Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

CONTENTS – New Business Tools & Tips for Going Mainstream Again 

1. We’ve Weathered the Storm; Hope The Same is True for You!
2. Prospecting in Your Junk Folder
3. Agency New Business is an Investment – We Offer Free and Paid Options
4. The Elephant isn’t Always in the Room
5. Checkout Our PitchCast Activities

WE’VE WEATHERED THE STORM; HOPE THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU!

It’s not been fun; this off again, on again marketplace, the various versions of “support”, the uncertainties of so many variables – it’s a test of ones sanity. Client search traffic dopped off understandably but agencies continue to enroll (understandable as well). We haven’t had to make many adjustments to what we do and how we do things; the only exception if the use of ZOOM or an equivalent in lieu of the client visit to candidate agencies. I’m hoping we can return to actual sit visits and tours. If you’ve run across anything in particular that you think we might like to hear about, send it here.

PROSPECTING IN YOUR JUNK FOLDER

I don’t know about your agency, but here at AgencyFinder we want to see each and every new business inquiry that comes our way. We’re on the lookout for prospective client (advertiser) registrations and inquiries (the pre-cursor of an agency search) and the registration of each and every agency looking for new clients. For that reason, we keep a sharp lookout for scams and viruses – exposure is the price we pay to be certain we miss nothing!

AGENCY NEW BUSINESS IS AN INVESTMENT – WE OFFER FREE AND PAID OPTIONS 

Between Google and many of the so-called “directories”, they’ve been sucking out all the oxygen but failing in the delivery. Our job has always been to introduce your agency to clients looking to hire an agency. We don’t do leads (another word for a mailing list); we deliver introductions via invitations. Iridium is our free option, but If you want to actively participate in any of our agency searches by conducting your due-diligence interview, our annual Manager Plan puts you in that loop. Renew or Register now before March 31, 2021 and receive the following:

1. 12-month active candidacy in any and all client searches
2. 12-month active paid participation in any and all due-diligence client interviews
3. Individual agency profile audit, analysis & assessment
4. One-on-one profile counsel for magnetism and appeal

One low price – Pay or Renew Here

THE ELEPHANT ISN’T ALWAYS IN THE ROOM

Having played a pivotal role in hundreds of ad agency searches over our 20-years, we’ve witnessed surprise and disappointment. And the elephant isn’t always in the room. Whether you’re an agency or a client planning to search for an agency, it’s important to stress that there are no hard and fast rules for running an agency search, nor are there any laws on the books that dictate the “process” or penalties for non-compliance. It’s not unusual for a non C-Suite individual to take the helm, to engage a consultant or search service, or to begin a Google search to do-it-themselves. In all cases they represent to the invited agencies, and truly believe themselves that they are “authorized” to be running the review. Agencies-in-the-know have learned to ask questions; many questions. Like (continued)

CHECK OUT OUR PITCHCAST ACTIVITY

PitchCast is a short synopsis of select and recent new business registrations with AgencyFinder in North America and the UK. Read the description, then if you see an opportunity you think looks right for your agency, make sure your profile is up- to-date and accurate. If your firm is particularly qualified, you might also drop us an e-mail to explain. Check it out here: https://www.agencyfinder.com/category/pitchcast/

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Thanks for taking time to look this over; as we have since 1997, we look forward to getting you face- to-face (or Zoom) with great prospects.

Then & Now – We built it for you!

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

CONTENTS – New Business Tools & Tips for Going Mainstream Again

1. Welcome to Week Four of 2021
2. Kicking Off the New Year With a Win!
3. Never Give Up That Ship (or Prospect)
4. Check Out Our PitchCast Activity
5. Forthright & Ethical Biz Development Practices
6. New Client Interest in Your Agency – Get this Email?
7. Being Fee Paid Might Make Sense if You Aren’t

 WELCOME TO WEEK FOUR OF 2021

Our New Year exploded with registration and search by a leading automotive client sporting a $10MM to $25MM budget. More details at PitchCast. Beyond that, time flies doesn’t it? That’s especially true when the National Guard is everywhere and most of us are just waiting for the turmoil to pass. Maybe then we can get back to the “new normal.” Were you able to screen out the household noise and get some new business plans put together? Have you mapped out a strategy for your agency’s new business this year? Have you identified your target accounts? And have you identified the media to reach them? I don’t mean to remind you if you haven’t. So in this edition of Flash Report, if you still need them, I’ve shared a few pointers.

 KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A WIN!

In a review that began pre-holidays, the folks at Strategic Marketing, Inc. in Palm Beach Gardens Florida sufficiently impressed Dave Lewis, President of SnailWorks and his team in Frederick Maryland that they received the great award news during the third week of January, 2021. SnailWorks offers mail tracking and multi-channel marketing coordination. At a time when marketers are taking a new long look back at direct mail, their service makes abundant sense. I suggest you check them out! BTW, I congratulate Dave for his professional responsive communication. We all need that these days.

 NEVER GIVE UP THAT SHIP (OR PROSPECT)

Once upon a time, there was this handsome young man who spotted a most alluring young woman in downtown Manhattan. He gathered his courage, strode up to her wearing his most charming (but sincere) smile to say “Good afternoon! My name is Nigel, I’m in the advertising business, and I am swept away by your beauty and grace. At the risk of never seeing or meeting you again, I had to step forward. I hope you don’t mind.” She obliged: “My name is Sasha, and no I don’t mind; I’m flattered.  May I have your number please?” Nigel handed her his business card with his office number – as she dashed away.

Nigel waited for days, but her call never came. But Nigel didn’t give up. He returned day after day to the same spot, at the same time, wearing the same clothes, and eventually encountered Sasha again. She burst out – “I’m so glad you pursued me! I lost your card and was devastated.” Needless to say, they blossomed in love and lived happily ever-after. (you too must pursue your prospects with the same tenacity)

CHECK OUT OUR PITCHCAST ACTIVITY

PitchCast is a short synopsis of select and recent new business registrations with AgencyFinder in North America and the UK. Read the description, then if you see an opportunity you think looks right for your agency, make sure your profile is up-to-date and accurate. If your firm is particularly qualified, you might also drop us an e-mail to explain. This is a summary page on our website and not the same as the PitchCast Invitational Brief itself.

Check it out here: https://www.agencyfinder.com/category/pitchcast/

FORTHRIGHT & ETHICAL BIZ DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES

As in respected and proper behavior in the course of new client development. Interestingly, some industry spokespersons have decided it’s their responsibility to define “ethical” or “what’s proper” in new business development. Frankly, as has always been the case, unless it’s against the law, every agency has the right to operate as they see fit.  How you win or lose is your business unless or until you break the law. However, short of that, when a business model is flawed or when practices are deceptive, the perpetrator will ultimately be found and suffer the consequences of lost clients and lost revenue. Not to mention a tarnished reputation. On that topic, many agencies and pr firms (continued)

NEW CLIENT INTEREST IN YOUR AGENCY – GET THIS EMAIL?

Let me explain (the message is rather important). When a searching client is nearing the end of what they can do online and they’ve cut the candidates to 35 of fewer (we contend that’s more than enough to evaluate), at that point each agency in that pool (35 or less) is sent this e-mail. These aren’t sales probes or hype to sell our subscriptions, they’re legitimate notifications of client search activity triggered by our software. They’re meant to give you a chance to “fine-tune” your profile in anticipation of their closer look, and if not already, upgrade to Manager Plan at least. You can pay now or you’ll pay later. The e-mail reads in-part:

Good Day! We thought you’d like to know that your agency was just selected in the preliminary round of a new CLIENT SEARCH. Since we started tracking such invitations on DATE, your agency has made it to this stage XX times.
Budget: $YYY – $XXX Fields Served: AAA, Client Location: City, State
In this instance, your agency was selected in part based on your listed previous experience. (and it goes on)

BEING FEE-PAID MIGHT MAKE SENSE IF YOU AREN’T

Our AgencyFinder search service has always been free to clients but our agency new business service isn’t free to agencies and never was.  In a way it’s the e-Harmony or Match.com of the advertising industry, at least from the standpoint that our fees, like theirs, pay for “opportunity introductions.” Like theirs, our fees aren’t a function of victory nor are theirs based on a kiss or physical embrace. That’s a different profession with much higher rates. Our dainty $500 Manager Plan fee is paid to let you be found and introduced to a client, to hold your “due-diligence” phone interview. All that for your $500 initial installment. More detail here at Plans & Prices.

This BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT information is for AgencyFinder Certified Agencies, Agency New Business Executives and agency subscribers. We communicate to opt-in registered member agencies using e-mail. The contents of this Flash Report is the opinion of the writer and is not meant to be an infallible source of fact.

