In today’s episode we wrap up this mini-series on business development.  Today my focus on is why you shouldn’t rely on referrals and word of mouth for new business – especially in the current environment. I explore how to build proactive campaigns that engage with your target audience and move them through the sales process until they become a client. Time stamp 1:10 Why doesn’t word of mouth referrals work as your major form of business development 1:35 The impact of remote working 2:00 The risk of relying on one form of new business 3:00 Most business development strategies have a medium to long term impact 3:30 One short term business development strategies strategy 4:00 The key is consistency and persistence 4:44 The importance of focus 5:00 My own experience with this podcast 5:50 The importance of niche and defining your ideal target customer 6:00 Meeting your audience where they are at 8:00 Addressing your ideal target customer’s “pains and gains” 8:25 Nurturing content 8:5 0 The 3 stages of your sales funnel 9:14 Don’t expect results in the short term but you need to start today! 10:08 Should you outsource business development? 11:15 Nurturing referrals and word of mouth  Useful links: eBook: Defining You Ideal Target Customer eBook: Finding Your Niche Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

In part 2 of the business development interviews, we chat about what is working and what isn't working in this new predominantly online world of doing business. We explore some mistakes that agencies are making and how to avoid them. Time stamp 1.05 Introduction to this week’s guest, Darrly Sparey from Hardnumbers 2.21 What changes have you seen in the business development landscape in 2020? 3.20 Why you should not be embarrassed to sell     4.00 Don’t make it about you! 5.08 Earning the right to sell to your audience 6.14 Applying a similar right approach to your website     8.10 Where does your website fit in the sales process 9.10 How you present yourself to a prospective client 9.42 Your point of difference 11:25 The Ideal Customer Profile 12:25 Should I be selling in this challenging time?   14:45 Why you should not be cutting your marketing budget right now!  15.39 As an agency owner, what should you focus your money and time on? 16:18 Create a list of your dream clients 17:00 Don’t just focus on existing clients 17:43 What does building relationships look like in this new ‘online’ world? 18:45 Using communities to build relationships 19:44 What is working and what isn’t working right now? 20:20 We are not working from home we are living at work 21:20 Be an enabler for networking for your clients & prospects 23:10 The benefits of being in a group/community 23:36 How do you cut through the online noise? 25:46 What is the one thing you would not recommend agencies doing right now 26:45 Consistency and persistence is key 28:45 Make your business development time non-negotiable 29:25 Revenue, strategy and admin 30:00 The importance of a CRM system 31:00 What advice would you give your younger self? 32:30 What is your notional hourly rate? Useful links: You can contact Darryl via Twitter @darryls and @hardnumbers eBook: Defining You Ideal Target Customer eBook: Finding Your Niche Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

It drives me crazy that so many websites fail to truly serve their audience, so much so that I decided to record a episode of the podcast on this topic. I recently posted on LinkedIn about this and it generated lots of opinion including some conflicting viewpoints to my own which I always love and show that this is an important topic. If you follow my podcast or regularly read these emails you will know I am a big fan of making your website the “centre of your marketing and business development universe” and that means all of the various biz dev activities, such as email marketing and social media, should drive traffic to your website and then when the reader gets there, it should be really clear about the action you want them to take next. It also means making your website more than just 'brochureware'. Yet most websites fail to do this.....  Instead, so many marketing agencies pay little attention to their website but rather make it look the same as their competition following the same old designs. For example, they start off by saying how great THEY are & what THEY can do for YOU!  This is a typical website header (taken from a random agency website I found on google): We’re a creative design consultancy. For fifteen years we’ve been creating and redefining brands, helping our clients stand out and be more successful Let's explore what is wrong with this: 1. Your website should very quickly demonstrate who it is aimed at & show that you understand your audience so that it motivates the viewer to want to read on. So talking about what you do at this stage, is completely wrong! And this headline gives no clue as to who they help. 2. If your website is full of 'We' then you need to change your language to make it about YOUR CUSTOMER, not YOU (at least at first). 3. The “above the fold real estate” of your website is super valuable & you want to make it clear what you want your reader to do next. That usually means adding in a button to download something of value (e.g. an eBook, a top tips sheet or a tool) in return for their email address. Bear in mind in this part of your website you want to show your customer that you really understand their pain points and then show how you can solve them. So for me, I might say on my website “Is your agency taking one step forward and one step back?” or “Are you frustrated that you can’t win a consistent flow of ideal clients?” or “Do you wish your staff would step up?” I know these are some of the key pain points and if a viewer were reading these and they fit my ideal target customer profile, then they would be inspired to read on because they would feel the website was talking directly to them!  4. Using a "subscribe to my mailing list/newsletter" or "contact us" link is a waste of time because people who don't know you will rarely jump to this stage of the sales process (and without being a mind-reader, I bet you get few enquiries/leads this way).  Remember you need to build KNOW-LIKE-TRUST before someone will buy from you. 5. Be clear what you want your website to be: If it’s just ‘brochureware’ then you're missing out on a great opportunity to use it as a lead generator. As I said, there seems to be comfort in conformity, in that if you look like every other agency then it’s easy, safe and you are not rocking the boat. But surely it would be better to buck the trend & look different, and that starts by showing your ideal target customer you really understand them and their pains (that your product or service can solve). Useful links: Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

In a challenging world, word of mouth and referrals may be drying up as we do less face to face meetings so in this episode of the podcast I interview Brad Smith from Succeed.Digital and we talk all things business development. This is part 1 of a 2-part series on business development. Time stamp 2:26 Who is Succeed.Digital? 3:10 What are the biggest changes you have seen in the agency landscape in 2020? Two types of agency:  -      Those who went into lockdown mode and tried to hold out and their business has fallen off a cliff! -      Those who used this opportunity to look at new ways at doing thing from their sector, type of work and service to clients 6.20 Word of mouth & referrals has dried up There is no better way of winning new business by referrals because they are ‘warm leads’ so you should have a referral programme in place. However, this cannot be the only form of business development 8.00 Inconsistent consistency – you cannot base your business dev strategy solely on referrals. It should form a maximum 25% of your new business strategy 10.15 You have no control of when referrals come in or the quality of the referral or if they fit into your niche 12.00 New business strategies need to focus beyond the next 3 months. Sales need to focus on the next 12 months and use multiple channels.  . Most agencies are short term quarterly focused. 16:00. Introducing new services when you need more sales Understanding your customer needs and researching and validating new ideas before you launch 18:00 5 questions to ask clients to build stronger relationships with your clients N – Now: “What is the most valuable service we provide you now?” E – Enjoy: “What do you really like/enjoy about working with us?” A – Alter: “What would you most like to alter about the way we work we with?” D – Decide: “What made you decide to choose us?” S – Stay: “ What would make you stay with us over the next 2 - 3 years and beyond?” 23:40 At what stage would you have these conversations with a client?  24:40 Don’t assume you know what your clients want!  25:57 What 2-3 tips would you advise someone to do it they need new clients now? 29:50 Know me, Like me, Trust me, Help me 32:30 Outbound sales and marketing strategies Useful links: You can contact Brad at [email protected] Validation guide for launching a new product or service Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Welcome to today’s episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast. If you get most of your business from existing clients and referrals then this podcast episode is an important one to listen to. When I meet a new client or prospect and I ask them how they get their new business they will often tell me rather proudly that they get all of their business from referrals and existing clients and they have no other major business development strategy then they’re in for a bumpy ride.  In this episode I explore what is wrong with solely relying on this strategy for your business development and why, even if it’s working for you now it probably won’t work for you at some point in the future. So, before you hit a deep famine period you need to put in a more proactive business development strategy that will provide you with a constant stream of ideal target clients. Timestamp 1.00 Do you get all your business from referrals and existing clients? 1.28 If so you are in for a bumpy ride! 1.51 What is wrong with this strategy? 2.27 You have no control as to when referrals come in, the frequency and their quality 3.17 Making your network your sales team 3.50 What do you do if you need new business NOW? 5.15 The concepts of a sales funnel 6.13 How NOT to use LinkedIn to build business! 7.00 How to sell a bottle of water 7.54 Nurturing your audience through the KNOW-LIKE-TRUST journey 8.27 Many agencies are poor at the middle part of the sales funnel 8.45 The importance of providing value to your audience 9.50 Why providing value 80% of the time and 20% selling is the right balance 10.25 The importance of building your mailing list 10.54 The 3 stages of converting a prospect to a customer 11.29 Why cold outreach doesn’t work 11.50 The importance of your website to generate leads 12.52 How I make this work on my website 13.18 What should you be giving away as ‘gated content’ 13.55 The importance of building your mailing list – get started today! 14.25 How to come up with email content ideas (see link below)   15.00 A simple marketing strategy 16.11 Your customers are ready to buy when they are ready to buy not when you want them to! 16.47 Do a few things really well and consistently – keep monitoring, measuring and refining 18:20 You need to start TODAY! Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much. Useful links: Blog on email marketing (you can also download the Content Twister I mention in the podcast here). Grab a copy of my book (which in itself will provide a ton of value) and see how my email nurturing sequences works.

