Podcasts about agency management institute

Before I introduce you to today's guest, I want to take a quick moment to share a recap from our recent 2-day Intensive that we hosted for Predictive clients and guests on March 19th and 20th. If you're not familiar with our Intensives, three times a year — March, July, and November — we bring our Predictive clients together on Zoom for what we call the “2-day Intensive.” It's where we pull back the curtain on Predictive's best strategies and tactics, breaking everything down in full transparency so our clients can take the key insights and install them into their agencies. This past March, we focused on one critical goal — helping agencies sell more of what they do. Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, kicked things off on Day 1 with a deep dive into how to build and nurture a thriving community.  On Day 2, Hannah Roth — our Director of Strategy and resident Mad Scientist here at Predictive — absolutely crushed it. She walked us through key components of the sales process — including a technique she calls Align and Prescribe. That's exactly why I invited Hannah to join me on today's episode. We break down Align and Prescribe step by step, so you can see how it works — and most importantly, how you can put it into action inside your agency. If you take what Hannah shares today and apply it, you and your team will be Aligning and Prescribing like pros and closing more sales in a way that feels natural, confident, and right-fit. What you will learn in this episode: How to set the stage with confidence and own the conversation Recapping your prospective client's concerns turns potential pitfalls into trust-building moments Hannah's high impact questions that will shorten the sales cycle How to leverage storytelling instead of relying solely on facts The subtle transitions from help me understand calls to aligning on solutions that resonate deeply with right-fit prospects How you can get Hannah's new eBook on Align and Prescribe Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Hannah's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

#139 Susan Baier runs the show at Audience Audit, Inc. – a marketing firm helping small to mid-size advertising agencies stand out.    Earlier this year Audience Audit and the Agency Management Institute conducted and presented findings from The Agency Edge research series. This is the 10th year they have been running this study.    This custom research is designed to help marketing agencies better understand their clients, their prospects, and even their employees.   In this podcast, we go deep into the research findings.    If you're in the ad game you need to have a listen.    Connect with Susan: Fun With Research, or on LinkedIn, or at Audience Audit.    Want to take a look at the years of research go here: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-tools/agency-edge-research-series/   Connect with Pat at: pmcgovern@ascedia.com  If you like this pod, please take a minute and leave a review.  Your reviews are the green energy that powers this supertanker!  Thanks, for doing it – you're the best!  

In this episode of The Sales Leadership Show, Phil Gerbyshak is joined by two powerhouse leaders in the agency space—Jason Kramer, founder of Cultivize, and Drew McLellan, CEO of the Agency Management Institute. They dive deep into the strategies that agencies can use to grow, streamline their operations, and foster better client relationships. Both guests share their wisdom on the evolving landscape of digital marketing and sales, with actionable insights for agency owners looking to stay ahead of the curve.Key Topics Covered:* Building and Scaling Agencies:* Jason shares insights into how agencies can leverage marketing automation to enhance client engagement and grow their business.* Drew discusses the importance of operational efficiency and how agencies can better structure themselves to scale sustainably.* Client Retention and Relationships:* Both guests highlight the critical role of client relationships in sustaining long-term success, offering tips for creating deeper connections and trust.* Technology and Tools for Growth:* Jason emphasizes the importance of choosing the right technology stack and offers advice on how agencies can effectively integrate automation tools to drive growth.* Drew touches on the balance between using technology and maintaining a personal touch in client interactions.Listen in above or enjoy the video below. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit happyaf.substack.com/subscribe

As agency owners, one of the things we fundamentally get wrong in sales is how heavily trust plays a role in the process. We're selling intangible services and solutions to people with a high price tag, and we expect prospects to trust that we'll deliver on our promises. It's a risky proposition, especially for the ones putting their trust (and wallets) in our hands. This week, I'm sharing how agency owners can earn and leverage their trust with client referrals to increase sales. When you sit back and watch the sales come in simply because someone knows, likes, and trusts you enough to recommend you to others, it's a beautiful thing. I'll share the four things we need in any sales process: the etiquette of social proof and earning client referrals, and how to ethically become part of a community without becoming a billboard for your agency. When you earn people's trust by being genuinely helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to do business with, you won't have to lift a finger to make a sale. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: Putting ourselves in the shoes of the buyers The role of psychological discomfort and decision fatigue in the buying process 4 things we need in any sales process to be successful The pros and cons of waiting on referrals The etiquette behind social proof and referrals What does it mean to belong? What it takes to earn someone's trust enough to earn a referral from them

My guest on this episode of Sell With Authority has spent nearly 20 years working in strategic and leadership roles focused on growing national and local client brands with award-winning, ROI-generating digital strategies. Corey Morris, President and CEO of Voltage returns for an encore interview. Corey recently released his new book, The Digital Marketing Success Plan, and I'm thrilled to dive into the insights and strategies he shares. To set the stage for our conversation, here's an excerpt from Chapter 10 of Corey's book where he touches on a significant trend in the digital marketing landscape. Quoting Corey: “A trend I'm seeing personally and can validate through feedback I see with over two dozen other agency owners — that I believe will continue to grow–is brands having less patience with agencies. On the positive side — companies want to work with agencies that know what they're doing and are the best at doing it. That means constantly bringing new ideas and thinking deeply about their business overall. Unfortunately — many companies have been burned by bad agency relationships. Whether due to talking big and not delivering, trying to be full service and do everything at a level of deep expertise, or just not being a right fit for other reasons like niche, price, strategy, etc. — most companies have had a bad experience with agencies at some point. Combine that with shorter-than-ever tenures for CMOs and the fact that so many agencies sound the same and have similar messaging — agencies are getting fired at a record rate. That means that being an expert or specialist and owning a niche is important to gain trust early, drive results, and have a quality relationship among all of the people on both sides. Shortening patience isn't a one-way street. Agencies can be different and should be — and accountability will be a factor that wins out more and more in the coming years.” Corey's observations are compelling and timely — and they resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities faced by agencies today. I want to reinforce the relevance of his insights with some data from the latest Agency Edge research study conducted by Agency Management Institute and Audience Audit. This study aimed to quantify what clients want from their agencies, allowing respondents to choose more than one factor. Hannah Roth, our resident mad scientist and strategist here at Predictive, delved into the Agency Edge research and shared her thoughts on the implications. She summarized: “Clients want the strategy, the path, and the overall goal in nearly equal parts. To pack a powerful punch, agencies that want to attract advocates and exacting experts should offer elements of all three.” I couldn't agree more with Hannah's analysis — and it's fascinating how the data aligns with Corey's insights. This synchronicity is exactly why I invited Corey back for an encore. We explore how his book can serve as a roadmap for your agency to create winning strategies, paths, and goals for your clients. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30-days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode: The importance of having a documented, transparent plan that aligns all stakeholders Why chasing the shiny object of AI might be leading you astray from effective, proven strategies How focus on strategic planning can help you withstand sudden changes and distractions in the marketing landscape Real-life examples of clients who thought they were profitable but were actually losing money — and how you can avoid those pitfalls Tips for agencies to provide strategic guidance and not just project execution Resources: Website: https://voltage.digital Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/voltagekc LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voltagedigital/ Twitter Personal: https://twitter.com/coreydmorris Twitter Business: https://twitter.com/VoltageKC Instagram Business: https://www.instagram.com/voltagekc/ The Digital Marketing Success Plan: https://thedmsp.com Sell With Authority EP 103: How to Get to the Top of Google, with Corey Morris Additional Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group

"We specialize in B2B and we specialize in the experiences of three things: A better brand that will create a better employee experience and ultimately, a stronger client experience." – Susan Quinn, President and CEO of Circle C Studio It's not every day you get to sit down with an agency leader with a career spanning four decades, and running! This week's podcast guest, Susan Quinn, is not only deeply experienced, but also one of those leaders who spits quotable business wisdom on every turn. So, let's get into it. Susan is the President and CEO of Circle S Studio, an experience agency specializing in B2B and professional services. A lot has happened since the agency's inception all the way back in 1999. The company has since grown into a national operation that still today maintains an intentionally boutique status with 16 full-time employees and a roster of trusted contractors. With 75 clients in any given year, Susan's agency has delivered hundreds of projects in the realm of B2B marketing. Needless to say, those numbers also contain a wealth of agency management experience from sales to operations and marketing. Corey and Susan sit down to cover everything from agency marketing tactics, conference approach, attracting the right clients through content, how to lead with purpose, and most importantly, “Do not edit your dreams. Think big, go big and big things will happen.” Here's what we cover in this episode: - Susan's impressive career spanning four decades. - Creating frameworks around brand and customer experience. - Finding the growth path, and how Agency Management Institute helped. - The invaluable lessons and tips Susan has learned along the journey. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Examine what part of your efforts is actually bringing in revenue, and double down on that. - Find an ecosystem of partners who think differently, helping you find ways to operate better. - You can diversify your client base while still remaining specialized to mitigate market risks. - When it comes to marketing the agency, speaking and original research have been the cornerstones of Susan's success. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Susan on LinkedIn Here- Check out Circle S Studio Here

In this episode of "The ChatGPT Experiment," Cary Weston sits down with Drew McClellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, to discuss the crucial role of AI in the advertising industry. Recorded in the vibrant French Quarter of New Orleans, this conversation delves into how agencies can embrace AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance their operations, compete effectively, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. Whether you're a small business owner or part of a large agency, this episode offers valuable insights on integrating AI to boost efficiency and innovation. Step 2: Main Topics Covered The impact of AI on the advertising industry. Approaching AI with a mindset of abundance vs. scarcity. Practical examples of AI applications in small and large agencies. The importance of experimentation and curiosity with AI tools. Step 3: Key Insights AI as an Equalizer: Smaller agencies can leverage AI to level the playing field with larger competitors by improving efficiency and expanding capabilities. Mindset Matters: Agencies that adopt an abundance mindset view AI as an opportunity for growth and innovation, while those with a scarcity mindset may fall behind. Experimentation is Key: The current stage of AI development is about exploring possibilities and experimenting with tools like ChatGPT to discover new ways to solve problems and enhance business operations. Step 4: Episode Index [00:00:00] Introduction: Cary introduces the episode and guest, Drew McClellan. [00:00:23] Conversation Start: Discussing the importance of integrating AI in agency toolsets. [00:02:00] AI in the Creative Industry: How AI is changing the business side of creative agencies. [00:03:00] Meeting Drew McClellan: Background on Drew and the Agency Management Institute. [00:05:00] Benefits of AMI Membership: Personal testimonials and the value of finding a business tribe. [00:08:15] AI as a Threat or Opportunity: Differing perspectives on AI within the industry. [00:12:00] Specific AI Applications: Examples of how small and large agencies are using ChatGPT. [00:20:00] Experimenting with AI: Encouraging businesses to explore and play with AI tools. [00:25:00] Practical Use Cases: Real-world applications of ChatGPT for hiring and difficult conversations. [00:36:00] Expanding Possibilities with AI: Final thoughts on the importance of curiosity and experimentation. Step 5: About The Guest Drew McClellan is the CEO and co-owner of Agency Management Institute, which serves advertising, marketing, PR, and media buying agencies worldwide. He helps agencies run their businesses more effectively by providing tools, resources, and support. Drew is recognized as one of the top voices in marketing and branding and has been featured in major publications like Entrepreneur, New York Times, Forbes, and Wall Street Journal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cary is a seasoned marketing professional and partner in the Bangor, Maine-based advertising and marketing firm Sutherland Weston. He is a certified “They Ask You Answer” coach – a sales and marketing framework developed by Marcus Sheridan designed to help companies stand out as the voice of authority in their industry and drive measurable sales results. His specialties lie in developing practical and tactical strategies to help businesses overcome sales and marketing challenges. Cary is available for coaching, consulting, and strategy engagement with businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Connect with Cary: Podcast Website: www.ChatGPTExperiment.com Agency Website: www.SutherlandWeston.com LinkedIn: Cary Weston LINKEDIN NEWSLETTER The Chat GPT Experiment is also a LinkedIn Newsletter and you can find it here: LinkedIn Newsletter MUSIC CREDITS The instrumental music used in this podcast is called “Curious” by Podington Bear. You can contact the artist here: Podington Bear

Welcome to the Sell with Authority Podcast – I'm Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If we happen to be meeting for the first time — Predictive ROI helps agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do…typically for a higher fee. We do that by helping our clients build an authority position in the niche they've decided to serve — and then — monetize that position by creating a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into their sales pipeline. If learning proven strategies, tactics, and best practices to help you sell more of what you do aligns with where you want to take your agency — you're in the right place. Today's episode is going to be a solocast—just you and me. We'll explore a topic at both a high level and an eye level so you and your team can take it and apply it. The goal is to answer the question, “How do you get it all done?” Back when Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, and I decided to write our Sell with Authority book — we knew we needed to include some very practical and tactical recipes and guides on how to get all the work done. And I will tell you — when he and I teach our “Build and Nurture Your Sales Funnel” workshop — we spend a chunk of time on Day 2 helping attendees calendar and map out who in the shop is going to do all of the work so their plan doesn't fall apart when they get back home. For today's solocast, I'm going to take you behind the curtain into Appendices A and B in the back of our Sell with Authority book and share more about how we get it all done here at Predictive so you can take the same recipes and apply them to your shop. What you will learn in this episode is: How and why the WHO Framework and Transformational Triangle should serve as the foundation of your content strategy How to decide which form of cornerstone content is right for your gifts and talents How to leverage the cornerstone content to best grow your email list How do you decide on your cobblestones (they always come off the cornerstone, and the recipes in Appendix A will help) and the right cadence How to apply advanced strategies like knitting together your cobblestones to create a new and different cornerstone  

