Agency Blueprint

How do you develop a strategic hiring plan that allows you to stay ahead of the curve? Bringing on people and continually adding more team members when needed can be challenging, but things get a lot easier with the right plan.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss how to develop a strategic hiring plan throughout your agency’s growth stages. We explain the information you need to utilize to guide your hiring decisions and factors to consider before hiring.  Don’t miss the episode to learn more about the importance of having an appropriate resource plan and the time you need from hiring someone to them working fully on a project.  Key Questions:   [01:40] What information do you need to guide your hiring decisions? [08:15] Is there a baseline revenue number you need to be at before considering hiring?  [12:30] When should you start placing job posters to find qualified candidates?  What You’ll Discover: [01:53] The information you need to utilize to guide your hiring decisions, plus the importance of giving new hires time to adjust to the company culture.  [03:45] The importance of understanding your underutilized and utilized time across projects to plan your hiring. [07:10] The importance of understanding the date of sign and the date of launch to ensure you have the right amount of training time.  [08:34] The agency stages you should consider before thinking about hiring and who to hire when you get there.  [12:48] Understanding the time you need from hiring someone to them working fully on a project.  [14:58] How to plan for an appropriate resource plan around hiring to make your business life easier.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

What makes you unique? What is your genius and how can you use it to stand out in your industry? Bringing your essence into your brand and being in your zone of genius will help you attract your ideal clients and find success.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Kaye Putnam to discuss how to leverage your genius and brand archetypes in your messaging and positioning. Kaye is a psychology-driven brand strategist with over 20 years of branding and business experience. She’s passionate about crafting brands that resonate on a subconscious level and has a whole toolkit of branding expertise to help people achieve growth goals. Don’t miss this episode to learn more about the clarity code framework and how it can you’re your business.  Key Questions:   [01:17] How does failing to own your genius lead to the commoditization of the industry by much?  [04:39] How does being able to live in that zone of genius and impact your brand impact how clients engage with you and your agency?  [11:14] How heavily should agencies consider their competition when developing their messaging, identity, and positioning?  [15:43] How can someone leverage archetypes to do inward-looking when feeling blocked? [20:58] What is the clarity code, and how does it help people?  What You’ll Discover:  [01:34] How to quantify your genius to differentiate your brand in a way that stands out. [05:02] The importance of recognizing the element that makes you unique to attract people to your brand/agency.  [07:44] Kaye shares an example of a client who found success building a brand that aligns with who they are.  [11:29] How to divert from the norms of your industry by looking inside and finding inspirational ideas outside your industry.  [15:53] How to use the brand archetypes to reflect universal truths and as a tool to guide your decision-making process.  [19:11] Kaye talks about the ten truths exercise and how to use it to see beliefs and patterns.  [21:07] The reasons why she developed the clarity code framework and how it helps people in their business.  [25:01] Kaye shares where to find her quiz around archetypes.  Connect with Kaye: WebsiteLinkedInFree Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Did you know there’s something you could be doing to substantially grow your agency without needing to add more new clients? It involves leveraging your existing clients by adding more strategic value to grow those accounts.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I discuss how to grow your agency by enhancing your relationship with clients. I also explain the importance of slowing down, listening, and engaging with your clients to know and understand them better.  Listen in to learn more about investing in your team so they can better leverage the information they attain from clients.  Key Questions:   [01:57] How can you grow substantially year over year with the same book of business without needing to add more new clients? [12:08] What does a strategy conversation with your client entail after logging information from your meetings? What You’ll Discover: [02:11] The importance of getting in front of clients more and providing value to build meaningful relationships.  [04:50] Why your team need to actively listen to what’s happening with your client in every encounter.  [05:49] Things you need to listen out for and keep note of with your clients to understand them better.  [09:21] Personal ways to engage your clients to strengthen your relationship with them.  [12:08] The importance of having a strategy conversation with clients after logging information from your meetings.  [13:00] The base of a strategy conversation, plus how to come up with a solution to the issues your clients are facing.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Are you conflicted about whether to position yourself as a corporate brand or a thought leader in the industry? Positioning yourself as a mission-driven authority in your industry is much easier because it builds trust with potential clients. In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Rusty Shelton to discuss authority building to increase trust and agency scaling. Rusty is a bestselling author, dynamic keynote speaker, and successful entrepreneur. He is also the founder of Zilker Media, an award-winning agency based in Austin, TX, that builds people-driven brands, and a Senior Marketing Strategist at Forbes Books.  