Welcome to today’s episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I was really excited to have a chance to sit down and talk with Jim James from EastWest PR and learn all about how he runs an agency that is based in the UK yet serves clients in Asia we discuss how to set up the systems and processes how to recruit and manage staff when they are dispersed around the world. Now I always tell my clients that it is very difficult to build an agency using freelance staff because it’s like building a business on quicksand however Jim shares a very different perspective to this and outlines exactly what he has done to build his agency using freelance and contract staff. Time stamp 2.10 Why did you move around from the UK to Singapore and China? 3.25  In the current environment we can work remotely but if you are working internationally how do you build relationships and overcome cultural differences? 5.05 How do you build relationships with journalists when you are based in a different country?  8.50 The fundamental difference between Western media and Asian media 9.52 What does virtualisation of agencies and moving to the ‘UBER model’ mean? 14.09. The importance of building a platform to work with remote team members 14.54 The importance of the relationship between the owner and the external consultant and how you work out the financial splits 17.05. The advantages of adopting the UBER model in an agency 17.25 The flip side of how I advise my agency clients ‘that it’s difficult to build an agency with freelancers’ 18.10 How do you find enough good freelancers that can deliver to the quality levels you and your client’s expect? 20.51 The importance of finding consultants with credibility and experience 22.19 The importance of having processes that are constantly and consistently used 24.00. Matching consultant’s contracts to client’s contracts  24.46 Jim believes it’s easier to find freelancers than it is to find high quality in-house staff 25.36 If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? This answer is one I haven’t had before!! 26.43 Where can people find out more about you? Useful links: You can contact Jim by visiting his website: www.eastwestpr.com Come and join us in The Self-Running Implementation Group Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Do you want to avoid CSHWOD in your agency?  It’s my new favourite term! Many agencies tell me that they just don't have enough hours in the day because they are so run ragged, serving the demands of their clients, and they fear if they say NO they will lose the client. They end up stuck on the Client Service Hamster Wheel Of Doom (CSHWOD!). Let’s dig into this and explore some solutions. Timestamp 02:09 Consider that when you say YES you are saying NO to something else 03.05 The first steps to changing this 3.15 Two kinds of change you need to make 4.06 Getting clear about your scope of work 4.37 Getting clear about service levels 6.13 Ring-fencing time to work ON your agency 7.32 Get stronger boundaries with clients and staff 9.33 Working with ideal target customers 10.23 Allocating time every week to work on your agency and support your team 12.05 Having respectful relationships with clients Useful links: Guide to nichingGuide to defining your ideal target customerCome and join us in The Self-Running Implementation GroupDownload The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Linkedin is a great platform to engage with your ideal target customer yet there are many who use it poorly and don’t get results they hope for so move on to something different. If you've been trying to use LinkedIn to support your business development activities but haven’t yet got results, then listen to today’s episode of the podcast. Today I am delighted to chat with Tracey Burnett, who is a Linkedin specialist and we're talking all things Linkedin; how you can hone your profile as well as a number of invaluable tips on how to maximise the use of LinkedIn to engage with your target audience. [2:07] Introducing Tracey Burnett - a LinkedIn specialist helping businesses find new clients on LinkedIn. [3:41] Tracey talks about how you can create an appealing Linkedin profile. [8:37] 5 tips on how you can maximise the use of LinkedIn to engage with your target audience. [12:18] Measure performance, improve engagement & grow your audience on Linkedin with Shield (Tool for analytics). [13:33] 5 tips on how you can maximise the use of Linkedin for reaching out to your target audience. (continued). [22:47] Do’s and Don’ts for reaching out to your potential new audience on Linkedin. [28:28] Tracey's one piece of advice that she would like to go back in time and give to her younger self. Website: http://www.traceyburnett.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyburnett/ Come and join us in The Self-Running Implementation Group Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

How much of your time do you spend servicing clients? If you feel you have no choice but to spend most of your time in ‘client service mode’, and if you believe if you don’t, you won’t retain your customers, then you will not have time to focus on the future of your agency (e.g. business development, strategy, marketing etc) because you are at the beck and call of your clients. Infact, you're caught up in the Client Servicing Hamster Wheel of Doom (CSHWOD) and you need to find a way to get off it and do something different, and that starts with changing your mindset. In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator, I explore how, as an agency owner, your time needs to be split into 3 ‘buckets’ that will enable you to serve your client’s needs, focus on driving your agency forwards and have enough time to run your agency. [1:02] The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group: Open for enrolment. Find out how you can join fellow agency owners in the journey to building an agency that is less dependent on YOU! [3:36] How much time are you spending servicing clients? Probably too much! [4:23] How to avoid the dreaded Famine & Feast Cycle. No one wants to end up in famine trough where we make bad decisions such as discounting or taking on the wrong type of client [6:25] Learn how to split your time into 3 buckets: REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN and what should your split be? [8:22] Having the right mindset will help you get off the dreaded CSHWOD! [10:55] What is your notional hourly rate? An important discussion to get your pricing right and hit your profit targets [12:13] Why you should dedicate time on building a robust strategy for the future of your agency [13:04] Defining your niche [14:18] Identifying your target audience [14:39] Build a great marketing campaign [15:14] The Self-Running Agency Book [15:39] A piece of advice: Do a few sales & marketing tactics. really well and consistently, don’t get seduced by ‘shiny new object syndrome” You are always the best salesperson for your agency [16: 59] Guide on how to split your time across REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN – where are you today and where do you want to be? [18:20} The benefits of getting your time split right Come and join us in The Self-Running Implementation Group Download The Self-Running Implementation Book Learn more about "notional hourly rate" Learn more about famine & feast cycle Read more about how you can define your niche Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

As we move towards the “new normal” post-pandemic, organisations have become more accustomed to doing business online rather than in person. But what does the future of events look like? Will they remain online or move back to in-person events? In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I'm excited to have Marc Convey, Managing Director of 23 Digital, a video production agency that creates digital content using films, virtual reality & animation We're going talk about the evolution of online events and how companies are using augmented reality to grow their business. [0:53] Introducing Marc Convey, Managing Director, 23 Digital, is a video agency that creates digital content using films, virtual reality & animation. [1:47] How has 23-Digital fared during the pandemic, what changes did they make to not only survive but thrive? [8:30] Biggest challenge faced by Marc working on AR projects. [15:03] Environmental impact of doing events live. [15:36] How do you replicate networking or being around people in a virtual environment? [18:37] The future of videos in marketing. [20:06] How businesses are going to use augmented reality moving forward. [23:59] Marc's one piece of advice that he would give to his younger self. [25:16] Where can you find more about 23 Digital. Marc's Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-convey-b2a452104/ Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

