Swenk Today: The Digital Marketing Agency Show

Is pride standing your way of growing your agency? It's easy to get in your own way sometimes as an entrepreneur. I had something in my personal life that made me step back and reflect on this lesson. In this video, I'll talk about progress vs. pride. Sometimes pride holds us back. Whether it's our desire to be right or just a matter of principles, we lead with our pride and sometimes do things that prevent growth. As I think back over the 12 years I owned my agency, I remember many occasions where this was true (even though I didn't realize it at the time). Choose progress over pride. It's easier said than done, right? But here's the secret and something I tell my agency-owner clients all the time... remove emotion from the decision. Don't lead with your feelings on a certain matter but instead eliminate those emotions and make a level-headed decision. When you take away the emotion you're left with facts and that will lead you to progress. Is pride standing in your way? If not pride, what IS standing in your way of growing? Comment below and maybe I can help. ================================================ SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ================================================ Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a vlog that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk   Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com   Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com  

Is your agency tone deaf? I am seeing agencies handle this pandemic and economy crash in one of two ways. They have either stopped selling because they feel it's insensitive or futile. Or, they are tone deaf and not listening to the actual needs of the market. In this video, I am putting the spotlight on Scott Bell, CEO of Bell Media. Right away, Scott changed his agency's messaging to be empathetic and get the attention of his market. This gives your prospects reassurance that you understand what's going on and hear how their needs, challenges, and concerns are changing right now. In times like these, your agency needs to be flexible and have the ability to move swiftly to make changes in how you're gaining clients. What are your current challenges and struggles in surviving and thriving right now? Comment below. ================================================SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ================================================ Music by epidemicsound.com

How can agencies help clients who are shut down right now during coronavirus? How can agencies pivot to thrive during this downturn economy? This episode is a spotlight on Alyssa Ege, Sail Away Marketing - helping dental practices during the current shutdown. Takeaways on what Alyssa and other thriving agencies are doing right: 1. Use digital to help prospects and clients make a quick pivot. 2. Help prospects and clients find creative ways to stay in business even when their physical doors are closed. How can digital agencies help clients who are shit down eight now during the coronavirus epidemic? 3. Educate prospects and clients on the possibilities. Many of them aren't tech-savvy or understand digital marketing enough to even know what's possible. Help them get educated. Follow the lead by Alyssa at Sail Away Media who'd been doing an amazing job!

Can you grow your agency during a recession? What should you do to make sure your agency survives a downturn in the economy? How can you flip current conditions to benefit your business? In this video, I'll talk about how you can grow your agency during a threatening economic market. I'm already hearing from agencies saying clients are backing down their spending, some are losing deals in the pipeline... it's partially a result of global panic over the coronavirus outbreak. Now, when I owned my agency for 12 years, we went through many economic threats during the Dot-Bomb Era, September 11, and the 2008 market crash... and we were able to survive, even grow at those times. So here we are again at the threshold of a downturn in the economy. How can your agency not only survive but grow in a recession? In my mastermind group, we did a lot of talking about this exact topic and what these 7-figure agency owners are doing about it. These successful agencies are finding opportunity in the face of challenge... For example, do your clients do a lot of trade shows or conferences? Those events are getting canceled, so show them how to spend more on digital marketing. Think outside the box! What you need to do is get more creative and opportunistic. Spend more when people pull back on spending because your cost per acquisition is going to go down. Don't be afraid to spend when everyone else is afraid because that's when you're going to get the biggest bang for your buck. Bottom line -- don't participate in the recession unless it's to take advantage of it! Where are your opportunities during this health threat and economic recession? Comment below and tell me how you can get creative. Also, if you want accurate and reliable information (without the hype of the new media :) check out: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/ US Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/ SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Monday & Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Timing is everything. And the theme of this video is all about what is holding back your new ideas from coming to fruition. I just watched a documentary on a company that I'd never heard of because of bad timing. But as it turns out this company really got the ball rolling for another company we have all heard of... Apple. We are entrepreneurs and we have ideas. Tons of ideas. Sometimes they fly and sometimes they don't, all based on whether or not the timing is right. General Magic is a company comprised of Apple executives that worked on MacIntosh. They had the vision of creating the mobile device and were funded by Sculley, the CEO of Apple at the time. They assembled an all-star team for their board of directors: founder of LinkedIn, founder of Netscape, founder of eBay... I mean, could there be a better team? These guys were the architects for their vision of a mobile device. Unfortunately what they lacked was the technology to support it. It wasn't until 11 years later that we would learn about the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. My point is, just because you may have the vision for something that doesn't take off right away -- keep at it. Keep trying to connect the dots. It might take a few years, but if you really believe in an idea keep it alive and try to find a way to deliver it into existence. Have you heard this story before? I was blown away by it. Comment below and tell me what challenges you're facing with your ideas and visions. Maybe I can help connect some dots!  

Just keep swimming. This video is some business advice that I think will benefit any agency owner, and it's something we all know but easily forget. It's actually something my 9-year-old son just reminded me of at his first swim meet. At the start of the race, his swim goggles filled with water and he immediately got frustrated and didn't start at the same time as the rest of the swimmers. But when he pushed through that obstacle and decided to just keep swimming, he actually ended up beating many of the others. It's like Mike Tyson said, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." And it's so true. You have to push forward despite your challenges and struggles. Everyone has a plan but sometimes things stand in the way of that plan. What challenges do you face at your agency? What struggles are you up against? Comment below and let me know so we can work through them together. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE: Podcast Monday & Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What's the #1 strategy for digital agency growth in 2020? How can you make big things happen in the coming year? Plus, I've got a big announcement surrounding my own content creation. I'll tell you all about it in this video. Podcasting! Hopefully, you're already aware of my podcast, Smart Agency Masterclass. It's over 5 years old show and it's all about growing and scaling your marketing agency. I've been lucky enough to have amazing guests on the show for over 5 years, mostly agency owners as well as some industry leaders like Seth Godin... In fact, it's the podcast that really helped me launch this business 5+ year ago and now {drum roll, please} We are going to 2 shows per week in 2020!! That's right. We're doubling down on the podcast in 2020. And, I want you to do the same. Oh wait, you don't have a podcast? Then this is the year to start one. I recently spoke at Digital Marketer's Digital Agency Expo in NYC and in the crowd on 1,000 agencies I asked how many had a podcast -- only 5 hands went up. You see the huge opportunity you have here, right? Podcasting is where my ideal clients are, and guest what? It's where your ideal clients are too! When your prospects are commuting to work, stuck at their kid's sports practice, waiting for a flight... they're listening to podcasts. They aren't watching videos on social media. They're spending their consuming loads and loads of podcasts on the topics which they want to learn more. And, they are willingly allowing you to talk right into their earbuds for 10, 20, 30 minutes or more! Friends, you heard it here -- in 2020 you NEED an agency podcast. Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. http://jasonswenk.com In 1999 he launched a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two of the best agency podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and The #AskSwenk Show, a video show that answers agency questions about successful, multi-million dollar agency. SCHEDULE MON & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk https://twitter.com/jswenk https://www.instagram.com/jswenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Music by epidemicsound.com

