The Happy Clients Podcast

IOS + Client Communication | Here's Where To Start Some wild changes are coming in the Agency-Client Landscape (w new IOS). Your clients have likely heard the word on the streets that changes are coming, but they likely don't have the inside scoop. As the agency owner, your clients will expect you to be in the know, keep them updated, and most importantly, take care of their business on their behalf. You, the agency owner, need to position yourselves as the authority during these times. Ensure your clients know that you have the best resources and they're in good hands. Don't fret! We're on it! If this is new to you, here's the scoop from Facebook:  "Specifically, Apple will begin to require that all apps in the App Store show a discouraging prompt to users on iOS 14 devices, in accordance with their AppTrackingTransparency framework. Apple’s policy will prohibit certain data collection and sharing unless people opt into tracking on iOS 14 devices via the prompt. As more people opt out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, ads personalization and performance reporting will be limited for both app and web conversion events." Here's how to communicate the iOS updated to your clients: BE PROACTIVE. Naturally, when clients hear about the ios changes, they're likely going to panic. Why? Because there's this huge sense of worry when it comes to this update coming down the pipes! As advertisers, we know that things will always be changing, it's just how quickly we learn the changes and implement updated strategies to ensure performance continues. The best thing you can do for your clients is to send them an update, telling them what's going on and what they need to know. Be proactive and do this asap. Not sure what to say? We have email templates you can use here. KNOW THE FACTS. If you're the expert, be the expert. Do your research, learn the facts and stay in the know of what's going on when it comes to IOS updates. This will likely alter how you're tracking your advertising on Facebook, so ensure you know what's up. Some great spots to learn are from Facebook itself, join FB support groups like Ad Hacks, and read advertising blogs more frequently to stay up to speed. KEEP CLIENTS UPDATED. As things progress with the IOS updates, you need to keep your clients updated. Maybe schedule a weekly email to go out to your client list (bcc) with high-level updates on what they should know. Please, for your client's sake, don't over-communicate with things they don't need to know. You'll show you're the authority and that they can trust you with their business during this time. For ease, pick up a free copy of our client email templates for iOS here. You can literally copy/paste to your clients proactively and when they have questions. If we haven't met yet, well, hello! We're so glad you've stopped by. We're DOT & Co., Client Account Managers for Digital Marketing Agencies. We're based in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia and have a team around the world. Curious if we could help? Email us to start the conversation.

Slack, and everything you need to know for your agency. I swear I can hear that slack notification sound in my sleep. Slack helps run our businesses much smoother in 2021, and for a great reason. Slack is seriously a game-changer, specifically for agencies, but there are some dos and don'ts to the platform that you should have in mind when using it for your agency. We work in Slack all day, every day, so we know a thing or two about it. Not only do we use it internally at DOT & Co., all of our agency clients use it, too. Back and forth between slack channels, Asana, Gmail, zoom, all day long. Do you feel us? In this episode, you'll learn: Our Best Tips For Running Your Agency On Slack Notifications for Optimal Productivity? I Feel Things Get Missed In Slack— Is It Me? Should I Have My Clients In Slack? Overall, Slack is an amazing tool for your agency. I'd argue it's required in 2021. [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here.  Swipe File: Email Templates: Ready to use client-facing email templates, get it here. [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.

We all know hiring can be exciting, but also a huge challenge for many agencies. What can be even harder is coming up with your master plan ahead of time on how to vet the “right fit” candidate and take that next successful step towards scaling. Because we’re all in the business of building superstar teams, right!? Carly from the DOT & Co. team is here to get you started on building out the perfect hiring process. Carly is the leader of our hiring and marketing at DOT & Co. and she’s someone you should definitely learn from. In this episode, we dive into an inside look at our best practices when hiring superstar teams. Because we get it-- In lean agencies and entrepreneurial “go-getter” environments, you need people with resiliency, openness, self-awareness, comfortability with ambiguity, and a killer attitude; but how do you find them? 1.Initial Stages: Applications, Resumes & Everything in Between LinkedIn is a great primary tool when trying to source candidates from within close contacts of your network - this also is the #1 platform used in recruiting and often allows you to gather more than just a resume when posting jobs. And as much as you may not want to hear it, it’s critical to dedicate TIME to finding the right person. This means sifting through application materials, consulting teammates for their thoughts on who the best fit would be, and setting out your criteria for who will move onto next steps in the hiring process. 2. The Qualification Stage: Tips and Tricks STEP 1) It all starts with the first email communications: are they responding well to your vibe and tone? Are the responses timely and well-written? In agency life, communication skills are paramount, and you can garner a ton about someone from those first back-and-fourths before even glancing at the other stuff. STEP 2) The Classic: Check out their socials and ensure they are the REAL DEAL. In the world of digital marketing, EVERYTHING we do is online— so make sure your candidates are projecting their digital voice in a way that attracts you to learn more about them. ... and the list goes on. If you want to dive fully into what our team uses when hiring superstar CAMs and beyond, head on over to www.dotandcompany.co/hiring and grab our hiring checklist/process/and everything you need as an agency owner to vet the perfect fit candidates. [HELPFUL LINKS] Hiring Checklist: Grab our hiring best practices here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.

