Timely Tips for Marketing Consultants and Agencies

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:15:21 -0400

Timely Tips for Marketing Consultants and Agencies:

Cyberattack Protection, Appropriate Insurance Coverage, and Managing the End of the School Year

Here are our latest tips for agencies and consultants as they prepare for the summer:

Cyberattack Protection: Nobody wants to think of getting hacked, but we’re all at risk. Are you coming up with really effective passwords? Do you have a policy about connecting to internal networks via mobile devices? What dangerous secrets are you giving away by making common mistakes with social media? How are your cyber practices not only exposing you, but also your clients to risk? Here is more information on how you can better protect yourself and your clients.

Making Sure You’re Covered: What additional insurance do you really need? Are you covered by existing policies? Get the lowdown here. For additional advice, look to your local Chamber of Commerce, which frequently has insurance agents as members that are truly interested in working with and helping small-medium sized businesses.

School’s Out: But you’re not. Parents who own agencies and consultancies begin having nightmares about the summer months right after spring break ends. Not only do they have to worry about how they can maintain their workflow when kids are out of school, but also manage the guilt that often comes with spending time away from kids who are asking for their attention. Here is a helpful article that illustrates how some parents have successfully managed summers for their kids while still maintaining their businesses and client needs.

Do you have a success story about warding off cyberattacks, making sure you’ve got the right insurance coverage, and managing the stress that can come with the end of the school year? Let us know below!

Three Key Pitch Questions That Will Bring You Closer to The Client Win

Wed, 30 May 2012 13:39:52 -0400

Many times consultants and agencies make it to the final round of prospects a company is considering for marketing or advertising, but can’t move beyond that stage to the “win”. One way to increase your chances for success in these situations is to consider a prospective client as a potential employee. By thinking of the presentation as a job interview, you’ll naturally ask some key questions which not only give you great information, but can demonstrate your insights and show that you’re a step ahead of your competition:

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? What you gain: In asking this question, you demonstrate that you’re thinking of the client’s overall business goals, and that you have a long-term view and interest in where they’re going. It can also give you clues on key skills they’ll need as they attempt to meet these goals, what you can draw upon to guide them there, and what pieces you may need to outsource.

Give me an example of a challenging situation in your business you’ve recently encountered and how you handled it. Why this helps: You acknowledge that everyone has challenges to overcome, and the answers you get can give you great awareness into some of the internal goings-on that may be help you achieve, or detract from, success. If you’ve come across similar situations (which you probably have), comparing how you’ve handled it to the way your prospective client did can not only boost your insight into their organization, but also gives you an opportunity to relate to the problem and provide your own success story.

How would employees and competitors describe you? How this gives you an edge: Knowing how the potential client is perceived can shape the way you deliver your final pitch. Do they believe they’re perceived as a workhorse? If so, what can you say that will provide assurance that you will always have their business covered? Do they think their competitors view them as non-threatening? How do you help them fly under the radar, while also helping them increase market share? By thinking through these questions before the presentation, and being able to address client answers, can bring you closer to a successful pitch and getting the win.

Have you had a chance to try out this strategy? Let us know how it’s worked for you!

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Timely Tips for Marketing Consultants and Agencies

Cyberattack Protection, Appropriate Insurance Coverage, and Managing the End of the School Year

Three Key Pitch Questions That Will Bring You Closer to The Client Win