Why is it so important to know and understand your audience? Well for starters, when your prospects feel understood they are more likely to trust you and want to do business with you. Now, a lot of you who've been following me for a long time already know I'm a car guy. I have had and loved Ford Mustangs, I've been a car racer as well as a race trainer. Now I'm into Jeeps and doing cool stuff with them out in the mountains and deserts. But... I just read that Ford has created a new Mustang SUV and I've got to say they totally missed the mark. Mustang has always been known for its two-door, sport style cars. So why in the world would they mess with their audience at this point? People that have and love Mustangs because that is their "fun car." Those people drive something else as their family car. So I'm not sure why Ford would desecrate the brand they've created. It's a huge mess up... a total M-U-S-T-A-K-E. I think the product team and the marketing people who created this idea are in big trouble; their heads are on the chopping block. And that means two things for you: 1- When a brand has a major product flop, they bring in new marketing teams. So that means you might have an opportunity to get in with Ford. 2- When you know your audience and stick with what you know, you'll win. Don't veer off and do something that's outside of your area of expertise. I want to hear what you think about! Comment below and let me know if this was a good idea or a MUSTAKE :) Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or https://jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class/ Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: https://jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class/  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you need to win agency awards to grow your agency? Will winning awards actually land you more clients? In this video, I'll share my feeling on awards and how my opinion has changed over the years. I have told the story before, but in 20 years I only lost one client to an ADDY Award-winning agency. And ever since then, I really had an issue with agencies that are just looking to win awards in order to win business. I mean, don't get me wrong my agency won plenty of other awards in the past. But recently while working with a new client of mine I had a change of perspective. This client has been running their agency for 15 years and doing an amazing job. They've won a ton of awards too, and are super proud of them. That's when it dawned on me -- winning awards is creating their legacy. Agencies are the middle man, right? We're always behind the scenes propping up our clients and making sure their businesses succeed. We create awareness for a brand or generate more leads for them. But, we rarely get recognition for what we do. Clients don't usually say thank you, they just reap all the benefits of the agency's hard work. I now realize that awards provide that recognition. They give us the motivation to keep chugging along working long hours and producing amazing work for our clients. I used to think awards were stupid, but I've switched my perspective. Awards are amazing if you use them the right way... Awards should be used as motivation for you to be creative. Use them as motivation for your team. Awards can be amazing at keep morale up! But using awards to get clients is a mistake. Clients who only care about awards are the wrong clients. Awards are for you and your team. When my agency won "Best Workplace in Atlanta" we started getting amazing talent applying to work with us. That's a great way to use awards to your agency's advantage. If you need awards to get the recognition you deserve, I'm all for it! :) Tell me what your thoughts are on winning awards by commenting below. Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What is your digital agency worth today? What could you sell your agency for? Honestly, it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. And a lot of it depends on where you're at within your agency. Allow me to explain... A while ago I put out an agency valuation formula, but the information is changing and I wanted to provide you with a resource if selling - merger or acquisition - is something you're considering. A lot of people think they can sell their agency for at least the amount of revenue they're bringing in, plus maybe media spend on top of that... Not necessarily true! If you want to create freedom by eventually selling your digital agency, this is the video for you. For example: If you're under $1 Million in net profit and $200,000 in EBITDA then usually its 1-2X.... $400,000 max in valuation. Will you get 100% of that in cash? Nope - more like 20-40% in upfront cash with the rest tied to a performance-based model by the agency hitting certain benchmarks. I know that's soul-crushing, right? But consider -- why you are selling? Is it because you're too stressed out? Is it because you don't have the right systems in place in order to just do what you love? Maybe selling isn't the answer but instead, you need to take a closer look at the business to see where the gaps are and fix those, then increase your valuation before selling. Because look at these numbers if you improve EBITDA... If you can get to at or over $1 Million in EBITDA it's a whole new ballgame. Recently, one of our clients was at $1+ Million in EBITDA net profit and sold for an 8X multiple. That's uncommon, but a 5X multiple at that level is realistic. At that level, you can expect about 80% in cash upfront. And if you are over $3 Million EBITDA expect an 8X multiple. When you're up over $5-7 Million.... well, those numbers are just sick! The market right now is paying out at these numbers. So, if you want to eventually sell your digital agency then you need to understand how to get the most for it. I want you to understand what you need to do in order to demand top dollar. Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP =========================================== Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Is your agency business starting to plateau or even have a backslide? Are you second-guessing yourself? Are you worried this is where your agency is going to peak? These thoughts can be scary but in this video, I'm going to talk about what you can do. Look, having these doubts and worries are totally normal. Many entrepreneurs go through these same fears. You're not alone! If you're not growing as fast as you once did, you might have to reassess your systems. It's like climbing a mountain. When you are climbing up the elevation is so steep that it becomes difficult or even dangerous. As an alternative, you can walk on the plateau awhile or even backtrack your steps in order to get in a better position where the elevation isn't quite as steep. Sometimes it requires a switchback, right? Sometimes you have to go back east even though the final destination is west. Look at your low-hanging fruit. Look at your positioning. Look at what you've been taking for granted and figure out what can be refreshed or updated. What got you where you're at now may not be what's going to get you to the next level. Don't freak out -- take action! Relook at your business and see what you can do to refresh and stay relevant. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Related: https://youtu.be/pAlJlLFv2Dc https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you running your agency with broken parts? I know many of us are thrown into agency life without structure or systems in place. It's a lot like riding a mountain bike without a seat. (Yes, I actually saw someone doing this!) In this video, I'm going to talk about what it means to "ride without a seat" in your agency and how it's hurting your growth. Many of us are accidental agency owners, right? You knew how to do something cool and people were willing to pay you for it. So, you started an agency and were forced to become reactionary to everything being thrown at you. That's like riding a bike without a seat -- you are forced to pedal and you can never just sit down and coast. So, I actually saw a guy riding a mountain bike without a seat. And what I noticed was that his seat was actually broken and he had is strapped to wear the water bottle belongs. But rather than walking the bike back or leave it on the trail, he rode it without the seat even though it would be uncomfortable. It's kind of like running an agency when you start thinking about strategies or new systems to implement, you're not going to abandon your agency - you're going to ride without a seat for awhile. It might be uncomfortable but it gets the job done. Look, I ride my mountain bike all the time and sitting down has to be part of it. When I'm going uphill I sit and downhill, I stand. Sometimes you have to sit... so you can't operate properly without a seat! I talk with a ton of agency owners and when they take the time to work on the foundations and gain clarity they think they need to start over or abandon their broken bike. You can always fix! Just keep riding! I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Related: https://youtu.be/8Fw_GseAsiQ https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you the leader or the a$$hole? I heard an analogy recently that made me think of how some people are running their agency and I'm going to share it in this video. Think about monkeys climbing up a rope... Now, if you're a monkey on the rope and you're in the lead, when you look down all you see are smiling monkey faces. However, if you aren't the leader, when you look up all you see are a$$holes! Hilarious, right? When I heard this analogy I thought it was funny. But it made me think about how to fix the problem. See, all you have to do it tighten up the slack on the rope. Most leaders have everyone looking up at them waiting to be told the next move. But, if you tighten up the slack on the rope no one is waiting to make a move. There isn't a leader dictating all the moves. When your team (the rest of the monkeys :) is clear on the goals and vision, they don't need the head monkey (that's you :) telling them what to do. If you feel like your team can't or won't make decisions without you, then this might be the issue at your agency. You have to empower your team to make decisions based on what's best for the business. And the only way to do that is by communicating the core values and vision of the agency. When your team understands and believes in these principle foundations of the business then no one is stuck looking at a$$holes, right? :) Related: https://youtu.be/xADZUeqbXAI https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you avoid confrontation? Do you run from conflicts at your agency? Yes, most of us do. But if you're like the company I'm about to describe it could be costing you a ton of money and business. In this video, I'll demonstrate why you need to force yourself to address conflicts head-on. Listen, if you have a team member or a client that you would be happy to lose then you're avoiding confrontation. I was talking to a friend who was telling me about a $250-million-dollar manufacturing company that was avoiding confrontation by not getting rid of an employee. As a result, their customers were leaving and they realize it was costing them $250,000 per quarter. (YIKES!) in order to avoid confrontation. Even I struggle with confrontation but at the end of the day, I force myself to handle it because it's what's best for my business. Recently, I had to get rid of a member of our mastermind group. This person just wasn't the right fit - even though he was paying his monthly membership fee - I knew, in the long run, it would ruin the vibe of the mastermind. This person didn't fit in the culture and didn't have the same core values. I had to confront the issue before it cost me stress and the loss of other client-members. Related: https://youtu.be/xADZUeqbXAI https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you creating content with the intent to sell? What about your funnels? Are giving your audience your best stuff or are you just selling? In this video, I'm going to talk about committing to your audience I started this business to create a resource I wish I had when I was growing my digital agency. And I was recently inspired by a Gary Vee video I watched because he called me out on my sh*t. (Video here: https://youtu.be/gsy7nBTpRZo) See Gary's point is that there are 2 winners to every funnel: the scammers/fakers trying to trick us and the people who give away everything and expect nothing in return. Now, I've always leaned more towards the giving (I am not a scammer - I'm as genuine as they come :) but honestly, I don't feel as though I've been 100% giver. When I reflect back on my business growth, the #1 strategy that has grown my current business is podcasting. (If you aren't listening, check out Smart Agency Masterclass). The podcast is a free resource that educates and entertains my audience, yet over the past 5 years, it's brought me a tremendous amount of business. Why? Because it's 100% helpful. If your strategy, your funnels, your hard sells aren't working the way you want them to then take a look at your intention. If you're not 100% giving that's OK. What can you adjust in order to get yourself there? Related: https://youtu.be/_oWnwcL78l4 https://youtu.be/CinsLb6N2jg I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