Welcome to: The Daily Pulse ⚡ Something we've coined over here at DOT & Co. Do you ever feel like you should update a client, but you feel like you don't have anything to update them on? Don't worry, we've been there too. If you're a digital marketing agency, your clients are likely paying you the big bucks for your expertise, so they deserve regular updates and face time. That's why we started The Daily Pulse. We're going to share exactly how we update clients on the daily. It transformed our client communications, and we think it'll transform yours too. The Daily Pulse: What It Is + Why You Need It It's time you start everyday off on the right foot with your clients by implementing a quick daily pulse-check. Sometimes these are in the form of metrics, strategy, or project updates— and other times we simply are checking in on our client's day-to-day with their families, hobbies, or dogs (shocker!). As always, we do this every morning to set the tone with our clients that we are hustling for them all day everyday. Take our tricks are use this method next time you onboard a new client. Something as easy as: Hi Betty, Popping in to say hello and to let you know that we haven't forgotten about you! Your project is a priority of ours, and we want to ensure we're keeping you in the loop amongst our other projects in the hopper. I'll be touching base in the next couple of days— until then, I'm here if you have any questions & you can also reach me on Skype. My username is xyz. Chat soon! Taylor This tiny add-on could really transform your client relationships. Show them that they are loved + always top of mind by connecting with them regularly. You'll thank us later! So is daily client communication overkill?? We think not. And we're making it easy for you to jump on the bandwagon. → Come and grab our full stack of Daily Pulse email templates and get on our level. Head over to https://www.dotandcompany.co/email to download and integrate into your PM software. Bing, bang, boom! ⚡ [HELPFUL LINKS] Daily Pulse Set-Up: Grab our email templates here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.

Running an agency is SO rewarding, but challenging at the same time, and it can be damn frustrating as you grow -- right?! For most agency owners, the goal of stepping into the CEO role is top of mind but can feel impossible at times. When it comes to team structure, how can you set your agency up to ‘lose control’ and trust your team, while you step into the driver’s seat? Meet Karen Sahetya, CEO of Brand Central Marketing Karen is the CEO of Brand Central Marketing— a group of world-class Facebook marketers who specialize in generating leads for local businesses, course creators, and coaches. We wanted to know everything that Karen has put in place in her agency, and we treated this episode as our personal mentorship session so we could also learn best practices to set up our team for success. She comes with some pretty incredible stories and anecdotes to share from her not-so linear leap into the word of digital marketing and we couldn't help but dive in with questions. Jumping from the big corporate life into the wild world of agencies, Karen's learned a thing or two about delegating, moving out of the entrepreneurial hamster wheel, and letting go of control in her agency as she started scaling. And although it's great to harvest your entrepreneurial spirit and grow your business, we can't all be working 16-hour days in the long term. Been there, done that 👋— it's more about finding a work-life balance for yourself that keeps allowing you to be creative and reflect on how far you've come. For Karen, this meant becoming intentional with her hires, killing it with her client selection, and learning that it's okay for your niche to evolve. What does she think other agency owners should know? Spoiler Alert: Hire for your weaknesses. Outsource. Do what you can to get yourself away from the day-to-day operations. If hiring is something you struggle with, take our advice and drop by www.dotandcompany.co/hiring where we just launched a Hiring Cheat Sheet to help you find your next dream Client Account Manager! Tune into this episode to hear Karen spill more on how to release control as your agency grows, and learn how to adopt her best practices. [HELPFUL LINKS] Hiring Cheat Sheet: Grab our sample CAM task lists here. [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients. 

