The Agency Accelerator

Are you struggling to convert leads into prospects, and prospects into customers? Have you depended on referrals & word of mouth as your only source of generating new business? It might seem like an easy way to win clients, but there are some major flaws to it too (as have been highlighted during this pandemic!). In this week's episode of the Agency Accelerator Podcast, I talk about why relying on referrals & word of mouth as your major business development strategy can be a fatal mistake, and talk about some key proactive marketing & business development strategies you should always be focusing on. [1:58] The two major flaws about relying on just referrals or word of mouth [3:19] Understanding Your Target Niche [3:54] Identifying your Ideal Target Customers [4:19] Marketing advice to agency owners [6:32] Moving your audience through 3 stages of getting to know, like and trust you to buy from you [7:39} Recognising that the Sales Cycle rarely very short [8:27] Creating Value-Added Content [9:35] Taking a Value Selling Approach [10:11] Converting Leads to Customers [11:51] An idea for a re-engagement campaign with past clients to generate some immediate business [13:13] Using LinkedIn as an outreach platform [14:39] Interviewing Dan Englander in the next week's podcast 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

Does your business tell a story? Are you being authentic while trying to sell your products or services? Do you build empathy with your clients? In this weeks episode of The Agency Accelerator, I'm excited to have Jez Kay with me, a remote communications consultant who is going to talk to us about working in an authentic & empathetic way, it's advantages & disadvantages, along with a few tips that can help you along the way. [01:19] What do remote communication consultants do? [3:52] Another word of the moment is "Pivot", how has that impacted you? [4:49} How do you tell a story in your business? [6:29] Where does Jez stand in terms of developing online content? [7:15] Rob’s failures while selling online. [8:23] Validate your programs or courses before you start doing any development [9:13] Today's topic, Authenticity! [17:34] Importance of empathising with your clients [19:15] Thoughts & Tips around authenticity by Jez, for agency owners. [20:07] You learn far more from your failures than you do from successes [21:32] Jez's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [22:23] The best way to connect with Jez Kay What would be your advice to your younger self? 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.

Why on earth are we talking about hourly rates?! If you know me, you’ll know I HATE it when agencies charge by the hour. After all, your clients are buying outcomes, not time. That said, you should at least have an idea of what your own notional hourly rate is (i.e what an hour of your time is worth) so you’re able to figure out if you should be spending your time on certain tasks or not.  So, let’s get on with today’s short but very important show! [02:23] What do you think a fair price for an hour of your time is? [02:55] Let’s say you’re worth £150 an hour. Is the current task that you’re working on worth £150 an hour or less? If the task is worth less, why are you doing it? You need to apply one of the four Ds! [04:24] If you’re serious about not being a bottleneck to your agency’s growth, you need to slow down to speed up! [05:56] Is your agency self-running? Most aren’t… [07:11] There are always ways of outsourcing tasks whether it be with a VA or software, or both! [09:42] If you’re doing tasks below your hourly rate, you could be missing out on doing tasks at or above your hourly rate. Don’t make this mistake! 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

Today, I want to dig deep into some of the decisions you make early on in your agency that can have a HUGE effect on how your business develops in the future. We will be discussing: Do you charge hourly or do you use value-based pricing? Do you make sure you and your team use time tracking? Are you sure you are making the best use of your time? In this episode I am delighted to be joined by Susan Boles, virtual CFO and owner of organisation, Scale Spark. We are going to be discussing all of the above and everything else in between to help you be sure you’re running a resilient and efficient agency. [02:02] What are the common types of challenges most agencies seem to have? [06:41] Your money mindset will have a HUGE effect on you and how you run your business. You may find that this is something you have to address, in order for you to reach your full potential as an agency owner.  [09:25] People tend to structure their agency based on their experience as an employee at previous agencies. Why is this a problem? [14:03] “Why are you doing it that way?” [16:18] Let’s dig deeper into package pricing and the importance of tracking your time.  [24:40] When you have data about how long a task takes, you can start to find more efficient ways of doing those tasks! [27:48] Susan gives her 2 top tips for new agency owners. [29:38] If Susan could go back in time and give herself some business advice, what would it be?