Online communities are quickly becoming one of the most powerful biz dev tools out there, but there's etiquette to starting and maintaining one. It's not for everyone, but for those who are ready, an online community could be your ticket to selling without ever having to actually sell. This week, we're continuing the conversation about online communities vs. online audiences, and the vast benefits they can offer to agency owners. Now that we've established the differences between an audience and a community, it's time to ask ourselves deeper questions about why and how we should start one. The main purpose of starting an online community shouldn't be selling or profiting from its members. But if you're in it to genuinely help others and create an avenue for collective thought leadership and connection, increased sales are just part of the benefits. If you think starting an online community could be the right move for your agency, tune in to this week's episode of Build a Better Agency. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: How to start an online community (who, what, where, why) Are you starting a community for the right reasons? Why you should expect nothing in return from online communities Identifying your target audience What a community leader should provide to community members, and vice versa The main difference between a community and an audience 3 questions to ask yourself before creating a community Consistency wins over complexity in online community building How to benefit from a community without starting one yourself Using online communities as a powerful biz dev tool Qualifying your community members

Humans are hardwired to belong, and the desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves is in our blood. Whether we connect over shared values, a favorite sports team, a hobby, or even just from living near one another, we can find community and belonging all around us. These days, many of us are finding community online through social media and spreading our social nets wider than ever. This leaves a huge opportunity for agency leaders to build their own online communities to help others learn and share their experiences about business leadership, entrepreneurship, or any form of thought leadership in which they excel. Online communities should, first and foremost, be a way to bring people together with shared goals and interests, but the benefits reach far beyond that. With enough time and care, they can become robust sales and networking tools that do the prospecting work for you. But it's not for everyone, and that's ok. In this week's solocast, I'm doing a deep dive into the ins and outs of creating online communities, building an audience online, and how to make sure you're doing it all for the right reasons. With enough patience, online community building could become your agency's secret sales weapon that provides perks and benefits for the people in it. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: What is a community, and how does it relate to work? The difference between an audience and a community Online communities do the selling for you B2B brands have less competition in creating online communities Asking yourself the who, what, where, and why before starting a community How communities make biz dev easier for agencies Being a safe harbor for people as a community leader Community building isn't for everyone 3 questions to ask yourself to determine if you should build a community or an audience How to build an online community and spread the word about it Having a community is a long game — have a growth plan

For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more. In this week's episode, Drew gets right down to business with me to discuss the hardships agencies faced in 2023 and how the ones that still came out on top overcame such a challenging year. During our conversation, he shared some interesting findings from his agency's 2023 Agency Edge Research study, including the #1 reason a client fires an agency and why agencies that focus on growing their existing book of business consistently outperform agencies that don't. We'll also get into the weeds about training AEs to grow existing clients as part of their jobs, knowing when it's time to reduce staff, and how to let clients know you're open to connecting with them. Those who know Drew know he's a fountain of helpful information for agency owners, so don't miss out on this illuminating conversation. What you will learn in this episode: The key difference in agencies that won last year vs. those that lost Why agencies must be pitching new ideas to clients in order to grow The #1 reason a client fires an agency Retraining AEs to focus on growing the agency's existing book of business Helping clients solve their problems before someone else does Setting up client growth and retention programs in 2024 Making staffing decisions by the numbers, not by your gut Resources: Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ LinkedIn Personal: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com

To celebrate our 100th episode, I am excited to welcome our guest expert, Drew McLellan, to the Sell With Authority podcast. This is Drew's second time on the show and it seems fitting to have him mark this milestone. He is not only my most trusted business advisor — but he's also been my best friend in the world for the better part of a decade. Drew is the CEO of Agency Management Institute — which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability – and of McLellan Marketing Group. He walks the walk — and he pours the best of what he's got into his community. In this episode, we focus our attention on how to build a community around the niche you want to serve. In our conversation, we talk through how hosting a live event can be an exceptional strategy for growing your audience — and being helpful. Drew shines a light on how to become a leader in the community by coming from a place of great love and a true commitment to serve. What you will learn in this episode: Why Drew empowers agency owners to find right-fit clients by niching down How to build a community around the niche you want you want to serve and what you want to teach The power of hosting live events as a strategy for audience growth and support How to create a successful conference without losing your house The building blocks of the Build a Better Agency Summit Resources: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ Episode 2 of Sell With Authority: How to Sell with Authority, with Drew McLellan Additional Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group

If there's one word that will send any agency owner or employee running for the hills, it's timesheets. Although one of the most universally disliked words in the agency world, timesheets are still the number one way to detect and diagnose problems within the agency before they become catastrophes. Essentially, they're your best friend whether you like it or not. Timesheets, especially when completed daily by all agency employees (including the agency owner), will give you invaluable data about your agency's day-to-day operations and where there's room for improvement. For agency owners, daily timesheets will show you inefficiencies, areas where more staffing is needed, needs for more training, and so much more. For agency employees, this is your ticket to job security, bonuses, promotions, and recognition for excellent work. Tune in to learn more about why daily timesheets are essential for agency owners and employees and how to get everyone on board with the practice this year. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: Why early detection matters for agency operations The diagnostic warning signs that your agency isn't running effectively What daily timesheets show us about our agency How timesheets and time-tracking metrics can boost our profitability Why do them daily vs. weekly? Why timesheets are a good thing and help agency employees defend themselves How to get your team on board

How do you go about finding a new marketing agency, and how do you know if they're the right fit for your business? With experience on both client and agency side, Drew McLellan, CEO of the Agency Management Institute shares how to best approach the agency procurement process.Guest:Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 25+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R. He also owns and runs the Agency Management Institute (AMI), which is a consultancy for small to medium-sized agencies that has been helping agency owners grow their agencies since the early 90s. Drew's agency was a member of the organization for years before Drew acquired AMI and began to run it full-time. Drew's often interviewed/quoted in Entrepreneur Magazine, New York Times, CNN, BusinessWeek, and many others. The Wall Street Journal calls him “one of 10 bloggers every entrepreneur should read.” You can view his website [https://www.drewmclellan.com/] or follow him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan/].Find Us Online:James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/ Smarter Marketer Website: https://www.smartermarketer.com.au/ Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/ Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/Buy Smarter Marketer:Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm About the Podcast:This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

There's no other way to spin it — agency owners had it rough in 2023. And while we spent all year going over the struggles of agency ownership, one universal positive kept coming up with everyone. Your teams are better than ever, and you want to learn how to keep your agency employees happy, so they stick around. So this week, we're turning to some of our Agency Edge research to dive into what agency employees said are the key factors that keep them happy and willing to stick around for the long haul. While the assumption is that you're already fairly compensating them and creating a fair and inclusive workplace, there are some less obvious things that really matter to agency employees. They could even be the difference between a star player staying for 10 to 15 years instead of three or four. This episode will teach you the dos and don'ts of increasing employee retention and really going above and beyond to help your teams feel valued and cared for. It's got a lot of valuable tips and tricks, so if you're curious about how to keep your agency employees satisfied, don't miss out on this episode. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: Recognizing that not every agency employee will want to stick around forever, and it's not personal The one thing you should not do to earn employee loyalty Why offering equity or partnership in the company is almost always a bad idea What agency employees actually want from agency owners Setting quarterly growth goals for employees Creating space to truly get to know your people beyond work Rewarding employees for their effort fairly, but not equally Getting agency employees involved in deciding their own perks for excellent work Simply ask your employees what will make them stay Get personal and thoughtful with your praise

With your business, clients and the world changing so fast around you, it can be tough to know what your growth goals should be--or how to even approach setting them in the first place.Thankfully, Drew McLellan, CEO of the Agency Management Institute (and agency vet himself), joins the podcast today to break down the numbers in a simple formula you can use to set attainable goals in any market. In today's episode you'll learn:How to determine which of the 5 phases of agency maturity you're in todayWhy you shouldn't set your goals based on top-line revenue alone (and how to use AGI instead)How to ideally split your AGI (Adjust Gross Income) between Loaded Salaries, Overhead, and ProfitResources mentioned in today's conversation:Connect with Drew on LinkedInWatch the video replay (complete with slide deck) of this conversation: Growing Your Agency Too Fast or Not Fast EnoughWant to get more content to support your agency life? Subscribe to the Agency Life newsletter, check out past episodes & find more content at teamwork.com/agencylife. This podcast is brought to you by Teamwork.com.

2023 is quickly coming to a close, so it's time for agency owners to start thinking about the year ahead to come up with their 2024 game plan. With holiday hibernation quickly approaching for most agency owners, this is the perfect time to reflect on 2023 and start thinking about what we want to improve for 2024. Many of us are coming out of a less-than-ideal year that threw us a lot of curveballs. So, if this year wasn't your year, what game plan can you develop to make 2024 even better? This episode is packed with a ton of action items that will set you on the path to getting your agency on the right track as soon as you're back from the holidays. Whether you're looking to tighten up your budget, grow your existing clients, reevaluate your team, or even find more time to do something memorable this year, this episode has everything you need to do to make your game plan and stick to it. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: Making a game plan aligned with the legacy you want to leave Creating a budget and aligning your expenses to it Connecting better with your team to help them grow Have a career path for every position Improving your leadership team, including the agency owner Identifying A, B, C, and D players Having a growth plan for existing clients Finding your niche and owning it How will you show your clients and team you appreciate them? What is one thing that would make 2024 unbelievable for you?

The digital marketing and advertising agency industry, like many others, is changing. Nearly every day, new technologies, tools, ideas and best practices are introduced to the professionals who work in it. Callis is no different. Our goals as an agency are to always keep up with the changes, vet the ones that look interesting, and adopt the ones that make sense for our clients. It's just one of the reasons we've been able to stay relevant and sustain our business over the last 37 years. In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff visits with agency president Megan Hartman as they debrief from their recent, semi-annual peer meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Some of you may know that Callis is certified by the Agency Management Institute, a nationally recognized association for the development of better advertising agencies. If you're a regular listener, you've heard us talk about this experience before. This session was especially beneficial with some really great discussions about agency operations, people utilization, services and technology. And we always share our big ideas, our challenges, frustrations, and financials, and our wins and losses. So, listen in as we share our thoughts and perspectives on key takeaways, new uses for AI and technology and other topics that could impact your business going forward.

Many agency owners want to see 20% growth (or more) year over year while staying profitable. This goal isn't entirely unrealistic, but the bigger you get, the harder it is to maintain such impressive numbers if you're not investing resources in the right things to support that growth. For this week's solocast, I have some homework for you to do to help you see if you're prepared to meet your growth goals in 2024. Don't worry; we will do it together while I walk you through how to crunch the numbers step-by-step. If you want to follow along, grab your P&L statement and our growth goal worksheet linked below, and get ready to do some math. By the end of this episode, you'll have a much clearer picture of where your agency is at financially and what level of growth you can support next year based on the numbers we calculate today. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: The basics of staying at 20% profit while doubling in size The mistakes we often make when setting end-of-year growth goals How to set a healthy growth goal based on your agency stats Why attrition affects your growth goal, and how much Emphasizing the role AEs play in growing clients What your agency needs if you plan to grow more than 15% year over year Which tough decisions agency owners need to make to hit growth goals The importance of niching down to boost growth

Meet Henry DeVriesHenry DeVries, MBA, is the CEO of Indie Books International, a company he cofounded in 2014 to work with agency owners and strategic consultants who want to attract right-fit clients by marketing with a book and speech (www.indiebooksintl.com). He is the author of 17 books including Marketing With A Book For Agency Owners. Since 2010, he has ghostwritten, coauthored, and published more than 300 business books, including his McGraw Hill bestseller How to Close a Deal like Warren Buffett. Henry's articles have appeared in forbes.com, the Associated Press, and various magazines. He can be reached at henry@indiebooksintl.com. Learn more about Henry by visiting the website for Indie Books International: http://www.indiebooksintl.com.Henry, how does a book help with your authority marketing efforts? Well, as our friends at Predictive ROI and Agency Management Institute say, a book can be the cornerstone for your authority marketing. And then the real leverage is talking about doing what I'm doing here on a podcast with you. Or I'm going to be giving a speech tomorrow at the University of California at Irvine at their innovation center. A lot of these [opportunities] come from the writing that I do and being an author; that makes sense to be on a stage. So, you use the book as the authority marketing tool. Your sales strategy is talking about the book. And that's what gets you the right fit prospects into your sales pipeline.Why do you say publishing the book is the starting line and not the finish line?There are so many people out there who're all about the book, about coaching you to write the book, and/or writing the book for you or their publishing service. And you get your book out. But let me give your audience a hard truth… Nobody gets discovered because they write a book. It's like nobody gets discovered because they put a website up on the internet. Books don't promote authors, authors promote books. And in the promotion of the book with the spotlight being on the book, it reflects on you and attracts people who want to have conversations with you about what you do and how you solve problems for people like them. So, we say publishing the book is the starting line. And it's a marathon, not a sprint. This is a long race you're going to be going on, and I have some minimum monthly requirements for my authors. Here they are. One: Do Two Showcase Speeches a Month. Either podcast or something you host like a Q&A session, or on somebody else's stage where you're a virtual or live presenter. Two of those a month and then send 20 books out a month. Two: People Who Could Book You as a Speaker Could Hire You for Your Service. If you do that on a consistent basis, you're gonna sell enough books to pay for the whole effort. And then we measured a return on investment of 4x to 220x. In other words, if people put in, let's say, $25,000 into this effort, they should get $100 to $250,000 to a half million back in extra revenue. And we have a study that shows that. People are on record with the amount of money that the book has made them. And we're out there with measurable results and testimonials to prove it.Connect with Henry!Connect on LinkedInIndie Books InternationalEmail Henry (henry@indiebooksintl.com) to get a free digital PDF copy of his book “Marketing with a Book” or “Persuade with a Story!”

How does one decide to start an agency? According to Drew McLellan, Founder of Agency Management Institute, most people who start an agency are accidental business owners. They know the ins and outs of their craft but not necessarily the ropes of running a business. And that's where Drew's company comes in. AMI helps agencies run their business better through workshops, peer-to-peer groups, and educational content like their podcast. In this episode of the Vertical Go-To Market Podcast our host Corey Quinn sits down with Drew to break down what it takes to build a thriving agency business regardless of your niche. Drew shares how he acquired AMI 15 years ago, who they work with, and what their approach to consulting small to mid-size agencies is all about. Hint: it's all about getting personal, vulnerable, and really sharing the ins and outs of what's going on with your business with your peers. Why? Because the best advice comes from people who've been there, done that, and emerged successful. Join Corey and Drew on Vertical Go-To-Market as They Discuss: Identifying the turning point when you need external support to continue on a growth path. Four major agency challenges and how to approach them. Niching down as a subject matter expert to meet client expectations. The ideal split of agency operating costs against Adjusted Gross Income. Actionable Key Takeaways for Agency Founders: Agency owners should aim to build wealth while operating the business by optimizing sales, staffing, and profitability. Processes are a must-have; tribal knowledge won't sustain success at a growing agency. Sharing and learning from peer challenges and successes calls for full transparency and vulnerability. A niche can be an industry, an audience, or even a deliverable. It isn't always a specific type of business. Hire people who have a passion for the niche you serve to avoid the boredom pit. Adjusted Gross Income is the one metric all agency owners should be obsessed with. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Subscribe to Drew's Newsletter Here - Check out Drew's Profile on Linkedin Here - Learn More About AMI Here - Explore Drew's Books on Amazon Here Join us as we explore how agencies can reach their goals by banding together for knowledge-sharing and insights.

Lately, agency owners and leaders have been hitting their heads against a biz dev brick wall. With increased sales cycles, difficulty getting clients to start projects, tightened budgets, and more, it seems like we're in a cycle of never-ending struggle. Even if the future looks bleak, there are always more things that can be done and new strategies to try to help push through a difficult time. That's why now more than ever, it's critical for agency owners and leaders to track certain metrics to ensure you'll end 2023 in the black, even as everyone is seemingly tightening their belts. This week, I'm sharing five metrics you should be tracking with your teams to ensure you're making the right strategic decisions during heightened hardship. From taking a closer look at your numbers to ensuring client satisfaction, we have the tools to help you end the year in the black against all odds. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. In This Episode: Tracking your 55-25-20 AGI metrics more closely Deciding where to move money around to keep good employees Doubling down on biz dev efforts Getting your existing clients to spend more money on you Why AEs should be helping to grow the existing client base Why client satisfaction scores are more critical than ever Good employee retention sends a positive message to customers

On this episode of Sell With Authority I am thrilled to welcome Tricia Brouk. Tricia is an award-winning director, producer, and mentor who has helped countless speakers step onto prominent stages worldwide. Tricia's expertise lies in transforming individuals into industry thought leaders through the art of authentic storytelling. Her book, The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy, soared to the #1 spot on Amazon's New Releases in December 2020. Let's take a moment to rewind and understand how this episode came to be. When Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, and I decided to pen our book, Sell with Authority, we knew that sharing insights and how-to's on creating cornerstone content was a must. For those who have read our book, this valuable information is housed in Chapter 6. If you don't have a copy yet, no worries, just visit PredictiveROI.com/Resources, and you can get your hands on a free paperback or Kindle version. Chapter six of our book delves into what cornerstone content is and what it is not. We also offer various examples of cornerstone content types, each classified as either “writing” or “talking.” Some of these examples include podcast series, authored books, primary research studies, video series, webinars, provocative articles, and keynote speeches that define your niche and POV, steering clear of the generalist trap. While some may gravitate towards writing, there's a unique allure to speaking and sharing your story in a compelling manner. Speaking allows for a touch of improvisation, making the crafting, rehearsing, and delivery of content absolutely critical. This is where Tricia Brouk's expertise shines, and it's why I invited her to join the podcast today. We dive into the process of transforming from a rock-solid agency owner or consultant to an esteemed thought leader. Tricia shares her wisdom on leveraging the power of storytelling without coming across as self-aggrandizing, which significantly adds value to your audience. When we get this right and deliver an impactful speech, something extraordinary happens—we say what we mean and create a lasting legacy in the process. What you will learn in this episode:  Why it is crucial to be intentional about what you are saying and how you are saying it when on stage Tricia's approach to script analysis Why Tricia believes we are at a precipice right now when it comes to communication Some roadblocks to speaking with intentionality and connecting with the audience, and how to push past them Why a speaker should actually perform the action of waiting when standing on stage How to achieve mastery and command on stage Why credibility as a speaker does not mean you have to have a book or PhD Resources: Website: https://triciabrouk.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciabrouk/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebigtalk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigtalkcommunity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tricia_brouk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriciaBrouk The Art of the Big Talk Masterclass Additional Resources: Predictive ROI Free Resource Library: https://predictiveroi.com/resources/

Does your agency truly understand your clients' needs? Are you proactive about learning their business? Is your team constantly looking for new, innovative solutions? What can you do to earn clients' trust to retain and even upsell them? Today's guest has been an agency owner for 30 years and knows the business well. He understands which questions to ask to gain clients' trust and teaches other agency owners to do the same. He'll reveal what clients are looking for in an agency according to a recent survey. Drew McLellan owns Agency Management Institute, which serves small to mid-scale agencies helping them grow. He's on the show sharing insight from a recent survey. Drew's agency runs an annual survey where agency clients respond to focused questions that give agencies some insight into what they can improve to have a better relationship with them. This year, the survey focused on agencies' struggles to grow their existing book of business. In this episode, we'll discuss: What do clients think about agencies? 4 things you can do to build better relationships with clients. 2 big mistakes you should avoid with clients.   Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher | Radio FM Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service.   What Do Clients Think About Their Agency Relationship? Most agency owners are great when it comes to their services but don't have the tools to run a business profitably. Having run an agency for thirty years, Drew knows the industry well and now focuses on helping them. His agency runs an annual research piece called the Agency Edge. In its ten-year history, they've mostly talked to people who hire agencies, as was the case this year. The central theme this year was agencies' struggles to grow their existing book of business. Clients are taking a longer time to hire agencies, and even once they've hired them, they're slow to assign a first project. So how to get more from the clients you already have? Basically, the gist of the research was to get respondents to reveal how, when, and where they give an agency more money. The results were fascinating -- most fell into one of three categories: The ideal agency client: This is the client we all want to have. They want their agency at the table talking about strategy and truly believe they couldn't run their business as well without the agency. The client looking for a specialist: This was the largest group, accounting for over 45% of the respondents. These are businesses that are pretty happy with their in-house team but are in need of extra sets of hands and depths of expertise in certain areas. They expect the agency to come in and partner with their team. They don't expect them to get in on big-picture strategy. The client who thinks everything's too expensive: This was fortunately the smallest group. These clients see agencies as a necessary evil that is too expensive. If they could avoid giving an agency more money, they will choose to do that. Naturally, the research focused on the first two groups, which are the ones likely to spend more money on agencies. What Do Clients Really Want From Their Agency? No matter the different topics they've covered over the years, Drew and his team keep finding these same groups. The undesirable clients who see agencies as money-sucking machines are thankfully always the minority. However, Drew does note this was the first year where that minority came off very strongly about their views. This might be an indication that brand leaders are becoming more leery about partnerships. Moreover, there are now more agencies out there than ever before, which means there are more bad agencies too. With more people out there who don't know how to market and adequately provide a service, it drowns out the good ones. This creates a rejection of the concept of agency, which leads to businesses trying to avoid that label. In terms of how to identify these client categories, they're actually spread across the board. Businesses that want agencies as a partner could be big brands or small startups. Overall, clients want an agency partner who really tries to understand their business. Basically, they want the agency to care enough about their business to come up with good ideas; even if those ideas don't necessarily impact the agency. This could be a problem when account people are order takers who don't understand the clients' business and don't know which questions to ask to have insights into their business problems. 4 Things You Can Do to Build Better Relationships With Clients Learn more. Based on survey responses, agency owners could invest more time and energy learning how their clients do their work. This can mean a number of things like case studies or helping your client do customer research. Yes, this is a huge time investment on the agency's part. However, failing in-depth understanding relegates you to an order-taker role by your own doing. Meet your clients. Even if you're a virtual agency you should get out there and meet your clients in person, especially in the onboarding process. There's still no substitute for face time in this post-pandemic era with so many ways to connect virtually. It's hard to develop more than surface-level trust when you've never even been in the same room as that person. Ask more questions. Drew believes agency owners tend to stop themselves from asking questions. They assume the client knows their business well, so if they say they want an app or a tradeshow booth, all too often the answer is “Okay, we'll do that for you”. It's okay to at least ask simple questions like: "Why?" or "Is there a better way to spend that budget?" Just dig a bit into the reasons behind what they're asking. More than half the time they need something, but are wrong about what that something is. Be proactive. Clients want their agencies to be proactive and not wait around for them to place an order. Many agencies shy away from this because it feels pushy; however, the message that came across loud and clear is that clients will give agencies more money when agencies give them a good reason to spend more money. 2 Big Mistakes Some Agencies Make with Clients Out of all the groups, it was especially important for the second one – clients looking for a specialist –to find an agency that respects their team. It's important to understand the ecosystem of how the business works, who's on the team, and where you can lend a hand. Overall, the message was “don't overstep your bounds”. Clients were clear about how much they dislike agencies that come in and try to prove they're smarter than the internal team. Collaboration will get you better results because these companies think highly of their internal team. This also goes for getting into a meeting and immediately starting to use technical terminology. You obviously want clients to think you're smart but you won't get far by making them feel dumb. Big Takeaways: More Time with Agency Owners and Being Assertive Still focusing on the first two groups, it's important to mention these clients wanted more interaction with the agency owner. This doesn't necessarily mean the agency owner will be working on their business on a day-to-day basis. It just means they want the agency owner to check in and know what the team is doing and can be a sounding board for them. Overall, the big takeaway from the survey is that clients are open to agencies being more assertive in bringing more ideas to clients. They want those ideas and most of them do have more money to give to agencies and are eager to do so if they demonstrate they really understand their business. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? If you want to be around amazing agency owners that can see what you may not be able to see and help you grow your agency, go to Agency Mastery 360.  Our agency growth program helps you take a 360-degree view of your agency and gain mastery of the 3 pillar systems (attract, convert, scale) so you can create predictability, wealth, and freedom.

I am thrilled to bring you our guest expert on this episode of Sell With Authority, Shane Perkins. Shane is the CEO of Unite Digital Holdings, a remarkable holding company dedicated to creating a growth-oriented ecosystem for privately held agencies across the United States. Shane's primary focus is on expanding the company's reach through strategic acquisitions, and that's precisely why I invited him to join us today on the podcast. I had the pleasure of meeting Shane at the Build a Better Agency Summit in Chicago, an event organized annually by the Agency Management Institute. For agency owners, the Built a Better Agency Summit serves as an ideal environment to gather key takeaways and insights, helping them build profitable agencies that they may choose to sell in the future. Here, I serendipitously bumped into Shane, and we briefly talked about the remarkable work he and his team at Unite do. Instantly captivated by his insights, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to invite him to join us on the podcast. If your goal is to sell your shop someday — or to run as profitable of an agency as possible so you can build your wealth outside the agency — Shane's advice and recommendations are incredibly helpful. What you will learn in this episode:  Why an agency owner should consider what they want personally, and for their clients Why packaging solutions around our right-fit prospects will make scaling easier What represents secure and stable clients Milestones for agency owners to put themselves in the best position to scale their business successfully Pitfalls that agency owners should be thinking about if selling is the right path – and how to sidestep them Resources: Website: https://unite.digital/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-perkins-unite-digital/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unite-digital-now/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TakeOverSEO Apply to Join Shane's Agency Group: https://unite.digital/apply/

The idea of agency culture has been on my mind a lot lately, especially now that we're all settling into new post-covid workplace structures. Without as much face time in an office, many of you are starting to wonder how to continue cultivating a healthy workplace environment for your employees over video calls and Slack channels. For this week's solocast, I'm sharing what research shows are the four core pillars of a healthy agency culture that will ensure your employees feel seen, heard, safe, and valued. It's not just about proximity and having office parties or team outings anymore. And as agency leaders, it's essential that we lead by example in creating the right environment for our teams to thrive. If you can weave these four concepts into how you run your agency and build up your teams, your agency will be set up for success, no matter if you're in the office, fully remote, or somewhere in between. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Thinking about agency culture differently Why agency owners must lead the charge in creating a healthy agency culture Creating an environment of inclusivity for all team members Leading with love and being curious about your people Creating learning opportunities for yourself and the team Encouraging quarterly growth goals for employees Celebrating contributions and identifying employee strengths Leaving space for employees to challenge the status quo Making it ok for people to disagree respectfully

It's that time of year again — we're going over the top agency trends we're noticing so far in 2023 and going into 2024. A lot has changed since the last time we went over the data, which means we have a ton of information that you'll hopefully find valuable and can use as a compass for where to lead your agency through the rest of the year heading into 2024. As we exit the pandemic era and move into the AI era, there's a lot to consider in how agencies function regarding what our clients want, how fast our sales cycle moves, how we hire, where we should focus our biz dev, and more. One thing is certain — many agency owners like you feel re-energized and reinvigorated coming out of 2022. Let this episode be a ray of light that gives you an extra boost of encouragement for the rest of 2023, and keep that momentum going for as long as possible. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The impacts of recession fears on AGI and revenue ROI — the new agency buzzword A growing agency trend in having amazing teams Rebalancing overservicing and overstaffing issues The fading trend of over-specialization of agencies The PPC, SEO, and data analyst job boom A positive trend in agency owner happiness The continued importance of thought leadership and community spaces The agency employee trends of 2023 Embracing AI and using it as a tool for your work

Juliana Marulanda is joining the latest episode of Sell With Authority, and our focus is on agency management systems. Juliana is the founder of ScaleTime, a renowned agency consultancy that has helped over 500 agencies achieve lean, mean, and profitable operations. At Predictive, we're continuously looking to refine what we're doing financially, make process improvements, meet other agency owners who are doing it well — and, in short — to learn new things we can put into place that raises the bar of excellence inside Predictive. Every year for the last 8 years — our team attends the annual Money Matters workshop that Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, teaches. There's a metric that Drew shares during Day One that hasn't changed — year after year — and in my opinion — it's one of the most important metrics to running a profitable agency because if owners could get it right — they would have the time, space, and capacity to get everything else right inside their shops. Here it is: owners should allocate 50 percent of their time toward business development. It can be a huge struggle to prioritize this aspect because of operational demands. And that's why I'm excited for you to learn from Juliana today. We are going to talk through what that agency management system should look like and how it should run. Juliana offers insights into implementing an agency management system that can unlock 30 additional hours per week so you can have the time, space, and capacity to get serious about creating the helpful content for your audience that you KNOW you want to create and to BUILD the authority position that you know will ADD VALUE to your agency — and — help you build and scale more quickly. What you will learn in this episode: Why most agency owners become the single point of failure Why it actually cost the business money when the owner is stuck in the weeds The math behind figuring out the effective hourly value to the business Steps to uncovering and fixing operational gaps How agency owners can reclaim 30 hours per week through an effective agency management system Resources: Website: www.scaletime.co LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianamarulanda/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scaletime/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/scaletime/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianamarula Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scaletime The ScaleMap Diagnostic: https://discovery.scaletime.co/scale-map

This week, I'm covering an important topic I haven't covered on a solocast before — agency owner work balance. Often, agency owners get pulled into too much of the day-to-day client work or aren't correctly staffing the agency to get the support they need on the work they have. There's a formula you should be following for how you break down your workday or workweek to be a successful business leader, and I'm going to map it out in an easily applicable formula. It's not always easy to get ourselves out of the daily client tasks, but the recipe I'm sharing with you today will help you block out more time for the things that matter the most. If you're not doing your job, nobody else is going to do it, either. And your job is the most important job in the entire agency. So tune in to learn how to map out your days better, get out of the day-to-day, and focus your attention where you're needed most. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Getting out of the day-to-day client work The percentage breakdown of how an agency owner should spend their day Why blocking your time efficiently and effectively is incredibly important The key factors that add value to your agency How to shift to this new breakdown of work Why biz dev is the most important task How to delegate and divide tasks between you and your business partner The importance of making yourself unavailable sometimes

Stephen Woessner - For over 25 years, Stephen has been in the trenches working alongside and consulting with hundreds of clients — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, fill their sales pipeline with right-fit prospects, and ultimately, drive revenue. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and owner. He's the host of the Sell with Authority podcast and his marketing insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and other media. He's the bestselling author of five books including his latest entitled, Sell With Authority, which he co-authored with Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute.

This week, I'm using this episode to talk about some questions I get asked a lot, and that is what we offer in AMI memberships. Many of you want to know what our different tiers of memberships include and what other services we offer. If you're curious about AMI and our membership offerings, this episode is for you. I will break down what we offer for agency owners and leaders and how you can get involved in the AMI community if you feel compelled to do so. We have a ton of different ways to become a community member, get consulting and one-on-one coaching, access our peer networks, and even get help with succession work. Our goal is always to help small to mid-size agencies reach their goals and get access to the best network possible. You're never too small or far away from us to participate, so if you're feeling compelled to join the community in some way, I'm giving you all the details here today. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The free resources we always offer agency owners and leaders Our workshops, both online and in-person Online and onsite consulting with experienced business leaders Creating a network of agency leaders with Peer Networks and Virtual Peer Groups How we can help in succession planning and coaching new buyers to acquire an agency The BABA Summit How to get involved if you can't travel or just want some content from us The members-only perks as an add-on to our free content

One of the most common traps we fall into as agency owners is making decisions based on our fears. Every day we have to make hard choices, and it's easy to fall victim to a fear-based narrative when trying to make everyone happy while keeping a business afloat. But fear not — I have some advice for you that will help you see the bigger picture of where you are likely making fear-based decisions for your agency. This week, my goal is to help you identify the most common fear-based business decisions, understand why this happens almost universally, and learn some tricks to rewire our thinking around these decisions. As you listen to this episode, take stock of when you've made decisions out of fear. Fear of losing a good employee, fear of losing money, fear of missing out on a good project or client — and see if you can find a better approach to tackling even just one of these examples. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The biggest, worst fear-based decision agency owners often make Acknowledging the truths behind our fears and putting action behind them Financial decisions (and mistakes) we make when we're afraid How we hand over control to our clients when we're acting out of fear The vital role of client and employee satisfaction surveys The psychology behind fear-based decisions Why you should step away from a problem and ask for help How to rewire our thinking around decisions and get out of the fear narrative