As we come out of the pandemic, is working from home going to continue to be the norm and if so, how do we continue to focus & motivate staff? COVID-19 has brought about a change in the work culture, with people having to adapt to remote working. Some of us have thrived while others have struggled. In this short episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I discuss how this pandemic has impacted our work (with some surprising stats) & share some ideas that my clients are using to keep their teams focused, energised and accountable. [1:16] Working from home: Has it been a benefit or curse? [2:21] Some interesting stats about remote working. [3:28] Tips to help your team thrive while working from home. [6:36] I share some great ideas that members of my The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group have implemented. [7:14] Tips to keep your team motivated whilst working remotely. Subscribe & Review Interested in joining the next cohort of The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group? Learn more here: https://www.dacostacoaching.co.uk/the-self-running-agency/  Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

The 'Black Lives Matter' movement has brought the issue of diversity and inclusion to the forefront of many conversations.  Business, big and small, are starting to consider how Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) should impact their workforce. In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I'm excited to have Chico Chakravorty, D&I consultant and Founder of Doing Diversity Differently.  In this fascinating conversation (where I learned a lot!) we talk about how to approach & integrate D&I in our organisations. We also explore how we, as agencies, should be advising our clients on D&I in their campaigns, and the importance of doing so authentically. To bring this to life Chico shares some real-life examples (both good and bad). [0:55] The Self-Running Agency Book - Grab your FREE copy [1:46] Introducing Chico Chakravorty, D&I consultant and Founder of Doing Diversity Differently. [5:55] How should we as agency owners advise our clients on diversity & inclusion [9:28] Is it the responsibility of an agency to highlight the in-authenticity of diversity being portrayed in campaigns? [11:20] Example: Marks & Spencer launched a sandwich called LGBT [14:25] Example: Tesco [16:07] What is the meaning of "White Privilege"? [17:23] The "Black Lives Matter" movement: How should businesses contribute to the cause? [23:00] The two important elements of diversity [26:59] Chico's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [28:48] The best way to connect with Chico. Website - https://doingdiversitydifferently.com/ Email - [email protected]    Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Do you ever look back and wish you had done a few things differently when you were just starting out running your agency? This week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast is going to be slightly different. It is the first in an occasional series of ‘5s’ and in this episode I will be sharing 5 tips that I would give to my younger self, who is just starting out his agency, if I could go back in time. Obviously, I can't really time travel, but I can share these tips with you in the hope they will help you build & grow your agency.   [1:24] Back to the future: 5 tips to my younger self [2:06] Have a plan to stay in control and bring everyone along with you: vision -> strategy -> action plan [6:03] Grow your agency, build a team. [7:59] Don't be led by money, be led by purpose. [10:23] Get your pricing right - Value pricing/selling methodology [13:06] Succession planning: The Self-Running Agency [15:20] The Self-Running Agency Book Download The Self-Running Agency Book for FREE Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcast and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

How have you found flexible working hours during the pandemic? Has working from home impacted your productivity negatively or positively? In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, we're talking all about flexible working with Grant Jennings, who is the Owner of Creative Blend, a digital marketing agency. [1:07] What is Creative Blend & how is it different from other digital agencies? [4:55] How has Creative Blend adapted to the’ new normal’ of flexible working hours? [11:21] Tools recommended by Grant to help maintain accountability & project management. [12:56] How to deal with resistance from clients when implementing new tools [15:36] Tools recommended by Grant to use when working remotely. [16:32] Impact of remote working on productivity. [25:55] Grant's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. Contact details for Grant Website: www.creative-blend.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/gjenningsuk Grant is also a trustee of local charity Whoopsadaisy who support babies and children (12 months to 12 years) with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Have you been struggling to build your email list? Would you like to build an automated lead generation system? Well I have some answers for you in this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I talk about the importance of email sales funnels and how you can build one, along with some great tips that can help you nurture and grow your email list. [0:45] Importance of Email Marketing. [2:10] Why you should be focusing on Email Marketing. {03:35] It's never too late to start building your email list! [5:17] Be context specific with your content to generate lots of email sign ups. [6:26] Website pop ups are great but use them effectively to capture email addresses. [7:44] How to nurture your email list. [10:31] Getting the balance right between providing value added content & driving sales through your emails. [12:32] Importance of email sales funnel strategy. [15:35]The importance of sending personalised emails [18:17] Nurture your subscribers through 3 stages of email sales funnels To know more in detail about email sales funnel, download my ebook.   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

DID YOU KNOW? Building your agency based on referrals is like jumping into cold water! Also, if you think Lead Generation is nothing more than picking up the phone and setting up meetings, then you're wrong! In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator, I'm excited to have Dan Englander. He is the CEO and founder of the Sales Schema, a lead generation firm for boutique ad agencies, and a fellow podcast host of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast. He is also the author of Mastering Account Management, the B2B sales blueprint. We are going to be talking about new businesses and lead generation . [0:47] Introducing Dan Englander. [2:10] What does Sales Schema do? [4:01] My conversation with a potential client that built their business based on referrals. [4:48] Building your agency based on referrals is like jumping into cold water. [5:43] Dan's advice to agencies that have realised that relying on only referrals isn't going to be enough to help them grow. [7:42} Importance of niching. [9:08] Why are agencies today scared to commit to Niching? [12:41] The question you need to ask yourself to find your niche. [13:54] Dan's point of view on the impact of ongoing pandemic on businesses. [19:28] Importance of Email Marketing. [20:39] Under appreciated facts about B2B sales & marketing. [21:14] Importance of having an authentic approach across all communication mediums. [24:08] Getting under the skin of your clients.  [27:08] When your clients ask for ‘A’ but they actually need ‘B’! [31:55] The biggest ingredient for a successful business is consistency. [33.38] It takes 13 months for someone to come into my world, learn with me and to buy from me.  [38:01] Dan's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [39:04] Where can you find out more about Sales Schema? For more info on Dan's agency, Sales Schema, visit the website. Also to learn more about niching, you can download my e-book 'Defining Your Niche'. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website.   I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments!   Thanks so much.

Are you struggling to convert leads into prospects, and prospects into customers? Have you depended on referrals & word of mouth as your only source of generating new business? It might seem like an easy way to win clients, but there are some major flaws to it too (as have been highlighted during this pandemic!). In this week's episode of the Agency Accelerator Podcast, I talk about why relying on referrals & word of mouth as your major business development strategy can be a fatal mistake, and talk about some key proactive marketing & business development strategies you should always be focusing on. [1:58] The two major flaws about relying on just referrals or word of mouth [3:19] Understanding Your Target Niche [3:54] Identifying your Ideal Target Customers [4:19] Marketing advice to agency owners [6:32] Moving your audience through 3 stages of getting to know, like and trust you to buy from you [7:39} Recognising that the Sales Cycle rarely very short [8:27] Creating Value-Added Content [9:35] Taking a Value Selling Approach [10:11] Converting Leads to Customers [11:51] An idea for a re-engagement campaign with past clients to generate some immediate business [13:13] Using LinkedIn as an outreach platform [14:39] Interviewing Dan Englander in the next week's podcast Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Does your business tell a story? Are you being authentic while trying to sell your products or services? Do you build empathy with your clients? In this weeks episode of The Agency Accelerator, I'm excited to have Jez Kay with me, a remote communications consultant who is going to talk to us about working in an authentic & empathetic way, it's advantages & disadvantages, along with a few tips that can help you along the way. [01:19] What do remote communication consultants do? [3:52] Another word of the moment is "Pivot", how has that impacted you? [4:49} How do you tell a story in your business? [6:29] Where does Jez stand in terms of developing online content? [7:15] Rob’s failures while selling online. [8:23] Validate your programs or courses before you start doing any development [9:13] Today's topic, Authenticity! [17:34] Importance of empathising with your clients [19:15] Thoughts & Tips around authenticity by Jez, for agency owners. [20:07] You learn far more from your failures than you do from successes [21:32] Jez's one piece of advice that he would like to go back in time and give to his younger self. [22:23] The best way to connect with Jez Kay What would be your advice to your younger self? Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on Apple, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much.

