For ad agency presentations body language trumps content

Michael Gass Presentation Mirren New Business

‘The body says what words cannot.’’ Martha Graham In a study conducted by UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, 55% of communication cues come from a speaker’s physical presence, 38% from tone, and only 7% from the spoken words. When presenting for agency new business remember, YOU are the most important visual to your audience.  This is why I’m such […]

10 Tips for Using Google Plus Hangouts for Agency New Business

Brad Ball Moroch Agency new business

Hangouts allow you to video conference in real-time with up to 10 people in a virtual room which makes it a great tool for new business.  The screen-capture above is a Google Plus Hangout with Brad Ball, former CMO McDonald’s/USA, President of Marketing for Warner Bros Entertainment and VP of Nascar Entertainment and Marketing. Brad is […]

Pixar: 10 Tips for Creating Appealing Stories for Ad Agency New Business

story shots for ad agency new business

A powerful story is your secret to connecting with prospective clients. Developing the ability to craft compelling stories is an important skill set for agency new business. Stories engage attention and inspire action. I have witnessed my fair share of agency presentations. Most provide thorough content based upon good research, but what is often lacking is […]

The Reader’s Digest Version of the Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is a master presenter and he provides some important lessons that are helpful to any ad agency pitch opportunity. Carmine Gallo’s book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is a must read. There’s much to learn from Jobs presentation tactics and style since delivering. Applying his simple formula can greatly improve any agency’s pitch and […]

The 10-20-30 Rules for Keynote Presentations for Ad Agency New Business

ad agency presentations

Clarity, brevity and connectivity are key for winning presentations. During my advertising career I’ve been part of and a witness to hundreds of agency presentations using PowerPoint or Keynote. I’ve seen many new business opportunities wasted because agencies couldn’t get their point across, tried to include too much within their allotted time or had absolutely no […]

4 Presentation Tips from Lee Iacocca for Ad Agency New Business

public speaking for ad agency new business

The former Chrysler CEO’s speechwriting team provides some great tips for how agency executives can inspire their staffs, clients and prospective clients by the spoken word.

Ad Agency New Business: 7 Traits Event Organizers Need From Speakers

Speaking at special events, seminars and conferences will provide positioning as a thought leader and a boost to new business opportunities for your agency. To facilitate more of these opportunities its important for you to understand and meet the needs of event organizers. Here are 7 traits that event organizers will appreciate:

The Only Rule That Really Matters When Presenting for Ad Agency New Business

boring ad agency presentations

Every agency presentation must be focused on capturing your audience’s attention and keeping it. It is the presentation rule that matters most. I wonder how much new business opportunities were squandered because of boring ad agency presentations. Nothing but recycled insights, predictable services and the same agency speak with an audience bored out of their minds.

Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics for Ad Agency New Business

steve jobs presentation tactics for ad agency new business

Small to midsize ad agencies, Steve Jobs has something to teach you about pitching for new business. Every new business pitch should do three things: inform, educate and entertain. BusinessWeek.com columnist Carmine Gallo reveals the techniques that have turned Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, into one of the world’s corporate presenters. Here are his 10 Ways to Sell Your Ideas the Steve Jobs Way:

Improve Your Speaking for Ad Agency New Business

speaking for ad agency new business

“Be honest, be authentic, and speak from your passion … that’s the advice from Mark Hurst, entrepreneur and writer. He says, “People at events are hungry for authenticity.” Mark provides the following exercise for anyone who wants to genuinely connect with their audience:

Social Media Isn’t Working for Ad Agency New Business

social media and ad agency new business

 

If your agency’s social media participation isn’t developing new business leads, it’s important to know WHY. 

From my experience, most agencies finally got on board with social media in 2010. They created their agency’s blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram accounts and jumped in.

70% of marketers report that social media marketing delivers poor or average return on investment.

Many agencies thought that by merely having a social media presence, it would give them social media credibility.… Continue reading

Ad Agencies Need Systems to Consistently Produce Leads

Systems for Ad Agency New Business

Believe it or not, most small to midsize agencies are not organized to consistently generate leads.

Agency life is chaotic. Too much to do; to little time. The answer to this problem is to work smarter not harder by creating SYSTEMS for new business.