Good Monday Morning!

CONTENTS – Continuing Emergency Circumstances Warrant Business Development Strategies

1. Was that a Pin I Just Heard Drop?
2. Working from Home Isn’t Such a Bad Norm
3. Fed Loan & Grant Programs are Worth Considering
4. Give Yourself Room to Grieve – COVID -19 Pandemic
5. Negatives – 10 Least Useful Trends in Agency Websites
6. Financial Decision – Is this Your Time to Sell? We Have a Buyer  
7. Special $Offer – Quarterly payments & 24-month programs
8. In Recovery, Consider Upgrading Your Plan

WAS THAT A PIN I JUST HEARD DROP?

There’s the expression “it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.” Well, for most of you and here as well, it has been unusually quiet. But interestingly our analytics programs and visitor traffic reports show an high level of nosey visitors. They’ve been poking around and they come from everywhere. We tend to care more about potential clients, as in those searching for an agency because you do, but agencies visit and tend to go ahead and enroll. Brand clients are more cautious but we’ve seen some significant “players” and they’ve already taken initial steps.  Typically they enroll on subsequent visits – so come on clients! BTW, you should be there to greet them.

WORKING FROM HOME ISN’T SUCH A BAD NORM

Seems like we’ve all become accustomed to the “talking Head” look, and no one is surprised or bothered when a child or dog passes by in the background. It’s the admission and acceptance that we can all work from wherever we wish and it doesn’t compromise the quality of the work we do or the resulting results. This therefore may represent a real breakthrough for how and from where we work.. But what hasn’t changed – children home from school needing attention, needing care and feeding, and anything to keep them occupied (and quiet). This time though, background noises won’t require an apology.

 FED LOAN & GRANT PROGRAMS ARE WORTH CONSIDERING

Here’s just a portion of the language from the SBA regarding access to Capital: 7(a) program offers loan amounts up to $5,000,000 and is an all-inclusive loan program deployed by lending partners for eligible small businesses within the U.S. States and its territories. The uses of proceeds include: working capital; expansion/renovation; new construction; purchase of land or buildings; purchase of equipment, fixtures; lease-hold improvements; refinancing debt for compelling reasons; seasonal line of credit; inventory; or starting a business. Find more at: https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

GIVE YOURSELF ROOM TO GRIEVE – COVID – 19 PANDEMIC

We are living through what feels like a surreal moment in time. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have to stop and think “Is this real? Am I really on house arrest, wearing a mask to the grocery store, and feeling offended when someone stands within three feet of me?” It happened to me today. The weather has finally warmed up and I was in the backyard, trying to exhaust the puppy so I could get some work done. I took in a deep breath of fresh air, laughed at the puppy pouncing on the ball I’d thrown, and thought, “today is a good day.” It felt perfectly normal. Continued…

NEGATIVES – 10 LEAST USEFUL TRENDS IN AGENCY WEBSITES

Do you know what percentage of serious new business prospects visit your website? 100%. They all do. Because all prospective buyers of your services want to know what exactly what it is you’re selling. And although different marketers might want to know different things about your firm, they’re all ultimately looking to find one thing: expertise. Marketers are interested in your firm because…

FINANCIAL DECISION – IS THIS YOUR TIME TO SELL?  WE HAVE A BUYER

We’ve been engaged by a Midwestern company in the advertising industry to identify and then introduce them to marketing firms with certain characteristics.  This company is interested in making carefully considered acquisitions of agencies with experience in certain vertical markets including automobiles & light trucks, Healthcare, Retail stores & chains, offering certain services, located in certain geographic regions and with an EBITA in the $1MM – $2MM range.

Partnering with this company offers the values and personalized care of a local agency with the sophistication, breath of services, and high- performance talent of a large national company. They offer a unique entrepreneurial platform that provides freedom, control and potential to advertising individuals and agencies. Their “campus” consists of  many acres with multiple buildings, including Headquarters & Operations / Film Studio / Café  / Sign Company / and Fitness Center. If any of this interests you, let me know.  Write Subject – Sell. Then I can tell you more.

SPECIAL OFFER – QUARTERLY PAYMENTS & 24-MONTH PROGRAMS

Under the circumstances, we’ve introduced quarterly credit card payment options for our 12-month plans. This option isn’t on the Plan payment page, so call me for details. 804-346-1812. We’re also offering 24-month programs for the price of 12. That option requires full payment at the onset. Just do it and you’re automatically credited with 24-months.