Are you a busy fool?  With most of us still working from home right now due to the pandemic, many of us are working longer hours. After all, it’s too easy to blur the lines when your office is also your home and there hasn't been much to do due to lockdown. However, are you really being super productive each day or are you in fact, just being a busy fool? Time is our most precious commodity and when you’re running a business, you need to make sure that all of your time is spent wisely. So, in this episode, I’m going to give you 6 top tips to ensure maximum productivity. [02:15] Working from home is no excuse to not get dressed! [04:43] Having a consistent morning and evening routine can really help you to be more efficient with your time, throughout the day. I highly recommend you check out Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt, which is where I got this point from! [08:37] Are you allocating your time wisely across strategy, revenue and admin tasks?  [13:21] If your time is worth £150 an hour, why are you spending time on £30 an hour tasks? Learn to master the art of delegation.  [15:05] Learn to use the 4 Ds - Ditch it, Delegate it, Defer it, Do it… and you can use a fifth element….Automate it! [16:59] The importance of having a plan. Do you have one?  Links Being a busy fool blog  Managing Time eBook Free To Focus 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 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

Today’s guest just so happens to be the first EVER employee I hired in my agency CIT, many years ago! Pietro Ranieri worked at my agency for 9 years before leaving to set up on his own and I wanted to get him on the show to discuss his journey from freelancer to running and growing an agency, and to the point of selling his agency. He went on to buy his agency back (we discuss why!) and he now has a number of offices around the world! If you’re thinking of making the move from freelancer to agency owner, or if you’re thinking of scaling and maybe ultimately selling your agency, then this episode is for you. [05:26] What made Pietro make the switch from freelancer to agency owner? With most of his clients based in the US, Pietro had become somewhat of a night owl which lead to an unhealthy and lonely lifestyle… [09:37] Ranieri has a clear niche in consumer electronics, which has worked well for his agency as everyone knew they are the “go-to” experts. But what happened when he took on clients from outside of his area of expertise? [16:22] Are you running a proper agency, or do you just have a bunch of assistants working for you? If you want to scale, you need to be able to step away from doing the client work. [20:37] If you’re really looking to scale, it’s important you learn to distance yourself from the being the first point of contact, so the clients don’t become attached to you. Pietro and Rob delve into WHY this is so important and HOW to go about it. [25:59] The process of selling your agency can be a very long and draining process. If you want to sell your agency, you need to know what to expect and how to properly prepare for it. [35:15] if Pietro could go back in time and give himself some advice, what would it be? For more info on Pietro's agency, Ranieri Communications, visit the WEBSITE. 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

Imagine having an agency that runs itself. No more slogging over client work day in, day out. No more 15-hour days to ensure you meet the next deadline. No more dealing with multiple clients all wanting to speak only to YOU. This is something many agency owners dream of yet fail to achieve. However, if you really want an agency that runs itself, it most certainly is possible and I’m going to show you how to do it: [02:01] If your hourly rate is £150 and you’re doing tasks below that level, you need to start delegating these and focusing only on the tasks that at level of your hourly rate or higher. [03:51] You need to build your brand to be your agency not just “you”. [06:23] Why you absolutely must hire the very best people you can afford, and not just a bunch of assistants. [07:49] How building a management team as soon as possible will make it easier to move your agency forward. [08:55] There is an art behind being a super effective delegator and learning this is so important if you want your agency to grow to the point of not needing you! Make sure you download my free e-book on delegation HERE. [10:37] Do you have a plan that you visit every day to ensure you’re always moving your agency forward? [13:00] You can’t build an extension on your house without foundations as the extension will fall down. Similarly, you can’t grow an agency without getting the fundamentals right. 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

