All Summaries for Build a Better Agency Podcast

Shifting agency culture has been a huge point of contention for many agency owners since the beginning of the pandemic. For some, it’s brought a lot of challenges in understanding how we can work as a team while being scattered around, while others have embraced the changes and have tried to adapt the best they can. However, it can still be challenging to fully adapt to how quickly agency life has changed in just a few years. Our guest today, Gustavo Razzetti, has one simple message for us — it’s time to accept that agency life as we know it has changed forever, and we need to figure out what that means for us and our teams.   Agency culture may never be the same, but we shouldn’t be less successful because of it. Join us in listening to our discussion about creating an effective agency culture for you and your team, whether hybrid, remote, or trying to figure out something entirely new. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but we can at least help get the wheels spinning so you can figure out where to begin. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.   What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why agency culture is so important today compared to in past decades Creating a workplace culture that makes people want to work there AND stay Welcoming communication and collaboration in remote or hybrid teams Getting a facilitator involved in agency culture shifts Trialing new ideas and work strategies before fully committing Workplace trends that are coming, and what’s here to stay Why the 9-5 is dead, but the 4-day work week isn’t the solution Flexibility goes both ways Helping clients overcome common remote workplace challenges Involving employees in problem-solving earlier in the process How owners and leaders can create a strong agency culture in a new modern work environment

No matter how experienced you are, everyone gets nervous before getting up in front of a room full of people to speak. The adrenaline starts pumping, and you start doubting yourself and your ideas a little bit. It’s a universal experience we’ve all felt at least once in our lives. Michael Weiss is here to teach us that giving presentations doesn’t have to be the stressful, nerve-wracking experience we often make it out to be. When you boil it down, it’s just an exchange of ideas you’re gifting to your audience. And with enough rehearsal and understanding of your speaking style, it can be engaging and fun, too.   If you have a sales pitch, an important client presentation, or even a big presentation on stage at a conference coming up, be sure to refer back to this episode to learn professional strategies for how to deliver an informative presentation while keeping your audience engaged and interested. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Helping people recognize they’ve earned the right to be on stage Understanding that the audience wants you to succeed Why you must always rehearse before presentations, and for how long Getting more comfortable with rehearsing presentations How agency leaders can set great examples for the team with presentations Finding a groove when presenting with multiple speakers Honoring your speaking style and giving engaging presentations How to have brilliant and clear slide decks Reading the audience and keeping them engaged

With new client acquisition at an all-time low, it’s more important than ever to focus on growing your existing client base. In fact, 60 to 70 percent of your net new revenue should now come from existing clients to continue being profitable. This means it’s time to teach your AE’s how crucial it is to know how to navigate agency math, foster agency growth, and sell new, innovative ideas to your existing clients. Many AEs don’t realize it’s their job to do these tasks, which means there’s room for improvement from agency owners to teach them these skills so your agency can continue to grow in a difficult economic time. In this episode, we’ll cover topics like the roles AEs play in agency growth and growing existing clients, how to adjust your work scope over time to remain profitable, the importance of bringing innovative ideas to your clients, and many more actionable items for your team to learn and grow from. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How to get 60 to 70 percent of your net new revenue to come from existing clients The cost of acquiring new clients over growing existing ones How to adjust a growing work scope with a client over time The importance of teaching AEs agency math and how we make money Where AEs need to step up to help grow the existing client base Allowing clients to talk about the problems they need to be solved How we frustrate our clients by being too timid Being a catalyst for bringing experts together to solve your client’s problems

There’s more M&A activity amongst agencies than ever before. As agency owners get older and running the business becomes more stressful, many owners are running out of gas and looking for a reset. This means there has never been a more perfect time if you’re looking to buy an agency. And if you’re looking to sell, it might go faster than you anticipate. We know that M&As are stressful on both sides of the deal, no matter how much you plan ahead. So this week, we’re taking a deep dive into the whole process — how far in advance to plan your sale, valuation, succession planning, dealing with the emotions behind it, and much more. Even if you’re not planning to sell your agency right now, eventually, this will become a reality, and it’s always better to be ahead of the curve. So don’t miss this longer episode packed with tips for passing the torch and preparing for the future of your agency. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why M&A activity is so high right now The strongest factors that will determine agency valuation How to assess your agency valuation Preparing 3-5 years in advance for an M&A Passing the torch to a new owner and being the buyer’s cheerleader Giving your employees the opportunity to be an internal buyer Preparing for an M&A for both a buyer and a seller Expenses to expect when preparing for a sale on both sides

Does your agency have what it takes to provide best-in-class service to your clients? According to Susan Quinn’s research, there are 9 traits that an agency should have in order to get there.   It’s not always about being the fastest or having the best prices. In fact, it’s almost never about price when you’re providing top-notch service. What it ultimately comes down to is living by your agency’s core values, innovation, and an intense focus on quality. Susan Quinn and her team have been living by these traits so well that they began studying them to find out just what makes the best client experience and best-in-class service. So, if you’re ready to take your agency to the next level and partner with next-level companies, tune in to learn how they constantly improve their client experience and how you stack up against the competition. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The basis for the research about the 9 traits of agencies with best-in-class service Breaking down each trait Why adopting the 9 traits will set your agency up for continued growth How Susan’s agency conducted their research The 3 ways C-Suite employees categorized their best-in-class status How niching down has changed Susan’s agency over decades The importance of partnering with other agencies with the same core values Why you and your agency should always be learning and innovating

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