IN RECOVERY, CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR PLAN

Urgent – If your firm isn’t already at one of the paid levels, I can’t imagine anyone from your agency enrolling here, building your profile and then NOT wanting invitations from clients looking to hire. Our free Iridium plan is essentially a business card listing, so if you want to engage a client prospect with your due-diligence call and interview, you need a paid registration. Smaller agencies generally select our Manager Plan; larger firms seem to prefer the EVP plan. For complete details start HERE; finish HERE. Questions? Just ask!

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

TIME TO ROCK – Is Your Agency Up To Speed? Are You Back In The Office?

1. COVID-19 Be Damned, We’ve Got Your Injection – New Biz That Is
2. Forrester: US Agencies Will Shed More Than 50,000 Jobs by 2021
3. What Did You Think of the Rubber Chicken?
4. The Invisible Threat to Your Agency

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COVID-19 Be Damned, We’ve Got Your Injection – New Biz That Is…

Clients are returning and they’re looking for new, creative agencies.

Your credentials can draw them in, but your profile will need every Trick-in-the- book to snare an invitation. And after all our years,

we’ll share what clients look for in your profile.

Our Special Offer – The AgencyFinder Injection

1. Profile audit to show 12-month traffic
2. Date of visits
3. Vertical market they sought
4. Their Budget
5. Their Location
6. We’ll share our learned opinion of your website
7. 30 minutes consultation with CEO Chuck Meyst

Purchase Now – Manager Plan Enrollment or Renewal

$500 for 12-months of unlimited due-diligence interviews

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FORRESTER: US AGENCIES WILL SHED MORE THAN 50,000 JOBS BY 2021

The US agency sector will lay off about 52,000 jobs over the next two years as media spend declines 23%, Forrester predicts. Agencies are projected to cut 35,167 jobs in 2020 and 16,578 in 2021. The global picture is even starker, with the big six agency holding companies poised to eliminate an additional 49,695 global positions by 2021. “It’s a dismal forecast,” said Jay Pattisall, analyst at Forrester and author of the report. “Layoffs are inevitable and already underway.” (Continued)

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE RUBBER CHICKEN?

Today’s business development pros strongly suggest you avoid the cold call. Maybe that time is gone but maybe it’s time to bring it back. Folks are abandoning email like files on dead meat; the experts now advocate we annoy people in a new way. Let’s fill up their text message folders. People have considered text messages personal and sacred. But they do see business intrusion coming and they aren’t happy. But there’s good news for those working in the B2B world. (Continued)

THE INVISIBLE THREAT TO YOUR AGENCY

I’ve owned my agency for 25 years, and we’ve never faced anything like 2020. A pandemic, having to abandon our offices, a recession, and the social unrest that much of the world has experienced for the last several months. All of them have tested and taxed our leadership chops like nothing we’ve lived through before. Each of them on their own poses a threat, but the combination of all of the 2020 bizarre realities has created what I think is the most dangerous threat of all. What makes the threat even more insidious is that it can go undetected for a long time until it’s really taken hold. (Continued)

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

TIME TO ROCK – Is Your Agency Up To Speed? Are You Back In The Office?

1. What’s Your Agency’s New Biz Budget for the Balance of the Year?
2. Consider the State of Adland as Reported in the Ratti Report
3. Even in a Pandemic – Well Done Everyone, Well Done!
4. Shop Safely; No Face Masks Because We Sanitize Daily

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WHAT’S YOUR AGENCY’S NEW BIZ BUDGET FOR THE BALANCE OF THE YEAR?

Agencies country-wide have been fairly tight-lipped about their spending plans although the consensus seems to be – hold tight til we see the whites of their eyes. (borrowed that from somewhere) Clients are starting to move about, although the RFP crowd had continued almost unabated. Those are of the “invite them all and then screen like crazy” set. Generally not worth their weight in 80# paper. Every second LinkedIn post seems to be hawking the World’s Greatest Lead Development program. I truly LOVE those posts that start with a Millennial sharing the fact that this young’un made $32MM just last month on LinkedIn – and you can too. To all that I can tell you this – AgencyFinder is busting our hump to land and accommodate clients seriously looking to find and hire agencies. Historically, when they land here they are serious. We don’t hanker to tire kickers. Our plans are simple and affordable. Satisfied users agree. Put $500 aside. And the best you can do today is:

• Check the content of your profile
• Update the content of your profile
• Claim all you can and all you can vet
• Take your profile to a Power Index of 100%
• Choose and execute on one of our paid plans.
• Call here if you have questions or comments.

