Agency New Business: The Area Where Marketers Think You’re Still Falling Down

Finishing up our look at the RSW/US survey report, 2012 New Business Report: Client & Agency Perspective On Topics Related To Agency New Business, the final word is an agency new business plea, warning-whatever you’d like to call it, to agencies.

While agencies can (and should) take a fair amount of optimism from our latest survey report in regard to future new business opportunities, agencies continue to fall short in one area.

From our report, “79%+ of Marketers say it is “very important” to come to an initial meeting with thoughts about their business and/or smart questions to show they have interest. ”

 

Simple, right?

And yet: “Only a little over 12% of Marketers say that Agencies “always” come to the table prepared in a way that isn’t about the Agency.”

 

Where’s the disconnect?

First, it would seem self-evident that as an agency, you would always do some homework prior to that initial meeting.

And we often find agencies do, but just as often, agencies fall into talking about themselves, to a fault.

And to be fair, you’ll get into those meetings where the marketer will say something to the effect of, “That’s great, but we want to hear more about your agency.”

You can’t win, right?

 

But you can.

You’ve got to find a way to talk about your agency in a way that shows how you solved a problem or your expertise in the space.

It’s most definitely subtle and can be difficult, but here’s a tip.

Make the time and practice a few scenarios if front of others in the agency.

Practice telling a story about you that conveys not only who you are but more importantly how you helped a particular client.

It’s not all that fun, granted.

I play in a few bands and my least favorite part is practice-I’d rather be up on that stage.

But you have to make the time, it’s worth it.

 

For further perspective on our survey report, a roundup of recent articles below:

MediaPost-Study: Ad Agencies Upbeat About 2013 New Biz

eMarketer-For Agencies, Emails Prove a Good Introduction

Bulldog Reporter- Marketing Agencies Are Wasting Their Time By Only Using Social Media for Attracting New Business, According To a RSW/US Study

Adweek: Costs Driving Creative Reviews

Marketing Charts: Agencies Say Referrals, Networking Best For Drumming Up New Biz

BtoB Online: Study: Agency use of social media fails to produce

 

Post by RSW/US Director Of Business Development Lee McKnight Jr

(lee@rswus.com)