New Business is a difficult challenge for most agencies and service companies.
I have written a blog in the past called Are Most Agencies New Business Efforts a Waste of Time? You see many agencies chase prospects where there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I know from my agency search practice that many great brands have a larger brand footprint than budget. Agencies give them proposals that are way over their head.
I’ve heard ,“These guys are big. I bet you they have a huge budget.” One too many times.
Many new business hunting methods are also obsolete in the New Normal. I get all these young poor souls that cold call me from time to time. Blocked call on my cell phone? Disregard it. A number not in my database? Forget it. The fact that Blank and Associates is listed in a local directory of creative resources doesn’t mean that I am looking to hire people to sit in my home office with me and my dog Argo and my cat Nadia. They would like the company though, if you bring some treats.
The best New Business agencies know that landing New Business takes a long time and patience is key but that doesn’t satisfy the revenue beast for a lot of agencies. Patience is what agencies advocate for their clients and not for themselves.
That kind of New Business strategy can be hard to sell to your boss. Since I only have to please myself I follow my beliefs and facts.
My network and constant reinvention in the New Normal have lead me into doing a lot more recruiting over the last few years. Positions that are in high demand and hard to fill. SEO folks, Product Managers, Creative Directors, Account Executives that get it. I wish there was a database for that.
I enjoy helping clients find new people. It is all about being a resource for clients. Want some agencies resources? I can find them for you. Want talent? Great. I can find them for you too. When you place a client, you have created a relationship for life and information for life.
I land recruiting business in the same ways that agencies get New Business. The idea is to have my existing relationships reach out to me for another search. Then there are referrals which are great and then you have to hunt.
Maybe agencies that want New Business should hunt in a different way and check out what jobs are posted on LinkedIn. I bet you there is a better than a 50/50 chance that a company looking for an E-Commerce lead is doing some SEO, PPC and other lead gen. Companies that are hiring Marketing people are probably doing some Marketing.
You see New Business is all about chasing where your agency thinks there is New Business but where they want ads tell you that there is business.
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Watch a Video called: How Not To Be a Vendor Agency.
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