Build a Better Agency Podcast

It’s a bit of a milestone episode here, episode 155. It seems like an odd number to celebrate, but it means this podcast has been going strong for three years now! (52 weeks = 156 episodes) So thanks for listening, whether you’ve been around since the beginning, or this is your first time here! As I speak with agency owners and decision-makers every day about their agencies and their business development efforts (or lack thereof!), we talk about the value of niching their agency. It’s the old brain surgeon versus general practitioner and the relative value proposition of each. Your niches (note the plural) can be industry-specific, a certain methodology or in some limited cases – a specialty (PPC, etc.). But what do you do when you’ve narrowed down the niches you want to serve? That’s what this solocast is all about. How do you actually walk out your talk and live/sell and profit from your niches? What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why establishing niches for your agency is so important How many niches should an agency have and why? How do you promote your agency’s special sauce/niches and expertise How sweet spot clients intersect with your niches The business development process to sell to your niches Why helping your clients be better at their job is the heart of your biz dev plan What to do with those clients outside your niches that you don’t want to fire Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner and key executive peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.” Helpful Resources from this Episode: Sweet Spot Client Filter: http://bit.ly/2O1m3Y0 Content Marketing For Agencies Workshop: http://bit.ly/2O29OdO Agency New Business Blueprint: http://bit.ly/2MNkGaN Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Word of mouth is nothing new. For generations, it’s been talking with your neighbor over the fence, at the local watering hole, or telling your co-worker about the latest movie in the breakroom. As a business, word of mouth is sparked by those things that you do that separate you from the pack. These talk triggers are so memorable and unique that your customers can’t help but talk about them. My guest Daniel Lemin gives plenty of examples that show us that talk triggers are rarely very expensive, and they tend to be operational differentiators rather than gimmicks or flash in the pan activities. Think Doubletree’s complimentary cookie when you check in or the Cheesecake Factory’s epic novel of a menu. Daniel has co-written a book with Jay Baer about this powerful marketing technique appropriately called Talk Triggers. In this episode, Daniel and I chat about what he and Jay learned in their research and the insights they gleaned for all marketers. These B2B and B2C brands (large and small) are following a specific pattern as they create and execute their talk triggers and Daniel will walk us through that as well. We look at this topic from many angles – from how agencies can leverage this phenomenon and, of course, how we can put it into practice for our clients. Daniel Lemin is a startup co-founder, trusted advisor and bestselling author on reputation management, digital marketing, and social media customer service. As an early member of Google’s global communications team, Daniel led the launch of products in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, and edited the Google Zeitgeist weekly research report featured in over 40 markets worldwide. His new book with co-author Jay Baer, Talk Triggers, explores word-of-mouth marketing and lays out an indispensable framework for building them in your own organization. Daniel regularly provides expert commentary on TV and in high-profile publications such as the New York Times, USA Today, CBS Radio, and Fox News, and speaks and leads workshops across the nation. In 2015, he released his first book, Manipurated. A native of Ohio, Daniel earned his MA in communications and leadership from Gonzaga University. He lives in Los Angeles with his cocker spaniel Truman and enjoys the simple joys of gin martinis, jazz, and eating his way around the world—he’ll try nearly anything as long as it doesn’t bite back. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to put structures in place to create WOM talk triggers Why it’s got to be remarkable to be a talk trigger How something as simple as a cookie or a deck of cards can get people talking Why talk triggers are so often about operational differentiation Why talk triggers need to be available to everyone—it’s not about exclusivity The best examples of word of mouth are never complicated or expensive Why metrics for word of mouth are more complicated than other marketing metrics What metrics you CAN use to measure the impact of word of mouth An unexpected benefit of well-done talk-trigger campaigns—they make the workplace more enjoyable for employees How to Contact Daniel Lemin: Website: daniellemin.com Book: talktriggers.com Email: daniel@talktriggers.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

As agencies struggle to attract and retain top talent, it’s natural that we’re having a lot of conversation about culture. We’re in a creative industry, and I find that most owners are pretty self-aware. We want to love the business we’ve built, and we want to do right by our employees. Everyone wants their agency to have a culture that employees value and enjoy, but some owners don’t really know how to be intentional about it. Gina Trimarco is the chief results officer and founder of a company called Pivot 10 Results. In this episode, I wanted to get her take on some of the challenges owners are facing in the current business climate – mainly getting and retaining the right employees. Work culture is a big part of that equation. We get into a lively discussion about core values and how they can either sit unremembered in an employee handbook or be pivotal in shaping culture. What does it take to keep core values front-of-mind for both owners and employees? How does that help attract and retain the best people? These are questions I am asked every day, so I was glad for Gina’s perspective on all this. I think you will be too. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to define a healthy work culture Creative ways to thank employees for a job well done Putting your best foot forward when an applicant is interviewing you as a potential workplace Empathy-based training and emotional intelligence to create a positive work environment The critical role of stated, repeated, and lived-out core values in establishing a healthy work culture Using your story to sell services, and attract and retain great people How a team of happy employees that has bought in to the core values can be your best recruiting tool How to listen to employees’ hopes and dreams and develop strategies to retain them longer Creating a positive culture that stays positive when the owner is away Ways to contact Gina: Website: pivot10results.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ginatrimarco We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That’s the standard advice of any investment advisor. But that investment can only happen once we’ve actually made the money. But maybe the concept of diversification is equally applicable to the first stage – making the income in the first place. Having multiple sources of income builds wealth more quickly and mitigates risks inherent in having just a single source. The logic of that seems simple enough.  But the execution – that’s a whole different animal. My podcast guest Dorie Clark has a very interesting perspective on this topic and I was excited to pick her brain for all of us. Her most recent book, Entrepreneurial You, is a blueprint for developing multiple income streams without losing your sanity. Building these income streams involves tough decision-making but it doesn’t have to mean you take huge risks along the way. Dorie suggests a more measured approach and walks us through some of the methods we can explore as we expand our ability to accumulate wealth. Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. She is also the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes.  The New York Times described Clark as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” Clark consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Yale University. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Creating diverse income streams without jumping into big, new, risky ventures Guiding people through the sales funnel by offering incrementally advanced services The importance of living beneath your means as an agency and as a person Minimizing risk over time through developing diverse income streams How to be the person that makes the hard choices The meaning of the word “perspicacity” The biggest obstacle to being entrepreneurial How making introductions with no expectation of anything in return can be a superpower The difference between a mindshare activity and a market share activity Ways to contact Dorie: Website: dorieclark.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

In any trade, mastering the work is just the first of many hurdles. But one of the most daunting for most agency owners is pricing. What is the work worth? Who is my competition, and what if they offer services for less? What is the true value of the work we’re doing and what’s the ROI for our client? There will always be someone (agency or freelancer) who is willing to do the same work for less. But how does that influence our pricing strategy and should it? This episode is all about the value conversation that leads to identifying a price based on the value you are offering. We’re going to dive into both the theories and principles and how to get over the discomfort of putting these pricing principles into practice. Blair is an expert in sales, particularly in the creative services industry. He started his career working for a number of Canadian ad agencies and design firms. In 2000, he struck out on his own with a consulting practice named Win Without Pitching. In our conversation, Blair will walk us through a framework developed over decades of learning, trying, failing and perfecting value-based selling for creatives. Blair is the author of Win Without Pitching Manifesto. He has just written a brand-new book called Pricing Creativity. I have spent some time with it, and the cool thing is, it's not really a book – or more precisely, it’s not only a book. It's more of a training manual – a three-ring binder full of all kinds of tips, tricks, and the psychology of pricing strategy. This is a meaty episode and I promise – it’s going to give you plenty to think about. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to effectively price your creative work Why a one-page proposal beats a 75-page presentation every time The value of silence in the sales process Moving from vendor to valued expert early in the sales process Making the closing on the sale a “non-event” The four-step framework for mastering the value conversation How to discipline yourself to not offer solutions too early in the process The mindset shift needed to improve selling skills to become a pricing expert Having value conversations with the right decision-makers How to move from agreeing with sales principles to making them standard practice Ways to contact Blair: Website: winwithoutpitching.com Ebook/Training: winwithoutpitching.com/pricingcreativity We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Before we dive into today’s topic — I first want to say thank you for your listenership and loyalty! We are downloaded in over 85 countries and I’m grateful for every listener. This solocast is Episode 150 of Build a Better Agency and I’m grateful for your time and the conversations we’ve had over the last three years. Way back in Episode 35 (in early 2016), we talked about the employee shortage and the challenge the