Agency new business: being at the right place and time

April 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Ad agency new business fan, Steve Congdon here. From time to time you are favored with something yours truly runs across reminding yours truly of an agency new business idea, best practice or opportunity. This is one of those times. Today’s post is about making sure that your agency is at the right time and place to pitch a piece of business.

Timing, friend, is everything. The thing that crossed my path that reminded me of this idea is a humble bus stop bench. And on the bench was, you guessed it, an ad for a local used car dealership. A crafty marketer, wisely putting their message at the right time and place. Would could have made the ad even better was a message that took advantage of the location and the mindset of the waiting mass transit-ee. But I digress. And you really aren’t here for brief-writing lessons.

You’re here for new business thinking and inspiration! So, here are some related thoughts on how to be at the right time and place to pitch…

Leverage marketplace conditions

There are lots of things, of course, that lead to agency reviews. But one of the key drivers is a change in client-side staff. New CMOs and marketing directors. Resources like The List, Access Confidential, Ratti Report, Pearlfinders and more will all help identify the kinds of changes that suggest a review is coming. Or, you can read about it in the trades.

These are all fine resources. But one of the problems with them is that everyone else has access to that same information! So, feel free to be one of the masses that’s sending a friendly note to the new CMO.

Looking to be a bit craftier? Who could blame you.

Get a step ahead of your agency competitors: act like you’ve been fired

Why be one of the masses when you’re smarter than that? Companies that are looking for CMOs and directors of marketing advertise this need. Think about that implication. And get in job search mode.

Happy hunting. Do it right, and avoid the bus!

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Filed Under: Prospecting, Recruiting, Uncategorized

Job Opening: Agency New Business Development Leader

May 24, 2012 By 2 Comments

Yours truly has been retained to help a 25-person Chicago-based digital, direct and data agency find a new business leader. The agency is looking to continue their record-breaking success. This is a very good job at a firm I have admired for years.

Summary
Simply put, the agency needs your expertise to help them get more new business opportunities. And then, help them win. Taking a strategic, consultative selling approach, this leader will focus on developing relationships and creating agency awareness with prospective clients, consultants and others outside the agency.

You will also own and drive the agency’s overall marketing effort, lending your expertise to agency positioning tweaks (and related materials), intellectual property, and industry thought leadership.

A new position within recent years, the ideal professional will combine social media and digital demand generation abilities with classic professional service marketing chops to help the agency attract terrific clients.

The agency offers a very solid compensation package, a budget, administrative support and a few untapped strengths to help you make an impact…and a difference.

“Fit” is crucial to the agency – we’re looking for someone with charisma, creativity and verve that is enjoyable to be around and will be a great, inspirational addition to the agency’s smart, hardworking team.

Desired Skills & Experience

  • Bachelor’s preferably in business or related field
  • 7+years of combined marketing/account/development experience with demonstrated direct, digital, database experience and 5+years in a progressive client-facing business development role within the marketing communications industry
  • Familiarity with the agency business development cycle process; must understand all phases from inbound inquiries to outbound presentations and managing an opportunity until a scope of work is signed
  • Strategic understanding of direct, digital and database marketing, mobile marketing technology & trends,  and an ability to translate that understanding to client business challenges
  • Must have experience and be fluent in digital (e.g. search, email, etc.), crm (e.g. Salesforce.com) and social (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Excellent interpersonal, presentation, listening and writing skills
  • Track record of building strong internal and external working relationships

We only respond to  applicants who possess the experience and qualifications that closely match the requirements of the above position.

Reports to: President

Compensation
Strong base, plus inventive

About the agency
I like these guys. The strategy and creative work is good: purposeful, smart and results-oriented. This is a nimble, independent, relationship-based agency that has been around for 30 years. They keep clients and staff well above industry averages. They’re built on a foundation of behavioral marketing and relevant, personalized communications that generate customer engagement, interactions and measurable results. They work with both consumer and business-to-business clients in range of industries.

Should you wish to learn more, please contact Thunderclap at your soonest convenience. Happy to provide a more detailed description. Thanks.

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Filed Under: Career, Marcom Industry, Recruiting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Improve new business development at your ad agency with a brag file

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hey there, Daddyo! Thanks for stopping by. I spoke with another agency new business development guru the other day and she reminded me to write a few hundred words on the value of having a brag file. Both for yourself and for your agency. In the continuing effort to be helpful, I thought there might be some value in sharing a couple if unique and interesting ways to use said file in smart career and business development for your ad agency.

But first, let’s define the term. A “brag file” is a collection of nice things people say about you. A part of your own permanent record. One of my first ones was mumble-something years ago when Dan Fox, Group Account Director at FCB wrote, “Nice job. Really!” on one of my Nielsen reports. It was routed through the Coors account team. But this is just one example. Letters of recommendation, voice-mails and emails are great things to have thrown in your file. And nowadays, you have a whole new source of things to add to the pile: tweets, LinkedIN recommendations, blog post comments and more. Of course, the higher the title from a recognizable source, the better. You could also collect other notable personal achievements.