This is goodbye. That's right, I'm saying farewell. (For now, that is :) It will probably come as no surprise to many of you that I've been building a house in Durango, CO for the last few months. And the goal was always to take off Summer 2019 to be there with my family to enjoy Colorado. So this is goodbye and see you later. Do you wish you could take an entire summer off? You can! But only when you get yourself out of the day to day operations and establish yourself as the agency CEO. Let your team do the client-facing work, sales, and deliverables. And transition yourself from agency owner to agency CEO. As a CEO, you have 5 primary roles, which are: 1. Set the vision and communicate it to your team. Who are you going after? What's your "why"? What are your core services? Give your team the ammunition they need to execute on your behalf. They can do that if they understand the vision. 2. Be the face of the agency. Your prospects need to associate your brand with a personality. That's the best way to grow your agency. It's got to be you - not an employee. It must be tied to the owner. 3. Coach and mentor leadership team only. Don't have everyone reporting to you and relying on you for mentorship. When you just mentor your leadership team you can empower them to successfully mentor the layer(s) beneath them. 4. Understand the financials. Know where your financial opportunities exist and have a handle on NET profit rather than just gross revenue. Gross doesn't mean anything if your profitability is out of whack. 5. Assist sales. You should not be doing all the sales, but you can add color to key sales conversations. Let your sales team set things up and get all the people in the room. You just add a little flavor by being there. Now, when you have all this in place and you're only operating these 5 roles you too can take off big chunks of time. Your sales pipeline won't dry up and your team will be able to make decisions without you. Sounds dreamy, right? I'll be honest when you reach this point it might actually feel depressing that people don't need you as much as they used to be. But trust me, this is a good thing! Will you miss me this summer? I'm still working with my 1-on-1 clients and mastermind groups. Check it out: http://DigitalAgencyElite.com In the meantime, comment below and tell me what changes you can make in order to transition from agency owner to agency CEO? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

If your digital agency is under $500,000 in revenue, here are the mistakes you're probably making that are holding you back. I worked with tons of agencies big and small. And, of the smaller ones, I'm seeing three common mistakes they're making consistently that is stunting the agency's growth. 1- Not charging enough. Most agencies don't fully understand the value of the service they're providing their clients and are undercharging what they're worth. First, get a full understanding of the value you're bringing your clients. It should be 10X of what you're charging. I'll bet with certainty that once you're aware of your value you'll discover you need to raise prices. Not for the existing clients right away, but for new clients, you need to increase your pricing. Over time, there will be a big discrepancy between the "old client pricing" and the "new client pricing." But, you'll have so many new clients, you won't care if you lose a couple of the old ones by increasing their prices. 2- Not hiring a project manager at the right time. When you're first starting out, it's natural for the owner to wear many hats. You're making good money but you're stuck doing everything. And if you're doing everything then you cannot focus on growing the business, so you're feeling a lot of ebbs and flows. When you're focused on new business, your pipeline is full. Then you have to focus on delivery for the new business and your pipeline suffers. You're on a constant roller coaster. Look for the right PM and higher then early they can manage projects and YOU can focus on growing the business, filling the pipeline, building strategic partnerships... everything except direct client work. 3- Not being patient. We all want things right away and everyone's looking for a silver bullet. But, you have to be consistent and patient. It takes tons of hard work and plenty of time to build a successful business. Overnight success just isn't possible. So have patience and give yourself the time to be focused and clear the directions you're taking the business. If you want to know more about growing a successful agency, make sure you check out The Agency Playbook (http://theagencyplaybook.com) where I give you the 8 Systems you need for growing and scaling a successful digital agency. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you think you're the best in the world? You should! You've got to believe in yourself because if you don't know one else will! Now, I don't want this to sound cocky because I am a very humble person myself. But I do think that you have to start out believing you're the best. And communicate that to the rest of the world so they can think the same thing. "Good enough" is not a strategy. You have to believe you're the best in order to actually achieve that status. I really do think I'm the best agency advisor out there. Sure, there are lots of options but I have an edge over the others. So, that's what makes me the best. If I don't believe that then why would my clients and prospects? I know I'm not actually the best fit for everyone. There are agencies that I can't help. But I need to continue to believe in order to make it true. If you believe you're the best in your particular market or niche be proud of it! Do you truly want to be the best? Are you the best? How can you be the best? What can you do to be the best? Once you've got all that nailed down, then SHOUT IT OUT! Communicate it proudly and speak it into existence. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? I'm the BEST at offering advice for you! :) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

I quit and I want you to quit too. I also want you to teach your team to quit too. I know it sounds crazy. But I QUIT. OK, OK... I am not actually going "quit" - allow me to explain. In order to be the best and accomplish everything you want to do, you can't do everything. So the one thing you need to quit and teach your team to quit, is doing everything. I want you to QUIT DOING EVERYTHING. And teach your team to quit doing everything too. In order to achieve your goals, you need complete clarity and focus. However, if you're scrambling to do everything you're not focused and you can't do the really important things well. I remember when I was running my agency, I was doing design, project management, sales, client retention, finances, invoicing, and more. In order to grow the agency I had to QUIT doing all that and gain clarity on where to focus my time and attention. Referenced in the video: "Great leaders teach people to quit" article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-leaders-create-culture-quitters-patrick-leddin-ph-d-pmp The other thing you need to QUIT, is quit trying to control everything. You can't be the superhero who's the best at everything. Surround yourself with people who are better than you at certain tasks. So figure out how to relinquish control to them and let them be the rockstar. I hear all the time, "I don't have enough time" but it's because you need to quit. Quit doing everything! I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Helping agency owners is the one thing I won't QUIT! :) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What are the three things you need in order to be successful? I just had a lot of my mastermind members come to a live workshop and retreat and here's one big takeaway from it that I think everyone can benefit from. We spent two days going over everyone's biggest challenges, their goals, and what's working for them in their agency. One big obstacle for many of the members is the "shiny object syndrome" whether it's new services to offer or new strategies to apply in their agency. The problem with it is that it pulls you away from the things that matter most. My advice to them was that you have to be consistent and play the long game. Last week marks my 5th year in this business. I love doing what I do! And, I appreciate the community of viewers, listeners, followers, former/present clients that allow me this opportunity. But also, this means that my podcast is also five years old. When I look back at the success of my current business the #1 biggest contributor is the Smart Agency Master Class podcast. At first, very few people were actually listening to my podcast. Yet with persistence, my audience grew, and business eventually took off. That's what I want for you and your business. Sure you can implement a "quick, silver bullet" tactic and you might see a spike in your business. But if it's not a long term strategy with consistency, you won't have long term, consistent growth. You have to start with clarity and goals. You need to know exactly who your market is and who you're serving. When those things are missing, you just say "yes" to everything with impedes your agency growth. That's why the 3 biggest things you need to grow your agency are: Clarity, Goals, and Consistency. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What are the two things you can send to a prospect that closes the deal with new prospects? Competition is tough but by sending these two types of videos to your prospects you will close more deals and set your agency apart from every other agency out there. So many agencies struggle with finding the right salespeople. Then when they do find and hire a salesperson they have trouble training them to sell. So, my business partner and I created http://SalesPipelineAccelerator.com -- which is our company that finds, hires, and training salespeople for marketing agencies. This week we're developing video training for our courses and one of them is about these two things you can do to set your agency apart and close more deals. 1 -- Pre-indoctrination video: This is something that I send before the meeting and it helps the prospect feel at ease before we even meet. It addresses common questions and explains what will be covered in the meeting. It doesn't have to be long; just adequately cover the topics. 2-- Post-meeting video: After you've presented the proposal (remember: present it in person -- never send it!), create a video that summarizes your takeaways from the meeting. Summarize their problems, what they want, and walk through the plan again. A lot of times, the prospect meets with more than one agency in a day. So if they have this video to reference later on, you'll stand out from the others. I like the software called Loom (https://www.useloom.com), but there are a lot of great ones out there. I promise you these personal touches go a long way with your prospects. This is what will separate you from the competition and win you more sales. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What things should you automate in your agency? What should you NOT automate? With technology being what it is today it's very easy to want to automate as much as possible. But just because you can do something doesn't always mean you should. When we try to automate everything we de-humanize the experience. Sure it saves us time, but it's also deteriorating the relationship with the customer. I automate just enough to get the conversation started. Then I take over and have a real person conversation to try to understand what the prospect needs and if I'm the one who can help provide a solution. I truly believe that is how we're going to stand apart from the competition. The winners are going to be the ones who build relationships and have real conversations. You don't need a complicated funnel that leads to automated webinars. Trying to trick your prospects is not the way to win their trust. Be real, be honest, and you'll see results. If you're not in a place that you want to be right now, think about what things you can de-automate in your business. The goal is to get the conversation started, but do not use automation to keep the conversation going. Comment below and tell me what things you can automate or de-automate in your business. How can you stand apart from automation nation? Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOVMgkhCtY0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvtsth5WHIo

Should you merge with a bigger agency because you lack the confidence to go the long road? Honestly, no. Agency life is hard, but don't throw in the towel yet. Frustration happens daily and when an offer comes along it might be tempting to let someone else take over. I think merging with another agency should really just be a last resort. Here's why... I've worked with agencies for the last five years and before that, I ran my agency for twelve years. And what I usually see in these cases is that it works out in the short term but eventually, it blows up in their face. Why are you considering merging with another agency? Is it a lack of skill, or a lack of knowledge? Are you unsure about how you can scale your agency? A lot of people look at mergers as a way to grow. But, it's not really the best way to grow and it ends up causing more harm than good. Here's what you need to do first before I roll your agency up with another: surround yourself with like-minded people. Talk to other agency owners, join a mastermind, hire an adviser who's been there and done it. What you need is the wisdom and experience of others, because running an agency can be very isolating - but it doesn't have to be! The next thing you should do is evaluate what your agency is actually worth. Maybe instead of a merger, you will want to cash in your chips and sell. I just think if you merge with another agency you're giving up too much control for nothing. But, after you've researched other options then, as a last resort, consider a merger. First make sure both agencies believe in the same thing, have similar core values, culture and teams line up nicely. Then create a good Operating Agreement and define roles, buyout details, etc.