shortage was creating for agencies and agency owners. If anything – things have gotten tougher. As you know, I see the financials for about 120 AMI agencies a year. I review their P&Ls, balance sheets, ratios, and some other information. And I will tell you that even though agencies may have had a good year financially in 2017 — they didn’t actually get to keep a lot of the money they earned. And the reason why they didn’t is because their employees are taking more and more of that money. This is happening because of scarcity. The truth of it is...scarcity wins. And right now, your employees are in control. There are fewer good agency employees than there are agency needs and jobs. And I don’t think this is going to change any time soon. I thought it might be helpful if I shared how some agencies are addressing this challenge. I will walk you through some creative benefits employees consider to be brag-worthy, as well as the benefits that scored at the top of our research with over 1,000 agency employees. The truth is, 401k programs and insurance coverage no longer differentiate you from your competitors — they are table stakes. Here’s the reality — we have to understand what today’s workforce wants and you have to make sure that your culture and your benefits package match those expectations if you want to attract and retain the talent you need to grow your agency. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to attract and retain quality talent using today’s tools and why you need to build a pipeline for talent in the same way you build a pipeline for new business How long you should reasonably expect your employees to stay with your agency What are some brag-worthy benefits that will get your employees talking about your agency with their fellow professionals How you can provide your employees the opportunity to have flexible work hours or work from home days without losing the valuable in-office collaboration Why your employees will actually take less time off if you provide them with unlimited PTO Why we cannot dismiss the changes in the needs of today’s workforce as just a millennial thing What your employees consider to be the most important thing keeping them in a job – or – how they decide to accept a job they are offered How treating all of your employees fairly does not mean you have to treat them all equally Why just because someone is good at their job does not mean they’re going to be good at supervising other people doing that job What are “boomerang employees” and why you should consider circling back to them Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.” Resources: Unlimited PTO examples Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

In our industry, storytelling is one of those words that is so overused, it can lose its meaning pretty quickly. Great stories stick with us. My guest, the co-author of The Storytelling Edge, Joe Lazauskas, understands that good storytelling gives you an edge. In a world where content can be all-but-meaningless pablum, it can also tell a story that moves a customer and makes a connection with them. As a writer and storyteller myself, I always soak up any time I can spend with someone who’s as passionate about this subject as I am. Joe gets into the brain science of why stories are so powerful – they are a way to understand each other and ourselves better. He takes that knowledge and helps brands tell better stories. For agencies and our clients, stories are how we build trusted connections with customers. In an era where there is pressure to churn out content, Joe helps us take a step back and understand why story is so important, and the key ingredients and tactics for telling good stories. Joe Lazauskas is an owner and the director of content strategy at Contently. If you're not familiar with Contently, it is a content strategy practice. It offers a dashboard, but they also help big-brand clients create stories and content for those brands. Joe was also one of the founding editors of the New York Egotist. After that, he became a tech and marketing journalist for FastCompany, Digit Day, and Forbes, among others. He joined Contently in the early days of their formation and in the beginning, he served as editor in chief. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How the brain engages with story, and how you and your clients can benefit The four elements of good storytelling Why content without a story is missing something Key tactics for good storytelling, and how to apply them in your agency How to help clients have less fear about sharing the gap between what is and what could be in their business Discovering what the customer is interested in, and telling compelling stories around that Educating clients about the power of content that tells a story. It’s not checking off the “wrote a blog post” or “sent out some tweets” box The companies doing storytelling content well, and how you can scale it Implementing editorial boards and newsrooms to get strategic about using content to tell stories Ways to contact Joe: Website: Storytellingedge.com On Twitter/Instagram: @JoeLazauskas We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

