Ask any agency principal what he or she dislikes and avoids the most and the answer will almost always be the same: cold calling new business prospects.  Not only is this the most dreaded activity among agency executives, it’s also among the least effective.

The dynamics that make it more difficult to reach a client’s prospective customers are the same forces that make it harder for agencies to reach their own prospective customers: media proliferation, multi-tasking, message overload, and short attention spans. The truth is that a good marketing program makes it almost unnecessary to have a traditional sales program. The best agency marketing programs make the firm so relevant and compelling that it literally sells itself.

Using examples from agencies of all kinds, this seminar explores:

• The essential elements that contribute to a compelling brand story for your agency
• Why your prospects are “media,” not just a target audience
• How to develop a unifying online marketing strategy for your own brand
• How to establish and leverage a thought-leadership program
• Ultimately, how a multi-dimensional marketing program for your agency can turn a traditional “push” approach into an exponentially more effective “pull”

Unless you move beyond the typical outbound business development approach, you’ll continue to get lumped in with all other agencies and put into that ineffective, time-consuming and un-fun process of RFPs, RFIs, RFQs; long lists and short lists; expensive spec work; and multiple rounds of presentations that usually results in a win ratio of no better than 1 or 2 out of 5. 

But agencies that have truly differentiated offerings presented in a differentiate way compete for business much differently.  Instead of having to wave their arms to get attention in the sea of agency sameness, they are instead “brands in demand” that get the majority of their business from references, referrals, and inbound inquiries.

In this full-day event, you’ll learn how you can trade the time and money you spend “selling” your brand and invest it instead in differentiating and marketing your brand; and why you’ll get a much better return on your investment if you do.

Who this workshop is for

This content is designed for those in client-facing roles in agencies and is especially appropriate for anyone involved in the new business process or agency marketing program.

About the instructor

The presenter is Tim Williams, founder of Ignition Consulting Group, America’s leading consultancy devoted to helping marketing communications firms create and capture more value.  Tim is a frequent speaker and presenter for major industry associations, agency networks, universities, and business conferences in North America and abroad. As a recognized thought leader in the advertising and marketing business, Tim has been interviewed and quoted by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Guardian, Toronto Globe & Mail, Bloomberg News, Japan’s Nikkei News, and other business and marketing from Europe to Asia.  He is a frequent contributor to leading trade and business publications including Advertising Age, Adweek, Communication Arts, Campaign, Admap, Marketing News, and The Advertiser.  He is author of the book, Take a Stand for Your Brand: Building a Great Agency Brand from the Inside Out ranked by Amazon as one of the top ten books on brand building.  His newest book is Positioning for Professionals: How Professional Knowledge Firms Can Differentiate Their Way to Success.

How to arrange for this workshop

The End of Cold Calling: How To Attract the Clients Who Want You for What You Do Best  is available in three versions: 90-minute presentation, half-day workshop, and full-day seminar.

For details and pricing, please contact us at info@ignitiongroup.com