Wonder what the Godfather of Marketing thinks about the trajectory of the agency space? The one and only Seth Godin is on the show delivering massive value on everything from determining your value to the network effect to creating a line out your door. Seth Godin is the author of amazing marketing books, including bestsellers like This is Marketing, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, All Marketers are Liars -- just to name a few! Major takeaways from Seth: 11:11 - There are 2 ways to figure out your value. 15:11 - How niching down will win you more business. 18:00 - The tension we need to cause change. 21:50 - What is the network effect? 24:54 - Creating a line out your door. I'm so appreciative to have Seth on the show... you'll see in this video I'm a little *star struck* :) But, you would be too! I loved every minute of this interview and I know you'll get tons of value from watching it start to finish. Please leave your comments below and tell me what your best takeaways were from it. Also, drop your questions below so we can cover those in a future video. ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What's the difference between building a business logo and building a brand? In this video, we'll talk about the differences and what you can do to make sure you're building your agency brand, instead of just a business. A business's logo is just a symbol that is easily interchangeable with other businesses in their industry. But a brand tells customers what the business stands for and believes in. I use the example of the Apple Watch... How much more will people pay for it versus its competitor which is not as well known? People will pay more for the Apple Watch because they identify with the Apple brand. Right? How can you build your agency brand? How can you make your prospects and clients brand loyal? It's by making your belief the foundation of your brand. I believe that agencies need a resource for growing their business faster and easier because when I owned my agency I wish I'd had that type of resource. That's what I believe and it's evident in everything I put out into the world... whether it's a program or course, podcast, video, book... it's what we stand for and what I've built the JasonSwenk brand around. What do you stand for? How do you want people to describe you? This is one of those things we skip over when we're starting our business but its one of the most key foundations for dominating the industry. So what you are going to do in order to build your agency's brand? Comment below! ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

There's one thing that you are probably doing at your digital agency that you should definitely NOT be doing. If you're concentrating on your weaknesses and trying to improve those, then you need to stop right now. In this video, I'll tell you exactly why... I was speaking at a conference and one of the other speakers made some great points about how we, as businesses, look at our strengths and weaknesses. It inspired me to share the message with you because I know a lot of agency owners are making this mistake. Most of us know our business' strengths and weakness. We are constantly working to improve our weaknesses. But the fact is, we need to just let those go and concentrate on the strengths. Don't worry about improving your weakness instead, accept and move past it. Build your business and brand based on the strengths alone. The same holds true for your employees. Rather than focusing on their weaknesses and trying to improve those areas, focus on their strengths. Put them in the right role at the agency where their strengths can really shine. Don't worry about their weaknesses if you can have someone one else do those things. Find team members that are ying-and-yang so they balance each other out harmoniously. That's when your agency can really take off and grow. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP 
======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  
 JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.
 Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
 Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  
 SCHEDULE
 TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience 
 Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk 
 Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
 Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk 
 Music by epidemicsound.com

If you're asking yourself "Why am I still at the same level I've been for the past couple of months, years, decades?" And if you're stuck in a rut - then this is the video for you. We'll talk about what you might be doing that could be holding you back. My uncle worked for the company which worked on the F-14 fighter jet (think Top Gun movie). Super cool!! Anyway, my uncle told us this story when I was younger... They were working on the F-14 canopy because bird strikes are pretty common. So they would use dead birds to test out their solutions. Time after time after time they would shoot these dead birds at the canopy at different speeds but for months it kept breaking the canopy. No matter what they tried the bird kept breaking the canopy. They were totally stumped. Finally, they ended up contacting NASA and explaining the situation. NASA responded back in one line: "Unfreeze the chicken." See, my uncle's company was just too close to the situation. They were literally firing frozen chickens at the canopy. And they couldn't see the solution that was right in front of them. So, what problem are you experiencing that you're too close to? The solution is to seek outside help. Whether it's me or someone else, you need a fresh perspective. ----- EXCLUSIVE AGENCY OWNER MASTERMIND ----- Are you overwhelmed by all the information out there on various ways to grow your agency? Do you want direction on how you can grow your agency faster and easier? Then you’re in luck! I created an innovative mentorship called Agency University Mastermind. Check out http://Agency.University to see if its the right fit for you. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do your employees always come to you not sure what they should do? Are you constantly struggling with what projects to say "yes" to, and which ones to say "no" to? Well, in this video we're going to talk about clarity. Whether you're brand new to agency ownership or doing it for decades clarity can get muddy. And I was talking to one of my agency clients who's been in the business a long time - 20 years. They're currently at the $3 million mark, but past couple years sales have been stagnant and the profit margin is less than 10%. I remember I was at this same point when I owned my agency... and it was depressing! I was about 10 years into the business. That's when I first considered closing or selling my agency in order to go do something else. But it turns out what I really needed was clarity. I was actually applying for a CMO job with NASCAR and they asked two questions: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO EVERY DAY? WHAT DO YOU NEVER WANT TO DO ANYMORE? Those 2 powerful questions will help. It will help you get clear on what you love doing and what you need to stop doing. Go through this exercise and I promise you will get really clear on what you should be doing and what you should be saying "no" to. In order to grow, you have to be extremely focused. And when you really focused on where you want to go and what you want to do then you can start effectively delegating to others. That's when your team will be able to make decisions that are to the benefit of the agency because they know where you want to head with the business. So going back to that agency client of mine... they needed to go back to the basics and get really clear. That's how they can get out of that funk of being stagnant. Without clarity you don't know your market position or offering... it all starts here with clarity. More info:

One big issue for agencies headed into 2019 is client acquisition. We recently sent a survey to 30,000 agencies and discovered an alarming truth about the trouble they're having with sales and client acquisition. In the survey, we asked how many agencies have salesperson(s) outside of the owner... and it was just 40%. Of those, less than 20% were actually happy with their sales team. That's staggering! Now, a lot of agency owners wonder when they should hire for sales. I like to suggest the benchmark of $500,000 in revenue is when you want to hire someone else to handle sales. Alternatively, if you're seeing lots of fluctuation where sales are really high then really low, it's probably time to hire for sales. This fluctuation is usually because you're very busy selling and then you get busy executing and delivering, which pulls you away from sales. The constants ups and downs indicate that it's time to hire for sales. When you're looking to hire for sales, you don't need someone with a ton of experience and a huge network. What you need is someone who is resourceful and scrappy. You have to have the clarity of your agency's ideal client and be able to give them specifics on who to go after. You want them to get the attention of your target audience, get the meeting and find the opportunities. That's how you give them direction. Now, the other thing that agencies always ask me is how to pay a salesperson. I've never seen a good salesperson who works 100% commission. If someone is straight commission they're not dedicated to you. You have to give them a base salary and then come up with a commission structure that incentivizes them. If you're still stuck, check out www.SalesPipelineAccelerator.com which is a company that I've co-founded to help agencies find, hire, and train salespeople. Another thing we uncovered in the survey was that about 80% of agencies are pitching their core services off the bat. That's huge! What you need to do create a foot in the door offer, which is a slice off part of your core service to point out an opportunity the prospect is missing out on. This is a paid engagement, but not necessarily a money maker. It's just to establish authority and trust, and it's a smaller price point so a much easier decision for the client to make. Then see if they want to have your help with this newly discovered opportunity. If you want to learn more, I suggest checking out my 3 workbooks on Clarity, Positioning, and Offering so you can build the right foundations and grow your agency faster and easier. http://AgencyFramework.com ====================================================== Here's another thing to bear in mind as we enter into the new year. Think about your profit margin goals for this year. Then think about the team you have to have in place in order to achieve those goals? Now when you're planning for your goals and you're adding up all those new sales, remember your overhead is going to increase too by adding more employees. Calculate these added expenses when you're planning your profit margin goals that way you aren't caught off guard and get disappointed. Related: https://youtu.be/8Fw_GseAsiQ https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk https://youtu.be/Wx5IxpV4EXg Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows. ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you pricing your agency projects all wrong? Do you have the right person in charge of estimating your agency projects? If your agency is bringing in a ton of sales and a lot of new accounts but you aren't making more money then this episode is for you. Are you lacking cash flow despite an upswing in your business? Is your net profit low despite the fact that you're landing new business? Don't worry - it's a common problem, so you aren't alone! Here's what you can do about it... The real problem isn't actually the sales, it's the person who's doing the pricing. In A LOT of cases, it's usually the agency owner who's setting the pricing. They go and do all the selling and set the pricing but then aren't actually really involved in the delivery. So, there's a disconnect between the pricing and what's really involved in the delivery. You see where I'm going here? :) So, if you're pulling the pricing out of thin air then you're going to lose money on most of your projects. You need to look at the math and you need to have someone who's objective to sales and delivery set the pricing. So, here's how you can use the numbers to make sure your projects are more profitable. 1. You should already be tracking everyone's hours from FTE's to contractors. 2. Have your Ops Manager or CFO be the one who manages pricing. They're the ones that understand the frontlines and the ins and outs of sales. 3. After 3-6 months of analysis, you'll be able to determine whether it's a pricing issue (you're not charging enough) or a delivery issue (your team is spending too many hours and over delivering) 4. In many cases, it's a pricing issue. That's when you want to put your Ops Manager or CFO in charge of pricing and ** incentivize ** them for hitting certain profit margins. That way, they're going to charge aggressive prices and make sure that people are hitting their hours. ====================================================== Here's another thing to bear in mind as we enter into the new year. Think about your profit margin goals for this year. Then think about the team you have to have in place in order to achieve those goals? Now when you're planning for your goals and you're adding up all those new sales, remember your overhead is going to increase too by adding more employees. Calculate these added expenses when you're planning your profit margin goals that way you aren't caught off guard and get disappointed. Related: Two Ways to Be More Profitable-- https://youtu.be/Jz1rzdbtZf4 Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows. ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What do you believe? What does your agency believe? How does all that affect your growth, scalability, and the way people talk about your brand? In this video, I'll talk all about how your outward image affects your ability to grow and work with your ideal clients. So, Gillette came out with a new commercial recently and there's been a ton of talk about it - positive and negative. Whether it's a publicity stunt or a real statement of their core values, I think there's a lot we can learn. If you're not familiar with the commercial, check it out here: https://youtu.be/koPmuEyP3a0 Gillette has taken a stand on the "Me Too" movement and used it to spin their 30-year-old tagline "The best a man can get" into "The best a man can BE." It reminds me of the spot Nike did awhile back with Colin Kaepernick (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2CvmgoO7I) standing up against social injustice. Nike took a stand, got people talking, and sales have skyrocketed. A lot of people are criticizing Nike and Gillette for taking a stand and speaking out. I won't tell you where my opinions lie on these topics, but there is a lesson to be learned. Whether you agree or disagree - they got us talking. Good or bad, we're talking about Nike and Gillette. We believe that with the right processes and systems, you can grow and scale your agency to whatever size you'd like. But we also believe that you have to know where you're going by having clarity on what you want for your agency. That's why we're always creating content around these topics and that's our "WHY". So, our followers know our why and know what we stand for. And if we take a stand on something that turns people away then those aren't the people we wanted anyway. Look, your agency isn't for everyone. You cannot help everyone so it's better that you focus your time, energy, and resources on the ones you actually can help. When you take on just the right clients that believe what you believe in. They'll pay you what you're worth and it'll be amazing for growth. Take a stance, figure out where you're going, why you're doing it and what you believe in. Don't be afraid to stay true to yourself and believe in it. Don't let the internet trolls and nay-sayers scare you. Just go ahead and Swenk it! So what do you stand for? What does your agency believe in? Comment below and tell me. Your comments are why I do this. ----- EXCLUSIVE AGENCY OWNER MASTERMIND ----- Are you overwhelmed by all the information out there on various ways to grow your agency? Do you want direction on how you can grow your agency faster and easier? Then you’re in luck! I created an innovative mentorship called Agency University Mastermind. Check out http://Agency.University to see if its the right fit for you. ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Why do the same people keep winning? What are they doing that most others are not doing? In this episode, we'll talk about what the winners are doing and how you can do it in order to WIN MORE! I just watched the Alabama v. Clemson in the College Football National Championship playoff game. And most of you probably know it was a major upset. Alabama was favored to win and Clemson just crushed them with a score of 44 - 16. As I watched the postgame interview with the coaches, I thought there was some great insight that could also be applied to business, as well. First, Alabama has been to the playoffs 7 times in 8 years and won 5 times. Everyone thought this year was going to be another win. In his interview, though, Head Coach Nick Saban said they did 3 things wrong and he takes responsibility for all of them. He also said you learn more from your losses and you have to learn how to lose in order to appreciate winning. Winners keep winning because they take responsibility for the losses. The even expect loss in order to get better, improve and eventually win. As CEO, if you put the wrong person in the wrong seat at your agency you need to take responsibility for their mistakes. The team's losses are your responsibility. Then, when asked about his surprising win, the Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney said all really did was get a great group of college men together and got them all to believe in one common goal. As the CEO you need to determine the vision and communicate it to your team. You need to rally them together and make them believe in the agency's vision so you can achieve your common goals. This is why in the Agency Playbook, the first system is CLARITY. You can't take your agency where you want it to go if you don't have the clarity. Bottom line -- your team needs you to be Alabama AND Clemson... First, learn from your failures and use them to keep going. Second, define the vision and get the team on board with achieving it. I'd love to hear your comments about this video, about agency business or even about college football! Comment below! ----- EXCLUSIVE AGENCY OWNER MASTERMIND ----- Are you overwhelmed by all the information out there on various ways to grow your agency? Do you want direction on how you can grow your agency faster and easier? Then you’re in luck! I created an innovative mentorship called Agency University Mastermind. Check out http://Agency.University to see if its the right fit for you. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you keep bringing in revenue, but barely breaking even? It might boil down to a net profit an issue. In this video, I'll tell you two ways to improve your agency's bottom line. I was coaching one of my private clients, the owner of a multi-million dollar agency. He said he just landed a $40,000 per month retainer client, but his Operations Director says they're barely breaking even.... Wait. What???? After asking some questions, I told him the problem is two-fold. Their delivery and pricing are off and both those are affecting net profit. Here's why: 1. Delivery -- the team is doing way too much. They have good relationships with their clients and want to do an amazing job. However, they're OVER-delivering and that is eating into the profit margin. To fix this issue they need better processes and systems. Explain to the team the need to be efficient and even incentivize them to do so. Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) that aid in efficiency and curb over-delivery. 2. Pricing -- The owner is developing pricing and that's a mistake. You need someone who's hands-on with operations and understands all that goes into each project and client relationship. To fix this, assign someone else to create pricing based on past projects based on the margins on those projects. Pricing should not be just based on what the client is willing to pay. Instead, learn from past projects and bake in the proper margins so you're more profitable. Two ways to get more profitable: charge more or get more efficient. It's easy to get distracted by a big project or a big retainer. You're so excited by the paycheck and you want to keep the client happy, so you end up doing too much. It's not efficient and it's crushing your profits, sometimes over-delivery can even make you lose money. Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Don't you hate it when you're doing an amazing job for a client and they still terminate the relationship? Ugh. It sucks! In this video, I'll go over what you can do when this happens and how to prevent it from happening ever again. So, let's say everything is going smoothly with a client. You're sharing metrics with them and everything is headed in the right direction. Then one day, you get a call and they say they're leaving you.... You're understandably puzzled, but it's because they don't' understand your value. In our recent survey, more than 80% of you said don't think your clients know your agency's value. The key is to benchmark in every conversation. Clients tend to forget where they were and then fail to recognize what you've done for them. So, train your team to include these 4 things in their client interactions: 1. Remind the client where they were before they started working with you. This is important to establish at the beginning of the relationship. 2. Using their own metrics, have the client tell you where they are now that you're working together. 3. Communicate the plan and let the client know where they are headed. Remember, marketing is foreign to them so you need to constantly explain the progress. 4. Allow the client to determine their ROI by telling you what a lead is worth to them. Then review the numbers with them every time. If there's a dip in metrics, explain how you'll adjust things to fix it. If you want to keep more of your clients, make sure you incorporate these 4 things into every conversation. That way you can continue to grow and scale your agency. Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