Video content is dominating the world right now, but for so many of us (myself included for a long time!) the thought of getting in front of the camera can put us into a cold sweat! Laura Evans runs a video and podcasting company called Let’s talk Video Production and I was super excited to have her as my latest guest on the Agency Accelerator Podcast. We are going to be talking all things video and podcasting and why you should seriously think about adding these into your marketing strategy, if you haven’t already done so. [3:49] Me and Laura both have experience of being made redundant but this can sometimes be the best thing to happen to you! [6:20] Laura explains why businesses ought to be using video as part of their marketing strategy. Many of us are still fearful of this, but both videos and podcasts can be a great way of building a relationship with your audience, so it’s important to try and overcome this fear. Remember, it’s not all about you, it’s about your audience and the value you can bring them! [11:25] Different methods work for different people when recording videos. Whether you use an autocue, post-it notes or you just wing it, do what works best for YOU. [13:17] Laura gives some great tips for someone planning on recording a 2-3minute video on their own (without a production company!) including some awesome affordable gear suggestions. [20:40] What is the ideal video length can how can video content help with your SEO? [25:54] Podcasting is great for visibility but can it help you get more clients?  [32:50] If you could go back in time and give your younger self some business advice, what would it be? To find out more about Let’s Talk Video Production and their services, visit their website or email Laura at laura@letstalkvideoproduction.com Links Mentioned In The Ep: Starting video production with low costs Microphones for starting your podcast 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

It’s been a few months now since the virus knocked us all for 6 and threw out all our plans, and we are now adjusting to what has become the “new normal”. In today’s episode, I discuss how you can continue to grow your agency even during these crazy times, because you should not just be running on a “survival mode’ mind set right now. Your agency has the opportunity to thrive, so let’s get on with the show! [02:11] You should be using this time to talk to your clients, listen to them and serve them but how well do you REALLY know your target customers? Right now, there has never been a better time to learn more about them. [05:39] Do you have a plan? You should still have your usual short, medium and long term plans but you might also need weekly plans, especially with the way everything keeps changing right now. [08:01] Pivot where necessary! Find new ways to serve your existing audience or find a new audience but remember to test and validate your ideas first! [10:49] Be a good listener! Listen to your audience and identify their needs. [12:14] Make sure you’re splitting your time effectively across revenue, strategy and admin. How much of your time should you be allocating to each of these three pots? [17:09] Is it in bad taste to carry on marketing during a pandemic? Links: Mailing list ebook Customer Avatar ebook Free weekly plan 27-Page Validation Guide   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

What an incredible story my next guest has! I am joined by Miha Matlievski today, who talks about his business failure and how he rose from the ashes, even after losing absolutely everything in a very short space of time. We also discuss mindset and emotional intelligence, and how you absolutely must have these both in check, if you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. [01:45] A quick history of Miha…. He built up 4 successful businesses and a personal net worth of over $15million. However, this all came crashing down in 2009 after a phone call from his bank. He very suddenly found himself with no businesses and debt of $5 million. However, despite such a huge blow and even thinking of suicide for a while, he kept on fighting, built up a new successful company and is now known as “The Fail Coach”. [08:39] Miha realised that a big reason he lost everything so suddenly was because his businesses had no foundations, so when the crisis came, he had nothing to fall back on. [11:30] Miha discusses how he bounced back from learning how to be present. Mindfulness and emotional intelligence played such a huge role in his resurrection. [16:22] It’s only when you take full responsibility for your failings that you will begin to succeed and remember….nothing magical ever happens inside the comfort zone!   [23:22] We discuss the importance of emotional intelligence as an entrepreneurial business owner and why most entrepreneurs make it harder for themselves by not asking for help, when it’s usually right in front of us. [27:57] What advice would Miha give to someone just starting out or looking to scale their existing business? Hint… be very careful of these so called “gurus”… [37.18] If Miha could go back in time to give his younger self some advice, what would it be? To find out more about Miha visit his LinkedIn profile or go to his website. 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