CONSIDER THE STATE OF ADLAND AS REPORTED IN THE RATTI REPORT

My good colleague Steve Ratti just addressed the New Biz topic over the weekend in his famous Ratti Report. Steve does a great job of curating, posting and offering guidance on new biz opportunities he finds as he screen the industry media each and every day. And as he says – he only posts those he would pursue himself. Here’s his take on things.

During this whole pandemic, we’ve been mining all the “Out of the Office Auto-Replies” we get every time we send out the DailyQ. Some observations.

• During the Months of March-May, we’ve never seen so many “I no longer work at the agency”, “this email is no longer monitored” or “I am retiring” auto-replies. It slowed down to almost zero by July so that’s positive.
• The number of new people joining agencies or at least getting on our radar has been and still continues to be on a steady climb.
• The number of agency closings has been much lower than anticipated. Noted closings included M&C Saatchi LA and Barton F. Graf. As for smaller agencies, they either closed very quietly or they are hunkered down and are riding out the storm.

We also were keeping a close eye on client reviews while doing our reporting. Some observations:

• Small to giant government RFPs never slowed down, especially in Tourism. If that’s in your wheelhouse, go out and pick one near you and see what happens.
• It is true many reviews were put on hold but we see those being put back on the calendar now that it’s post Labor Day.
• Client Review Tips are coming into Ratti Report more often. They are coming in via ad agencies who can’t pitch the business, disgruntled agency folks who have been fired and direct from the client.

Those are all Exclusive leads you’ll never find anyplace else so you’re at the right place! We are also monitoring Ratti Report membership stats. Some observations:

• First time memberships has gone way up. (not to worry – we still have a fraction of members other services)

Then they told us the reasons they are joining:

• Referrals are not what they used to be and a new source of leads was required
• Using in-house resources to prospect clients is too expensive
• Call centers scheduling “meetings” has really never worked PLUS now you need mobile phone numbers and nobody has those.

We’ll be back with more State of Adland soon.

EVEN IN A PANDEMIC; WELL DONE EVERYONE, WELL DONE!

I wrote this before but it deserves mention again – “Well Done Everyone, Well Done!” I’m talking about work by our registered agencies. I was reminded we should reach out more often to tell you and praise you … to share how impressed we are with your profiles, the marketing content and persuasive power of your websites and the astounding brands you represent!

Over the years, I’ve reminded you more times than not how important it is for your profile to be current and as magnetic as possible. But I haven’t told you how absolutely impressed (often “blown away!”) we are with your essays; the variety, successes and grand storytelling in your case histories, and finally the incredible brands posted to your client lists. To any observer, it would be easy to conclude that our agencies represent the majority of the world’s finest marketers …

It’s our assessment you’re responsible for outstanding work for great clients throughout North America and the UK. And that’s driven home daily as we navigate our way through your agency profiles and websites fulfilling our role to guide clients to highly-qualified marketing partner candidates!

I had to write to say thanks and congratulations!  Keep up the good work!  Well done everyone …

SHOP SAFELY; WE SANITIZE DAILY SO NO FACE MASKS REQUIRED

We’re so clean you can visit, navigate, read and then purchase – all without your mask. We don’t even care where your mouse has been. But we cleanse for you – so you can renew to begin anew.

Remember, paid agencies get the first crack at everything, and as clients renew their searching, one might be perfect for your shop. So…

• Check out your options
• Make your selection
• Pay Here (for all)

 Thanks for taking time to look this over; as we have since 1997, we look forward to getting you face- to-face with great prospects. Then & Now – We built it for you!

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

HEADING INTO FALL – Has your agency come up to speed?