I know when you're seeking business advice, it's really easy to learn about the success of others; but no one really talks much about failure. A lot of people don't know I actually had some other businesses that have FAILED ever since I sold my agency. People think I've just jumped from one successful business to another. Not the case... In 1999, I became an accidental agency owner, like many of you. I was a solopreneur creating websites and DBA Swenk Technologies. That led me to the opportunity to get involved in a lot of other businesses. I owned 1031 Exchange along with a lawyer and an accountant. It failed. In 2000, I was involved with MiTowne which was social network for finding service providers in your local area. It failed. BUT... That's how I met my (future) business partner. He and I merged our businesses to create Solar Velocity, the digital agency. It was mega successful. Look, you're going to have some failures but they will lead you to success. Don't give up! Fast forward 12 years when we sold Solar Velocity and I was trying to figure out what's next for me. I figured the money is at the product level, so I created a new company and a product. So I created Super Dog Apps and developed an app for journaling your daily meals. I hated it and it failed. Then... One of my former agency competitors came to me for some advice. Since they were no longer competition I was glad to help. I fell into the role of helping other agencies and eventually, it turned into 5 years of JasonSwenk.com becoming the #1 resource for digital agency owners. Now, this business has branched out into others... including Sales Pipeline Accelerator, as well as a few others in the idea stage. Look, it's easy to compare yourself to others and feel inferior. Especially when everyone just their wins and successes out there. I am telling you, I have failed at more business that I've succeeded at! You'll never fail -- you'll only learn or succeed. So tell me... what are you working on now? What's NOT working? Comment below. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Happy holidays from JasonSwenk.com and our entire agency tribe. We hope you never have to deal with these 12 Days of a BAD client project, but if you do ~ we hope this helps you get through it. 12 STRESSFUL DAYS OF WORKING ON THE WRONG CLIENT PROJECT... On the first day of the project, my bad client gave to me, A terrible deadline for me On the second day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 2 more excuses, On the third day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 3 contacts’ emails, On the fourth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, Four 404 errors On the fifth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, F-i-v-e W-o-r-d-p-r-e-s-s T-h-e-m-e-s, On the sixth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 6 Salesforce plugins, On the seventh day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 7 moving deadlines, On the eighth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 8 automations, On the ninth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 9 rounds of revisions, On the tenth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 10 Twitter followers, On the eleventh day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 11 annoying emails, On the twelfth day of the project, my bad client gave to me, 12 shareholders screaming.

When was the last time you fired a client? It's almost the end of the year and this is a good time to take stock in your clients... and possibly even get rid of some of the misfits. At the end of the year, we usually take a look at our goals and see where we've landed for the year. We start thinking that we need to take on more clients in order to do better, but that's not exactly the best way to grow. Allow me to explain.... There are actually 2 ways to grow and scale your agency. You can scale by doing more work, or by increasing what you charge. Now, I know you're really wondering, how do I convince my existing clients to pay a significant increase? Well, a lot of them won't so assume half of them will leave. (And that's probably the reason why you haven't yet raised your prices.) The thing is, you have to know not all the clients you have are the perfect ones for you. So - do a client audit. Be honest, and ask yourself: - which clients are getting the biggest value? - which clients are the easiest to work with? - which clients have the biggest opportunities? - which clients are we losing money on? The thing is, there's a huge opportunity cost. So if you're working with the wrong clients, you're sacrificing major opportunity cost. They are costing you on the opportunity to work with the right clients. These wrong clients are draining your resources, your time, and your energy as well as bringing your team down with them. Those are the CLIENTS TO FIRE! So, right now I want you to do a client audit and start getting rid of the clients that aren't making you money. Then come up with a plan for the ones that are barely making you money. How can you improve this situation and make it work in your favor? Look, not all the client you have now are the right fit for your agency. There are times when your agency grows at a different pace than your clients and you may need to cut some clients loose. Comment below and tell me where your agency is at... do you have clients you need to fire? ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP 
======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  
 JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.
 Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
 Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  
 SCHEDULE
 TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience 
 Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk 
 Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
 Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk 
 Music by epidemicsound.com

VaynerMedia is one of the biggest and best agencies out there now, and it isn't profitable; Gary Vaynerchuck even said it himself! But that's by design... and here's why. Now, I'm a huge fan of Gary Vee so this is not a personal attack. Actually, I was watching a video where he is talking about top line revenue and why his agency is more focused on that instead of the bottom line (profit). It's all about Gary's long-term vision and goals for his agency. He uses his agency to learn the industry and experiment in marketing. So, that way when he's able to buy other businesses/investments he can turn his marketing machine on them to turn those profitable. That's Gary's long-term vision and why he's not concerned with bottom line profitability. It's the same as me, building my personal brand at JasonSwenk.com. I'll never sell the personal brand, but I can use my learnings to build other companies. I'm thinking about it with the long term in mind. Look at Amazon -- they are not thinking about the short term for the shareholder, they think long-term growth strategy and what's next. I will always bet on Jeff Bezos' success because he's got that mentality. Think long term and think about profit... I had Mike Michalowicz on my podcast (check it out: https://jasonswenk.com/constantly-working/) and his book Profit First is all about paying your self first. We are taught in business that we take income minus expenses and what's left is profit, but Mike believes in paying yourself first. That's what I want for you guys... long term goals and profitability. What's your long-term vision? What numbers do you look at when you're considering your agency's growth? Comment below! ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES/THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What can you do when the prospect wants to negotiate price with you? In this video, I'll tell you how to respond and why it's important not to negotiate price. When a prospect tells you they don't have enough budget to do the work, do not negotiate your price. If you set the precedent that your work can be discounted, they will treat you as such. And when the time comes that they can afford your higher rates they won't give you the work, they'll move on to another agency that charges higher rates. Your pricing and your (lack of) willingness to negotiate sets a perception of value. Bottom line, this type of prospect is a bargain hunter. If you do come down on price, they'll second guess themselves and wonder if they could've gotten you to come down even farther on price. A lot of agencies need to realize that you're not right for everyone and that it's OK to turn away prospects. The right prospects are able to pay you what you're worth right off the bat. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES/THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

We are all feeling information overload, but where do you seek agency advice? Is your source trustworthy and credible? We're drowning in information (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, podcasts) but we are starving for the right knowledge. What I'm seeing is a lot of companies put out advice without having the experience to offer such advice. So think about the advice you're getting, consider the source first before you go execute on it. For example, I see this a lot of time with technology companies that want to attract agencies. What they should do is create content around how agencies could use their tool better with their business or their clients. Instead, what they are doing is advising agencies on how to run, grow or scale an agency. here's the problem -- they don't have the experience running, growing and scaling an agency. So, be aware that this is happening... be careful of the advice you take and who you're taking it from. Do they have experience? Do they have success stories to back up their advice? Think about it first. A lot of agency owners tell me there's too much content out there and they don't know what to believe. My advice is to do your homework on the source and then decide whether it's something to execute for your business. Comment below and tell me about your agency's challenges and struggles... I promise I'm a credible source :) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  DONATE to help us continue to provide you amazing content. https://jasonswenk.com/donate/ SCHEDULE MON-THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you too busy with agency work? Do you have too much going and not enough time to get it all done. That's a tell-tale sign that you're actually holding your agency back from healthy growth. In today's #AskSwenk video, I have Tiffany on the phone live. Her questions revolve around being too busy and having more work than she knows what to do with... My advice to Tiffany is two-fold: 1. Raise your prices. Literally, double or triple your prices depending on where you're pricing currently sits. Would you clients still get value if you raised your rates 2X or 3X? Also, what is the market's expectation for the service you offer? If you're too busy, you're not charging enough! 2. Hire a PM. You're probably trying to juggle the project management yourself because you don't have the funds to hire someone. Guess what? If you raise your prices, you will have enough to cover a PM's salary! :) This is a 2 prong approach -- raise prices on new clients coming in and then come up with a strategy for increasing prices on existing clients, with the understanding that you will lose some of them. (And that's OK because you want to work with fewer, higher paying clients.) When you do these 2 things, you can focus on the 5 roles of a CEO and stop being the agency owner who does everything herself. The actual roles of the Agency CEO are: 1. understand the financials 2. be the face of the company 3. mentor your team 4. communicate the vision 5. assisting sales That's it! So, raise your prices and hire a PM so you can ficus on working ON the business rather than being stuck IN the business. So what you going to do so you are less busy and making for money? Comment below! ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  DONATE to help us continue to provide you amazing content. https://jasonswenk.com/donate/ SCHEDULE MON-THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What is your digital agency worth? Or, how can you improve its value? I think it really comes down to three things: 1. Get the attention of the audience you're serving. When I was in a position to sell my agency it was because we had the big brands and other agencies were looking at acquiring us in order to grow their market share. The agency was actually worth more then because we had desirable clients. I'm not saying you need the marquee clients, but what I do suggest is having their attention. Get your agency on their radar and get noticed for something you do better than any other agency out there! 2. Work with mentors to help you build a business worth buying. You need to have a mentor or a sounding board that has been there and done it. That way you can look at what they've done as your foundation to build upon. Now, this is not a plug to work with me. Not at all! Just find someone who's content resonates with you. If you like their content and if their business advice makes sense to you, then chances are good that you'll really benefit from working with them. 3. Set up the right systems. Don't do everything yourself. Increase the valuation of your agency when you have amazing systems that someone else can take over. No one is going to risk buying your agency if you're the one doing everything. The only want to buy into an opportunity that can run itself without its owner. Your agency should not be depending on you for its entire existence. Leave day-to-day ops to your team. As an agency owner you have these 5 important roles: -- communicate the vision to the team -- coach/mentor your leadership team so they can do the same -- understand the financials at all times -- assist with sales (just for key accounts!) -- be the face of the company TIP: one of the things I wish I had done differently when I was running my agency was being the face of the company. I wish I had known the great value in connecting with people and building relationships. It's always about multiples... the biggest factor I see with my agency and lots of others is PROFIT. A lot of agencies focus on their gross revenue, but what matters most is net profit. Think: EBITDA -- Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, & amortization... that will get a 5x - 10x multiple on your profit. At the end of the day, your agency is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it and what you're willing to take for it. There's no magic formula but like anything else, it comes down to fair market value. If you want to know what your agency is worth right now, figure out 5-7X on your agency's true profit. Then, if you're not happy with that figure go out and do what needs to be done in order to get to the number you would be happy to get. Bottom line, you need to keep investing in yourself and your agency. Think about building a business worth selling, even if you're not ready to sell yet. Related: https://jasonswenk.com/sell-digital-agency/ https://jasonswenk.com/agency-valuation/ What can you do to improve your agency's valuation? Comment below and tell me your challenges and struggles. We may even feature your question in a future episode! ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. http://jasonswenk.com In 1999 he launched a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two of the best agency podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and The #AskSwenk Show, a video show that answers agency questions about successful, multi-million dollar agency. SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk https://twitter.com/jswenk https://www.instagram.com/jswenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk https://medium.com/@jswenk https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you want to know how you can generate so many leads that there's actually a wait list to work with your agency? Imagine if you had so many leads for your agency that there was actually a waiting list to work with you. I read recently that Tony Robbins has a 7-year waiting list for clients to pay $1 Million to meet with him 3 times per year. He's created such a demand for his service that he can command that high of a fee and people are willing to wait 7 YEARS work with him. It's definitely a goal for me with my business now... but we've got a lot of work to do. There's demand there, but not a 7 year wait list... YET :) Here's what you need to do to start getting your marketing agency to the point of having a waiting list: 1- Clarity - get really clear on who your audience is. Be very specific. A niche is a really smart way to get this clarity. 2- Positioning - create a demand for the results your agency delivers. Don't sell services, sell results. 3- Offering - create a unique selling proposition or a unique offering that makes your ideal clients want to work with you. In order to have a waiting list, you have to be the best. You will not have a waiting list if you deliver mediocre results. People have to know that you dominate in your field and they will get massive results from working with you. Case stories can be a very powerful tool to share results with potential prospects. When you're seeking case story material, get your clients to talk about: - where were they before? - where are they now? - what is life like now that you've achieved results? - what steps were required to get you there? - who else would benefit from working with us? A lot of agencies think you need to be a full-service agency in order to meet everyone's needs and demands. That's actually not the case... you just need to be really awesome at one thing. If you can dominate one area and get known for it, that's all you need to set your agency apart from the competition. Why be a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none? FInd the one thing you where you can totally crush it and go execute. Related: https://youtu.be/8Fw_GseAsiQ https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk https://youtu.be/UfZkuHN5qQ4 https://youtu.be/wfG1nJ2I3gs https://youtu.be/stbKRSmWieU https://youtu.be/jH5VUXLVQ1c ======================================================= JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. http://jasonswenk.com In 1999 he launched a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two of the best agency podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and The #AskSwenk Show, a video show that answers agency questions about successful, multi-million dollar agency. SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk https://twitter.com/jswenk https://www.instagram.com/jswenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk https://medium.com/@jswenk https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk 
 Music by epidemicsound.com

A bad agency prospect will become a nightmare client. Don't let this happen to you! I have always said: "there's no such thing as a bad client - only a bad prospect or a bad process." Here's a scenario where you might have a bad prospect... Let's say there's a prospect you have been talking to for a while.You both understand and agree that you're the best agency to help them. But instead of focusing on the problem, their goals and the ROI they start asking some questions. Things like.... FIRST, they asked, "Can you cut your retainer in half?" You say, "No." They say, "OK." NEXT, they ask, "Can we pay for the work after you complete the work?" You say, "No." They say, "OK." LASTLY, they ask, "Do you offer a refund for any of the work we don't like?" Seriously? If you don't like the work your employees do can you get a refund for their salary? Or if you spend a ton of money on Facebook ads and they follow your instructions and you did it wrong, are they going to send your money back? Or if you go to a high end restaurant and love your meal but hate the free bread are they going to give you a refund? NO. At the end of the day, not every prospect is going to be perfect for you. These types of questions are major red flags, and huge indicators that they are going to be a waste of your time. The hassle is just not going to be worth it. What can you do in your agency to eliminate time wasters? Comment below and share your nightmare client stories! ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE TUE &THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What is Messenger Marketing? How can you use Messenger Marketing to increase your marketing agency revenue? If you're not using chatbots and Messenger Marketing, you're sorely missing out! Your website probably has a contact page, right? Most likely it is a contact form or even perhaps an automated chat box where people can drop their email address for more info. But, this format could actually be costing you sales. Look, if you've got someone on your website cruising around for information you've got to answer their questions right away. Otherwise, you're likely to lose their attention. You can actually use Messenger Marketing and a chatbot to have a conversation with your potential customers. We are actually losing people on our websites. The real user experience is happening on Facebook Messenger... When you use Messenger Marketing, you can set up criteria, conditions in which your Messenger bot will respond. That way you aren't getting lost in their email inbox later. Did you know Messenger delivery has a 70-90% open rate? And the click-through rate is 40-60%! Compared to email open rate of 20% and 5% click-through rate (on a good day!). So why let your messages get lost in email when you could deliver through Facebook Messenger Marketing? Now, you don't want to automate everything. But you can easily use a chatbot to automate the questions you always ask a new prospect. Then use their answers to segment them into the right categories. Now here's the real secret... When I get a new prospect segmented through the automation, I use my phone to record a voice memo to them. I do this with everyone. I strike up a conversation and people are just amazed! When you personalize the message and have a real conversation you can actually help someone find the product, service or solution that's right for them. That's where the money's at! Think outside the box. How can you stand out? How can you innovate? When others zig, you zag! No one is doing this, so it's GOLD. MESSENGER MARKETING CASE STORY RESULTS: When I changed my contact page to a chatbot and Messenger Marketing I increased sales by over $250,000 in just 2 months. Think about it... how can you use Facebook Messenger Marketing to increase your marketing agency revenue? What out-of-the-box ideas can you create to un-automate and stand out? Comment below! =========================================== JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. http://jasonswenk.com In 1999 he launched a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two of the best agency podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and The #AskSwenk Show, a video show that answers agency questions about successful, multi-million dollar agency. SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk https://twitter.com/jswenk https://www.instagram.com/jswenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk https://medium.com/@jswenk/

Do you know what your agency employees really think? What do agency employees want their agency owners to know? In this video, we hear from an actual* agency account manager as she tells all about her experience working at an agency. Are you guilty of any of these leadership mistakes? 1. Taking credit for employees work or ideas. 2. Not appearing to trust or empower employees. 3. Not caring if employees are overworked. 4. Not advocating when it comes to monetary compensation. 5. Hiring or promoting the wrong people 6. Not backing employees when there is a dispute with a client. 7. Not providing proper direction on assessments/roles 8. Micromanaging and doesn’t allow freedom to work. 9. Focusing more on weakness than your strengths. 10. Not setting set clear expectations. Your employees are your agency's #1 asset. Make sure you're treating them right with the appreciation and respect they deserve. When your team feels undervalued, they will not make decisions that are in the best interest of the agency. This will hinder your growth and success. For more info, check out this great article and STOP committing these classic leadership mistakes! https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/17/a-survey-shows-employees-absolutely-hate-when-bosses-do-this.html Have a similar story to share? Leave your comments below and let's improve #agencylife for everyone! :) Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Wyqq_jhds&t=2s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcd8R8sCqX8 https://jasonswenk.com/decisions/ https://jasonswenk.com/agency-team/ https://jasonswenk.com/retain-talent/ https://jasonswenk.com/fire-d-f-employees-now/ ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE TUE &THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com *actor portrayal of agency employee solely for entertainment value

