Build a Better Agency Podcast

Millennials (people born from 1981-1996) comprise the largest and most diverse generation in American history. Most agency owners are either older millennials or Gen X or Boomers. When it comes to leading the team — sometimes those two worlds collide. They're coming at the world with completely different expectations, wants, needs and goals. Whenever I talk with agency owners, they almost always talk about the frustrations that come from that disparity. Who are these people and how do we manage and motivate them? In this episode, I ask these questions of agency owner and millennial whisperer Chris Tuff. After living it, researching it, and then literally writing the go-to book on the subject, Chris has some wisdom to share. The perception is that millennials don't have the same work ethic that we had at their age. However, the reality is we aren't from different planets, despite the fact that the world and the work environment today is vastly different from what many of us experienced when we were breaking into the business. Chris and I dig into perceptions and misperceptions of hiring and leading millennials with the goal of understanding what motivates them, the role of culture, and the fact that we are all people in different stages of life. Hopefully, this will give you some tangible takeaways to help you engage with, inspire, get inspired by, and work with millennials – to everyone's benefit. Chris Tuff is a partner at the advertising agency 22squared in Atlanta, GA, where he successfully attracts, motivates, and whispers to Millennials every day. When Chris isn't working, he kiteboards, mountain bikes, runs and spends quality time with his wife and two daughters. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why managing Millennials doesn't have to be so challenging for older agency owners Why transparency is so important for Millennial employees The kinds of leadership that Millennials are seeking How to make promoting culture and company goals the job of everyone in the agency What to look for in Millennial candidates How to make a contract-to-hire "test drive" worth the risk for both the candidate and you The benefits that Millennials are seeking What the Millennial-owned company of the (very near) future will look like Why diversity and inclusion are not optional with Millennials Ways to Contact Chris Tuff: Website: http://www.22squared.com/ Millennial Leadership Assessment tool: https://www.theMillennialwhisperer.com/Millennial-leadership-assessment/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophertuff/

During the spring gatherings of AGI owner peer network members, I walk them through a presentation on trends that I'm seeing in the industry. Then I devote two solocast episodes to these findings later in the summer. In episode 195, I covered what's happening with agency money and finance, along with some trends in ownership, decision-making, and how you and your peers are managing the pace of change in this industry. In this episode, I talk about employees, clients, and some tactics with which agencies are having great success in terms of winning clients and serving them well. If the topic of employees gives you a queasy feeling, you are not alone. It's a big source of concern for many agency owners. I discuss trends I'm seeing in why retention is such a challenge and what you can do to make your agency the best option for employees you don't want to lose. What's happening on the client-side? There are some really interesting findings. I discuss creative ways in which agencies are gaining more clients and more billables from existing clients. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why freelance work is becoming more common and more of a draw to your current employees How to increase diversity in your agency What employees are looking for in agency culture How to set up an attractive incentive program What agencies are doing to counteract clients doing more work in-house The most in-demand work with which agencies are engaging clients and for which they are being well-compensated The four traits that will get you on a client's radar How agencies can help clients take a stand on the issues that are important to them and their customers Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew's unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for 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 those 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 two books 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." Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Agency Edge 2018: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-tools/agency-edge-research-series/research-2018/ Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan

Influencer marketing isn't new. Remember Joe Namath in pantyhose? (If you don't Google it) But what is new is that anyone can harness the power of the internet and attract and monetize an audience. The value to our clients in that new twist is that there is an influencer for any subject, budget, or audience. This is an area where many agencies are crushing their financial goals. But if done wrong – you can lose your shirt. That's why I knew we needed to talk to Shane Barker. Getting to the tactical heart of effective and profitable influencer marketing is what episode #199 is all about. My guest is Shane Barker, who has been doing influencer marketing since before the term was even coined. We talk about finding the right person, the proverbial needle in the influencer haystack, and how to determine the real reach of that individual who calls him/herself an influencer. Maybe you or your clients are still questioning the ROI of influencer marketing. Shane and I discuss how to do it right from start to finish, so you and your clients get the most bang for your influencer buck. From working with agencies and brands on influencer strategy and with celebrities on digital reputation management, to obtaining a #1 national ranking with PROskore as a social media consultant, Shane has built an impressive list of accomplishments. As a regular contributor to publications like Salesforce, Yahoo Small Business, Marketing Profs and others, he continues to grow and share his knowledge. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How to vet influencers so you and clients get what you pay for Why you should interview influencers to find the right fit beyond the metrics How to A/B test in influencer marketing What goes into developing a solid influencer marketing strategy How to be the best choice for the influencers you want to work with Developing Scope of Work terms with an influencer The best tools to use to start your influencer search How to fine-tune your influencer search with the "eyeball test" Ways to Contact Shane Barker: Website: https://shanebarker.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanebarker/