Riches in Niches and How to Attract High-Paying Clients I'm excited for you to meet our special encore guest expert today — Henry DeVries. If you're meeting Henry for the first time — he's the CEO of Indie Books International. He's the former president of an award-winning “Ad Age 500” marketing agency — and — Henry is also a weekly columnist for Forbes.com. Henry was my guest for Episode 15 of the podcast, where he shared his expertise around strategies and tactics for writing a book — and then — how to use the book as your primary marketing strategy — or, as Henry likes to say — “Marketing with a Book.” We'll be sure to add a link to Episode 15 to today's show notes.  Okay — I invited Henry to join me for this encore interview so we could focus our time and attention on Chapter 5 of Henry's latest book entitled, “Marketing with a Book for Agency Owners.” He titled Chapter 5 — “Riches in Niches.” If you've been listening to this podcast for a while now — or if you've read our books — or attended any of our open-mic Q&As or live workshops — you know that here at Predictive ROI…we're big fans of building a riches in niches strategy. I'm going to quickly quote Henry from Chapter 5… Henry writes, “To attract high-paying clients, agency owners must be clear on their ideal prospects. But a target market with a problem is not enough. Agency owners also must find target clients that can afford to pay what you want to charge.”  Okay — it's here at the intersection of these two points that Henry and I focused our riches in niches discussion. How to find right-fit prospects who are willing to pay what you want to charge — and I would argue that when you do this work correctly and your content strategy is on point and generous — your right-fit prospects will be EAGER to pay your premium price. To help us get there — I asked Henry to walk us through what he calls the “10 filter questions” that you and your team can use as you work through the process of niching down.  In my opinion — Henry's 10 filter questions are critically important to the process of seeking riches in niches because if we don't get it right at the beginning — HOLY BANANAS — it's most likely not going to feel right 2-3 years into your “niche” strategy.  I promise you — if you take and apply Henry's advice and build a strategy around riches in niches — and then — have the courage to build an authority position deep in the niche (instead of being sort of committed), you consistently create helpful cornerstone and cobblestone content that shares your smarts with your audience. If you do this work — you'll not only be seen as the AUTHORITY in the niche, but your sales pipeline will go from being dry to being filled with a steady stream of right-fit clients from within the niche who are eager to work with you — AND — willing to pay your premium price to do it.  That's the recipe for riches in niches.   What you'll learn from this episode about riches in niches: Why your riches in niches strategy needs to include stories that matter and where you ought to share them Why it's so important to share the right social proof with your prospective clients How to find prospects in niches who are willing to pay what you want to charge How to identify and then properly step into the right pond within the right niche How to work through the 10 filtering questions to do the right work up front to help ensure you tap into the riches in niches     Speaker 1: (00:03) Welcome to the Sell With Authority podcast. I'm Stephen Woessner, c e o of predictive roi. And my team and I, we created this podcast specifically for you. So, if you're an agency, agency owner, a business coach, or a strategic consultant, and you're looking to grow a thriving, profitable business that can weather the constant change that seems to be our world's reality, then you're in the right place. You want proven strategies for attracting a steady stream of well-prepared right fit prospects into your sales pipeline. Yep. We're gonna cover that. You wanna learn how to step away from the sea of competitors, so you actually stand out and own the ground you're standing on. Yep. We're gonna cover that too. You wanna futureproof your business so you can navigate the next challenges that come your way. Well, absolutely. We'll help you there as well. I promise you. Speaker 1: (01:02) Each episode of this podcast will contain valuable insights and tangible examples of best practices, never theory from thought leaders, experts, owners who have done exactly what you're working hard to do. So I want you to think practical and tactical. Never any fluff. Each of our guests have built a position of authority and then monetized that position by claiming their ground, by growing their audience, by nurturing leads, and yes, by converting sales. But all the while they did it by being helpful. So every time someone from their audience turned around there, they were with a helpful answer to an important question, so their prospects never felt like they were a prospect. I also promise you every strategy we discuss, every tool we recommend will be shared in full transparency in each episode. So you can plant your flag of authority, claim your ground, and fill your sales pipeline with a steady stream of right fit clients. Speaker 1: (02:09) So I am super excited for you to meet our very special encore guest expert today, Henry DeVries. If you're meeting Henry for the first time, he's the c e o of Indie Books International. He's the former president of an award-winning ad age 500 marketing agency, and Henry is a weekly columnist for forbes.com. Henry was also my guest for episode 15 of the podcast where Henry shared his expertise around strategies and tactics for writing a book, and then how to use the book as your primary marketing strategy, or as Henry likes to say, marketing with a book. So, we'll be sure to add a link to episode 15 to today's show notes to make it super easy to find. It's a great episode. Okay, so I invited Henry to join me for this encore so we could focus our time and attention on chapter five of Henry's latest book, which is entitled Marketing with a Book for Agency Owners. Speaker 1: (03:09) He titled Chapter Five, riches in the Niches. And if you've been listening to this podcast for a while now, or if you've read our books or attended any of our open mic q and as or live workshops, you know that here at Predictive roi, we are big fans of itching. So I'm gonna quickly quote Henry here, uh, from chapter five of the book, Henry writes, to attract high paying clients, agency owners must be clear on their ideal prospects, and then he goes on to write, but a target market where the problem is not enough agency owners also must find target clients that can afford to pay what you wanna charge. Okay? So it's at the intersection of these two points that Henry and I will focus our discussion today, how to find right fit prospects who are willing to pay what you want to charge. Speaker 1: (04:05) And I would argue that when you do this work correctly and your content strategy is on point and generous, your right fit prospects will be eager to pay your premium price. To help us get there, I'm going to ask Henry to walk us through what he calls the 10 filter questions that you and your team can use as you work through the process of nicheing down. Because in my opinion, Henry's 10 filter questions are critically important to the process of seeking riches in the niches. Because if we don't get it right at the beginning, well, holy bananas is most likely not gonna feel right two to three years down the road. I promise you, if you take an apply Henry's advice and seek the riches in the niches, and then have the courage to actually build an authority position deep in the niche and not be kind of committed to the niche, so you're consistently creating helpful cornerstone and cobblestone content that shares your smarts with your prospective clients, clients in the niche, you'll not only be seen as the authority in the niche, but you will fill your sales pipeline with a steady stream of right fit clients who are eager to work with you and who are willing to pay your premium price to do it. Speaker 1: (05:29) So without further ado, my friend, welcome back to the Sell With Authority Podcast. Henry, Speaker 2: (05:36) Thank you for inviting me to talk about riches niches. You're very welcome. April, 2022, the place, Oceanside, California. I'm celebrating the eighth anniversary of Indie books. Okay? We've published over 150 authors. Life is great. I'm not happy. Okay? I'm at a crossroads. Sounds like there's a story there. You're gonna start a hospital. There's a story there. I'm at Crossroads and I go, I teach this riches and niches and I've helped so many people, and I don't feel that we've really found ours, huh? Because I had focused on consultants and coaches, okay? And there was just something missing. And the, the ponds and the groups that I, the watering holes and Pamela Slim of the Whitest Nets language, you know, the, they just weren't feeling totally right for me. Okay? So I did a, I did an exercise. I, I went on a retreat, just me in a car to a motel to think of this through, okay? Speaker 2: (06:45) Made a list of all our authors and divided them into groups, okay? And there was this one group that I liked to work with the most agency owners, because I was an agency owner. And matter of fact, indie Books International is an agency. It's a marketing agency in disguise, as a publishing company, okay? And we, we help people get speaking, but part of it was this training aspect where we train you to give speeches, get on podcasts, do these things to amplify your work. That's my word for the years, Steven. Amplify. We need to amplify our work. That's a good word. Talk about that. So I went and, and the agency owners were, and I said, well, where could I go meet agency owners? So I researched, and there were 10 places where they gather that I found, and one was called the Baba, b a b summit, build a Better Agency Summit. Speaker 2: (07:44) Uhhuh. . And it was over $2,000 to attend a little problem. I didn't have an extra $2,000, but I do cover marketing for forbes.com. I've been a paid columnist for five years. So I contacted the Baba Summit people into my surprise, they said, yes, you can have a media credential come cover us, um, at the Western in Chicago. Mm-hmm. . So meanwhile, I start to call some of these agency owners that I'd helped do their books. And I said, you know, whatever happened as a result of the book. And Tom Young, uh, one of my authors said, oh, you helped us get to the million dollar level. And then we, we leveraged that book, and now we're at 2 million a year. Um, I talked to another person and she said, oh, I didn't have any Fortune 500 companies when we started. I've tripled my revenues, and now I'm working for the one of the top five banks in America, one of the top five financial houses in America, a a billion dollar Japanese technology company. Speaker 2: (08:51) As a result of this, I'm going like, well, those are some, I said, would you, would you put that in writing? Could I put that in writing? Well, of course. Would you tell other people? You know, could I put you on video? Oh, yeah. Send anybody my way. I'm going like, okay, check. We, we've got something going here. Right? Also, they were the, um, most willing to pay. Some of them told me, uh, you know, you, you're not charging enough. This is what the agents, this is what the agency owners were sharing. They were telling me that I wasn't charging them enough, right. Uh, for what they were getting from me. Okay? So I go to the, the Baba Summit. I did not know you were involved, Steven, I knew you from being in a, a couple of appearances on Onward Nation. Um, I, I think I had written about a couple of your clients and Forbes, so that was our relationship. Speaker 2: (09:39) But I see you were one of the sponsors there and involved, and that was great. Within an hour of being there. Everything I've been teaching for the last 15 years in writing about, but unwilling to do as a service, you were preaching at, at Baba, the p baba speakers were preaching, and they had people there to do it. You know, if you wanted podcasts, you could go to predictive roi. If you wanted a, um, a proprietary research study, you could go to audience audit. So it was like, these are my people. Mm-hmm. , uh, this is so great. And I had decided then, okay, I'm going all in. Now. Let me tell you, fear never sleeps. To go all in on a target niche is a scary proposition. Um, you're worried that by declaring I work for these people, your referral sources are gonna dry up Uhhuh, . Speaker 2: (10:35) I can assure you, they do not. Right? The the other thing that happens is you're, you're afraid that somebody will read your website and go, oh, well, that's not for me. I can assure you it's not. I have people call me up and say, look, I, I know I'm not an agency owner, but, uh, I run this consulting company and could I please convince you to work with me? Right. You know, go on . I'll say, you know, and, and, uh, some have and have done wonderful projects. Meanwhile, , so I, I commit to this. This is May and I, I think I've gotta write a book. I've gotta write a book about this, but I am very busy. When am I gonna have time to write another book? So, um, and we all have different faiths, and I respect that. And, um, in, in California, I have to say the universe or the universe will manifest when I'm, when I'm out in, uh, the Midwest with you, I can say God helps those who help themselves. Speaker 2: (11:35) So, but I, I prayed on it and I prayed for time to get this book done. Be careful what you pray for . I was give, in August, I was giving five workshops for CEOs on how to persuade with a story. Mm-hmm. , uh, that's what I'm paid to speak on. I've written books on that. And on, uh, day five, I contract covid. So I'm in Memphis, Tennessee, um, thousands of miles from home. Nobody there. I have to check into this, uh, cheap motel to quarantine for a week. Yep. And, uh, my healthcare got right on it got me into a doctor who prescribed the drug, PAX Lobin for me. Mm-hmm. . So I'm on a, a five day protocol of Pax Lobin. Well, it knocked it down right away. And I thought, well, I don't wanna watch TV and I'll just start writing the book. Five days later, the book was written, you know, thank you. Speaker 2: (12:38) I'm grateful for that time, . I wish it could have been like a little more enjoyable, but I got the book done and started rolling. I know I needed refinements. So, uh, signed up with predictive roi. We did the, the 90 day program, really refined it. Um, Eric, on your team, uh, I, I love Eric dearly because he challenged me on everything. Um, he gave me pushback on everything. It wasn't like, oh, great, this, like, no, this and that. What happens if this happens? And like, oh man, that would've been a huge mistake if I'd gone that way. So, very grateful to predictive roi. And then I saw, um, workshops by you and Drew McClellan of AMI in, in Florida. Um, didn't have the money for that. Went to the board and said, we need to personally borrow money, uh, so I can go to Disney World for a conference in December and January. Speaker 2: (13:34) Um, and then when I explained it, all my wife said, a hunch. Henry had a hunch. And we bet on the hunch. And the hunch worked. So, um, I've been picking up agency clients. You told me I needed to double my prices and hire better people. I went out and did that. Yep. Um, and then when people would call me, I would give that higher price, and they didn't blink. So it all came back to what we're gonna talk about today, these filter questions. Yep. Um, agency owners pass the filter questions test for me, and I hope the filter questions help the listeners today. Speaker 1: (14:15) Awesome. Well, so let's, I, I want to tease out just one piece outta outta what you just said about the, the workshop and not, and not, and not like promoting the workshop or advertising the workshop, but your recognition about how the Baba Summit and how the workshop and how you participate in our community, how you participate in the Agency Management Institute community and, and so forth. And how you've been very strategic in, uh, aligning partnerships and friendships and all of that, because those are efforts to get deeper into the niche. And, and I'm not saying that those are not great relationships and personal relationships and turning into friendships and that kind of stuff. I, I'm, I'm not saying that those are like surfacey, they're, and they're not genuine because I know that they absolutely are. What I am saying is that they are, excuse me, that they're also indicative of when you go deep into the niche, it's about really understanding the people in the niche, really understanding the pond, really understand who is in the pond, swimming around and all of that, and developing those relationships. That's part of getting deep into the niche. Would, would you agree? Speaker 2: (15:26) Oh, absolutely. And I have to do a shout out to Susan Byer, a member of the Community of Audience Audit. And I heard you and Susan speak at the Baba Summit, and I shook her hand and, uh, gave her my card and said, I'd like to interview her for forbes.com. And, uh, she's the world's busiest woman who's going at mock five with her hair on fire. So that wasn't happening, but I, I was on, uh, a call with you and there were other people, you, you had me, I think, on a q and a talk about the book mm-hmm. , and Yep. Susan was there, and she calls me up afterwards and said, we have to talk, says this. I was where you were at a few years ago. I know who you are. Uh, and I know where you're at, and I just get deep into this. Speaker 2: (16:13) Do this, this is what you need to do. Yep. And I said, thank you. I appreciate that. Uh, what is the best piece of advice you have for me right now? Okay. She said, go to the workshops in December and January, you know, beg, borrow Steele, do whatever you have to. She says, I went from having eight clients to 40 when I went into this niche, uh, really strong. And so go there. And she says, you're gonna learn things. Mm-hmm. from the content that Drew and Steven teach, you're gonna learn more about your target audience, because you're gonna listen to them. You're gonna hear them. You're gonna have a drink with them, uh, you know, breakfast with them, and you're gonna be this listening machine at one of the agencies where I cut my teeth. Um, I was the head of research too. I was the head of creative services and research. That's a, that's a schizophrenic kind of person. Speaker 1: (17:09) I'm like, that's a bit of a juxtaposition, but o okay. Speaker 2: (17:11) Yeah. Right. Sounds and research. So I, I know about depth interviews and research and, and, uh, you know, listening. And that was so true, because you're amongst them and you can relate to them, of course. And when they tell a story, you can go, oh, I understand that. Yeah. You know, um, I've been there, done that. Um, so that's important to, you've gotta go where your target rich audience is. Um, not so much that, oh, I'm gonna find clients. I did, I will, but I wanna understand their worries, frustrations, doubts. Mm-hmm. . Um, I need, you know, the fear, uncertainty and doubt, the FUD factor. You need to know their FUD factor. And that's the number one thing they want to know. Do you understand my pain? Speaker 1: (18:07) Yeah. The, not only do you speak my language, do you speak my dialect? And when, when, when we talk through the niche deep dive, you know, like in our q and a's and in the, the WHO framework and so forth, that, that part of that starts with the first two ingredients in that are what are the problems, hence the FUD factor that you just mentioned. Then what are the stories? How can you speak to those problems within a story? Because we're just d n a wired to receive stories, right? How can we talk about the FUD factor in the form of a story? And then to your earlier point, how can we step into the right ponds to tell the stories, right? Because then they feel appropriate and, and, and, and they land correctly. It feels weird to step into a non-agency owner pond, if you will, and start talking about agency owner stories. Speaker 1: (19:01) It, there, there's incongruency when that happens, right? So like, all of this is part of the, the great recipe. You've done a great job of stepping into the pond and finding the rich in the niche or the riches in the niches. And I know that they're, you're, you're actively mining that. Let's start going through the 10 filter questions, because I think they're, not only do I think that they're smart, um, but I, but I also think that they're smartness, if you will, , uh, in the layers, right? So some of the questions are multi-layered. Some of the questions are deeper than maybe what somebody might think as they're quickly going through them, and that, oh, I don't have to answer that one. I could just bypass that one. Or I'll just, I'll focus on, you know, question two, six and 10. And that should be good. Speaker 1: (19:46) And it's not good. The 10 filtering questions are 10 filtering questions on purpose. So, so let's, let's go through them first. I'm, I'm just gonna go through them, uh, quickly and then, and then we'll go back and slice 'em apart. So, question one, are you interested in solving the problems this group has? Question two, have you worked with any already? Three, can they afford to pay you four? Are they willing to pay more for better service? Five, do they already know they need an agency like you? Six? Are they numerous? Seven, do you, uh, do you have only a few real competitors? Eight. Can you find them easily enough through listen associations? Uh, nine, can you find a target rich environment where they gather? Uh, and then 10, will you or will some make marquee clients advocates and references? Okay. So let's slice all of these apart and go through them in depth. So walk us through, number one, are you interested in solving the problems this group has and why you put that first? Speaker 2: (20:53) Okay. So first let me grab my book, my 17th book. Amazing. And Stephen, my books are my children. Hmm. And like my children, I expect them to take care of me in my old age. Okay. So let's go to chapter five and that first one. Um, are you interested in solving the problems if solving their problems doesn't energize you? It's a non-starter. Um, when I was looking at the different groups, I've done a lot with technology services companies, okay. Speaker 2: (21:24) And I thought, huh, do I wanna spend all my time with technology services companies? Um, I had a chance once to buy the agency I'd started at and worked my way up to president. And, um, I didn't know this strategy, it was just instinctive and I followed it. And we were the leader in real estate, community marketing, you know, new home communities, master plan communities throughout Southern California. Okay. Um, we had all the top people, and and you eat on that whale for years, you catch a whale, like a master plan community that's a eight, seven, you know, seven, eight year project. You bet. Um, but I didn't buy, and one of the reasons was I didn't wanna spend the rest of my life talking about cathedral ceilings and low flow toilets. You know, it was just like, uh, it didn't excite me. Yeah. So, uh, I went out on my own and formed my own lemonade stand and went looking for the, for the right niche. So agency owners, I love the problems they have. Oh, by the way, research. Yep. Number one problem for two outta three agency owners is, and you know it, Steven, the dry sales pipeline, not enough qualified prospects in that pipeline. Yep. And business development is their heartburn, it's their pain. Second problem for, uh, 50% of agency owners, not enough time to do business development. Um, should we move to two? Have you worked with them already? Speaker 1: (23:03) 1, 1, 1 more piece to to number one. Speaker 2: (23:05) Okay. Speaker 1: (23:07) Because if we don't get right what you just said, you know, that, that we're interested in solving the problems that's gonna come through also in the content. When, when, when you know that Drew and I, uh, teach the point of view piece, right? So, predictive roi, we believe, like in our core, we believe, uh, that most agencies, business coaches and strategic consultants go about business development in the least effective, most painful way possible. There's a better way we call it. So with authority methodology, yeah. That is our belief system. It is our truth. So if you're just kind of like, eh, on point number one here, which is why it's an important filter that's gonna show through in your content, that's gonna show through how you show up in the pond, right? Speaker 2: (23:51) Right. We have an energy meter. Yeah. Everybody has it. And they can tell if you have energy around this topic or not. Are you just there? Oh. Because you're trying to serve that, you know, it's like if you're not genuinely energetic about it mm-hmm. , um, nor, uh, was famous author about, uh, you know, the power of enthusiasm. You know, so if you don't have enthusiasm, right? Um, it comes across and you can't fake it. Speaker 1: (24:26) No, Speaker 2: (24:26) You can't fake sincerity. Speaker 1: (24:28) No. Cuz cuz then you look like you're trying to get rich in the niche and Right. And then that, and that feels a whole lot of yucky to everyone in the pond. So, um, okay. So let's, and Speaker 2: (24:37) By the way you just said that Yeah. The riches are not just money. Yeah. Um, there are 12 different riches, uh, that you get from a, a money finishes 12th on the list. Um, when you're, one of the riches is you love to work. You love to work because you love solving their problems. Uh, you love these people. So that comes through Speaker 1: (25:03) 100%. Yeah. When, when, when somebody goes to the Baba Summit, the builder Better Agency Summit, this May, um, as the previous two summits, when, when Drew McClellan gets on stage to do his keynote, like he has the previous two, there will be there, there will be tears, there will be shouts of joy, there will be, it's an emotional delivery of a keynote. Why? Because everyone, all 300 and plus whatever number of people who are going to be there this year will know that he is there for them. And that he not only speaks their language, his stories align with that. His passions all about helping them. It, it is clear through his words and actions that he is their guy. And, and, and that rings through. If he was there to just be playing niches in the, or riches in the niches, it, it, it, it, I mean, it would fall flat, right? It would be easy to suss out and see the difference. Speaker 2: (26:03) They were yelling, we love you, drew. It was like a rock concert. I was thinking like, what's going on Speaker 1: (26:10) Here? Right? And that does not happen by accident, right? Speaker 2: (26:12) No. And it comes across and Drew is an agency owner. Yep. And Ami is this other thing he's doing to help other agency owners. Eric, from predictive ROI stepped on my toes and said, you don't talk in any of your materials, that you're actually an agency owner right now. And, and that you know this and you know, when you get up in the morning, you have to worry about your pipeline and, and you have to worry about the clients and the billing. And I says, you don't tell 'em that you're walking the same journey. So that's important. Speaker 1: (26:48) It is important. Okay. So now, now let's move to number two. Speaker 2: (26:52) Well, have you worked with them already? And, and I've coached a thousand people on this, and we'll come up to this and they say, well, I'd like to work with, you know, maybe hospitals, healthcare. I heard there's a lot of money there. Um, or I could work with financial advisors. I said, well, you know, how many hospitals have you worked with? None. How many financial advisors have you worked with? Dozens and dozens. I said, okay, here's our answer. . You know, it's like, uh, uh, yes, you could pick a niche you've never been in and worked to get in there, but you're swimming upstream. Uh, there's a German proverb I like to quote, and it i'll, it translates like this. It doesn't matter how fast you're going if you're on the wrong road. Speaker 1: (27:40) Amen. Speaker 2: (27:42) And in fact, it's actually worse because you're getting farther away from where you need to be. Um, so you need to get the right road. And the right road is people who you've already helped you have some credibility with. There needs to be a story there that you, as you said, the stories you tell. Yeah. They need to be your stories. Your stories matter. Human brains are hardwired for stories. So you need to be telling stories for that target group. Speaker 1: (28:10) Amazing. Okay. Perfect. Uh, how about three, can they afford you? Speaker 2: (28:15) Can you, they afford you? Um, I always say money isn't everything. The author Zig Ziegler said, money is not the most important thing, you know, oxygen, but it's next to oxygen. So we need money to keep going. It's the fuel that keeps the, the rocket ship going here. And, um, some people just don't have the money, right. For you to have abundance, the abundance you need for your team members, uh, for causes you wanna support. Mm-hmm. , um, all the things you need to do requires filthy luer. No. It requires money. Yeah. Speaker 1: (28:53) Well, and that ties into number four. Are they willing to pay more for better service, uh, so that you're not having a race to the bottom right. That you can actually afford to invest in delighting your clients? Am I on the same page with you? Speaker 2: (29:05) You, you're absolutely right. So they have to see the value in the investment. Okay. So when we were in the real estate niche, um, they saw the value and they'll pay more. There was a quick story. This, um, one, one client wanted to talk to us. And I have to say he was a little shady. You know, they were, they were big, burly people, uh, outside his office and, uh, you know, so let's just say shady. And so I made the mistake as, as agency president, I said, just double the amount that we normally charge, and that way he'll kick us out is too expensive, you know? And he said, but what happened was he said, okay, you charge twice as much as anybody else. Must Speaker 1: (29:53) Be good. Speaker 2: (29:53) Well, obviously you're good . So okay, you're hired . And then, then he gave us some secret information and said, if it ever gets out, you're gonna have to look over your shoulder all the time. Do you understand what I'm saying? And I said, I understand. I walked out and my, uh, my, my account executive young sweet woman said that threat, do you really think he could cause us to lose other clients? I said, Linda, he was threatening to kill us. He would've us murdered if this got out. She was like, . Like, thankfully the campaign went well, and, and, uh, we moved on. Yeah. Okay. Speaker 1: (30:38) . Well, so I, I, here, here's, here's one of the reasons why, uh, I feel like number five is multi-layered. Um, so do they already know they need an agency like you? When, when I read it now, it could be just my lens and my bias, um, that when I read it, I think, oh, okay. It's because, you know, we've planted a flag of authority. We've, you know, become the authority in this space, in the niche and, and all of that. And you say you must educate the prospects that need an agency like yours. Um, so, so tell us all about five, because when I read five, I'm like, that's pretty meaty. Number five, Speaker 2: (31:12) Five is meaty. So you're looking for clients who hire agencies. They've worked with an agency before. They know the value proposition of the agency. They're not that people go like, eh, I could hire somebody in-house, or I could hire an agency. Yeah. You don't want those people. Hmm. Um, because they're asking the wrong questions. You know, an agency buys time by the year, sells it back by the hour, and gives you top talent. Yep. You're competing for the bottom talent who's willing to work for you. It's like the old joke about you're an astronaut. Are you comforted by the fact that your rocket was built by the lowest bidder ? You know? And, and, uh, so so you don't want that. So you want something they, they hire agencies. Yeah. And, uh, I, I landed a million dollar account when I was president of someone else's agency. Speaker 2: (32:15) Okay. And I got it from teaching. And, and somebody took the course and brought me in and, and they talked about their business for 45 minutes. I understood nothing about their business or what they did. Hmm. And then they said, our current agency is Manning, salvage and Lee, but, um, we've had a little falling out, so we need a new agency. Well, that was the first thing I understood, because I knew that agency wouldn't touch an account for under a million dollars . I thought, oh, um, I said, give me a week and I'll come back with a proposal. So I educated myself on this, uh, industry. Nobody was a specialist in it, and, um, won the account. Mm-hmm. . Um, another time I was brought in by a, um, fortune 500 company, and they had this project, and it, it, you'd say, this wasn't in my niche, it was about energy and gas and electric and new things like this. Speaker 2: (33:16) And I talked to 'em and I said, you know, I really don't think we're the agency for you, uh, because I have no background in this area. And they called me a week later and said, you had the account. And I, I went in and I said, and it was a, it was a great account. I said, um, why, why did you hire me? But I don't know this area. He said, actually, nobody knows this area. We were looking for something else. We were looking for somebody who could come in and completely dissect a problem and then explain it to our people how to implement it. Hmm. And we talked around and people said, oh, these are the four magic words in English language, by the way. They said, I know a guy, Henry DRIs mm-hmm. . And that's how he got it. So sometimes you'll be brought in for a certain skill you have that people recognize for, and, and that can work for you too. I give you permission to work for anybody. I want to stress you should market to one target niche, niche in Canada, niche in America, as in, you know, there's riches and niches, witches. Uh, so, uh, we don't even know how to pronounce the word, but we know that it works Speaker 1: (34:38) Well, it is, it is kind of funny. Uh, you've mentioned Eric a couple of times and he, he too says, uh, pronounces it as niche. But when, when you said, I know a guy that, that, uh, reminded me of something that I thought about mentioning, but then just forgot in the fact of how that that is actually an ingredient of how Drew and I define niche. And so if, if anyone listening, um, has heard, uh, Eric and I teach niche before, um, you know, yes, it could certainly be industry that's one of the ingredients in the recipe. Two, it could be your superpower as you just described, skill, right? It could absolutely be a superpower. Uh, three, maybe it's a business issue or challenge, uh, that, that you solve better than anybody else. And you're, your certain skill example was kind of teetering into that. So you're putting a couple ingredients together, which is awesome in, in the fourth. It, it could be an audience, maybe, you know, an audience better, maybe you know, an audience better than the client or your perspective client. So like when we, we knit all of those ingredients together, it becomes a pretty, a pretty strong recipe. So let's move into number six, which is, are they numerous? Speaker 2: (35:47) Ah, and, um, I'm a big fan of David C. Baker. I've written about 'em for years. Mm-hmm. , uh, wrote the, uh, the business, let's see, the business of expertise. Mm-hmm. . And in the business of expertise, he says, you need to have 2000 to 10,000 prospects in the area to really consider it. Less than that, it's, uh, too small of a fishing pond. Too much you're trying to drain the ocean. Um, so you, you find that for me, there are 7,800 small to medium sized agencies in America. That's a pond I can fish in for the rest of my life. Yep. And, uh, still have prospects I couldn't get to. Um, so that's what you're, you're looking for. Okay. Some other people along the way, they, uh, one chose pest control companies. Hmm. Um, and they became the pest control agency for America. And when people say, oh, I need an expert in pest control and, and marketing and all this is, I know a guy this works for our female listeners, I asked some of them and they said, yeah, we, we get called guys too. So it's okay. So I know a guy, you know, if you need an, an, uh, a research study for a agency, I know a guy Susan Byer out of Arizona audience audit. So it works that same way. Speaker 1: (37:12) Okay. So, so let's, let's go to, uh, seven. Um, do you have only a few real competitors? Speaker 2: (37:21) Yeah. So it's, um, if somebody says, I have no competition, I'm really worried. Yeah. Now, now as far as I've researched and, and we keep mentioning Eric Jensen, you know, helped me with this. There are no agency book guys other than me. The per is like, they're like, their whole thing is doing agency books. Yeah. Now, there are other ghost writers, there are other publishers. Sure. Those are still viable choices. Somebody will look at them as they look at me. I might have an edge that I specialize in the niche, um, but that doesn't mean I don't have competition. Um, so, but I don't have tons of people who can do the soup to nuts for planning a book, preparing, you know, I'm a ghost writer. Uh, I'm an developmental editor publishing the book mm-hmm. . And then what happens, our motto at indie books is publishing the book is not the finish line. Speaker 2: (38:24) It's the starting line. Right. It's about the journey that happens after that. And it's a marathon. Uh, because no author gets discovered. I, that's a myth out there. I'm gonna write this book and people discover me. You don't get discovered. I, I love the actress Margot Robbie, if you, if you know her, um, I do. And, and she was being interviewed and somebody said, what would've happened if you moved from Australia to America and you weren't discovered? And she said, I'm sorry. Well, what's the question says, well, what would you have done if they didn't, if you weren't discovered? She says, you thought I was discovered. I knocked on every door in Hollywood, every agent, every producer. And I kept knocking until somebody let me in and finally give an addition. I was not discovered. So as an author, you're not gonna be discovered either. You need to slice and dice that content. You need to go on podcasts. You, I have a magnificent seven things you have to do. There's a great book, 1,001 Ways to Market your book. That's the problem. There's 1,001 Way Ways to Market your book. Uh, I'll give you the seven most pragmatic things to do that are gonna get results. Speaker 1: (39:37) So is, is that something that we can, uh, either link in the show notes or share with our audience, or maybe point them to a blog post? I, I know you teach on the seven, but is there, Speaker 2: (39:47) I didn't teach on the seven and I've had articles on it, uh, in Forbes. Uh, okay, great. And, and we could link to it. Okay. Speaker 1: (39:54) Perfect. Um, so I will link to one of your forbes.com articles on that for some additional insight. Thank you for that. Um, the, the discovery thing is, is is really great. Like people think that, um, who don't know the backstory of Sylvester Stallone, he did the same thing in New York and went to every agent, uh, and, you know, did it multiple times, uh, until finally he wrote the script. And it's a really interesting story, but it's all about perseverance. So eight, Speaker 2: (40:21) The Rocky story is interesting because he also didn't know what he was worth. And one of his first meetings when they asked him how much for the screenplay, and he gave a number, the meeting was over because they thought he was an amateur. Yeah. I'm sorry, we're going to eight. Right? Speaker 1: (40:36) . All right. Can, uh, and this really speaks to your, uh, builder, a better agency example that you mentioned from, from last year. Can you find them easily enough through lists and associations? Speaker 2: (40:46) Right? You're looking for places where they go to get smarter. So the Baba Summit, they go to get smarter. The David C. Baker has a mind your own business conference where they go to get smarter. Um, there's, uh, you know, the, what is it, tan, t a a and, uh, agencies get together and they go there to get smarter. So where are these places? Pamela Slim and the whitest that calls 'em the watering holes or the ponds? Yes. So can you find them? Sometimes people come to me, there's this group they want, they're describing this psychographic, and there's, I go like, yeah, we can't buy a list of those people. They don't have any meetings where this psychographic all gathers. Hmm. Uh, so, uh, this is, this is a dry hole, uh, as they say in, in the, all this down in Texas. You got a dry hole here. Um, and no amount of fracking is gonna help you get anything out of that hole. So, uh, gee, that was probably politically incorrect. . Um, so, uh, what we need to do is find where they gather, and there's this amazing tool I have, if I could share, can I share it, Steven? Of Speaker 1: (41:56) Course you can. Speaker 2: (41:57) It's called Google . You Google, where does, you know, agency owners gather? Where do agency owners meet? Where do agency owners, uh, you know, what do agency owners read? Yeah. And, and the Google machine as one old timer called it to me. So yeah, the Google machine will, will spit out your answers there. Speaker 1: (42:20) Yeah. Well, here, here's, here's what I love about eight and nine. Um, so, so nine is, can you find target rich environments where they gathered? And you mentioned Baba, you mentioned some of the other agency centric associations when, when I think of eight and nine, I see some real cool interdependency between eight and nine. Eight. Can we buy a list of the 7,800 that you mentioned before? Yes. Uh, can then we use that list to maybe do some strategic prospecting, if you will. I wonder if this person's gonna be at the Baba Summit this year. I wonder if that person's gonna be a sponsor to the Baba Summit. And then you can start sort of pre-planning so that you can take your list and then head to nine the pond, and then make sure you're meeting the right people while in the pond. Right. Speaker 2: (43:07) Right. And there are all kinds of strategies, and you've used them, um, that there might be some pre-event, you know, a cocktail party or, uh, I know we're kicking around some kind of donut party morning donut excursion, Speaker 1: (43:21) But no running If Car Cunningham, Carly Cunningham, if you're listening to this right now, donuts Yes. Long distance running through the streets of Chicago. No, no, Speaker 2: (43:30) No. Have you seen Henry and Stephen? Do we look like marathon runners, or do we look like donut eat? Speaker 1: (43:37) I have two tight hips for peace sake. I, I'm not running. Come on. Speaker 2: (43:42) . My doctor did say that I've already eaten my lifetime supply of donuts, and I should let other people have the donuts now. But, uh, for Carly, I might, I might consent to have one in Chicago. No, the point of that is you can get together, uh, I do Q and as, uh, modeled after your campfire q and as for authors and agency owners, and I encourage people to be part of the community, come there, ask questions, to get to know other members. I, I call the 150 authors, uh, the family. Yep. And my word is I want the family amplifying each other's work. It's, it's not a quit pro quo or anything like that, but it is the law of reciprocation that the more people you help, the more you will get helped to amplify your work and share it with others. And as we said, where these gatherings are, you can do extra things. David Maister, Dr. David Maister, I recommend him. Former professor at the Harvard Business School. Mm-hmm. . Uh, he let me take one page from one of his books 20 years ago and make a career out of it. A and he always said, this is what you need to do and you need to gather, and you just don't come in and out. Um, you need to be part of the community and contributing to that community anyway. You can. Speaker 1: (45:06) Right. 100%. I I know that we're, uh, quickly running out of time. So, so bring us home with number 10. Uh, will some make marquee clients advocates and references? Speaker 2: (45:17) Well, right. If, if you have some group where they say, what would be your client, but here's the condition, you can never mention that you worked with us. Uh, this is not a good place because prospects want social proof. They want several things. They want, they wanna know that you have a proprietary problem solving process, that you're not winging it. Uh, they want to know that you have experience. Uh, they wanna know some marquee clients. They wanna be able to talk to some people that you've worked with. Um, they need all these social proofs because they can't really judge how good of a service our agency provides. Um, and everybody says the same thing. Oh, I've done focus groups with people who hire agencies. Don't say these things. Don't say how long you've been in business. Uh, they laugh at you for that. I've been golfing longer than Tiger Woods. Speaker 2: (46:09) It doesn't make me a better golfer. Okay. The other thing is, don't say we're just the right size, big enough to get the job done small enough for personal attention. They, they laugh at us for that. They say firms with five people say that firms with 500 people say that. What they wanna hear is research about their peers. Not you naming peers. But, you know, we've worked with, you know, this many people or we've done a study and, uh, our research shows, like I shared that two outta three agency owners. And the number one pain is a dry sales pipeline. Not enough qualified prospects. Yep. I surveyed over a thousand people to learn that. So they wanna learn about themselves. They wanna know that you know about them. They want to be able to tell somebody, oh, well, we hired the agency that worked for A, B, and C, and they go, oh, they're good. Um, so that's why this is important. Speaker 1: (47:07) A hundred percent love that and great way to, to, to bring us home and, and emphasizes, uh, when, when we kicked off going through that list, or actually in the introduction, um, I, I've mentioned the, the, the, the piece that you use as your bottom line to close out this chapter. You, you, you say, so I'm gonna quote Henry again here, um, what he wrote, bottom line, the more quality thinking you do upfront meaning through these 10 questions, the easier business development will be 100%. Well, well said, Henry. So I, before we go, uh, before we close out and say goodbye, um, any final advice, anything you think we might have missed? And then please do tell, uh, our audience, uh, the best way to connect with you. Speaker 2: (47:52) Thank you for asking. Sure. If anybody ask you a good question like that, you're to pause three seconds for dignity and say, thank you for asking . The, the main message is stay on the journey. And then when you do a book, is the number one marketing tool. Talking about the book is the number one fill your pipeline strategy. Yeah. So you get on podcasts, you, you give speeches, you talk about the book, the book opens the doors to do that. And also, as you taught me in Sell with authority, you can't spell authority without the word author. An author is an authority and people get your best thinking in the book. So share that with them. So for anybody in the predictive ROI world, if they wanna have a no cost, no selling zone strategy call with me on this. I'm happy to do it. Speaker 2: (48:51) Yeah. So you can just contact me at henry indie books i ntl.com. Steven will put it in the show notes, and, uh, we'll have what I call a book chat. I'll help you get clear on the goals for doing a book, what hidden assets you have to get a book done. A lot of people don't realize they're already have these assets. Uh, three, what are the roadblocks, uh, roadblocks. Don't stop agency owners, but you gotta figure a way around them, over 'em, through 'em. And then, uh, four, I'll tell you how others have gotten from where you are right now to where you want to go, because the path and the plan of others leaves the clues you need for your journey and your quest to sell with authority. Speaker 1: (49:36) Yeah. A a good friend of mine and one of my accountability partners, Don Yeager, um, often says this, this quote is not his. I just can't remember the, uh, person who originally said it. But anyway, Don often says, success leaves clues. And, and I think that that's a hundred percent correct. And Henry, uh, thank you very much for saying yes to come back to the show for this encore. And everyone, uh, no matter how many notes you took or how often you go back and re-listen to Henry's words of wisdom, which I sure hope that you do, the key is you have to take what he's so generously shared with you, the 10 filtering questions and all of the story in stories in each of those. 10, take them and apply them. Because again, the bottom line, how much work you put into the front end of this is what will determine the success. Success leaves clues, and he just gave you a bunch of them. Take it and apply it. Because when you do that through application, that's where the results will come. And again, Henry, thank you for saying yes, we all have the same 86,400 seconds in a day. And I'm grateful that you came onto the show to be our mentor and guide, uh, yet again. Thank you so much my friend, Speaker 2: (50:46) As they say at Chick-fil-A. My pleasure.