1. You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But They & Agencies Don’t Always Abide
2. Some Simple But Critical Agency New Business Quick Fixes
3. Heavy Thinking – Where Did Your Confidence Go?
4. Your Agency New Business Expenses Are Essential
5. Oil and the Squeaky Wheel

YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT AGENCIES DON’T ALWAYS ABIDE

Sometimes Amused: As the owner of an agency search consulting service, I’m sometimes amused when an advertiser is surprised when not every invited agency isn’t interested in their opportunity. Maybe that harks back to the days when consultants were guilty of sending out 50+ RPF’s (i.e. – the infamous cattle call) and waiting for the chips to fall. Under today’s circumstances, you might expect agencies to pounce on everything new that comes their way. That’s clearly not the case, and never was, but for any company looking to engage new “marketing outsources,” (continued)

SOME SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL NEW BUSINESS QUICK FIXES

As we telephone and speak with our enrolled agencies, we see where a quick-fix would make all the difference. Consider the following and implement as you see fit!

1. Your Contact Us Page – beyond your fill-in-the-blank templates, be sure to show your firm’s physical information.  Name, address, phone, fax, e-mail. No prospect wants to provide information to an agency that could be thousands of miles away, or in a location they deem unacceptable.
2. You need a Team, Staff, Leadership or Founders Tab with data. Best to have photos of everyone with name and title (don’t make them click to find out) and if you see fit, a clickable link to a short bio.
3. If you use an automated phone-answering system, make the first choice – “If you’d like to speak with us about handling your account, press #1” Then proceed with the others. If the caller can’t reach their intended party, if you offer the “Operator” option, be sure that extension is always covered with a real person. Rotate through more than one if necessary. Nothing presents disorganization better than voicemail on the Operator extension!

HEAVY THINKING – WHERE DID YOUR CONFIDENCE GO?

If there has ever been a year when our confidence has taken a knock to the chin, it’s this one. If you are like most agency owners, January and February gave every indication that 2020 was going to be a break-out year for you.

Many agencies reported the most robust January they’d had in a decade and were looking to exceed year-end goals. And then COVID hit. Many of us went two to three months, feeling it was inappropriate to sell at all, and when we did, it was a bit apologetically.

As if that was not enough, the combination of COVID, racial tensions, economic challenges, back to school maybes, and just feeling like we are still being restricted and contained at every turn has caused an underlying malaise in just about every human I know. (Continued)

YOUR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS EXPENSES ARE ESSENTIAL

The agency community encourages clients to keep advertising in down times. The same applies to agency spending for business development. As one of our voluntarily registered agencies, you benefit since advertisers seek us out, typically when they have already decided on a new or replacement agency. And they don’t tire-kick. We’re not a directory either, so clients are granted consulting assistance in their search and selection process.

Things have tightened up here and everywhere. Paid agencies get preference in all client searches. If you want to participate, select and pay for Manager Plan or EVP Business Plan. Full details here.

GREASE AND THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

Have you heard the expression “the squeaky wheel gets the grease?” It means the issue that makes noise of some sort gets attention. So it may not come as a surprise to you that we depend on your registration fees to fuel our efforts. Efforts to connect and capture clients who are looking and ready to hire a new or additional agency partner. For project work (rather common these days) or AOR. If your agency isn’t currently paid, you’re going to be watching from the sidelines. But if you want consideration and an introduction to those clients, get yourself paid – certainly at our least expensive point of entry – our Manager Plan. It’s as low as we can go and you can pay by credit card. All options here . And by all means, please finish your profile if it isn’t!

SPECIAL EDITION – As Your Agency Continues to Open Up

1.  Summer Usetah…
2. Three Quick and Easy Ways to Improve Your Agency’s Business Development
3. Your Agency New Business Expenses Are Essential
4. Oil and the Squeaky Wheel

SUMMER USETAH

As in days past, summer Fridays used to be a time when agencies worked half days; quit early for a long weekend. Then to the beach, to the lake, to the desert. Now for many, summer Friday is just another day working from home, debating whether children belong in school, and will I still have my job at the agency. Maybe for those that are lucky, summer is a “split-the-difference.” Whatever it is for you, I do hope you are safe, healthy, compensated and having some degree of “fun!” We MUST get forward and out of this COVID-19 universe!

THREE QUICK & EASY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR AGENCY’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ADWEEK reports 14,000 US agencies, where 2,085 received Federal funds. Goto LinkedIn and they report 5,384 Agency New Business Hunters group members; 32,227 Global Business Development group members; 262,835 CMO Network group members. Your quick and easy ways to improve are:

1. Join LinkedIn (if not already), then join Agency New Business Hunters, Global business & CMO Network
2. Post meaningful content regularly in all three
3. Retain an agent – one who will introduce you to new clients

First two are self-explanatory. For # 3, you’ve already retained AgencyFinder as your agent. As such and with a paid profile, you benefit from introductions to qualified, serious advertisers who are hiring. #agencybusinessdevelopment #agencynewbusiness  #businessdevelopment

YOUR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS EXPENSES ARE ESSENTIAL

The agency community encourages clients to keep advertising in down times. The same applies to agency spending for business development. As one of our voluntarily registered agencies, you benefit since advertisers seek us out, typically when they have already decided on a new or replacement agency. And they don’t tire-kick. We’re not a directory either, so clients are granted consulting assistance in their search and selection process.