A system is a set of detailed methods, procedures and routines created to carry out a specific activity, perform a duty, or solve a repeated business issue.

Business development doesn’t have to be so difficult.… Continue reading

7 Benefits from the Right Positioning for Ad Agency New Business

seven benefits of ad agency positioning

The FOUNDATION of an ad agency’s new business program is its positioning.

When you have the right positioning it’s like fishing for a specific fish with  a particular bait. You know where the fish are, what bait is appealing to them, the right equipment to use and you have developed the expertise to catch the real trophies.

“By appealing to everyone, brands end up appealing to no one.  Standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing.” 

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How to Create Your Personal Brand Story for Ad Agency New Business

Michael Gass Ad Agency New Business

I’ve learned the importance of creating my personal brand story when I launched my own consultancy a decade ago. I had led new business for a number of advertising agencies before deciding to start my own consulting firm. This could have easily been one of the worst decisions of my life.

My advertising career had been spent working in only two markets, outside of Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee, I had zero awareness. Little did I know that I was about to start my new business at the beginning of one of the longest economic downturns since the Great Depression.… Continue reading

An Idea Platform for Ad Agency New Business

A New Business Idea Platform for Ad Agencies

Ideasicleˣ: The First Advertising SaaS Platform For Virtual Creativity.

If timing is everything, then Ideasicleˣ is the poster child. Just when the world closes down due to Covid-19, a platform arrives that helps accelerate creativity through remote work. I was intrigued enough with the concept, particularly as a new business idea machine, to reach out to its founder, Will Burns, to learn more about it.

“What the world needs now are ideas. Lots and lots of ideas.”

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Panic is Not a Strategy for Ad Agency New Business

Panic is not strategy for ad agency new business

How to implement sales intelligence for agency growth.

No one opens an advertising agency because they have a passion for sales. That’s why many agencies only have one dedicated new business specialist or include it in the laundry list of owner responsibilities. By not prioritizing additional revenue opportunities, it only gets done when work is slow or the worst happens.

Maybe your biggest client leaves and now a significant chunk of your annual revenue is gone.… Continue reading

Tips for Working from Home for Agency New Business

Home Office Ad Agency New Business

Your number one objective should be to maintain, if not increase, your engagement with prospects.

I’ve been working from home for almost thirteen years, but many of you are working from home for the first time. You’re having to adjust to a new work environment that includes kids, spouses, and pets. You’re probably having to develop new skills to successfully work remotely. The last thing you’re probably thinking about is new business.

But just because your environment has changed, doesn’t mean your commitment to growing your agency should change.… Continue reading

Great Onboarding: The Secret to 88% Employee Retention

employee retention ad agencies

How to cut employee turnover in half.

This is a guest article written by John Paul Strong, the owner of the Birmingham-based advertising agency, Strong Automotive Merchandising.  John Paul has developed a very robust onboarding process that I wanted him to share with you.

Their original roster of 10 employees and eight clients has exploded today, growing to more than 115 full-time employees and 250 automotive dealers. And it hasn’t gone without notice. Strong Automotive Merchandising has been recognized as a perennial winner in Birmingham’s Best Places to Work contest and as a Top 20 Agency among Google’s National Ad Partners.… Continue reading

Change the Rules of Competition for Ad Agency New Business

Michael Gass Ad Agency new business

“You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to step away from the shore” – Nobel Prize-winning author André Gide.

I read an insightful article on why the focus of a company’s (agency’s) business strategy should not be upon its competitors. The article was written by Gabor George Burt, internationally recognized expert on innovation, creativity and strategy development, and the author of the book, Slingshot.

Burt states,

“In today’s marketplace, I would argue that doing something unprecedented is not just adventurous but imperative … eliminating competition by trying to beat it is dangerously shortsighted.

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Positioning is the Foundation for Ad Agency New Business

positioning for ad agency new business

Without a differentiated position, new business is much harder than it needs to be. 

Many small to midsize agencies have not addressed positioning because of either procrastination or, more likely, their unwillingness to make the difficult business decisions.

“Contrary to common belief, all agencies have pretty much the same basic capabilities, and processes. They all claim to have proprietary tools, and they may have different labels for what they do, but the approach is essentially the same at big or small agencies.”

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