Stephen Woessner is the founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, a digital marketing agency, and the host of Onward Nation and Sell With Authority Podcasts. Since the advent of the commercial Internet, Stephen has collected tens of thousands of data points that have given him the ability to identify what he calls the “”8 Money Draining Mistakes”” and the “”8 Money Making Opportunities.”” Darren Hardy, then-publisher of SUCCESS Magazine, interviewed Stephen to discuss how business owners can identify and fix the mistakes. Stephen served in the United States Air Force, spent six years at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as a full-time academic staff member and taught digital marketing classes to small business owners throughout the state including the prestigious School of Business at UW-Madison, has owned five businesses, and is the author of three books, “The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization”, “Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking”, and “Profitable Podcasting.” His digital marketing insights have been featured in Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and Inc. Magazine. We are doing something a little different for this episode of Sell With Authority by sharing my full length interview from an episode of the Build a Better Agency Podcast with Drew McLellan. Drew is the owner of McLellan Marketing Group and the owner and leader of the Agency Management Institute. In episode 354 of the Build a Better Agency Podcast, we have an important conversation about finding right-fit clients by going narrow and niching down – and how pivoting that niche can lead to fears of stepping into scarcity, instead of abundance. We talk through how pivoting agency niche can actually help improve sales and build community. What you will learn about in this episode: Why choosing your agency niche doesn't have to be a permanent decision Why sometimes throwing out the playbook and pivoting in a different direction is a better move for your agency, even if it doesn't seem that way at first How to know which types of clients you're already serving the best (this could be your new niche) What is cornerstone content, and why is it so important to establish? The importance of building a community of people wanting to learn from you and others to make more effortless sales You have permission to think differently about your agency and how you want to position it in your industry