In all the years that I've been an agency owner (almost 25) and worked alongside agency owners (15+) there is a common pain point — biz dev. We love getting to the table and talking with a potential client about how we can help them. However, getting to the table feels like a slog. That's why, if we're honest with ourselves, we don't invest as much time and attention as we should to prospecting. The situation becomes a real Catch-22. Sooner or later, that bites every agency owner in the caboose and the bank account. In episode #198, I talk with Dan Englander, who was on the show a while back (episode #76) and what I appreciate about Dan is that he's been a student of this challenge. Not only has he analyzed the reasons why we avoid going after new business, but he has developed a process with tangible steps you can take to break the pattern. He's the proverbial "man with a plan." We dig into what makes a good sales team, the right roles for the right people, and how to get and stay on the right biz dev tasks as owners and principals. Dan founded Sales Schema in 2014 to help marketing service companies reach new heights by aggressively focusing on new business. Previously, he was the first employee business development lead at IdeaRocket. Before that, he was Account Coordinator at DXagency. He's the author of Mastering Account Management and The B2B Sales Blueprint. In his spare time, Dan enjoys developing new and exciting aches and pains via Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How to set up a biz dev team for success How to create a 3-person sales pod The role of a B2B biz dev strategist in your shop Specific tasks that owners and sales leaders should be completing How to create a transparent process that leads good-fit clients to a buying decision How to find enough confidence in your pipeline to be choosy about clients Ways to back up an abundance mindset with solid strategies and tactics How to build momentum through your biz dev efforts How to avoid perfection paralysis in biz dev Ways to Contact Dan Englander: Website: https://www.salesschema.com/ Book The B2B Sales Blueprint: https://amzn.to/2Y2oOtS Checklist: https://www.salesschema.com/drew

The customer journey, UX, customer experience: buzzwords or actually points of value we can offer clients? I think in the hands of the under-informed and without good data, a process for gathering that data, and a genuine understanding of what the customer journey can tell us, it becomes a matter of hearsay and guesswork. That isn't good enough for this week's guest, so we're taking the guesswork out of it. I talk with Heidi Trost, owner and CEO of Voice + Code, about how to gather the right data and what to do with it to make that crucial connection between the goals of the customer and the goals of the company. Heidi Trost has built an agency around those kinds of fixes. Heidi started Voice+Code in 2010 after working at other agencies and being an adjunct professor. She has a passion for helping clients build technology that actually serves their customers and delivers on the experience the customer is seeking. We're going to dig into all of those topics. Heidi's obsession with usability and the user experience began with her award-winning graduate research at Rochester Institute of Technology. Today, her passion is to help businesses measure and optimize the user experience while making the digital realm safe, usable, and accessible. As a user experience researcher and designer, speaker, and usability expert, Heidi has helped startups and Fortune 500 companies develop digital product strategies that align customer needs with business goals. What You Will Learn in this Episode: The data and metrics to use in understanding the customer journey The best methodologies for getting input from your clients How to test your assumptions about a customer persona How to set up usability studies How to map out the customer journey Getting realistic about the customer journey What prevents a product or service from achieving a great user experience How to convince clients to invest in research Ways to Contact Heidi Trost: Website: https://www.voiceandcode.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-trost-65325433/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voiceandcode/

I know a lot of agency owners think about selling their shop. But do they think about it strategically? Or soon enough? Do they execute on a plan that will set them up for success 5-10 years before they're ready to sell? Usually, the answer to those questions is no. And on the flip side, how many agency owners think about growth through acquisition? Selling is a big part of the conversation but buying should be on the table as well. In episode #196, I talk with Terry Lammers, who has been buying and selling businesses since he sold his family fuel company. We talk about the monetary and non-monetary aspects of getting the most from your agency or being a smart buyer if you're on that end of the transaction. Most importantly, we dig into how, why, and when to start planning your exit strategy as an agency owner. Terry Lammers grew up in a little town of 600 people. His family owned a wholesale fuels and lubricants company and when Terry took over as president of the company, he had some big ideas for growth. Out of that experience developed a fascination with the process of buying and selling businesses. Since then, Terry has formed a business brokerage that helps people who want to buy and sell businesses. He also has his designation as a certified valuation analyst, accreditation through the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. He is the author of You Don't Know What You Don't Know: Everything You Need to Know to Buy and Sell a Business. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why it's never too early to plan your exit strategy How to value a business (like an agency) with little regular recurring revenue Who to have around the table to plan your exit strategy Nonfinancial elements of your agency that add or subtract the value Why culture is so important and why blending two company cultures is so difficult How agency owners can start thinking about the acquisition as a growth strategy

How's your year going so far? I might have a pretty good idea already. We work with and see how 250+ small to mid-sized agencies are doing every year and there are always patterns that emerge. Every spring, I give a trends presentation to all of the agency owners in AMI peer groups. Together we explore how those trends are showing up in our world and how they're impacting the industry. Then, in the summer – I share those same rends with my podcast audience. If you've been listening for a while, you know this is an annual feature of the show. In this episode, I share the financial picture that is emerging from the data. How are clients spending their marketing dollars? Is this a good time to be an agency owner? I'll share what the numbers are saying. We'll also talk about the mood among agency owners and whether or not they're bullish on 2019 and 2020. There are too many trends to cover in one episode, so this is part one. Check it out so you're ready for part two next month. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Top agency trends in 2019 Understanding the rise of project work How to manage after a gorilla client suddenly breaks up with you Why transparency in markups and commissions is so important Why agencies are earning more dollars, but those dollars are harder to acquire How to regain that spark when agency work makes you weary New trends in agency succession planning Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew's unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for 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 those 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 two books 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." Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Agency Health Assessment: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/assessment/ Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan

My entreé into agency life was as a copywriter. I loved digging around and finding the story underneath the story. That love was the foundation for my belief in the power of a strong and smart brand. For decades my agency has helped clients define, develop, and deploy their brand both internally and externally. It's still some of my favorite work to do. Understanding your unique story is a powerful competitive advantage for our clients and our own agencies. Without understanding what makes us unique – we have to swim in the sea of sameness and that's definitely swimming upstream! In this episode, we're digging into storytelling by understanding it at the root level. There is an architecture to stories and I have gone to the expert to learn more about that structure and how, as agencies, we can better use it to build our clients' brands – and our own as well. My guest is Park Howell. For 25 years, Park ran an agency in Arizona called Park & Co. At a certain point in his career, he pivoted his agency to become a storytelling consultant, helping clients learn how to tell their own story. Park founded his consultancy, The Business of Story, on January 1, 2016, so he could partner with leaders of purpose-driven organizations and help them clarify their stories, amplify their impact, and simplify their lives. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How the hero's journey has been with us since the beginning of storytelling Why story is one of the most powerful tools in your brand building arsenal How to help clients live into their most powerful stories Who should be the hero of the story (the answer might surprise you) Why it is so hard for agencies to discover and tell their own stories How storytelling connects with something so primal in all of us How to use storytelling to help customers fulfill what they wish, will, and want Ways to Contact Park Howell: Website: https://businessofstory.com/ What's Your Story worksheet: https://businessofstory.com/storytelling-tools/# Storytelling Workbook: https://businessofstory.com/brand-storytelling-workbook/

The challenge with digital trends is that they are moving so swiftly, it's hard to keep up. There are so many shiny objects flying around our heads, it's dizzying. How do you know which ones are worth tracking and learning? That's where this week's guest comes in. Tom Webster is the senior vice president at Edison Research. Edison is probably best known outside our world for being the sole provider of exit poll data during United States elections. But from our agency vantage point, most of us know Edison for their annual study, the Infinite Dial. The Infinite Dial remains the longest-running study of consumer behaviors around media and technology in America, and serves as the digital media trends bible for many since its inception in 1998. The work that Tom and his team at Edison, along with partner Triton Research, have done for decades is highly anticipated every year and provides mission-critical information to agencies throughout the world. We're going to dig into the data and find some surprises for you. Tom Webster has nearly 20 years of experience researching consumer usage of technology, new media, and social networking. In addition to The Infinite Dial, he is the principal author of a number of widely-cited studies, including The Social Habit and Twitter Users in America. He is also the co-author of The Mobile Commerce Revolution, and a popular keynote speaker on data and consumer insights. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How the social media landscape is shifting Why podcasting is becoming more popular What works – and what doesn't – in podcast advertising The ins and outs of brand lift Why being a 'capital S' show is important in terms of podcast popularity A deep dive into the data from The Infinite Dial 2019 Why starting with the audience is critical for all good content The work ahead of us in entering the voice assistant space

Speaking engagements can be a great way for agency owners to connect with their sweet spot prospects and be immediately perceived as a subject matter expert. Wanting to book speaking gigs and being successful at making that happen are two very different things. Even if you have some speaking engagements under your belt, getting chosen by a conference planner is another challenge to navigate. Even seasoned pros must keep their eyes on the prize. I have always used speaking as one of my primary biz dev strategies (for both my agency and AMI) but I learned early on that it's easy to get discouraged, distracted, or dismissed if you don't have a smart strategy in place. How do you build a speaking strategy that serves your agency business development objectives? In episode #192, I talk with Steve Markman, who offers some hard-earned, straightforward advice on preparing a speaker proposal and getting it noticed by decision-makers. We also talk about how to determine whether a particular speaking opportunity is the right strategic move. We even tackle the age-old question of "should I speak for free?" We'll dig into all the nitty-gritty details of how to take full advantage of the right speaking platforms and when to stay home. Steve Markman started Markman Speaker Management, LLC in 1994. It's a speaker's bureau with access to an international network of speakers in all fields and industries. He also coaches business owners and professionals on how to best speak for the right reasons to the right audiences. Steve has over 30 years of experience in the conference, event, and speaker business, working with groups like the Conference Board and Society of Professional Consultants. Having been a conference producer working with some of the world's largest events, Steve understands the importance of quality speaking engagements from both the speaker and conference planner perspectives. What You Will Learn in this Episode: The key components of a speaker proposal How to respond to a call for speakers How to ensure the audience is your target market How to establish a connection with the conference organizer The difference between formal and informal speaker submissions Best practices for organizing your conference presentation How to measure the value of presenting, even if need to pay your own expenses How many speaking engagements is too many Ways to Contact Steve Markman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemarkman/ Email: smarkman@markmanspeaker.com Get More Speaking Engagements: https://www.markmanspeaker.com/staff-training.html Website: https://www.markmanspeaker.com/