Listen in to learn more about building a personal brand, content strategy, and using content as a bridge to build relationships with people.  Key Questions:   [01:06] Why do most founders default to building a corporate brand over individual brands, and what are your thoughts on that?   [04:33] Is it true that you need to keep your personal brand separate from your business if you want to scale? [09:07] How do we accelerate trust and build that personal brand? [13:29] How can you build a brand more focused on impact, growth, and not the individual?  What You’ll Discover:  [01:26] The benefits of positioning yourself as a mission-driven thought leader rather than a corporate brand as a new agency owner.  [03:11] The main reasons why it’s easier when leading as an individual than a business.  [04:51] How to go alongside your business brand as an agency owner to increase client trust.  [07:23] The power of leading with value to create a different image in a potential customer's mind.  [09:15] The action steps to take to build a personal brand online and accelerate trust with potential clients.  [13:50] The importance of finding the right niche, maintaining authenticity when teaching, and bringing in your own experiences.  [18:10] The power of using content as a bridge to build relationships with people as you add value.  [21:41] The actions you need to take when approaching content strategy and authority building.  [23:52] Where to find the Authority Advantage book by Rusty.  Connect with Rusty: WebsiteTwitterBookFree Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Do you have a budget to guide your expenditure and reinvestment decisions? To avoid the nervousness that comes with questioning your financial decisions, it’s important to have a good budget management system.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss how to master the art and strategy of creating and managing different types of budgets. We share our typical budget cycles and how we manage budget adjustments to handle explosive growth or revenue. Don’t miss the episode to learn more about the ideal frequency for a budget update and the benefits of the top-down approach to budgeting. Key Questions:   [01:23] What typical cycles do we suggest in updating, solidifying, and reviewing financial budgets?  [04:23] How do you approach the top-down and the bottom-up routes in budgeting? [11:35] What mistakes do you see in overinvestment and underinvestment when looking at agency financials? What You’ll Discover: [01:36] We share our typical budget cycles and how we manage adjustments to handle growth.  [02:53] Get out of the place where you’re consistently changing your budget, plus the ideal frequency for a budget update.  [04:39] The advantages of the top-down approach and what makes it better than the bottom-up approach.  [08:03] Factors to consider when building a budget and forecasting explosive growth or revenue.  [09:40] The importance of investing part of your revenue in your team and the agency’s growth.  [11:44] How to master the art and strategy of creating different types of budgets.  [14:40] The importance of understanding the difference between what you planned and what happened and where things went right and wrong.  [15:50] The importance of tracking your profit and loss numbers to review and reflect on your budgets.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Do you realize the more work is done and redone, the less profitable your agency becomes? The cycle of doing and redoing things leads you to do things yourself, which is why your agency isn’t growing. How do you avoid losing time and personally paying for it?  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I explain how to set up your projects for success by having a creative brief and investing time to work on your business. I also explain the importance of providing your team with the tools and information they need to excel at their job.  Don’t miss the episode to learn more about navigating the design process and how to scale by removing yourself from the day-to-day activities of your business.  Key Questions:   [05:02] Do you give your team the tools and information they need to do their job well? [11:09] How do you scale your business by removing yourself from the day-to-day activities? What You’ll Discover: [02:15] Understanding how we don’t spend enough time on the basics of the project. [03:40] How to create a brief with all the information you have to prepare questions your team needs to do the job well.  [05:02] The importance of investing enough time at the start of a project to avoid being unable to get out of client work.  [07:20] Have a regular check-in system at the start of the project to avoid going past certain budget thresholds.   [11:09] The importance of navigating the design process instead of waiting until the end to save the day.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How do you walk through your design presentation in a compelling way? How do you sell your work, not just show it and ask for feedback? Are you selling your art during the design presentation? If not, how can you make improvements?  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I explain how to sell your art during the design presentation process. I discuss the three primary components of a presentation that allow you to avoid getting the wrong feedback.  Don’t miss this episode to learn more about how to approach objections management and client anxiety management.  Key Questions:   [00:41] How do you avoid getting the wrong feedback during your design presentation? [13:09] How do you strategically manage objections when presenting designs? [16:17] How do you recognize client emotions during presentation to make them feel good?  What You’ll Discover: [00:41] How to strategically sell your art during the design presentation and avoid getting the wrong feedback.  [04:20] Stop explaining to the client how to provide feedback to avoid setting yourself up for failure. [06:18] The importance of reminding your client about the goal outcome at the beginning of a presentation.  [07:43] Present the basis of the information you utilized in order to make your design decisions.   [08:23] Why you need to remind your client where they are in the project phase.  [09:04] The three components of going through the presentation and why they are important.  [10:47] The importance of showing the client your iterations to take them on the journey with you.  [12:15] The final reveal – walk them through what you did and allow them to understand your recommended direction.  [13:09] Things to consider when it comes to objections management.  [16:17] Client anxiety management – pay attention to how a client responds to the presentation.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Do you find yourself often overlooking project management? Project management is at the core of your agency and the heart of your future; without it, you will not scale.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss the primary components of project management, how you should think about them, and how to make improvements. We also discuss the key functions of project management: client onboarding, ongoing client management, client follow-up, setting expectations, and closing and upselling a project.  Don’t miss the episode to learn more about these functions and their components to successfully scale your agency.  Key Questions:   [04:28] What does it take to have a successful internal onboarding and client experience? [11:22] How can you paint a future with a client during the project?  [15:14] How do you turn a project into another during the pivotal project wrap stage?  What You’ll Discover: [01:47] Client onboarding – improve your client’s experience by making them feel confident and understood.  [04:28] How to equip your team with enough time for a successful internal onboarding and client experience.  [07:20] The importance of setting client expectations you can manage throughout the relationship. [08:22] How to manage the client by thinking about the touch points between meetings.  [09:48] The importance of owning what didn’t work according to plan and adjusting to maintain the trust with the client.  [11:22] How to paint a future with a client and keep on reminding them to avoid surprises.  [15:14] The anatomy of the pivotal project wrap stage and how to leverage it and turn one project into another.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How do you create systems and processes to allow for a full-service agency to scale? What does it take to set up a full-service agency in a way that it can function without the owner? In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Amy Foley, the co-founder at Inbound Back Office. She started her entrepreneurial journey in 2011 when she left her corporate job for more flexibility and time with her family and started a small Virtual Assistant business. The business evolved into what is now known as Inbound Back Office, a 70+ team member Virtual Assistant company that provides back-office support to marketing agencies. Listen in to learn how to build a system where managers can engage and report any issues when you’re not involved with your agency's day-to-day. You will also learn how to build attractive features that attract and retain clients ready to pay for your value.  Key Questions:   [02:14] Would you mind sharing about Inbound Back Office, how it works, who you work with, and what it provides? [03:51] How did you manage to grow the team and not be involved with the day-to-day of the business anymore? [09:17] Can you talk about how exactly your management team is engaging and reporting to you? [10:54] What does your process infrastructure and checklist look like? [17:53] Have you seen any challenges with your billing method, and if you have, how have you managed them with new client acquisition?  What You’ll Discover:  [02:23] Amy on how they provide staff augmentation for marketing agencies, covering gaps on demand. [04:20] How she started and grew her business into a full-service agency and set it up to function without her and her partner.  [09:48] How she and her partner engage with management to understand the agency’s day-to-day. [11:32] How she created and documented processes to streamline services for her team.  [18:21] The attractive features that attract and retain clients from a pricing perspective.  Connect with Amy: WebsiteLinkedInFree Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How do you tap into your network and their network? How do you equip your network with the right information to bring you leads without making them feel obligated? In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I explain how to leverage your network with a smart non-sales pitch strategy. I explain how to approach your network and give them the opportunity to connect you with your ideal client without making it about you.  Listen in to learn more about this approach and why you should focus on building a genuine relationship rather than pitching.  Key Questions:   [00:58] How do you avoid being desperate when prospecting and selling? [03:28] How do you avoid making things about yourself when seeking referrals from your network?  What You’ll Discover: [02:06] How to avoid making your network feel awkward when asking for referrals.  [03:28] How to give your network the opportunity to feel good by sending you the right clients.  [06:05] How to list, approach, and equip your network with information on who to connect you with.  [13:40] Remember not to pitch your network; instead, focus on building a genuine relationship.  [14:11] Generate a list from your contacts, make three categories, and reach out to them.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.