A marketing strategist for over 30 years, Susan Baier founded Audience Audit in 2009 to help organizations understand their best audiences based on attitudes and needs rather than just demographics or purchase behavior. She develops custom segmentation research for marketers and agencies around the world, supporting their efforts to create marketing initiatives that are more relevant, more efficient, and more impactful. Susan and her Audience Audit team have been conducting “The Agency Edge”, an annual segmentation study of agency clients, alongside Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute since 2014. Susan and team are also our research partners here at Predictive ROI when we step into the field to conduct our annual research. What you will learn about in this episode: How the attitudinal segments of Audience Audit's research are defined The 3 goals Susan and her team had in mind when they decided to conduct their latest research study What Susan and Audience Audit's research results show about how agencies are prioritizing their marketing efforts How an agency's reputation and thought leadership play a role in business development The importance of defining a clear niche What differentiates an agency from its competitors in the eyes of a right-fit client Resources: Website: https://audienceaudit.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbaieraz/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/audience-audit-inc./ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AudienceAudit/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanbaier Additional Resources: Visit our newly expanded “Resource Library“ Join us in our free “How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline” Facebook Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/

Time tracking is one of the most overlooked resources in an agency's day-to-day operations. Without it, you're missing out on valuable data about where you need more training, more staff, or even if you're charging enough for your services. That's why I'm talking today about incentivizing daily time tracking with your employees. The first thing a lot of your team will say is, “I don't have time to do this every day.” But, with a little incentive and some tenacity, you can reach 95% to 98% compliance on daily time tracking in no time at all. Tune in to learn my step-by-step plan for starting the conversation, implementing it, and keeping the momentum once you get your team on board. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.     What You Will Learn in This Episode: The reason why timesheets matter for more than just hours worked Why timesheets should be done every single day How to start talking to your team about daily time tracking Incentivizing the team to track time consistently Holding the team — and yourself — accountable The psychology behind my time-tracking accountability method How to use the data that daily time tracking gives you

For 2021 and 2022, we've been in a job seeker's market where potential employees have more power to make demands. But now, this period is cooling off as we head into a recession. This means you should be able to find good talent for less money and with fewer demands. We know it's hard to compete with big corporations for what we can offer, but many people choose to work with agencies because they're unique and go against the corporate grain. So once you have your star employees, how do you keep them around? This solocast, I'm focusing on how to invest in employee retention, particularly for your star players. This episode will cover three key areas where you can get creative in making your team feel valued and how to implement them in meaningful ways. It's time to put your money where your mouth is and show your team that they matter — because that's almost half of the employee retention recipe. Stick around for the full episode to learn the rest! For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The biggest challenge for agency owners in 2021 and 2022 How to creatively compete with big corporations in your employee compensation Why it's so important to invest in your employees' career growth What star players look for when choosing to work with an agency Developing a greater purpose for the work you do Why your employees care more than just money How caring more will make your team stick around longer

Fear is a familiar feeling in agency ownership. It's easy to feel like you don't know what you're doing or might be missing something important, especially if you're doing it all yourself. In this episode, I'm delivering advice on how to conquer the biggest agency owner fears in a Collabs & Cocktails event hosted by Predictive ROI. Whether it's imposter syndrome, money worries, figuring out how to manage employees, or learning how to collaborate with other agency owners, I have some advice that will help ease your mind and get you back to focusing on the important things. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The four biggest fears of agency ownership How to eliminate money fears by running things by the numbers Taking care of your employees so that they stick around Why you shouldn't operate on only referrals and word of mouth for biz dev The importance of becoming an authority in your industry Generating right-fit leads Navigating imposter syndrome The right way to collaborate with other agency owners

