Flash Report – V26.1 – January 19, 2021
Time-sensitive practical powerful agency new business development content for marketing firms everywhere.
CONTENTS – New Business Tools & Tips for Going Mainstream Again
- Welcome to Week Four of 2021
- Kicking Off the New Year With a Win!
- Never Give Up That Ship (or Prospect)
- Check Out Our PitchCast Activity
- Forthright & Ethical Biz Development Practices
- New Client Interest in Your Agency – Get this Email?
- 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.