From a career perspective, here are some more interesting things you might do with these kind of comments and positive juju:

  • Work it into a page and add it when you are asked about references
  • Sprinkle it in a resume
  • Throw them on your LinkedIN profile or on a personal blog
  • Share it with recruiters as you put your materials on file
  • Take a look at it next time you have a crappy day
  • Note why and how you received the accolades and make an adjustment or two

From an agency perspective, we’re really talking about a form of testimonials, right? With a little imagination, all of the above can apply to you. But here are some additional thoughts that might not immediately spring to mind:

  • Use them throughout an RFP response (or to add color to a specific question)
  • Create posters out of the comments and throw those on the walls between stop on an agency tour
  • Make a coffee table book out of them and put it in your lobby
  • Work them in in specific agent pitch videos

Anywho, hope this gets you thinking! Thanks.

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Filed Under: Agency Operations, Career, Prospecting, Recruiting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big agency experience and your career, part three

April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

OK. So, you’ve read a bit about how much big agency experience you should get . Then, you might pondered what a big agency can throw at a pitch and why this can help you. But you didn’t read about another thing to consider: your function in new business at agencies of this size.

So, here are three typical roles, ordered from least to most valuable in the eyes of senior management. And, well, folks that hire new business professionals.

Producer
You’re the go-to person. You take the lead on RFP responses, credentials presentations and finals. You develop the pitch schedule, arrange the meetings, research, participate and lead the internal meetings. You have “the football” – the deliverable. It’s part project management, part strategist and part thankless. Being a producer is typically how most people get started in the new business department. Or, they take part in a pitch at their agency. And then, get hooked!

Marketer
You help make the bits & pieces that tell your agency’s story. This list is endless: website, blog, social media, whitepapers, agency thinking, events, partnerships, credentials, etc. Typically, you plan and execute elements of the new business program that last beyond a single pitch. This kinda stuff ultimately increases the number of phone calls your agency earns.

Prospector
Rolodex-grower and relationship builder. You’re working it. One of the proactive faces at the agency that gets the proverbial fish in the boat. These are typically more senior people, capable of having conversations with directors of marketing and CMO-types. This could also include search consultants, a key target for big agencies.

Of course, your mileage may vary. But the above are the basic functions of a new business department of any agency. Not just the bigs. The bigger the agency, the more compartmentalized the functions become. At FCB Chicago (now DraftFCB), we had a five-person team. Ultimately, it became a boss, a prospector and some marketers/producers. At a 150-person shop, you might have a boss and a producer. At a 50-person place, it’s one professional doing a whole lot of juggling. Lots of variations here.

But ask just about any agency principal, and they’ll say they need more pitches. Which means marketing or prospecting.

So, you career-minded folks…

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to be valuable across the functions. Smarties may be paid for producing, for instance, yet contribute to agency marketing…AND build their network. So that over time, your personal network produces leads for your agency. But we digress!

Hope this gives you a perspective. Happy career-ing.

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Oh, almost forgot. A bit on general new business experience and what it can do is here. Now, yours truly has gotta hop. There’s producing, marketing and prospecting to be done.

Filed Under: Agency Operations, Career, Marcom Industry, Recruiting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big agency new business experience and your career, part two

April 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

So, you’ve read a little bit about why it’s helpful to have some big agency new business experience as you build your career. Here’s part one on this topic. And, here’s a bit that explains some of the general benefits of working in new business. (For agencies of any size.)

But as is sometimes the case with this hastily written and occasionally helpful blog, I forget a point or two. Today’s few hundred will explore a bit more about why big agency experience is helpful.

Better competition
The very best new business theater story I have comes from pitching a $20m dollar piece of business at FCB Chicago. We won the business because we knew the prospect better than anyone else (and reflected that in the pitch.) We were up against Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and a couple of other alphabet soup agencies. These were and still are excellent competitors that forced us to bring our best game. Every time. Welcome to the bigs, baby!

More resources
This is closely related to the above story. But back in the day, we invested heavily in new business. There were FIVE people on our new business team. No expense was spared with regard to decision-maker research, consumer / category / company / competitor research, travel, pitch theater, freelance, etc. And we had all the access to training and new business resources imaginable. All the bells and whistles. Wisely used, these resources increased our closing ratio and gave us competitive advantage.

A couple of watch-outs connected to this idea.

Watchout#1: Bigger agencies don’t necessarily expose you to better quality pitches.
Could big agency new business experience help you develop faster as a professional? (Due to the competition, increased resources and sheer number of smart, successful peers that are bringing with them ideas and best practices from other alphabet soup shops.)

Meh. Your mileage will vary.

Watchout #2:  you don’t NEED this experience to build a successful new business career.
Our industry is changing rapidly and “the bigs” aren’t nearly as important as they used to be. Digital and social media, for instance, could be considered pretty important…perhaps even a higher priority if you had this kind of hole in your resume.

Anywho, hope this post was one of the more helpful ones! Should you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me. Thanks. And, happy career-ing?!

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Filed Under: Agency Operations, Marcom Industry, New Business Lore, Recruiting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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