You are so busy getting your client's results that you forget to ask for testimonials and referrals. Are we right?? In this episode, we're going to walk you through some of our best examples on how to ask for testimonials and referrals without feeling awk-o-taco. Shocking: It starts in the sales process. Simply ask your client if they'd be happy to give you a testimonial if you get them the results they're looking for. From there, you've set that expectation from the beginning and they'll see the ask coming! Step 1: Are Your Clients Happy? Happiness Surveys — What to include: When onboarding - Set expectations from the beginning on referrals. At the 2-3 week mark - Start to check in, “Hey Debra, just wanted to send a quick check-in. Is there anything we could improve? How are the results so far? Are you feeling happy? Are you feeling supported?” 6-week Happiness Survey - You can build out something easy to fill out—a quick questionnaire for your clients. Our favorite tools are: Video Ask Typeform Further along - Asking for testimonials/case studies Step 2: Make the Referrals Rain When you acquire a customer, and they love you, it's your job to get referrals for your agency. If you're doing a great job, your clients should have no problem spreading the word. Bonus! If you assign this to your client account manager, you don't have to worry about remembering to ask for referrals! Now that you've asked them if they're happy (see Step 1 above) and they've given you a testimonial—you're in. Simply ask and/or offer something for a referral. Option A: Discount for Referral Option B: If a discount is not in the cards for you, just ask for a referral! If you focus first on making your clients happy, then asking for referrals— your business will naturally grow without having to stress about where your next client will come from. Sounds pretty great, eh? [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients!

Retiring from your business may or may not be top of mind, but maybe it should be! Learn the tried and true of retiring from your business that you grew from the ground up. Hint: delegation is key, and there are some best practices you 100% need to know. Listen in from an entrepreneur, and Taylor's mom, to learn the juicy stuff behind retirement life. [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.

When a new client comes on board, we all know how important it is to 'wow' them, but oftentimes you're already onto the next client to close. You're a busy agency owner, and maybe you're still the one who's onboarding your new clients into your agency. We're big fans of having systems in place to ensure your clients are taken care of and they feel like they're your only client, and this fool-proof system will ensure you take your client's happiness seriously. Onboarding System Firstly, you must have an onboarding system (grab ours here if you don't have one). Inside of that system, simply have a section for 'Happy Clients'. In here, add some to do's for yourself or someone on your team, with due dates, to ensure you don't forget about your lovely clients! Welcome Cards + Gifts— to send or not to send? Start here: When you have a new client sign on the dotted line, pull out your pen and a card and write them a loving message. Here's an example: Hey Betty! We're so thrilled to welcome you to the Agency XYZ family. Thank you for trusting us to help grow Betty's Soaps! Let's make 2021 the best year yet. Cheers to your success! -Tom Don't have cards? Grab some now on Amazon— a simple card will do the trick. If you do business with people outside of your country, ensure you're stocked with international stamps so you can easily get it in the mailbox the same day. Another option, if within your budget, is to send your new client a welcome basket! Here are a few options we've sent to clients: Canada: Baskits Plant Collective USA: Lula's Garden Milk Bar Store Message: Betty, we're so excited to be working with you. Cheers to your success! Tom and the team. On-going Gifts— are they necessary? Uhhhh YES! Who doesn't love to receive a gift? Something small, like a $10 coffee card goes so far— trust us. When you've been working with your clients for 2 weeks, hit them with a Starbucks Card. It's super easy and lets your client know you're thinking of them and value their business. This will take 5 minutes— what are you waiting for!? Go to starbucks.com (ensure you're on the correct website depending on your clients' home country). Choose a pretty digital e-gift card. Write them a message like Betty, we wish we could take you for a proper coffee date in real life, but this will have to do for now! Enjoy a treat on us. -Tom and the team. Send to their email! Listen in to this week's episode to hear the full details of client gifting, [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here. www.dotandcompany.co [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.

So, what's the difference between a project manager and a client account manager? It can be confusing at times, and especially when you're trying to figure out WHO you should hire in your agency. In the episode, we unpack the main differences between a project manager and a client account manager and help you figure out who you need in your agency. Let's get into it. Cheers, to happy clients. [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.

Wait, what is an SOP? Do I need one? You’ve heard before that you ‘must have a standard operating procedure in your agency’. But what do you actually need to ensure you’ve prepared it properly? How often should you update an SOP? What should be included in an SOP? Where do you start? In this episode, Emma from the DOT & Co. team will teach you exactly what you need in your SOP docs and why. Emma is the leader of our training side at DOT & Co. and she’s someone you should definitely learn from. Ready to learn what an SOP is and why your agency needs it? Listen in. [HELPFUL LINKS] SOP Template: get on the waitlist here Onboarding Checklist: Grab our onboarding checklist here.  [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients.