Build a Better Agency Podcast

The panic around COVID lockdown is plateauing. The storm has certainly not passed, but we've navigated out of the panic stage and now everyone is realizing they need to get back to business. Whether you live someplace that is still sheltering in place or you are figuring out how to get back to the office — we have to sustain our business through this and come out on the other side. If we do it well, we can not only come out on the other side but we can come on stronger and better than ever. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we walk through the five mini plans that I've been talking about in our weekly newsletter. I want to help you build them out. They are: Operational/financial plan (how will you get the work done on time and on budget? Then, determine the minimum acceptable profit margin for your agency and use agency math to manage your way to never dipping below it) Team plan (how will you keep them motivated, efficient, profitable, and striving to serve each other and your clients) Client plan (you need to proactively guide each client into a position of readiness so that when they can step back in — they're ready and more prepared than their competitors) Prospect plan (what can you talk about that will be valuable — based on what your prospects are ready to hear at any given moment in time) Vision of the future plan (what parts of normal are worth rushing back to and what could/should be different?) The danger to every agency right now is that we get stuck in place and don't shake the panic phase. If you and your team work through these plans it will propel you past the paralysis and into a future with a solid foundation. Don't wait – get working on these plans today! A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/ What You Will Learn in This Episode: How to build out an operational plan that enables you to continue completing work on-time and under budget Financial metrics that agency leaders should be paying attention to How to keep your team motivated, efficient, and profitable moving forward How to proactively guide each client into a position of readiness so they are more prepared than their competitors How to create a solid biz dev plan for your agency's resurgence How to make difficult staffing decisions in times of crisis Different ways that agencies are successfully managing their teams How agencies are landing new clients in these difficult times AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog "One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read." Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ Resources: COVID Resource Page Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled Sell with Authority Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast Giving Your Brain and Your Body Your Best

Learn about the success of cold email as a new business strategy for agency owners with guest Jeff Winters. Jeff discusses his company, Sapper, which helps with outbound email marketing and sales efforts. He shares scripts, timing cadence, and success metrics for effective cold emailing. The podcast also covers topics like sales cycle timing during COVID-19, agency budget tiers, best practices for automated email sequences, and navigating business challenges during the pandemic.

When you realize that this episode is about holding a virtual event, you might jump to the conclusion that this is a C19 focused episode. Nothing could be further from the truth. Virtual events have been successful for years and are always worth considering, pandemic or not! Agency owner Nicole Mahoney has always been an innovative marketer on behalf of her agency. Her podcast and other industry-specific content has positioned her agency as one of the country's authorities on destination marketing. In the fall of 2019, she knew it was time for them to host a broader event to connect with even more industry leaders and prospects. She briefly considering hosting a live conference but the costs were just prohibitive. That's when she decided to explore hosting a virtual summit. In November, that's just what her agency did and the results were impressive. With the right structure, the right tech stack, the right speakers, and the right audience, virtual summits are an opportunity for agency owners to establish themselves as the experts in their respective industries. Learn how Nicole used this channel to build her audience and lay the framework for significant growth. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why Nicole decided to organize a virtual summit The benefits and drawbacks of virtual vs. live events How Nicole structured her virtual summit and who she invited to participate The technical and production side of Nicole's virtual summit How Nicole's team tracked engagement for their virtual presentations Where Nicole plans to take her virtual summits in the future How Nicole is collaborating with other marketers in the travel and tourism industry The results of Nicole's summit and what's in store for the next one Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to Contact Nicole Mahoney Email: nicole@breaktheicemedia.com Podcast: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcast/ Website: https://breaktheicemedia.com/ Twitter: @Break_TheIce Facebook: @BreakTheIceMedia Tools & Resources: AMI's covid-19 survival resources page

Agency owners are scrambling to take advantage of the CARES Act, and in particular the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans but there's a lot we don't know because there's a lot that is not set in stone. There is a total lack of clarity around this how the PPP works – from application all the way through repayment and potential forgiveness. The 800-page act says one thing and the SBA says another. As I describe it in my conversation with guest Stephen Katz, we are repairing the plane while we're flying it. Stephen is the chair of the business practice of Peckar & Abramson, a law firm in New York City with offices in 10 US cities and affiliates in 14 countries across the globe. I asked Stephen to joins us because of his decades of experience working with the SBA and other government programs designed to serve businesses. He's spent the better part of a month interacting directly with the SBA, Treasury Department and his legal peers to try to wrap their arms around the CARES Act and specifically the PPP loan. I knew he'd provide some answers so that we agency owners can plan for the future and protect what they have now. It is important to know what you're getting into. And as details get locked down, we'll have Stephen back to help us navigate this murky waters. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Stephen developed expertise in business law The economic impact of 9/11 vs. COVID-19 Everything agency owners should be aware of as they apply for the PPP What we know about the loan forgiveness provision of the PPP loan so far How to prove you are using the proceeds of your loan appropriately Everything you need to know about EIDL loans Why bigger banks have been hesitant to fund CARES Act loans Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Stephen Katz: Website: https://www.pecklaw.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-katz-88212013/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/peckar-&-abramson-p-c-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peckarabramson/ Twitter: @katzbike @PeckarAbramson Tools & Resources: AMI's covid-19 survival resources page

Agency owners wear many hats and certainly one of the most important is leader. There are days when that's easy and even fun. And then, there are days like the ones we've been having lately, when the weight of that role can get pretty heavy. Our employees need us to guide them through these uncharted waters. And to do that, we need to stay calm, confident and compassionate. But how do you do that when you can't even be in the same room. The current COVID crisis is pushing teams and agency leaders to their limits. Fortunately, leadership and culture expert Adam Carroll has tools and insights that will help you show up to be the best leader possible; in a time when that leadership is sorely needed. In this episode, Adam and I talk about how to manage and stay aligned with a dispersed team, how to hold everyone accountable, and how to create connections that will survive and thrive beyond the crisis. Adam's advice is pragmatic and actionable. You'll be able to put it into play immediately. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Advice for agency owners on how to lead their team while working remotely How agency owners can be authentic and compassionate and still hold the team accountable The HEAT framework and how agency owners and leaders can deploy it throughout the organization The importance of shared ownership and the elements you need to create it What agency owners should be aware of as they transition to a virtual environment How to reinforce the team aspect of your agency, despite not physically being together Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to Contact Adam Carroll: Website: http://renzoexperience.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcarrollspeaks/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/renzoexperience/about/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renzoexperience/ Twitter: @AdamCarroll Tools & Resources: AMI's covid-19 survival resources page

Odds are you cannot remember a more tumultuous time in your agency. You probably endured through 9/11 but we understood what happened and why. You probably survived the 07-08 recession but we saw it coming and had time to plan and adjust. Covid-19 brings a rare and overwhelming combination of a health scare, human isolation, and an economic shutdown all in one fell swoop. No wonder you're feeling a bit frantic. That's why I'm worried about you. If you can't stand strong through this, your agency is in trouble. The way we lead our agency through this is by acknowledging how hard it is and taking care of ourselves. We have to recognize that we're grieving right now and because of that, we're experiencing a wide range of emotions from terror to anger to a need to just keep moving. All of that is natural and to be expected. But it's not helpful. In this episode we're going to talk about grieving, about accepting the loss and deciding what path makes the most sense for your shop. Beyond that – we're going to talk about how YOU survive this and lead your team to the better days that we know are waiting for us around the corner. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/ What You Will Learn in This Episode: How agency owners can overcome the mental hurdles of being the ship's captain in time of crisis What we're going through as agency leaders and what we can do to survive the storm How to overcome the sense of loss and grief the pandemic has brought upon us Tools and resources agency owners can use to navigate new challenges brought by the COVID-crisis Why agency owners need to take care of themselves before they can take care of anyone else How you can use this period of change to rethink the way you do business AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog "One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read." Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ Tools & Resources (if needed): COVID Resource Page Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast

US and European based agency owners are fightly vigilantly as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in their region of the world. It's affecting agencies and their clients in significant ways. I've been talking to agency owners non-stop for the last two weeks and one thing is for sure – one agency's experience is not like another's. For some, business and AGI has never been better. In others, 50% of their AGI has walked out in less than ten days. I wanted to connect with an agency owner who had already experienced everything we are going through today and could tell us what's coming next. Kiri Sinclair owns the 50-person PR shop aptly named Sinclair. They're based in Hong Kong with hubs in several cities in China and they are about three months ahead of us in dealing with the coronavirus. Needless to say, there are some good lessons for us to learn from her experience. Hong Kong and mainland China reacted differently to the initial outbreak than European countries and the US have reacted so our experience may not be perfectly parallel. However, the timeline still provides us with some idea of what to expect moving forward. The good news is – there's good news. Two and a half months in, client business in Hong Kong has picked up and things are moving back to normal. Every country and every agency is different, but Kiri's story serves as a beacon of hope and helps us anticipate what is coming next. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How agency owners across the globe are responding to the COVID-crisis The experience of Hong Kong-based agency owner Kiri Sinclair since the outbreak first occurred there over two months ago How clients responded to the global pandemic in Asia How to be proactive in protecting client relationships and the team amidst the crisis How to consider handling internal changes such as pay and lay-offs Mistakes our guest made and what she would have done differently if she knew then what she knows now The Golden Nuggets: "Agencies in the U.S. and Europe are very lucky to have an additional two months of knowledge to make difficult decisions." @SinclairTalkCLICK TO TWEET"Get your contingency plans in order. Then, communicate what those contingency plans are, how your business is operating at this moment in time, and how you are supporting the community to contain this outbreak." @SinclairTalkCLICK TO TWEET Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Kiri Sinclair: Website: https://www.sinclaircomms.com/ https://www.sinclairarts.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinclaircomms/ LinkedIn: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirisinclair/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinclaircomms/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinclairComms Twitter: @KiriSinclair @SinclairTalk Tools & Resources: Recovery plan for agencies and brands that Sinclair authored AMI's covid-19 survival resources page Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter New Book: Sell With Authority

