Build a Better Agency Podcast

Agency life has evolved dramatically since the era portrayed in shows like Mad Men. We used to be the keepers of the "secret sauce" for making the magic happen, and now we're the keepers of the secret knowledge for using that magic to its greatest potential. Agencies used to be expected to be generalists, but now clients and prospects are looking for specialists with a depth of strategic expertise. And part of that specialty is having a clear point of view. But you can't just whisper it; you have to shout it from the mountaintops. Agency life has evolved dramatically since the era portrayed in shows like Mad Men. We used to be the keepers of the "secret sauce" for making the magic happen, and now we're the keepers of the secret knowledge for using that magic to its greatest potential. Agencies used to be expected to be generalists, but now clients and prospects are looking for specialists with a depth of strategic expertise. And part of that specialty is having a clear point of view. But you can't just whisper it; you have to shout it from the mountaintops. This episode continues a short series dedicated to improving your agency's biz dev efforts. We've discussed the importance of finding a niche several times on this podcast. But here — our focus will be to go a step further. We'll look at the importance of claiming and declaring your agency's point of view — and how to do it. There are questions you can ask of your agency to finetune your POV. There are ways your agency can be findable without needing to continuously create and churn out original content for each different platform. And you might think you need to speak to a large audience but focusing smaller is actually easier and faster to monetize. Putting the ideas spelled out in this conversation into action will help set your agency on a course toward success. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The timeline of how agency life has changed The importance of declaring your point of view Questions to help you define your agency's point of view The cornerstone & cobblestone content concept Why it's easier to monetize a narrower audience

Agency business development has to consider many things when setting goals. There is new business to be found, existing business to expand, and lost business to make up for. It can be difficult to juggle all of this information as the agency owner, but it can be challenging for an agency's AEs who aren't clear on how to best leverage their position. Today's episode continues the series dedicated to improving your biz dev efforts. The first three episodes were focused on you as the business owner, but here in Part 4, we shift the focus to your AEs and helping them grow their book of business and your agency's bottom line. There are many ways AEs can be better equipped, and it starts with giving them a stronger toolbox. Their outside perspective is a huge asset that is often overlooked, but they first need to understand "agency math" and exactly what you need from them. Their book of business is key to your agency's success, and only by clarifying, training, and mentoring can they make the most of it. When they are given the tools and the space to make informed decisions, you set them–and your agency–up for success. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: What agency owners get wrong with their new business goal numbers How to plan for attrition Understanding "agency math" Tips for helping AEs grow their book of business How to utilize your AEs outside perspective The agency owner's role in helping AEs grow business

Agencies often pose important questions to our clients in order to help steer them into good decision-making. We talk to them about the need to be findable, to understand the customer's buying journey, to be helpful to clients instead of selling to them, and being aware of how far prospects are into the buying decision by the time the client is actually aware the prospect exists. We are great at teaching this to our clients, but many agencies aren't so great at taking their own advice. Today's episode is continuing our deep dive into agency biz dev with Part 3 of our series. Building up the previous discussions surrounding niching and the different stages of business development during its lifetime, Drew looks at the 6 kisses of death that undermine biz dev for many agencies and how to avoid them. The conversation explores how successful biz dev often flies in the face of our comfort level. We have to make bold decisions and proclamations in order to own our authority and stand out in a crowded marketplace. If you can learn to be not only aware of but vigilant in avoiding these common mistakes, you set your agency up for tremendous success. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: 4 questions we teach our clients that we need to ask ourselves How consistency in the right biz dev areas rewards your agency. How to stop looking and sounding like everyone else. Why generic content hurts you. What it takes to do more than whisper your niche. Miscalculating the number of new clients needed to grow your agency. How passivity creates problems for your agency.

During the lifetime of an agency, how that agency/agency owner approaches business development evolves. In the beginning, an agency's first clients are people the agency owner knows personally. From there, as the agency matures and grows, it morphs into working with people who have been referred to the agency by happy clients. Many agencies never evolve past this level of business development. It can be challenging to see options for the continuum of business development beyond the normal routine. Today's episode is continuing our deep dive into agency biz dev. Building up the previous discussion about the importance of finding a niche, Drew looks at the 5 stages that create the continuum of business development and explains why 85% of agencies never reach the most effective and sophisticated of levels. You get to decide where on the continuum your agency lands. But to make an informed decision, you have to know your options. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The five stages on the continuum of business development Why offering deals never serves in the long run The need to be interesting instead of interested Statistics related to how prospects find their agency The ideal structure for an agency

Drew McLellan, an expert in agency biz dev strategies, discusses the importance of defining a niche, how selling has evolved into helping, and why many agencies approach biz dev backwards. He emphasizes the need to narrow down and select a niche, highlighting the advantages and criteria for finding one. McLellan also explores successful agencies that have specialized in specific industries, showcasing the importance of expertise and relevance in today's market.

