Cracking the Code to Marketing Agency Success: 6 Epic Steps for Bigger Paydays and to Keep Clients Forever!
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According to Statista, over 40,000 advertising agencies exist in the US alone.
To give you some perspective, here’s what 40,000 people looks like:
Now, despite there being enough advertising agencies to fill an entire college football stadium, the competition is NOT as stiff as you might think.
How do I know?
Well, I’ve worked with several advertising agencies over the last few years who struggled to:
> Run an effective discovery call...
> Retain a client for more than one project…
> Consistently deliver home-run projects to their clients…
So, if you’re an agency owner and want to maximize revenue – here are 6 simple steps to bigger paydays and life-long clients by just doing your job…
Step 1: Team Up On Discovery Calls
The fastest way to build trust with potential clients is to answer their questions confidently and show them that your agency can help them hit their KPIs.
How do you do all of that on a discovery call?
Make sure you have a subject matter expert on the call alongside your salesperson.
For example:
Let’s say your salesperson is speaking to a prospect about revamping their website.
It would make sense to have a website specialist (or at the very least, one of your web developers) on the call, right?
This way your web expert could field any questions or concerns the client might have.
After all, the last thing you want is for your salesperson to say: “I’m sorry, I’ll have to get back to you on that!”
Step #2: Record ALL Client Calls
I feel like this goes without saying…
But you’d be surprised how many advertising agencies don’t record their calls.
Whether it’s your first contact with a potential client or a content planning call with a current client, make sure you record the conversation.
Why?
Because you’ll miss things.
When the conversation is flowing with a prospect or client you can miss specific details, like:
> Small project details…
> The client’s expectations for the project…
> The personality, tone, and voice of the client and company.
The reality is, if the client feels like your team hasn’t listened to them – or ignored specific details – they won’t be happy with the project.
Will there be clients that don’t like the idea of you recording their call?
Sure.
But if you explain to them that recording the call is a vital part of producing your best work, then most (reasonable) people won’t have a problem with that.
Step #3: Assign A Senior Manager To Every Project
Junior associates are great at fulfilling tasks, and creating deliverables…
But they often lack experience and have a hard time translating what the client wants onto paper.
This is why you should always have a senior project manager (or an experienced staff member) assigned to each project.
This is easier said than done, especially if you’re running a small agency with only a handful of employees.
However, a senior project manager will not only ensure the quality of the work stays high, but they’ll teach the junior associates how to fulfill the client’s wants and needs.
Albeit more work, doing this will keep clients happy and referral rates high.
Step #4: Check-in With Your Client
Want dozens of 5-star reviews from happy customers on your website?
Then make sure you check in with your clients.
What do I mean by that?
Simply schedule 1, 2, or even 3 check-in calls with your clients throughout the duration of their project.
The best way to do this?
Simply assign someone OUTSIDE of the project team to check in with them. I highly recommend the salesperson who originally sold the project checks in with the client.
There are two reasons for this:
a.) The salesperson is not a part of operations and won’t be emotionally or creatively involved in this project. Therefore, they’ll be more open to receiving constructive criticism.
b.) This check-in call gives your client a space to vent frustrations without worrying about offending anyone on the operations team.
Step #5: Always Add A Buffer
Set realistic turnaround times…
Add 2-4 weeks onto every project…
And communicate effectively with your client.
If you do that?
Not only will you give your team ‘wiggle room’ to complete the project, but if you end up delivering the project early your client will be thrilled.
You could even go one step further and create a timeline with milestones (or checkpoints) so the project manager can keep the team accountable.
But, at the very least, you should add 2-4 weeks onto every project.
Yes, there will always be projects with tight deadlines, but as long as you’re open and honest with your client, you won’t run into too many issues.
Step #6: Treat Every Client The Same
This may sound painfully obvious…
But I’ve heard some horror stories about how agencies treat ‘smaller’ clients.
In this instance, you’d be better off turning away low-budget projects than agreeing to a project below your standard rate and delivering subpar work.
But if you decide to take on low-budget projects, you better be prepared to treat every client like they’re paying you 15k, 25k, or even 50k a month…
Because according to Google, a dissatisfied customer will tell 9-15 people about their experience.
That may not sound like a lot of people…
But the impact of negative feedback could be devastating for your business as social media can amplify word-of-mouth quicker than ever before.
And that’s a wrap.
6 simple steps to bigger paydays and life-long clients for your advertising agency by just doing your job…
Remember, it doesn’t matter how good you think your work is if your client isn’t happy and deadlines aren’t met.
If you feel like your agency is struggling to fulfill its potential, drop me a private message or book a call and let's chat! Book your call here.
I consult with a handful of marketing agencies every year to ensure they’re operating at the highest possible level.
So if you need help, or have any questions, reach out and we can chat further.
Thanks for reading,
Chelsea