Today's episode is a twofer – and both topics are going to benefit your shop. The first is the idea of collaborating with your prospects to create content that is valuable for both of you. From there you can leverage that shared experience to create new opportunities for your agency. The second is how you can write that book you've been thinking about, despite how overloaded your calendar and life can be. My guest is James Carbary, the owner of Sweet Fish Media, a podcast-first media company. James was with us once before back in Episode #156 where we talked about James' approach to networking. And in the latest episode of Build a Better Agency, we dive even further into his creative collaboration methodology as we discuss the writing process and major talking points of his new book, Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know. James asserts that when you partner with your prospects to produce content that will serve their organization's business goals, you can connect and create the foundation of a relationship. That relationship will serve your agency in a variety of ways, ranging from referrals to a new client. On top of that, the content is also useful to your audience, so it's establishing your position of authority, as Stephen Woessner and I detail in our new book Sell With Authority. As if that wasn't already a value-packed episode, I also asked James how he, as a busy agency owner, found the time to write the book. He reveals all of his shortcuts and secrets and you're going to want to hear them all! A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: If you decide to go with a different keyword, make sure to have the keyword listed in at least one bullet point The concept of James' new book, Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know How content collaboration serves your agency's biz dev efforts James' framework for content-based networking and how to apply it How to write and publish your own book How to use your book as a biz dev too Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact James Carbary: New Book: Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know Website: www.sweetfishmedia.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescarbary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetfishmedia?fref=nf Twitter: @jamescarbary Tools & Resources: BaBA Summit Registration: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/ Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter New Book: Sell With Authority

There's not a small business owner on the planet who isn't concerned about how the coronavirus is going to impact their business, employees, clients, and family. Those worries are complicated by the fact that this is also a health risk to those you love. I can't help with the health risk part – but I can help ease your fears about your business. We're going to survive this together and in this episode, I am going to give you some tips and tactics to get you and your agency through this storm and back to calm waters. If you've owned your agency for a while, you've already survived a similar season. We weathered 9/11 and in the U.S the '07 to '08 recession. It wasn't pleasant or pretty — but you got your agency through it and I want you to recognize that you can and will do it again. I'm going to walk you through steps to protect yourself and your agency in these areas: Your team Money Clients Biz dev It's going to require strong leadership and a kind, compassionate heart — and following the metrics to get your agency through the next few months. But you've got all of that in spades — so let's get through this together! A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/ What You Will Learn in This Episode: How this economic slowdown is not the first we've seen What to keep in mind if you shift to a remote work situation The place where you're at the most danger of putting your agency at risk The financial metrics you cannot afford to ignore How to take a long-range view of the virus situation and find opportunities in the chaos The unlikely upsides of this season AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog "One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read." Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ Tools & Resources (if needed): Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled Sell with Authority Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast

The more you know about a person, the easier it is to connect with them. One of the challenges when it comes to biz dev is that we really don't know too much about the prospect we're trying to build a relationship with, especially in the early stages of the sales pitch. But what if there was a way for you to gain those insights even if you've never met them in person? Charlie Poulson's first job out of college was building PPT decks for one of the country's largest agencies. That experience gave him insights on the technical side of sales. A recent discovery of a tool that adds in some psychological insights has allowed him to build a business helping others succeed at sales. In the latest episode of Build a Better Agency, Charlie explains how agency owners can structure proposals and presentations in a way that resonates with their audience, because they know who that person is and how they tick, thanks to Crystal, a Chrome plugin that provides DISC assessment information based on their LinkedIn profile and other social channels. Take a listen and then connect with your prospects at a whole different level. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: If you decide to go with a different keyword, make sure to have the keyword listed in at least one bullet point. The psychology behind agency sales communication How agency owners can communicate more effectively with prospects The art of presentation design for agencies How Charlie creates presentations and proposals that resonate with decision-makers How Charlie is using AI (Crystal the Chrome plugin) to gather data and insights about agency prospects How to create different pitch decks for a variety of personality types Ways to Contact Charlie Poulson: Buy The Psychic Proposal: http://bit.ly/PsychicProposal Work with Charlie: https://calendly.com/hang-with-charlie/exploration Crystal: https://crys.io/s/gHYTrl Email: charlie@americano.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliepoulson/ Twitter: @CharlesPoulson Website: https://www.americano.design/ Tools & Resources: BaBA Summit Registration: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/ Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter New Book: Sell With Authority FacebookTwitter