There's no denying that artificial intelligence isn't just part of the future, it's here today. But the concept is overwhelming for many agency owners. It's hard to know where to begin when you don't even know what questions to ask or how to find answers, especially when you are already pulled in so many directions every day. Who has time to add learning something as complex as AI to their TO-DO list? After running her own agency and then spending a decade at Content Marketing Institute, Cathy McPhillips joined the Marketing AI Institute earlier this year as the Chief Growth Officer. She comes at AI through a marketing-practitioner's lens which gives her a more approachable perspective for people who might be curious but confused by AI. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Cathy and I give a beginner's overview of the crossroads where marketing meets artificial intelligence. We look at the ways to approach AI, how agencies are using it, and the tools that make dipping your toes in the water manageable, clear, and helpful without a huge time commitment. It's the goal of this conversation that you will leave feeling inspired to take your first steps into understanding the potential of marketing AI. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Two ways to approach AI The purpose and goal of the Marketing AI Institute What agencies are looking for in terms of AI How AI can help with efficiency The difference between marketing automation and AI Why AI can never fully replace the need for people Some tools available to get started with AI The easiest first step

In response to the changes brought about by the pandemic, many agency owners have turned to fear-based decision-making. Employee turnover and demands coupled with an erratic market and global uncertainty can make things feel out of control. Trying to steer an agency with a vision requires decision-making that might put you at odds with your team so it might feel wise to placate rather than push. But it's not. In this solocast, we're going to take a hard look at the fear-based leadership that has come to plague many of us during the challenges of the last few years. I'm going to explain why the fear won't change the outcome, a couple of universal truths about what it means to run an agency without this fear, the level of decision-making that needs to return to the forefront, and why it's so important to embrace once again the joys of being an agency owner. There's no doubt that we live in uncertain, confusing, and scary times but we cannot let these challenges define us as leaders. It's my hope that this conversation will inspire you to march into 2022 with a renewed sense of peace and purpose. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why many agencies are currently run based on fear Why fear-based decision making won't change the outcome The universal truths of not running an agency based on fear Three levels of decision making The need to embrace again the joy of owning an agency

Diversity and inclusion have never been more front and center and the workplace is being called upon to better reflect the world around us, especially by our younger employees and potential employees. Agencies are trying to do their part, but many are feeling lost because they simply don't know what they don't know. If we want to continue to attract young talent, we have to crack this code. Over a year ago, brand consultant and marketing specialist Michael Barber published a post about spending time in a high school class talking about careers in our industry and diversity in the workplace. I've known Michael for years and knew that conversation was one I'd have loved to eavesdrop on if I could. I decided to bring him on the show so we could all listen in! In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Michael and I have a wide-ranging conversation about what he learned from his discussion with these students. We talk about what they are looking for in potential employers, what Michael believes is a missing piece in modern education, and the tactics for building and creating a more diverse and welcoming environment. It's hard work but important work and I hope you find the discussion as inspiring as I did. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: What young people are looking for in a workplace The missing piece in modern education The vast choices available to professional young people Young people's thoughts on the responsibilities of diversity and inclusion The changes coming to our audiences Tactics for creating a workplace that attracts diversity

When things are going well in our agencies and our personal lives, it's easy to relax into the comfort of that success. One of the risks of that comfort is missing the signs that trouble is brewing below the surface. There's a difference between living in fear and anticipating challenges. No one is suggesting we live a life of paranoia where we're constantly waiting for things to fall apart, but a vigilant approach to life and business can help us steer clear of troubled waters before we're knee-deep in them. Author Len Herstein started as a consultant in consumer-packaged goods marketing before life took an expected turn that led to him becoming a police officer at age 45. Though these worlds seem vastly different on the surface the through-line he discovered was one about the risks and dangers of complacency. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Len and I take a deep dive into complacency: how it's defined, the damage it can do, and why agency owners are among the most susceptible to its dangers. We discuss tangible tactics for creating awareness in your agency, the importance of transparency, and how to successfully self-assess your own complacency. It's a big conversation about an important topic meant to inspire you to be vigilant. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Where complacency comes from and why it is so dangerous. Why agency owners are among the most susceptible to complacency. Why you need to "articulate your why" The opposite of complacency The dangers of having a lack of engagement What it means to get off the "X" The need to be transparent How to brief and debrief successfully 3 questions to self-assess complacency

Understanding how clients view the agency relationship is key to making the most of that partnership. Every year since 2014, AMI and Audience Audit have brought you The Agency Edge Research Series to hopefully give helpful insights into what clients and prospects are looking for when working with agencies. The 2020 research correctly indicated that 2021 was going to be very robust for agency business. This year's study was built to better understand the thinking behind this growth on the client side, in particular how this explosion in engagement affected how they thought about their agency relationships. The Agency Edge Research Series is a collaboration between AMI, Audience Audit, and Dynata. Where other studies focus on industries or the size of client companies, we were interested in how these clients were feeling about a handful of topics. Audience Audit's Susan Baier is here to give an overview of the 2021 findings. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Susan and I explain the methodologies used in creating the Agency Edge Research Series. We give an overview of the three client segments that revealed themselves, explain how an agency can diagnose clients and prospects in order to best serve what they are looking for. In the show notes below you will find a link to the 17-page executive summary and we hope this information will help you make the most of your client relationships. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The methodologies used in the Agency Edge Research Series The insight that revealed itself for the first time this year The focus of this year's study How the three segments of this study are defined: Committed, Concerned, and Close How agencies can diagnose clients and prospects to know what segment they are in Ways to work best with each segment How agencies can manipulate the data for their own needs