If there is a common pain point for agency owners today -- it’s recruiting and retaining talent. It’s a conversation I am having every day and it’s more difficult than it’s been in quite a while. Unfortunately, I don’t see that trend reversing any time soon. Which means we’d all better improve our ability to keep the good ones that we either have or can attract. It’s starts with hiring the right person for the right reasons. What are the most effective questions to ask during the interview process? What do you need to know about the candidate? What do they need to know about you, your agency and the culture there? For my podcast guest Steve Lowisz, it all comes down to purpose. Are you clear on the purpose of the position your hiring for? Are deliverables clearly spelled out in the job description you are posting? It’s critical to discover if the candidate’s purpose actually aligns with your agency’s purpose, and if they do – you’d better have a plan for nurturing that shared passion. Steve Lowisz is an expert on talent acquisition, talent assessment, personal development, diversity & inclusion, and business performance. He has more than two decades of research and practical business experience allowing him to serve hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals. As CEO of the Qualigence Group of Companies that he founded in 1999, Steve regularly contributes to Industry events and publications and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, CNN Money, The Detroit Free Press and on Bloomberg Radio.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why job descriptions often don’t provide the right information to get the right candidate for the job How to look at capacity, character, competencies, and culture when interviewing candidates How to discover what is motivating someone’s job search Identifying what a candidate is looking for that they don’t have now The different competencies needed for working on site compared with working remotely How facts, feelings, focus, and fruit can help get you through difficult, honest feedback conversations Numerous strategies for hiring and retaining great talent How to engage on LinkedIn, rather than using it as an “as needed” resume database Why having one-on-one meetings still matter and how to fill them with purpose Ways to contact Steve: Website: stevelowisz.com Website: qualigence.com/recruiter-fuel-directory We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Business development does not just happen. For most of us as agency owners, sales is one of those things we wish we didn’t have to do. In this episode of Build A Better Agency, we’re going to really dive into sales. I think the reluctance comes down to a fear of rejection. Because of those fears and insecurities, we don’t prioritize biz dev. We don’t put it on the calendar. We don’t make it a must do. I think the biggest change we can make, and this is my challenge to you, is to just carve out time to connect with your ideal clients. Maybe it’s one morning a week. But as my guest says, if it’s not on the calendar, you’re not going to do it. My guest for episode #147 is Michelle Weinstein. Michelle has done it all. She's been on Shark Tank. She has raised over a million dollars for her last company, and she now teaches entrepreneurs how to sell. At the end of the day, Michelle is a sales strategist. She teaches mission-driven entrepreneurs how to sell without being sleazy. I think we make sales harder than it needs to be. That’s why I wanted to bring Michelle on to have this conversation. She generously shared some incredible ideas and strategies that you can implement right now. What if you could make a list of your ideal top-tier clients and actually have the confidence and the plan to demonstrate to them that they’re be losing out by not working with you. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of our discussion. This is a must hear episode if you are looking to enjoy biz dev and ultimately the fruits of that labor in increased profits. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why saving those email and text “thank you’s” and testimonials from clients is so important Why service-based businesses like ours are easier to sell than products How to block out time for business development The most useful tasks to tackle during your biz dev time Why “bumping into” your ideal clients at a trade show can be a truly winning strategy-and how to prep for it How to research and strategize for your pitch Creating and managing a list of your top 20 ideal new clients How to offer a gift that is something of value, without giving away the store or your trade secrets Ways to contact Michelle Weinstein: Website: www.thepitchqueen.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Why do some agencies seem to “get” digital transformation and others struggle to cross that hurdle? Even more puzzling – among the ones who do get it – why are so many of them struggling to make money at it? These are some of the daunting questions I’m exploring in this episode with my guest Chris Aarons. We all understand that digital transformation is happening. Few understand this as well as he does. What does it mean for an agency to have digital-first DNA? Chris Aarons’ book Digital Helix explores this idea and I asked him about it when we spoke. Part of this concept is understanding that everything is connected, and a digital asset is never “done” or complete. When we approach our work with that understanding, what we do for and with clients becomes less about putting out emergency fires or checking off the boxes on the latest trend. It becomes about a consistent and constant state of evolution. Chris believes the larger value we can all offer clients is helping them recognize and embrace that reality and then together, looking out over the horizon and planning for tomorrow’s opportunities rather than focusing on today’s fires. That’s how we add incredible value and earn our seat at the client’s table. In this episode we talk about how to make that vision a reality for your agency. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The importance of an exploration mindset in moving you and your clients forward What it means to operate with a digital-first DNA as an agency How to encourage digital-first DNA thinking in your clients How to develop ongoing conversations with clients rather than operating from a one-off proposal framework Why talking with a client’s customers is at least as important as talking with the clients themselves How sales are connective moments – not a journey Why identifying the current problem is not the agency’s primary job How to be relentless about getting better over time When and how organic influencer models can beat the pants off of paid reach