Why on earth are we talking about hourly rates?! If you know me, you’ll know I HATE it when agencies charge by the hour. After all, your clients are buying outcomes, not time. That said, you should at least have an idea of what your own notional hourly rate is (i.e what an hour of your time is worth) so you’re able to figure out if you should be spending your time on certain tasks or not.  So, let’s get on with today’s short but very important show! [02:23] What do you think a fair price for an hour of your time is? [02:55] Let’s say you’re worth £150 an hour. Is the current task that you’re working on worth £150 an hour or less? If the task is worth less, why are you doing it? You need to apply one of the four Ds! [04:24] If you’re serious about not being a bottleneck to your agency’s growth, you need to slow down to speed up! [05:56] Is your agency self-running? Most aren’t… [07:11] There are always ways of outsourcing tasks whether it be with a VA or software, or both! [09:42] If you’re doing tasks below your hourly rate, you could be missing out on doing tasks at or above your hourly rate. Don’t make this mistake! Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Today, I want to dig deep into some of the decisions you make early on in your agency that can have a HUGE effect on how your business develops in the future. We will be discussing: Do you charge hourly or do you use value-based pricing? Do you make sure you and your team use time tracking? Are you sure you are making the best use of your time? In this episode I am delighted to be joined by Susan Boles, virtual CFO and owner of organisation, Scale Spark. We are going to be discussing all of the above and everything else in between to help you be sure you’re running a resilient and efficient agency. [02:02] What are the common types of challenges most agencies seem to have? [06:41] Your money mindset will have a HUGE effect on you and how you run your business. You may find that this is something you have to address, in order for you to reach your full potential as an agency owner.  [09:25] People tend to structure their agency based on their experience as an employee at previous agencies. Why is this a problem? [14:03] “Why are you doing it that way?” [16:18] Let’s dig deeper into package pricing and the importance of tracking your time.  [24:40] When you have data about how long a task takes, you can start to find more efficient ways of doing those tasks! [27:48] Susan gives her 2 top tips for new agency owners. [29:38] If Susan could go back in time and give herself some business advice, what would it be?

Are you a busy fool?  With most of us still working from home right now due to the pandemic, many of us are working longer hours. After all, it’s too easy to blur the lines when your office is also your home and there hasn't been much to do due to lockdown. However, are you really being super productive each day or are you in fact, just being a busy fool? Time is our most precious commodity and when you’re running a business, you need to make sure that all of your time is spent wisely. So, in this episode, I’m going to give you 6 top tips to ensure maximum productivity. [02:15] Working from home is no excuse to not get dressed! [04:43] Having a consistent morning and evening routine can really help you to be more efficient with your time, throughout the day. I highly recommend you check out Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt, which is where I got this point from! [08:37] Are you allocating your time wisely across strategy, revenue and admin tasks?  [13:21] If your time is worth £150 an hour, why are you spending time on £30 an hour tasks? Learn to master the art of delegation.  [15:05] Learn to use the 4 Ds - Ditch it, Delegate it, Defer it, Do it… and you can use a fifth element….Automate it! [16:59] The importance of having a plan. Do you have one?  Links Being a busy fool blog  Managing Time eBook Free To Focus Book Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Today’s guest just so happens to be the first EVER employee I hired in my agency CIT, many years ago! Pietro Ranieri worked at my agency for 9 years before leaving to set up on his own and I wanted to get him on the show to discuss his journey from freelancer to running and growing an agency, and to the point of selling his agency. He went on to buy his agency back (we discuss why!) and he now has a number of offices around the world! If you’re thinking of making the move from freelancer to agency owner, or if you’re thinking of scaling and maybe ultimately selling your agency, then this episode is for you. [05:26] What made Pietro make the switch from freelancer to agency owner? With most of his clients based in the US, Pietro had become somewhat of a night owl which lead to an unhealthy and lonely lifestyle… [09:37] Ranieri has a clear niche in consumer electronics, which has worked well for his agency as everyone knew they are the “go-to” experts. But what happened when he took on clients from outside of his area of expertise? [16:22] Are you running a proper agency, or do you just have a bunch of assistants working for you? If you want to scale, you need to be able to step away from doing the client work. [20:37] If you’re really looking to scale, it’s important you learn to distance yourself from the being the first point of contact, so the clients don’t become attached to you. Pietro and Rob delve into WHY this is so important and HOW to go about it. [25:59] The process of selling your agency can be a very long and draining process. If you want to sell your agency, you need to know what to expect and how to properly prepare for it. [35:15] if Pietro could go back in time and give himself some advice, what would it be? For more info on Pietro's agency, Ranieri Communications, visit the WEBSITE. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Imagine having an agency that runs itself. No more slogging over client work day in, day out. No more 15-hour days to ensure you meet the next deadline. No more dealing with multiple clients all wanting to speak only to YOU. This is something many agency owners dream of yet fail to achieve. However, if you really want an agency that runs itself, it most certainly is possible and I’m going to show you how to do it: [02:01] If your hourly rate is £150 and you’re doing tasks below that level, you need to start delegating these and focusing only on the tasks that at level of your hourly rate or higher. [03:51] You need to build your brand to be your agency not just “you”. [06:23] Why you absolutely must hire the very best people you can afford, and not just a bunch of assistants. [07:49] How building a management team as soon as possible will make it easier to move your agency forward. [08:55] There is an art behind being a super effective delegator and learning this is so important if you want your agency to grow to the point of not needing you! Make sure you download my free e-book on delegation HERE. [10:37] Do you have a plan that you visit every day to ensure you’re always moving your agency forward? [13:00] You can’t build an extension on your house without foundations as the extension will fall down. Similarly, you can’t grow an agency without getting the fundamentals right. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Video content is dominating the world right now, but for so many of us (myself included for a long time!) the thought of getting in front of the camera can put us into a cold sweat! Laura Evans runs a video and podcasting company called Let’s talk Video Production and I was super excited to have her as my latest guest on the Agency Accelerator Podcast. We are going to be talking all things video and podcasting and why you should seriously think about adding these into your marketing strategy, if you haven’t already done so. [3:49] Me and Laura both have experience of being made redundant but this can sometimes be the best thing to happen to you! [6:20] Laura explains why businesses ought to be using video as part of their marketing strategy. Many of us are still fearful of this, but both videos and podcasts can be a great way of building a relationship with your audience, so it’s important to try and overcome this fear. Remember, it’s not all about you, it’s about your audience and the value you can bring them! [11:25] Different methods work for different people when recording videos. Whether you use an autocue, post-it notes or you just wing it, do what works best for YOU. [13:17] Laura gives some great tips for someone planning on recording a 2-3minute video on their own (without a production company!) including some awesome affordable gear suggestions. [20:40] What is the ideal video length can how can video content help with your SEO? [25:54] Podcasting is great for visibility but can it help you get more clients?  [32:50] If you could go back in time and give your younger self some business advice, what would it be? To find out more about Let’s Talk Video Production and their services, visit their website or email Laura at [email protected] Links Mentioned In The Ep: Starting video production with low costs Microphones for starting your podcast Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

It’s been a few months now since the virus knocked us all for 6 and threw out all our plans, and we are now adjusting to what has become the “new normal”. In today’s episode, I discuss how you can continue to grow your agency even during these crazy times, because you should not just be running on a “survival mode’ mind set right now. Your agency has the opportunity to thrive, so let’s get on with the show! [02:11] You should be using this time to talk to your clients, listen to them and serve them but how well do you REALLY know your target customers? Right now, there has never been a better time to learn more about them. [05:39] Do you have a plan? You should still have your usual short, medium and long term plans but you might also need weekly plans, especially with the way everything keeps changing right now. [08:01] Pivot where necessary! Find new ways to serve your existing audience or find a new audience but remember to test and validate your ideas first! [10:49] Be a good listener! Listen to your audience and identify their needs. [12:14] Make sure you’re splitting your time effectively across revenue, strategy and admin. How much of your time should you be allocating to each of these three pots? [17:09] Is it in bad taste to carry on marketing during a pandemic? Links: Mailing list ebook Customer Avatar ebook Free weekly plan 27-Page Validation Guide   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