Things have tightened up here and everywhere. Paid agencies get preference in all client searches. If you want to participate, select and pay for Manager Plan or EVP Business Plan. Full details here.

GREASE AND THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

Have you heard the expression “the squeaky wheel gets the grease?” It means the issue that makes noise of some sort gets attention. So it may not come as a surprise to you that we depend on your registration fees to fuel our efforts. Efforts to connect and capture clients who are looking and ready to hire a new or additional agency partner. For project work (rather common these days) or AOR. If your agency isn’t currently paid, you’re going to be watching from the sidelines. But if you want consideration and an introduction to those clients, get yourself paid – certainly at our least expensive point of entry – our Manager Plan. It’s as low as we can go and you can pay by credit card. All options here . And by all means, please finish your profile if it isn’t!

Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

SPECIAL EDITION – As Your Agency is Opening Up

1. Money, Money, Money – Did You Get Some?
2. Your Agency New Business Expenses Are Essential
3. Few New Business Email Leads? Maybe This Will Help.

 MONEY, MONEY, MONEY – DID YOU GET SOME?

The other day ADWEEK reported “There are approximately 14,000 agencies in the United States, at least in terms of how the federal government lumps together creative, media and other shops. Of those, 2,085—representing 15% of the industry—have received loans ranging from $150,000 to $10 million through the federal effort to boost businesses that suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic.” We’ve got the list and it’s impressive. Impressive in that it includes so many we’ve never heard of. Never seen media mention, never seen a LinkedIn or Facebook Post. But worthy enough to complete the paperwork and request assistance. Here in our Richmond SMA there are about 100+ agencies; the list identified 35 as receiving funds. We did well. The prognosis isn’t so good for agencies that don’t adapt. I wonder how the other 11,915 are doing.

YOUR AGENCY NEW BUSINESS EXPENSES ARE ESSENTIAL

The agency community encourages clients to keep advertising in down times. The same applies to agency business development. As one of our voluntarily registered agencies, you benefit since we enjoy the fact that advertisers seek us out, typically when they have already decided on a new or replacement agency. And they don’t tire-kick. We’re not a directory either, so clients are granted consulting assistance in their search and selection process.

As you might imagine, things have tightened up here and everywhere. Paid agencies get preference in all client searches. If you want to participate, select and pay for Manager Plan or EVP Business Plan. Full details here.

FEW NEW BUSINESS EMAIL LEADS? MAYBE THIS WILL HELP

This might help explain and offer a fix, so stay with me. Here at AgencyFinder.com we use our own send-mail server for Flash Reports and group email intended for our registered agency contacts. We don’t use services like MailChimp or Constant Contact because we don’t want their Opt Out feature to remove a critical agency contact. Even in our emails, an incorrect Opt Out request can end up taking the agency off-line. Read our Opt Out instructions below for details.

For years our incoming mail came in through Earthlink. They proved to have an aggressive filter that seldom grabbed anything we should have seen. Your agency should also want to see all non-malicious email so you can pick and choose. After all, we’re both wanting to engage anyone looking to hire an agency. In  our case, we’re also on the lookout for agencies wanting to enroll for new business.

Six months ago, we experienced a change. By example, email from my ISP Webmaster wasn’t getting through to me. When he asked why I hadn’t been answering, I went looking. Nothing in my computer’s Outlook Junk folder, but I did find his messages in the upstream Earthlink web-mail folder. To make a very long story short, EarthLink had hired a new aggressive third-party service to screen and filter their incoming mail. And I was told in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t and wouldn’t do anything on our behalf. My Webmaster tells me all the carriers have tightened up considerably in response to bogus COVID-related traffic. And all that “trapping” takes place well prior to whatever filters you have set locally, including your White Lists. So for incoming mail we switched to Gmail with good results.