What do you do when a prospect says: "I can get it done cheaper somewhere else"? How do you respond to that? In today's video, I'll tell you exactly how you can respond so this isn't an issue for you any longer. Tim asked... How do you deal with those clients who say, "I can get this done cheaper, or can you lower your quote?" Man, I always loved this question...(sarcasm) I would start off by saying "I may not be the best fit for you if the price is a big issue. Is it really the price, or is it time or value? Let's step back and look at everything." First, you want to reiterate the ISSUE and what's it's costing their business by not solving the issue. Then find out what the other (cheaper) quote is and ask why you think they're charging less. Most of the time it's because the other agency has less experience. If that's the case, here's what might happen (and you can illustrate this to the prospect): What might happen is that the other agency may not fully understand what is needed. Therefore, they might need the client to spend a lot more time with them and handholding them. By going with the cheaper proposal, the client might end up sacrificing time for money. It will take a lot more of their time and effort to accomplish the goals. However, if they value time more than money then paying for YOUR experience and expertise is the way to go, even if it costs more. The key is to help them logically think through the decision and second-guess why someone else is so low-priced, to begin with. And, if they continue to be price sensitive then they were going to be a bad prospect for you anyway. So, it's better to know this now and avoid it sooner rather than later. I always say there's no such thing as a bad agency client. There's only a bad prospect and a bad prospect. If this "cheapo" is a bad prospect then avoid the headache while you can! Comment below and tell me your stories about prospects who want to negotiate down in price. How do you handle it or what are you going to do differently?   ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE TUE &THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Referrals are not scalable! Even though hearing something like, "I've got a lead for you" is a great feeling it's not going to grow your business. If referrals are in your growth plan, then you need a better business plan. Building a business based on referrals is like sitting on a one-legged stool. As soon as you let go of it or put too much weight on it, the stool will collapse. The same is true for a business based solely on referrals. Referrals are great, but you'll only get referrals for similar businesses that you're already working with never for bigger business. So, you'll never be able to grow your company because you'll always be working with the same level of clients. The only 2 ways to grow your business are to: DO MORE WORK or CHARGE MORE. So, if you want to be able to charge more, you've got to have clients that can afford to pay more. Or if you decide to keep prices the same and do more work, then you'll have to hire a bigger team which means your profits will decrease. Either way -- you cannot grow with referrals alone. So instead of relying solely on referrals, it's important to pick a niche that your agency can dominate. What would it do for your business if you were top of mind in your category? When people think of computers, many think of Apple. When they think of search engines, most think of Google. Wouldn't it be great if your agency was the first thing that popped to mind when speaking about a particular niche or specialization? If you keep doing the same thing everyone else is doing but do it a little better your business will grow. But it will grow at a slower rate because you're pacing with everyone else and maybe just a little better at sales or marketing. Howeverm if you do something totally different and put your own spin on it, you can OWN it. Tahat's why I want you to pick a niche. I see so many agencies struggling with lead generation and it's because they don't know how to give their salespeople direction on who to go after. On the flip side, I see a ton of agencies crushing it because they have a solid niche, they know what prospects to go after and they nail it every time. What's the most profitable niche? I don't know. No one can tell you that, but you. You have to choose a niche you have knowledge and passion in. Be honest with yourself and you'll figure it out. Are you relying on referrals? What niche is your agency considering? Comment below and tell me how I can help you grow easier and faster. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE TUE &THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What do you do if you've won a big agency deal and hired a team to work it, but you haven't been paid and there's no signed contract? YIKES! Right?!? Daniel asked... "I just won a large deal ($890k) with an existing client and given the green light from the COO to go ahead and build a larger team to execute on the agreed plan. I have hired 5 new contractors and currently onboarding them. There challenge with cashflow issues on the horizon as the client is way behind in paying previous invoices (about $70k owed currently). I now have weekly contractor expenses of around $10k. I have been reassured that this is simply an Admin /Accounts timing issue (up until recently there was no Purchase Order for the new project) but I'm burning through personal savings at an alarming rate. To compound the issue there is no formal agreement signed with the client either (again I'm promised it is happening). This client is large - $7B in revenue - so I am not worried they don't have the cash but need to come up with some way of coping with the cashflow inconsistencies. Any suggestions on managing cashflow challenges like the above? Also any suggestions on how to encourage the agreement to get signed ASAP? Well, that's a real doozy, Daniel, but don't worry - we've all been there before! First -- When you don't NEED extra cash, get a line of credit. Do this when it's not needed because it never fails that when you do need it you won't be able to get it! A line of credit is to be used for temporary situations just like this... In the long run, you know you're going to be fine, but in the short term a line of credit could really help. Next -- I know you know this, but verbal agreement with a longterm or high revenue client is not a good way to do business. You have to put your foot down and just tell them that you cannot start work until the proposal is signed and you get paid. Without a contract or purchase order you don't have a foot to stand on. If someone leaves the company or changes directions on the project, you're left on the hook for the time, money and resources you've already invested. What you can do now, is STOP all work on the project immediately. Make a phone call to the COO and explain the situation. Tell them you cannot move forward until you get the signed contract and purchase order. So, Daniel - here's the steps you need to take to correct this: #1 - get a line of credit #2 - get a signed contract #3 - get a purchase order #4 - get paid #5 - never do this again! Comment below and tell me if you've ever run into a situation like this? What did you do to reverse it, and how did it work out? ====================================================== Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE: MON-THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you prepared for what you want with your business? Do you know where you're going? When you look at successful people in business, sports, and entertainment they have a few things in common... They are telling themselves the right story, they're in the right state, and they know what they want to achieve. The difference between an amateur and a pro is that the pro will push past their limits. What are you doing when no one is looking? Are you doing the grunt work? Preparing, getting yourself ready and doing the things no one else wants to do is the key to achieving success. I have a lot of agencies that approach me to be their agency coach. I am NOT a coach. Coaches motivate you to be the best player. I am not your coach - I am an advisor. My strength is strategy. You are already at the peek state, you already know your success story but maybe you lack the ability to strategize on how to get there. That's where I come in. If you lack strategy, I might be able to help you by looking at your challenges and helping you come up with the plan to overcome them. But, you have to be telling yourself the right story. So I ask you... Are you willing to do what it takes to separate yourself from the pack? Are you prepared? Do you know what you want? Do you have clarity and focus? Are you positioning yourself the right way? Are you taking action? Can you keep pushing yourself past your limits? That's what I want from you. That's what I want FOR you. Want to talk? jasonswenk.com/help ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. DONATE to help us continue to provide you with amazing content. https://jasonswenk.com/donate/ SCHEDULE MON-THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Should you put pricing on your agency website? I used to think it was NOT a good idea, but I've come to change my mind on it and here's why.... What I used to believe was not putting pricing on the agency website. The reason was because we wanted to scare away the people who can't afford us. It was a way to filter out the bad prospects. So, you put pricing on your website and scare away the lower end prospects that can't afford you. The problem is, this strategy is probably also scaring away the right prospects with the big budgets that can afford you. You don't want them to think maybe you're prices are too low and you aren't equipt to handle their business. Think about it this way.... if someone was only charging $1,000 for a Lamborghini you'd wonder what was wrong it. Right? It must be missing the engine or something!?! :) That's what high budget prospects think when they don't know your pricing scale. Maybe your agency is too small or too inexperienced to service their needs. So, if you know your market really well and you're comfortable where your business is at, then sure - go ahead and put your pricing on your website. It will serve as a qualifier to help eliminate the wrong people (which saves you time!) and help identify the right ones. However, if you're trying to grow to the next level don't do it. You want to keep your pricing adjustable. And if it's published on your site that puts a ceiling on how high you can go. So depending on the scenario, I do see a case for putting your pricing on your website. It just depends on the reasons behind it and what you hope to gain from it. Do you have pricing on your agency website? Are you for it or against it? What have you seen working in regards to pricing? Comment below. Also be sure to check out www.JasonSwenk.com/NBAT for more tips to on qualifying your prospects. (This is not a trick. It's a FREE resource... I'm not even asking for your email address or an opt-in!) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE MON-THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com