What an incredible story my next guest has! I am joined by Miha Matlievski today, who talks about his business failure and how he rose from the ashes, even after losing absolutely everything in a very short space of time. We also discuss mindset and emotional intelligence, and how you absolutely must have these both in check, if you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. [01:45] A quick history of Miha…. He built up 4 successful businesses and a personal net worth of over $15million. However, this all came crashing down in 2009 after a phone call from his bank. He very suddenly found himself with no businesses and debt of $5 million. However, despite such a huge blow and even thinking of suicide for a while, he kept on fighting, built up a new successful company and is now known as “The Fail Coach”. [08:39] Miha realised that a big reason he lost everything so suddenly was because his businesses had no foundations, so when the crisis came, he had nothing to fall back on. [11:30] Miha discusses how he bounced back from learning how to be present. Mindfulness and emotional intelligence played such a huge role in his resurrection. [16:22] It’s only when you take full responsibility for your failings that you will begin to succeed and remember….nothing magical ever happens inside the comfort zone!   [23:22] We discuss the importance of emotional intelligence as an entrepreneurial business owner and why most entrepreneurs make it harder for themselves by not asking for help, when it’s usually right in front of us. [27:57] What advice would Miha give to someone just starting out or looking to scale their existing business? Hint… be very careful of these so called “gurus”… [37.18] If Miha could go back in time to give his younger self some advice, what would it be? To find out more about Miha visit his LinkedIn profile or go to his website. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob  

Imagine going to your best friend’s wedding and having too good a time and waking up with an almighty headache the next morning. Would you reach for a pain killer or take a vitamin pill? Well a pain killer of course! Clients who are in pain have an urgent need to solve that pain (with your solution). Yet many agencies are trying to sell their prospective clients a vitamin pill (something that is nice to have but not urgent) rather than a pain killer! In this short podcast, I am going to teach you how to make sure you are selling your customers the right sort of pill….   [3:00] Your client is buying a transformation from being in pain, to not being in pain. For example, “my website is not generating enough traffic” to “you’ve helped my website generate loads of traffic!” [5:57] You can’t address a customer’s pain points unless you know them and what makes them tick [08:53] Is your site’s homepage all about you? If so, you need to change this! Customers don’t care about this. [11:47] Are you standing in your clients’ shoes throughout all of your outbound marketing? [14:05] Dig deep and understand what jobs need to be done! Links to the e-books I mentioned (I have tonnes more, so don’t forget to check them out!): Are you a niche or generalist agency? Know your customer   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Standing out from the crowd when it comes to marketing your business is getting harder and harder these days and posting the odd blog just isn’t enough anymore. So, in this episode I’m joined by Ian Laurie of Snow Digital Media and we are going to be looking at the importance of adding video into your marketing strategy, in particular using it on LinkedIn. [02:50] Ian shares his journey of running his own business and discusses the dos and don’ts of running your own agency. It can be “lonely at the top”. Ian shares his experiences of working with business partners. You obviously have to have shared values and make sure you’re on the same page otherwise it won’t work, so how did Ian find the experience? [08:24] Ian remembers what it was like to experience the peaks and troughs of running your own business, especially near the beginning. [11:00] Why should video be part of a marketing agency’s strategy and why is LinkedIn the platform we should be focusing on right now? [15:08] Is it ok to post video content using a third party app or should we only post natively? [17:01] Ian discusses the ideal length and content for a video on LinkedIn and he reminds us why we need to make sure we grab the audience’s attention within the first 5 seconds. [24:00] Ian loves video podcasts. They are the perfect for creating lots of small pieces of content from one big piece of content. [27:24] So… that‘s all good and well talking about how to do videos, but how do you get BETTER at doing them?  [29:53] Rob asks Ian what advice would he give his younger business self?   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Picture this: You’re walking the dog or standing in the shower and you have a brainwave of an idea for a new product, course or a new business idea. You get very excited by this and sit down and start fleshing it out and then put it into action. After many weeks and late nights of work you’re finally ready to launch. You’re very excited to get your product or business out there so you launch with a big fanfare but sadly to little response. When we think we know what our audience wants, when we are absolutely certain our idea is a sure-fire winner, when we believe we know best for our clients, WE HAVE TO FIRST VALIDATE OUR IDEA...... [01:24] If your launch fails, it doesn’t necessarily mean the content was bad but the positioning and messaging just clearly wasn't right. I’ve been there. I assumed I knew what my audience wanted, and I was unfortunately very wrong! [07:04] What's the VERY first thing you should do to validate your idea? [10:38] Are you selling painkillers or vitamins? [14:36] Let’s look at the actual validation process. Start with an email list or at least 60 people to talk to. If you don't have these, you need to focus on building your list before you even think about launching a new product! [18:11] Did at least 10% of people who did your survey say they were interested in your new business/ product? [20:10] Don't make the mistakes I made in the past. Validation isn't the most exciting things to do, but it can save you SO much time and heartache. If you are interested in a step-step guide on exactly how to do what I outlined in this blog, including the exact emails and survey templates, then grab a copy of my 27-page step-by-step guide on selecting and validating your idea BEFORE you go to market. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Fear of public speaking is an incredibly common phobia and affects around 75% of the population. As business owners, many of us (no matter how much we hate it) are unable to avoid public speaking situations thanks to meetings or presentations – in fact it’s a crucial part of building our agency. So wouldn’t it be a lot easier if we could learn to cope with it a bit better, or even crazier….learn to enjoy it? In this episode of The Agency Accelerator, I am joined by award-winning keynote conference speaker Steve Bustin, who is going to be sharing some great tips and advice on how we can improve our own public speaking, better prepare for it and ultimately, not be so terrified by it! [1:14] Steve has a very colourful business background and his passions and focus have evolved over the years. Starting as a BBC journalist, he then went into PR before realising what his true passion was: speaking and training others how to do it well. [7:10] Let’s unpack some of the interesting points Steve just mentioned about his past experiences including being led by opportunity and the effects that losing a big client can have on your business. [9:36] Steve discusses the Sunday night blues and how life is too short – and what to do about it [11:23] There is a trend of people moving away from the retainer model within agencies. Could this be a good thing? [13:35] Rob asks Steve why he thinks public speaking is the second biggest fear after death! Why do we care so much what people think of us? Steve also explains why we need to train our staff with the skills to be great leaders and that includes learning how to be a great speaker. [20:41] Steve shares how he helps people overcome their fears of public speaking and he explains why you’ve got to have passion for whatever your talking about, otherwise how do you expect your clients to be passionate about it? And we must remember, we all present differently and that’s a good thing! [23:18] Rob takes us back to a workshop he hosted and the importance of managing your ‘internal dialog’. Also, why do so many of us never rehearse our presentations before the big day? Surely this will help to get rid of so much of the anxiety we feel before speaking?! [27:31] What is the perfect structure of a presentation? Why does great structure tend to revolve around just 3 main arguments? And how can you grab the audiences’ attention? [34:00] Rob asks Steve what happens if you can see people yawning in the audience during your presentation? Does this mean you’re too boring and should stop right now?! [37:40] Steve gives 3 brilliant top tips for improving your own public speaking [44:56] Rob asks Steve: “if you could go back in time and give your younger self some business advice what would it be?” Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

