The Things Agencies Should Stop and Start Doing.

I know a lot of advertising, public relations and digital agencies.  This comes from my years as an agency person pursuing New Business and my experiences as an agency search consultant.  I have also spoken to many AAF Chapters on Networking Your Way to New Business and Why Agencies Don’t Want New Business.  I also constantly network.

Here are some thoughts on What Agencies Should Stop Doing.

• Stop being Cobbler’s Children.  Enough from me on that topic already.  All agencies that fit this profile recognize it but few are make any changes. They accept it.  Why are people who are innovation agents and constantly advocating that their clients change accept being poor self marketers?
• Stop comparing yourself to agencies you are not. The tactics that destination agencies can use don’t apply to you because you are not them. Most clients don’t even know you exist. That feeding frenzy can get you to commit to activities that are outside of your scope of capabilities and resources and waste your time.  It is just a game of internal machismo that leads to low opportunity pursuit.
• Lofty goals are pie in the sky for most agencies.  There are very few David and Goliath success stories in advertising.  Minnows rarely swallow whales.  Why try?  You will win New Business by a high probability approach not long shots.
• Stop sending boxes to strangers saying you would be perfect for them.  I often ask clients if they get unsolicited packages from agencies.  “Yes is what they said.”  Do you look at them?  “No is what they say.”
• To win in New Business you need to use many channels and knock on many doors.  You need to blog, use direct mail, call, speak at events, implement PR, and have a strong social media presence. Maybe even consider some advertising.  SEO and PPC for sure. You have to be there when prospects are ready to listen.
• Stop staying in your office and not going to AAF Chapter meetings.  If you want to be an industry leader, act like it.  You need to network everywhere constantly to be seen.  Agency principals need to be outside people not inside people.  They need to be finders and not grinders. They need to be on top of the business versus in the business.

• Join an agency network to learn from your peers.  Quit talking to yourself, your spouse and your friends.  Learn how others do it and learn from those exchanges.
• Talk to consultants.  When I go to any city to speak to any organization I always reach out to agencies saying I am going to be in town.  I tell them I do agency searches and would be happy to sit down with them while I am in town.  I reach out using the contact info on their sites.  I rarely hear back. That’s OK.  They may never hear back from me.

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Don’t send him any boxes when he is not doing a review.