We've all been hearing it: a storm is coming. Or maybe it's not. Depending on who you ask, we don't know what our economic future holds. But one thing is for sure, if you stay prepared with recession planning, regardless of what the economy is doing, you can hold strong against those unexpected changes much more easily. In this solocast episode, I will share with you the best ways you can start recession planning even if your agency is financially okay right now. It's never the wrong time to start looking at how you can operate better, earn more profit, and keep great clients and employees, no matter the economic outlook.   Instead of waiting out the economic storm and wishing you had been better prepared, start making changes today and know that you have the power to pull yourself through anything while still making a profit. You just need to be smart about it. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Things you should already be doing for recession planning Why you should be raising your hourly rates How to prepare yourself against a longer sales cycle The importance of renewing contracts and locking in good clients now The good and the bad of employee staffing during a recession Why having too much money in your agency is a bad thing The importance of maintaining a good attitude with your team Why you can still be profitable even if there's a recession

When you're running an agency, you know you will not have it forever. While your goal could be to sell it eventually, you must consider retirement, career pivots, or plain old ownership fatigue as part of your succession planning strategy. Most of us aren't thinking about what's happening 3, 5, or even 10 years down the road in day-to-day agency operations. But, it's very important to understand how your decisions today could impact the future value of your business. Today's solocast covers everything you need to know about what you should focus on to increase your valuation and why it matters to start thinking about your succession planning strategy right now. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why your agency isn't as valuable as you might think The importance of thinking toward the future when making current agency decisions The recipe to increase your agency's valuation when it's time to sell Why profitability and where it's coming from matters Why you should be making yourself irrelevant as your agency grows How agency culture plays a role in your succession planning strategy Why you should avoid “gorilla clients” that make up too much of your AGI Where else you should invest your money outside of the agency

In honor of Memorial Day and the extra-long weekend, Cliff is sharing a bite-sized podcast with some practical business advice. At Callis, Cliff's team places an emphasis on education and professional development. One of the ways Callis accomplishes that is through involvement with the Agency Management Institute and by being part of a peer network.  Agency Management Institute (AMI) is a management consulting business specializing in helping owners of small and medium-sized marketing communication companies move up to their next performance level—and keep improving. The Agency Management Institute was founded in 1995 (formerly known as the Agency Management Roundtable or AMR) to teach and promote the highest standard of business practices and professional ethics among privately-owned agencies in North America. Tune in to this special episode to learn more about the benefits of peer networks, then come back next week to hear from an international branding expert who Cliff met through AMI's many connections.  What you'll learn:  The time and place where Cliff first heard about Google How Cliff got involved with AMI The benefits of joining a peer network group Examples of best practices Cliff has learned from his peer network group over the years How Cliff's peer network helped guide business decisions through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

Have you considered exiting your agency recently? In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, guest Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry for over 30 years. Today, he advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and their profitability. During our conversation, he shares the recent challenges agency owners have faced and how to prepare for a successful succession. What you will learn in this episode: What are some of the biggest challenges that agency leaders are currently facing Why agencies have lost some of their largest clients over the last year How offering strategy and insights help differentiate agencies from others How outside buyers are taking advantage of agency owners experiencing fatigue How to recognize the predictors and traits of internal employees that make good candidates for buying the agency How agency owners can prepare to exit their agency and make the transition easier Why agency owners should separate their IP from the agency during an exit Bio For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and their profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more. Resources: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agencymanagementinstitute  https://www.facebook.com/McLellanMarketing   Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewmclellan/ 

One of the unfortunate truths of our business is that as agency owners, we are almost never in the driver's seat when it comes to sales engagements. At the end of the day, we have no way to inspire, incent, cajole, bribe, or trick someone into buying agency services until they have a genuine need for them. But, with so much of our focus centered around not making an ask at the wrong time, it's no surprise that so many of us are left with the same question — when CAN we sell? In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we're going to answer that question in a few different ways. First, we're going to talk about what the “right time” to sell looks like not only for our prospects but also for existing clients and former clients. We're also going to explore ways we as agency owners can accelerate the sales process (because yes, that's a thing we can do), provide value to our prospects long before we're in their consideration set, and use our positions of authority to grow our reputation and crush our business development goals — all without selling. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How agency owners can know whether or not it's the right time to sell What the right time to sell looks like for your prospects, existing clients, and even for clients who've parted ways with your agency Why agency owners are not always in the driver's seat when it comes to engaging business development opportunities — and why that's ok How to ensure that you're providing value to your prospects long before they're on your radar What agency owners can do to accelerate the sales process The reason Drew says you shouldn't try to sell until after you've been helpful How agencies are crushing their business development goals — without selling

For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own agency (which he still owns and runs) in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more. What you will learn about in this episode: Why thought leaders are like lighthouses — the metaphor that Drew uses to describe niche authority The key piece of wisdom that will bring clients to your door How to establish trust before people even meet you What the Edelman Trust Barometer is and how you can leverage that information Why your engaged community is authentic proof of your expertise Why we shouldn't be afraid to narrow our focus on how we serve others The importance of finding right-fit clients Why we need to score our clients every quarter and how to do it How to filter out the sweet spot clients and replicate them Three strategic steps to getting past your fear and stepping into your authority Resources: Website: www.agencymanagementinstitute.com Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agencymanagementinstitute https://www.facebook.com/McLellanMarketing Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewmclellan/ Sweet Spot Client Filter Download: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter/

Today, we're delving into a topic that's been on my mind, and on the minds of agency owners in general, for quite some time: employees. No matter where you are or how big your agency is, staffing is a challenge for everyone right now. Every time the subject comes up during my conversations with agency owners, there are two frustrations in particular that bubble to the surface time and time again: It is hard to find and attract qualified agency talent It is hard to retain the qualified and talented people who already work for us To tackle those frustrations, let's explore several things agencies can do right now to counter the rival opportunities your current team members are being poached and approached with on any given day (and yes, it is happening.) We're also going to get to the heart of what it takes for agencies to create an environment that is attractive to new employees, and a culture that makes your current team want to stick around — and not just for a year or so. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How agencies can attract new, qualified talent What it takes to keep your agency employees around for more than a year or two What agency employees are looking for in a great employer, and how to be one How to create an agency environment that is attractive to both new and current employees How to utilize other tools for retention instead of relying solely on wage increases Why you should be sharing your agency's vision with your employees as often as possible The massive value career paths offer agency employees — and owners too The importance of cultivating your culture not for, but with your employees

Drew McLellan is the owner of McLellan Marketing Group and the owner and leader of the Agency Management Institute. In his fourth appearance on the Progressive Agency podcast, Drew discusses agency owners' succession and shares tips and strategies to begin business exit planning. Hear insights about: What hot topics for agency owners does Drew expect to see throughout 2022 How do agency owners find a balance between tax planning and building value and equity in the business Why business owners should wait until January to empty their bank accounts at the end of the year if they are planning to sell What should business owners do if they think they may want to sell eventually Why owner financing is often a good option if you are selling your business to an internal employee How long does it typically take to close a deal beginning from the initial conversation to consummation Business Exit Strategies for Agency Owners My encore guest for this week's episode of the Progressive Agency podcast is Drew McLellan from the Agency Management Institute. Drew is an expert at helping agencies plan their succession, and in this episode, he shares tips and strategies to begin business exit planning if you plan to sell within the next five to ten years. Business Exit Planning During our conversation, Drew explained that he and the Agency Management Institute team help agency owners with their succession. This includes actually helping an agency owner identify internal buyers, and then facilitating the entire process of mediating the deal and financing it. One of the problems Drew continuously sees during the succession process is that agency owners are often very good at tax planning – too good in fact. They focus on getting their bottom line and their profitability number down to as small as possible by the end of the year so that they don't pay tax on those dollars. The problem is, if they've been successful at that for many years, once they do the valuation, the agency looks far less valuable than it really is. Drew and I discuss the importance of finding a balance between reducing your taxable revenue while still building an equitable and valuable business, if you are planning to exit. The key to business exit planning is preparing well in advance for a potential sale. It is crucial to talk to your CPA early and keep them in the loop. You will also want to be sure that you are taking proper compensation as an owner. Drew and I discuss what income range is typically good for most owners planning to sell their company. Preparing for Valuation When looking at your profit and loss statement at the end of the year, you want to show that your business has the potential to make a lot of money. To achieve that you want to have items that you can easily move “below the line.” Adding items to the other income and expenses line on your profit and loss sheet can help you demonstrate that you could add those expenses back into the profit of your business. This will help buyers understand the business's true value during valuation. To learn more about Drew McLellan and the Agency Management Institute, please visit their website at https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/. And of course, please visit https://craigcodyandcompany.com/agency-podcast/ for more informative, money-saving podcast episodes like this one. Additional Resources Website: www.craigcodyandcompany.com Twitter: @CraigC2742 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcodycpa How to Connect with Drew McLellan Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ About Drew McLellan For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more.

The Sell with Authority Podcast is for agency owners, business coaches, and strategic consultants who are looking to grow a thriving, profitable business that can weather the constant change that seems to be our world's reality. How do you future-proof your business? How do you attract a steady stream of well-prepared prospects into your sales pipeline? How do you step away from the sea of competitors so you stand out? Each episode contains valuable insights, recommendations, and tangible examples of best practices — not theoretical prose. Every step — every tool you need to establish your authority position, to grow and nurture your audience, and to build your business is all here in full transparency. The podcast is hosted by Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. And — Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute and co-author with Stephen of the book “Sell with Authority”, will be a frequent guest expert and contributor. 

Quick Links:The Agency Profitability Toolkit - Get the templates, formulas, and frameworks we've used with our consulting clients to help them double their profitability in under 60 days, absolutely free.For more information on our Agency Profitability Systems and Consulting, check out https://parakeeto.comLove the podcast? Leave us a review on the platform of your choice at this link.Guest Links:TwitterLinkedInFaceBookAgency Management InstituteBuild a Better Agency PodcastAgency Summit 2021About Drew:Drew McLellan has spent over 30 years in the realms of marketing and advertising, over 25 years running his own firm, and almost 10 years being head honcho at the Agency Management Institute, helping hundreds of firms run a better business.The host of one of the top podcasts in our space, Build a Better Agency, Drew has been featured among the 10 Bloggers Every Business Owner Should Read, as chronicled by the Wall Street Journal.When he's not helping his clients, you can find him combing over baseball stats in De Moines, Iowa.

Since the advent of the commercial internet, Stephen Woessner has collected tens of thousands of data points that have given him the ability to identify what he calls the 8 Money Draining Mistakes. These are the things that literally cause a website to leak serious money every day. Stephen teaches companies and organizations how to fix them and how to fix them immediately. Stephen also teaches how to apply what he calls the 8 Money Making Opportunities. These are the things that really matter because they increase financial return on investment in the digital world by 200 to 500 percent or more in 12-months or less. And all of this can be done without needing technical skills. Stephen is the host of the Onward Nation podcast, CEO of Predictive ROI, a digital marketing authority, speaker, educator, and bestselling author of two books, The Small Business Owners Handbook to Search Engine Optimization and Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking. Clients include Cisco, Advisors Excel, Agency Management Institute, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and others. Linda Fassig-Knauer, US Channels, Cisco Systems, said Stephen really engaged the audience at our SMB Advisory Council. His presentation hit the mark. His digital marketing insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Washington Post. Stephen's practical and tactical training sessions and keynote presentations teach the valuable principle of predicting and then measuring financial return on investment (ROI) before any action is taken. He has also developed a mathematical, patent-pending process that can be used to predict the increase in online sales a business can achieve based on his methods. What You Will Learn: Stephen's journey into entrepreneurship How Predictive ROI has differentiates itself from other digital marketing agencies Why Stephen is considering inorganic growth right now The indicators that deal-driven growth is the right option for your business The lessons Stephen has taken away from his past deals What to know if you plan on taking money from professional investors How Stephen launched his podcast and turned it into a business How to connect with Stephen Woessner: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Podcast: Onward Nation Twitter: @stephenwoessner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PredictiveROI/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/

Today's advertising business would be almost unrecognizable to the Don Drapers of the Mad Men era. Platforms, deliverables, compensation structures and client expectations have all changed dramatically and continue to evolve. Veteran agency owner and consultant Drew McLellan joins host Bill Coppel – Managing Director and Chief Client Growth Officer at First Clearing – to discuss service-based business disruption and the implications for redefining the value of intermediaries.   In the classic ad agency model of the Mad Men era, built-in commissions from media purchases subsidized the services that went into the development of campaigns. However, the rise of digital platforms has flipped that model on its head. In a world where companies can now buy media and creative services directly, agencies must prove their value every day. Sound familiar? In this episode, veteran agency owner and consultant Drew McLellan shares insights he's gained from over 30 years in advertising, and draws parallels with the disruption impacting financial advisors. He explains that success today means becoming deeply involved in clients' lives to learn more about what's important to them so you can redefine your value accordingly.   In this episode you'll hear: Three things service providers should do to succeed in the next decade Why branding your business is more important than ever before How building clients' confidence can help you solve more of their needs Drew has worked in advertising for over 30 years and has spent more than 23 of those years running his own agency, the McLellan Marketing Group. He also owns and operates the Agency Management Institute, a consultancy that's been helping owners of small to medium-sized advertising agencies grow their businesses since the early '90s. He's written two books and been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. Drew is also the host of the podcast Build a Better Agency, which helps agency owners and entrepreneurs compete in these disruptive times.   Ways to contact Drew: Podcast: Build a Better Agency Web: agencymanagementinstitute.com