The Coronavirus has disrupted the entire world in ways we haven’t seen since WWII. Chances are your own business has been affected, whether it’s the amount of clients you now have or the fact you and your whole team are now working remotely. In this episode I want to discuss 5 key areas that you need to work on in order to not just survive the virus, but thrive. They are; mind-set, serving your audience, pivoting where necessary, sales and marketing and the importance of having a strategy. [1:45] You need to make sure you have the right mind-set if your agency is going to survive this pandemic. Remember, people are still spending money. It’s your own self-limiting beliefs that tell you otherwise. Identify your priorities for the week and write them down. When you have a plan you have a sense of control.   [09:20] How can you best keep serving your audience? If your business is genuinely helping people, then they need to hear about it! [11:59] You can pivot your business in three ways; offering, price and message. Which one is best for your business? [20:52] Should you be marketing your services at the moment or is this in bad taste? [24:15] You need to have a strategy, and this is probably going to look different to what it did a couple of months ago.  Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob   Links mentioned:  TEMPLATE PRODUCTIVITY EPISODE LINK

In this episode, I focus on something very close to my heart – the importance of niching. Agencies that have a clearly defined niche massively outperform those that don’t in almost every way: revenue, customer retention, employee satisfaction, and in the quality of their client relationships (because prospects see you as the expert, not just as a supplier). A big statement to make? Sure - but I know it’s accurate because I’ve lived it. Niching my agency allowed me to triple my profits inside 6 months and I’ve helped so many other agencies to substantially grow their profits after doing the same thing. So if you run an agency and you’re still on the fence about whether or not niching is right for you, keep listening:   [01:37] Why is niching so important and how did it work for me and my agency? [05:28] If you don’t niche, you can differentiate on two things – price and/or service. But is that really wise? [07:40] How exactly do you find your niche? Grab a pen and paper for this bit! [11:40] Here are the 2 key learnings to help you create your niche, serve your audience well and enjoy a profitable agency. [15:47] Once you have found your niche, commit to it! [17:33] One of my pet hates is when I see an agency website that is all about them and not the client. Your potential clients don’t care about you, they just want to know how you can help them. Make sure your website is about your client, NOT you! FREEBIE – Defining Your Niche Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

In this latest episode, I am joined by Roland Gurney of copywriting company, Treacle. Treacle helps creative and digital agencies clarify their position and messaging. Whilst we are of course going to be discussing all things copywriting (like how to improve your own website’s copy and if business blogs still have a place in today’s world) we are also going to look at the importance of niching and see how it totally transformed Roland’s company! [02:23] Roland discusses his journey into running his own agency and how he has niched Treacle, the benefits and explains why it doesn’t have to be so scary. [10:17] Rob asks Roland How important good content is for an agencies overall marketing. We are all busy trying to make our clients look good but agencies need to ensure their own websites are great too! [14:35] What are Roland’s top bugbears about agency websites? [20:05] What are the current trends in copy and how have they changed over the years? [22:03] Roland shares his top tips for writing great copy. [27:09] Rob & Roland discuss the importance of business blogs and how they can help your business to stand out. The more you niche your business, the more they will resonate with potential clients! [34:54] If Roland could go back in time, what advice would he give himself?   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you're not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

In today’s podcast, I’m going to show you how to identify your ideal client and how to go about winning them! This is something I spend a lot of time discussing with my coaching clients because so many of us (myself included) have wasted a lot of time and money attracting the wrong types of clients. I’m going to be giving you loads of practical advice so if you can, grab a pen and paper and make some notes because you can start implementing a lot of this information from today.   [1:19] Today is the final day for enrolment to my 12-Week Agency Accelerator Mastermind Programme! I was so excited when recording this I actually forgot what year it was (it’s 2020 not 2019 at the time of recording! If you’re serious about growing your agency in a profitable & sustainable way, this is for you. If you’re listening to this podcast in the future (are there flying cars yet?!), keep an eye out for future programmes by signing up to my mailing list. *EDIT – Due to the current global climate, I have extended the deadline until the 8th April at 7pm.   [2:00] Can you relate to this typical scenario I’ve seen happen so many times before? An email pings and it’s an enquiry from someone interested in your services, you’re excited so you agree to a meeting but when you turn up, they are not a good fit and it turns out you’ve completely wasted your time!   [5:52] Get clear on your target niche - do not try to be a generalist and please everyone. It won’t work! Download my ebook on defining your niche - where I go into this topic in a lot more detail. [7:51] Define your ideal target customer - what is their job? What are their pain points? Where do they go for information etc? Learn as much as possible about your ideal target customer and your life will become so much easier.   [9:04] Target the easy wins and work on your ‘know, like & trust’ sales funnel   [12:16] Education based marketing should not involve you using your time! – Do not waste your time educating an unsuitable prospect when you could have spent that time putting that info into a useful free ebook to share with potential clients for years. Let your prospects educate and qualify themselves using your online content!   [14:12] Ask each prospect some non-negotiable questions – what questions MUST be answered before your prospect moves to the next stage of the sales funnel? Make sure they answer these before moving forward.   [15:47] Make sure you and your prospect both go to the meeting with the same agenda – you can do this in an email before the meeting takes place to ensure you’re both on the same page.   [18:00] Close the meeting properly – Put an action on you & them and get a date in the diary for the next interaction.   Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob   LINKS Are you a niche or a generalist - ebook? How to define your ideal target customer - ebook

I am super excited to be joined by Lee Jackson of Agency Transformation and the Agency Trailblazer Podcast. This episode is jam PACKED with actionable tips and advice to help you with your agency’s growth. We are going to be looking at the 5 stages of growth and transformation every agency needs to go through in order to grow. So grab a pen and paper because you’re going to be taking away so much from this episode today.   [1:09] Doors are finally open to my 12-Week Agency Accelerator Mastermind Programme! If you’re serious about growing your agency in a profitable & sustainable way, this is for you. Doors to enrolment are only open for one week so be quick, since there are limited places available in 2020. [1:52] Lee Jackson has been a very busy guy for the past few years with multiple projects including the Agency Trailblazer podcast, The Event Engine and his brand new podcast The Event Martech. How on earth does he manage his time and keep on top of it all? [5:18] With so much going on, how does Lee determine what he’s going do and what he’s not going to do? Lee actually closed one of his groups recently and he explains the reasons behind this. Focus on what moves the needle forward for you. [7:42] Let’s look at the typical journey someone takes when they go out on their own. Like many agency owners in the early days, Lee used to work 18 hours days. However, long hours and passion isn’t enough to succeed and grow (indeed it can actually be detrimental to your to agency’s growth!). Lee discusses the 5 pillars of transformation and how every agency owner needs to go through each stage in order to grow their business. [12:47] The first pillar of transformation – Know Your Identity You need to know your identity. Be the authentic version of you and commit to your niche. Lee flashes back to when he used to show up to meetings in a suit and tie (totally not how he likes to dress) ….which would attract the complete opposite types of clients he wanted to work with! [17:29] The second pillar of transformation - Value So many agency owners still don’t value themselves enough and they regularly find themselves in the feast and famine cycle. We need to recognise that we are amazing at what we do and make sure we charge our worth. [21:47] The third pillar of transformation – Messaging Getting the first 2 pillars nailed will make it much easier to understand your messaging and choose the best platforms to get your message across to your audience e.g. Which social media platforms are best for what you do? Lee shares with us how he found his perfect platforms and how you can find yours. [28:19] The fourth pillar of transformation – Nail Your Output Be amazing at what you do! We need to make sure the quality of what we deliver matches our pricing. [32:40] The fifth pillar of transformation – Future If we haven’t worked out the last four pillars, how can we work out our future? This is all about scalability. [35:02] How long does it usually take for an agency owner to go through each of the five stages? [38:06] Why agency owners need to align themselves with someone that talks their language…. [41:24] Lee tells us about his next amazing event for agency owners - Agency Transformation Live on 6-8th May 2020. Read more about the event. [44:08] I ask Lee “if you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?” Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob Book Links: Mike Hyatt, Free to Focus Lee Cockerell, Time Management Magic The E-Myth Revisted

