https://www.dacostacoaching.co.uk/the-self-running-agency/  Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

The 'Black Lives Matter' movement has brought the issue of diversity and inclusion to the forefront of many conversations.  Business, big and small, are starting to consider how Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) should impact their workforce. In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I'm excited to have Chico Chakravorty, D&I consultant and Founder of Doing Diversity Differently.  In this fascinating conversation (where I learned a lot!) we talk about how to approach & integrate D&I in our organisations. We also explore how we, as agencies, should be advising our clients on D&I in their campaigns, and the importance of doing so authentically. To bring this to life Chico shares some real-life examples (both good and bad). [0:55] The Self-Running Agency Book - Grab your FREE copy [1:46] Introducing Chico Chakravorty, D&I consultant and Founder of Doing Diversity Differently. [5:55] How should we as agency owners advise our clients on diversity & inclusion [9:28] Is it the responsibility of an agency to highlight the in-authenticity of diversity being portrayed in campaigns? [11:20] Example: Marks & Spencer launched a sandwich called LGBT [14:25] Example: Tesco [16:07] What is the meaning of "White Privilege"? [17:23] The "Black Lives Matter" movement: How should businesses contribute to the cause? [23:00] The two important elements of diversity [26:59] Chico's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [28:48] The best way to connect with Chico. Website - https://doingdiversitydifferently.com/ Email - chico@doingdiversitydifferently.com    Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Do you ever look back and wish you had done a few things differently when you were just starting out running your agency? This week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast is going to be slightly different. It is the first in an occasional series of ‘5s’ and in this episode I will be sharing 5 tips that I would give to my younger self, who is just starting out his agency, if I could go back in time. Obviously, I can't really time travel, but I can share these tips with you in the hope they will help you build & grow your agency.   [1:24] Back to the future: 5 tips to my younger self [2:06] Have a plan to stay in control and bring everyone along with you: vision -> strategy -> action plan [6:03] Grow your agency, build a team. [7:59] Don't be led by money, be led by purpose. [10:23] Get your pricing right - Value pricing/selling methodology [13:06] Succession planning: The Self-Running Agency [15:20] The Self-Running Agency Book Download The Self-Running Agency Book for FREE Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcast and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

How have you found flexible working hours during the pandemic? Has working from home impacted your productivity negatively or positively? In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, we're talking all about flexible working with Grant Jennings, who is the Owner of Creative Blend, a digital marketing agency. [1:07] What is Creative Blend & how is it different from other digital agencies? [4:55] How has Creative Blend adapted to the’ new normal’ of flexible working hours? [11:21] Tools recommended by Grant to help maintain accountability & project management. [12:56] How to deal with resistance from clients when implementing new tools [15:36] Tools recommended by Grant to use when working remotely. [16:32] Impact of remote working on productivity. [25:55] Grant's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. Contact details for Grant Website: www.creative-blend.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/gjenningsuk Grant is also a trustee of local charity Whoopsadaisy who support babies and children (12 months to 12 years) with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Have you been struggling to build your email list? Would you like to build an automated lead generation system? Well I have some answers for you in this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I talk about the importance of email sales funnels and how you can build one, along with some great tips that can help you nurture and grow your email list. [0:45] Importance of Email Marketing. [2:10] Why you should be focusing on Email Marketing. {03:35] It's never too late to start building your email list! [5:17] Be context specific with your content to generate lots of email sign ups. [6:26] Website pop ups are great but use them effectively to capture email addresses. [7:44] How to nurture your email list. [10:31] Getting the balance right between providing value added content & driving sales through your emails. [12:32] Importance of email sales funnel strategy. [15:35]The importance of sending personalised emails [18:17] Nurture your subscribers through 3 stages of email sales funnels To know more in detail about email sales funnel, download my ebook.   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

DID YOU KNOW? Building your agency based on referrals is like jumping into cold water! Also, if you think Lead Generation is nothing more than picking up the phone and setting up meetings, then you're wrong! In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator, I'm excited to have Dan Englander. He is the CEO and founder of the Sales Schema, a lead generation firm for boutique ad agencies, and a fellow podcast host of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast. He is also the author of Mastering Account Management, the B2B sales blueprint. We are going to be talking about new businesses and lead generation . [0:47] Introducing Dan Englander. [2:10] What does Sales Schema do? [4:01] My conversation with a potential client that built their business based on referrals. [4:48] Building your agency based on referrals is like jumping into cold water. [5:43] Dan's advice to agencies that have realised that relying on only referrals isn't going to be enough to help them grow. [7:42} Importance of niching. [9:08] Why are agencies today scared to commit to Niching? [12:41] The question you need to ask yourself to find your niche. [13:54] Dan's point of view on the impact of ongoing pandemic on businesses. [19:28] Importance of Email Marketing. [20:39] Under appreciated facts about B2B sales & marketing. [21:14] Importance of having an authentic approach across all communication mediums. [24:08] Getting under the skin of your clients.  [27:08] When your clients ask for ‘A’ but they actually need ‘B’! [31:55] The biggest ingredient for a successful business is consistency. [33.38] It takes 13 months for someone to come into my world, learn with me and to buy from me.  [38:01] Dan's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [39:04] Where can you find out more about Sales Schema? For more info on Dan's agency, Sales Schema, visit the website. Also to learn more about niching, you can download my e-book 'Defining Your Niche'. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website.   I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments!   Thanks so much.