But there’s more. In our recent group emails, we’re seeing evidence of increased blocking by Outlook. Bounced email example: “Outlook blocked access to the following potentially unsafe attachment.” All I did was use a semi-colon in the subject line. If you knew this already, great. If not, hope it helped!

Opt Out Example: To remove only yourself from AgencyFinder, Opt Out here. To remove your agency from any future invitations, you must be a C-Level Officer. Type REMOVE in the subject line and reply.

Thanks for taking time to look this over; as we have since 1997, we look forward to getting you face- to-face with great prospects. Then & Now – We built it for you!

It’s time.  It’s time to crank things back up. Too many timid clients; timid consumers, timid agencies. Mask or no masks, the economy must begin again.

Your agency should be ready for a new client or two. You came to us for help. You need more than leads; that’s why we make prospect introductions. If you’ll do your part, we’ll do ours.

Here’s what’s required and it’s simple:

1. A finished “active & magnetic” profile with Power Index of 100
2. A current email for Primary and Alternate contacts
3. A paid Manager Plan or Better

Enter with your User Name and Password

For more on agency business development:

FAQ – https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencies/frequently-asked-questions/

Who Pays? – https://www.agencyfinder.com/about/who-pays/

Registered Clients – https://www.agencyfinder.com/agencyfinder-newsroom/client-list/

Time- sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.

SPECIAL EDITION – As Your Agency Takes Steps to Open Up

1. Your Agency Needs New Clients Now; What Are Your New Business Options?
2. Wrapping up – Your Profile Investment is an Essential Decision

 YOUR AGENCY NEEDS NEW CLLIENTS NOW; WHAT ARE YOU NEW BUSINESS OPTIONS?

The word on the agency street is that most want and need new clients now, not tomorrow. But how realistic is that? That expressed urgency has everything to do with orders to sequester-in-place issued for the COVID-19 fiasco and then the ensuing riots in protest of the killing of George Floyd. Just as some states were beginning to allow phased openings, the country-wide riots frightened many people who in-turn chose not to travel for work to city-center properties or to begin shopping in earnest. The result – a continuing drag on the prospect of renewed commerce and positive agency cash-flow.

After months of deep cash-flow reductions, many agencies, even those who managed to snare some of the government’s stimulus monies, were down to spending for absolute necessities, and that didn’t initially include spending for future business development. So what’s an agency to do? Some rather lucky shops may have been cultivating opportunities during the past months and now feel comfortable working to close that business. For them that’s great. But the majority found themselves stuck in limbo; choosing not to reach out to prospects and at that same time, prospects were also “hunkered down” and constrained their research and outreach faced with an uncertain future.

OK, time to get moving! Consider these options and sequence for deployment. Options are sorted by timing and costs. Not considered are items and inventory already owned by agency. Nor is talent or training of agency individuals.

Code: Timing A-Now B-3 months C-6 months D-9 months  Costs F-Free $-charge

Agency Website content – AF

Agency Telemarketing – AF

Agency Email blasts – AF

Match-Maker enrollments – AF$ i.e. AgencyFinder.com

New Business Newspapers – Leads, espionage – A$ i.e. Ratti Report, Winmo

Agency Website SEO & PPC – B$

Agency Direct mail w/phone follow – B$

Directory Listings – BF$ i.e. Clutch, AgencySpotter

Outsourced (Third-Party) appointment setting – B$ i.e. RSW-US

Agency Search consultant enrollments – CF i.e. See 4A’s

Agency LinkedIn Programs – C$

Agency Speaking engagements – CF

Agency experiential events – C$

This rather long list illustrates the fact that agency business development is no part-time proposition nor is it for the faint-of-heart!  Have at it.

WRAPPING UP – YOUR PROFILE INVESTMENT IS AN ESSENTIAL DECISION

Incremental steps since March. Mid-March, cash reserves will cover 30-days or more. Mid-April, reserves depleting, how long will this last? Mid-May, paying just “mandatories.” June is here, moving back into the mainstream. Need for fresh cash-flow from existing clients; need new clients as well. Consider your paid investment at AgencyFinder is an “essential.”

RENEW NOW – Today invest just $500 for FasTrac Manager Plan, 12-months of client search eligibility, inclusions and interviews. Or 12-months of fully-paid enhanced inclusions, select FasTrac EVP Plan at $2,995. Make Payments Here. If you need to budget, make quarterly credit card payments.  Call me on those.  804- 346-1812