Hello from South Africa! I have been fortunate enough to have spent the last month here and I’m recording this podcast from Cape Town, during my last week in this stunning country. I’ve learnt some really great lessons during my time here and I wanted to share my thoughts about Cape Town and South Africa in general and how they can relate to the way that we run our agencies (and our lives!):   [1:37] The Importance of Branding - “yes but Rob, is it safe?” is exactly what so many people asked me before I came here. This is my 4th trip to South Africa and to be honest, in my opinion it’s as safe as any big city I have been to! It’s clear that South Africa needs to do some serious rebranding to shake off its past reputation and this highlights just how important branding really is to your business. Once you are known for one thing, you have to work super hard to rebrand to become known for something else. [5:12] Living In The Present - We seem to be a lot more present and ‘in the moment’ when we’re on holiday, which is a shame because most of us only tend to spend a few weeks of the year away (if we’re lucky enough), and the rest of it is spent working. Stop wishing time away. Life is too short and if you hate your job, try to find something you love doing because before you know it, 20 years would have flown by and you’ll never get that back. [8:00] Be Efficient With Your Time – Know what your goals are and organise your time properly. During my last two weeks here, I made a plan to work from 7am-3pm each day. Knowing I could be exploring the beautiful sunny Cape Town at the end of each day meant I didn’t waste any time throughout the day, and I achieved so much because of this. Giving yourself a reward, (even something small like a cup of tea or a nice 30-minute walk) can help you get super focused throughout your day. [10:39] Morning/ Evening Routines – Following on from the last point, having a consistent morning and evening routine helps me to be really efficient with my time during the day. I highly recommend you check out Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt if this is something you’d like to work on.   [11:39] We All Have Choices – I’ve been told by various people that I’m so lucky to be able to go on trips like this, but to be honest it has nothing to do with luck. It was all simply in the planning and this is something you could do too, if you really wanted to! Stop constraining yourself. Stop telling yourself stories that you believe as facts. Step outside of your comfort zone and into your learning zone, and remember, it’s all about choices and planning. Listen to my episode Starting the Year With A Positive Mindset for help with this. [13:51] Sun Is So Good For The Soul! - Seriously, doesn’t everyone seem so much happier when the weather is beautiful? [15:06] It’s A Small World - So much of business operates on a “who you know” basis, so always make sure to keep networking and making sure the world knows who you are.  [15:43] Practise Gratitude - There is a lot of poverty in South Africa and it reminds me just how lucky most of us really are. We need to remember to be grateful for what we have and stop moaning about such small things. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

Welcome to The Agency Accelerator’s eighth episode, hosted by agency coach and online educator, Rob Da Costa.  In today’s world, advertising on social media is a very competitive sport, so we need to ensure we’re doing it correctly, otherwise we could end up wasting hundreds, or even thousands of pounds. In this episode, we are diving into the world of Facebook advertising and I am joined by a very special guest, Sophie Walton of brand and social media agency, 3Twelve.  Don’t miss this one because Sophie shares some incredibly valuable tips that even I didn’t know about until this episode!  [0:45] Exciting news from The Agency Accelerator! [1:37] Sophie discusses her background and what led her to run her own agency, 3Twelve. When 3Twelve was first created, they offered everything from SEO to Google Adwords and web design. They tried to offer something for absolutely everyone! However, they recently niched down to mainly focus on lead generation through Facebook and has already proved to be a great move for the company. [5:48] Traditionally, Facebook was seen as a platform for B2C companies only. However if you know what you’re doing, this can be a great platform for B2B companies too. Sophie discusses how this is the case. [7:26] Many people use Facebook for personal reasons only (i.e posting pics of their cute dogs), but they could really be missing a trick here! Facebook Ads, when done correctly can be a great lead generator for your business. Sophie gives an AMAZING re-marketing tip here and recommends installing a Facebook Pixel into your website. This bit of code will track your website visitors (warm leads) and then show your ads to them on Facebook! [10:30] One of the main questions people ask is “how exactly do you find your target audience on Facebook?” Sophie gives another brilliant tip here (amongst others!) and explains how we can use Facebook to find a “lookalike” audience, where a new audience is created by using the info from your Facebook Pixel made up of people with similar ‘likes’, interests, demographics and more. [13:22] So, how do we go about building an ad that resonates with our target audience? [15:19] Let’s look at where in the sales funnel Facebook Ads fit in. Facebook is definitely great for brand awareness, but is it useful for further down in the funnel? [16:52] Facebook Ads isn’t as cheap as it used to be and it’s a LOT more competitive! This is why it’s more important than ever to test different campaigns (using a very small budget) before going all out and potentially throwing lots of money down the drain. Sophie explains the best ways of doing this. [19:35] In the world of advertising, you are basically fighting for real estate and unfortunately it’s not free. What is the minimum amount of money we should expect to spend each day before seeing some real results? [20:17] Facebook Ads can be a bit of a pain to get approved, and thanks to Facebook’s not-so-great support, we are sometimes left in the dark wondering why! Sophie gives us some tips to help ensure your ads are approved every single time like avoiding making unrealistic claims (e.g “lose 10 stone in a week with these magical tablets!”). [24:59] What are the benefits of outsourcing Facebook Ads management when you can do it yourself? Is it really so complicated? [26:45] If you’d like to contact Sophie or simply find out more information about her services, visit the 3twelve agency WEBSITE or send her an email at: [email protected] [27:35] Before we go, Rob asks Sophie “if you could go back in time what advice would you give?” For a step by step guide on how to identify and define your ideal customer click HERE.

***STOP PRESS*** If you want to avoid 'feast or famine' in your agency then watch my new FREE training entitled "​​​​​​​How to fill your sales pipeline with ideal leads in just 90-days" Save Your Seat Here In today’s podcast, I will be discussing exactly what it takes to grow a successful marketing agency and I’ll be giving you some great tips on areas to focus on as well as some common mistakes agency owners make. Now, I’ve experienced the challenges and growing pains both when I ran my own agency as well as with countless other agencies I have worked with (both start-ups and established). So, if you’re running an agency or you’d love to start your own agency, do not miss out on this episode.  [1:21] – Why did you start your own agency (or why do you want to?) Maybe it’s because you love the freedom having your own business brings? Or maybe it’s because you think you can do it better than others? Whatever the reason, you must ask yourself if you have these 3 crucial skills to build a successful business. [06:02] Let’s now look at the 5 traits of a successful entrepreneurial agency owner. How many of these traits do you have? If you don’t possess all of them, what will you do to develop them? [13:16] A very quick announcement that my Self-Running Agency Implementation Group is starting again very soon! If you want to create a successful and profitable agency, this programme is for you. You’ll receive 1-2-1 coaching from me at a fraction of the normal price as well as group coaching, accountability, your own unique roadmap and LIFETIME access to over 40 hours of online content, tools and templates. Click HERE for more info and to register your interest. [14:16] Finally, I share with you my top 5 dos and don’ts of running and scaling a profitable and successful agency. If you can follow all of these, you will be on your way to creating a successful (and sustainable!) marketing agency. Other links mentioned: Agency Sales Pack Agency Growth Pack Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob PS BIG NEWS! After 3 months and lots of positive feedback, it's time to ramp things up. So from today onwards The Agency Accelerator Podcast will be published weekly!

Welcome to The Agency Accelerator's sixth episode, hosted by agency coach and online educator, Rob Da Costa.  In this episode, Rob is joined by guest David Miles of The PPC Machine and they cover the world of PPC marketing and how it is changing. David also discussed how and why he niched his agency. So make sure you tune in, because Rob and David have some incredibly valuable tips to share with you in this episode. [1:07] David discusses his background and how he ended up creating and building The PPC Machine. SEO and PPC (pay-per-click) have changed significantly over the years and The PPC Machine has to ensure they keep up to date so they are able to help their clients the best they can. [4:58] How can you as an agency use pay-per-click to generate more leads? David shares some very handy tips and different approaches you can take to save money but keep results coming in. He also reminds us of the importance of sharing value-added content with your audience to help ensure that they come back to you, when they are ready to buy. [8:11] Is it a good idea to stop running PPC when your site's SEO kicks in? [11:46] Why should we outsource PPC when surely we can just do it ourselves? David discusses some interesting points about Google and how setting up a campaign can look easier than it actually is (more money for Google, less money for you!) [14:42] Rob and David discuss the value of focusing on your own speciality and delegating areas you are not expert in.  They discuss the different approaches you can take including delegating internally and using a mentor to provide support to upskill. [17:15] How can we compete with our PPC competitors without paying out ridiculous amounts of money each month? [19:30] Businesses need to remember that PPC leads can be very different to more traditional leads, as they tend come in at the very top of the sales funnel (i.e they don't know anything about you). David tells us how he helped a Dental practise change their approach with PPC leads to turn more of them into new clients. [21:30] The PPC industry is always changing. David predicts what he thinks is going to happen in the next few years. [24:24] How and why did David and PPC Machine choose their niche?  [34:01] How can we find out more about the PPC Machine? Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you're not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob  Use links mentioned in this podcast PPC Machine website David Miles LinkedIn Case Study

Welcome to another episode of the Agency Accelerator podcast, hosted by business coach and mentor, Rob Da Costa. Email marketing (when done correctly) is one of the most effective, if not THE most effective way of delivering new sales for your agency. If you don’t have a list, this should be at the top of your marketing priorities this year. In this episode I am going to cover a lot with you including: WHY you need a mailing list, WHERE to build your mailing list and HOW to build and keep your audience. The ROI on email marketing can be unbelievable if you do it correctly, so make sure you tune in and don’t forget to subscribe! [0:31] Why you should absolutely be using email marketing within your business [2:15] Email marketing is effective in every single stage of the sales funnel and the best bit….you can automate the entire process. Remember, it is incredibly important that you keep your sand-timer filled, so that your audience don’t forget you and go elsewhere, when they are ready to buy. Consistent, relevant email marketing will help to ensure that you stay in your audience’s minds. [6:28] What platform should you use for your email marketing? [9:30] How can you use your website as the entry point into your sales funnel? Drive more traffic to your website using what I like to call “education-based marketing.” [12:38] How do you BUILD your list? Remember, you must make sure it’s permission-based! [15:47] First impressions really do count so you want to make sure you absolutely nail your Welcome Email. Here are my 6 tops tips to do just that: 1. Don’t forget to say thank you 2. If they signed up to receive something in return (e.g. a free e-book) give them easy access 3. Set expectations for future emails – what sort of emails can they expect? How often will you be emailing them etc? 4. Tell them a little but more about you to build your credibility even more 5. Ask them to whitelist your emails so they don’t go into spam! 6. Provide further contact details so they can easily get in touch and follow you on other social platforms [18:21] The value of creating a content calendar so you know what you’re going to send ahead of time. [19:27] How frequently should you be sending your emails?  [20:54] Why I am not a fan of newsletter-style emails [22:13] Don’t forget about your existing clients! [23:53] Let’s recap this episode Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob My free email template SWIPEFILE Download DripScripts ActiveCampaign ConvertKit

Welcome to another episode of the Agency Accelerator podcast.  In this episode, we are joined by my very first guest and a client of mine, Sally Alexander. Sally is currently the Client Services Director but soon to be Managing Director of education-focused marketing agency, Ambleglow. We discuss how Ambleglow has repositioned itself from an education focused ad agency to a full service marketing agency. Sally gives some brilliant tips and advice so if you run a marketing agency (no matter what niche is), make sure you tune in as you will take away a lot from this episode! [0:58] Sally discusses Ambleglow’s background. Ambleglow’s main focus in education was always within recruitment marketing. You may be aware that there is a huge teacher shortage here in the UK, meaning it’s more important than ever for schools to get their recruitment marketing right. However, with the rise of employment-related search engines such as Indeed, a lot of schools now decide to simply recruit new staff themselves, without the need for agencies. Ambleglow have therefore broadened out their niche to include additional services for their education audience where there is still a big demand. [5:40] I talk about the value of being a niched agency and why Ambleglow were right to broaden out their services whilst still remaining within their niche. Sally discusses all of the core services Ambleglow now offer and how they go about actually selling their business to potential clients.  [9:30] Many businesses might be great at what they do but so many of them are still poor at marketing themselves. Ambleglow were aware of this and so made a great decision when they decided to invest in bringing in a marketer to work on their outbound marketing with them. Sally shares some more tips that have helped their company remain a successful player, even in these challenging times.  [11:31] Sally discusses the mistakes they made within Ambleglow’s marketing and the key learnings they took away from these. [13:45] What does the future hold for Ambleglow?  [15:06] Sally discusses some of the outbound marketing strategies that work well for Ambleglow, including LinkedIn and creating more value-added content to build more awareness and trust. Remember, when your audience KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you, they will be much more likely to buy from you.   [19:00] Sally gives her final bits of advice to give to other marketing agencies to help them grow.  [20:45] I ask Sally, “if you could give your old self some advice what would it be?” [22:15] Let’s look at the 5-key takeaways from this episode. If you’d like to find out more about Ambleglow and their services, check out their website or follow them on: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe & Review Are you subscribed to my podcast yet? If you’re not, please do so to avoid missing out on any episodes! You can subscribe/ follow on iTunes, Spotify or directly from my website. I would be very grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too as they will help other people to find my podcasts and it's also great to read your comments! Thanks so much, Rob

In this first podcast of the year, I talk about the power of a positive (and negative) mindset and how this can, quite literally, make or break your business.  Mindset is not just some wishy-washy trend that comes and goes like a lot of the health and wellness fads these days because I guarantee you, behind every successful business is an entrepreneur with a winning positive mindset. I’ll be discussing exactly what mindset is and how your thoughts directly influence your actions and behaviours.  I will also be teaching you 8 amazing strategies to grow your business with a positive mindset. So tune in, because you’re going to come away from this episode with a lot of incredibly important tools and tips to implement into your own growth and development.  [02:15] Thoughts lead to feelings that lead to actions or behaviours. This is known as the cognitive triangle. If you want to change your behaviour, you have to change your thoughts.  [03:28] The law of attraction isn’t just as simple as sticking a picture of your dream car on your fridge and it magically appearing. However, positive thoughts really do influence positive behaviours that in turn, attract positive outcomes (and vice versa). The law of attraction is very real! [4:53] Mindset and growth - You must learn to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to grow. There are three areas of your comfort zone (comfort zone, fear zone and learning zone). If you can learn to step outside of your comfort zone and into your learning zone, this is where you will start to acquire new skills and deal with challenges head on.  [6:44] Play small, stay small – If you think you’re not good enough to get better clients, you won’t. [8:30] Mindset in your marketplace – Why confidence in yourself and the service you offer is key. [9:54] Mindset and pricing – If you have the right mindset, you will learn how to confidently charge what you know you’re really worth. [11:30] Mindset and teams – A leader with a strong, positive mindset is not threatened by recruiting the very best staff that they can afford.  [12:33] Mindset and learning – Having a positive mindset will enable you to quickly react to changes in the market and efficiently deal with any curveballs that are thrown your way. [14:15] 8 strategies to grow your business with a positive mindset [14:20] 1. Keep learning and learn from your mistakes  [17:22] 2. Get someone to coach you who has “been there, done that” [18:16] 3. See failure as an opportunity to learn [20:13] 4. Ensure you maintain a good work/life balance.  [21:41] 5. Start and end your day in a consistent manner [22:57] 6. Learn to listen to your instincts  [24:29] 7. Keep reinventing and evolving yourself  [25:10] 8. Keep revisiting your vision to stay connected to it If you would like to grab free mindset guide outlining these points in more detail, simply click here. Finally, make sure you download these great resources to help you achieve the winning mindset: Free to focus  Everything is figuroutable Mindset  TedTalk: Linking positive brains to performance TedTalk: The Power of belief - mindset & success If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it and consider leaving a review.