Consider this rough list of the many pieces of an effective new business program:
- Clear understanding of your agency’s strengths and weakness
- Account service managers who generate organic growth
- A true agency sales person
- Agency positioning
- Existing and new industry categories
- Specific companies and contacts to pursue on a prospect list
- Collateral materials (on-hand): HTML and text emails, creative work, case studies, testimonials, website(s), blog(s), etc.
- Written list of smart questions – to ask prospects at every step of the process
- CRM program
- First meeting person/team
- Pitch team (one team, who all like each other)
- Research
- Appointment setting
- Presentation skills
- Researching and writing RFPs
- New business strategy
- Inbound marketing – get found by clients
If nothing else, the list of everything that an agency needs to be good at to generate new business is daunting. And this isn’t even supposed to be an agency’s core competency!
So, it’s not surprising that few agencies are good at all of these, and why many get help with different pieces.
Just the way an agency might bring in a freelancer to help prepare creative for a pitch, many of the above can be outsourced.
Here are some companies that can provide help with different parts of the process (full disclosure: * indicates I have a business relationship with the company).
Prospect Lists
The List* – marketing
Hoovers – C-level
AccessConfidential
Lead Generation, Appointment Setting
Catapult New Business*
RSW
Linkergy
Research
Ad-Ology
Mintel
Snippies
The List*
Strategy, Positioning
Organic Growth
Pitching
Louws Management
Mirren
Presentation Skills
Louws Management
Inbound Marketing
Michael Gass – social media
AgencyComPile
Marketing Mine*
Competitive Research
Adforum – new creative
The List – client/agency relationships, media spending
CRM
I’m sure there are other resources that you like – let me know and I’ll include them in this list.
