Welcome to episode 127. Thank you for listening to the Creative Agency Account Manager podcast in 2024. Looking back at this year, I’ve been reflecting on the superb guests I’ve had on the show. I thought I’d select a handful of soundbites from this year’s podcast episodes to share with you.
This isn’t a comprehensive list – there have been so many standout moments – but these clips include tips, advice, or insights that stayed with me. I’ve shared 10 soundbites that I hope you find as useful or insightful as I did.
Stick around until the end to hear a clip from one of the most popular episodes and one that I received the most positive feedback from listeners!
1. Episode 125: Dan Pfister, “How to Win Back Clients for Exceptional ROI”
Dan Pfister came on the podcast to talk about how agencies are leaving a lot of money on the table by failing to reconnect with past clients.
Dan is the author of Million Dollar Win Back and this episode he shares:
- The compelling reasons why WinBack campaigns could be the most successful and profitable thing you ever do to grow your business
- A step by step guide to how to approach running a client winback campaign – and what to avoid
- Results and examples of campaigns from many companies who have been successful
If you’re not currently considering this strategy, you might want to check out his book.
Here’s Dan sharing the ROI of running a client win-back campaign.
2. Episode 120 & 121: Carey Evans & Simon Rhind-Tutt, “What Your Clients Don’t Tell You”
I met Simon and Carey many years ago when I was working as client services director for Publicis life Brands. We were struggling with a client relationship, it was a very important client but it wasn’t going well.
Whilst we knew some of the reasons why the relationship was faltering, we didn’t know the whole story, so we invited in Simon and Carey to evaluate our relationship. Essentially, they went into the client’s offices and interviewed all of key client stakeholders to find out what was going on and their perception of the agency.
Not only did they uncover what was going well and what wasn’t going well, they also uncovered growth opportunities for us as an agency to go back into the client and crystallize what they needed in the future and provide extra value. If we hadn’t have done that and they hadn’t have provided that action list, report and their recommendations, we wouldn’t have retained that client for another two years, worth £700,000 to the agency per year. Immediately, the return on investment for employing the services of Relationship Audits changed the game for us.
Simon discusses the importance of being proactive for account managers and keeping a record of all the times you share ideas and solutions outside the current scope of work.
3. Episode 116: Jack Skeels, “Why Agencies Need to Rethink Project Management”
Jack Skeels, author of Unmanaged, explains how managing less can lead to more efficiencies in agencies. Jack and I met at David C Baker’s training event earlier this year when we were both presenting on stage to a group of account managers and project managers. Needless to say his presentation raised a number of further questions from the audience!
During this chat we cover:
- why agencies should be asking themselves what they need to start unmanaging rather than managing the origin of project management, and why it doesn’t work in an uncertain environment like an agency.
- how less management can boost profitability and productivity
- what we can learn from Japanese management culture
- what Jack sees as the future of the way agencies operate
- and the biggest mistake agencies make when scaling.
This is such a good chat and I enjoyed being challenged to think about what we consider really the ‘sacred cow’ agency operating structure.
Here’s Jack sharing his perspective.
4. Episode 117: Tim Williams, “Why Time-Based Pricing Doesn’t Work”
Tim Williams is the Founding Partner of Ignition Consulting Group. He’s been a consistent voice advocating for ditching the billable hour.
I first saw Tim Williams, Founding Partner of Ignition Consulting Group, speak at an IPA conference in London in 2016. He was talking to agency owners about why they needed to ditch the billable hour if they wanted a profitable business. I’ve been following Tim’s work in agency pricing and positioning ever since, and for me, he’s been the consistent voice of sanity throughout the years.
Here are just a few of the topics we cover in our chat:
- why the time based billing system doesn’t work for agencies.
- how generative AI is only accelerating the need for agencies to rethink their pricing strategies
- and Tim shares key steps you can take right now to start the transition to premium pricing.
Ignition helps agencies and other professional service firms develop focused business strategies and transformative revenue models.
Here’s Tim sharing why it doesn’t make sense to charge by the hour for your services.
5. Episode 114: Gareth Healey, “Stand Out or Die”
Gareth Healey is the managing partner at the people first M&A consultancy, Cactus and author of Stand Out or Die. He provides consultancy for agency owners.
He provides consultancy for agency owners.
In this episode, Gareth shares:
- Lessons from scaling and exiting his business.
- A seven-step framework for standing out in a crowded marketplace.
- Market trends for the next 1-3 years and their impact on agencies.
I love Gareth’s straight talking style and here’s what he had to say about what’s coming for agencies over the next 1-3 years
6. Episode 115: Tim Riesterer, “Why selling to client and prospects is different”
Tim Riesterer, head of B2B Decision Labs for Corporate Visions, is the author of The Expansion Sale.
We discussed data backed insight into:
- the real reason prospects buy and how to change your approach to new business
- why how you sell to prospects is not the way you should sell to existing clients
- why overcoming the client’s status quo bias is the key to unlocking client growth
- why asking your client what problems they have just doesn’t work, and so much more.
Here’s Tim explaining why status quo bias is the biggest barrier to your sales efforts.
7. Episode 109: Michael Farmer, “Why the Agency Business Model Isn’t Working”
Michael Farmer, author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, offers a candid view of the challenges in the agency business model.
He explains how agencies can address trends of overwork, declining profits, and diminished marketing results. Michael shares how account managers have shifted from being proactive salespeople to more passive servicers—and why they need to act more like management consultants.
Here’s Michael’s take on the changing role of account management.
8. Episode 91: Sharon Toerek, “How Agencies Are Navigating the Legalities of AI Use”
Sharon Toerek, founder of Toerek Law, shares advice on the legalities of using generative AI tools.
Generative AI is obviously a hot topic among agencies for so many reasons. Sharon specialises in helping agencies. In this episode Sharon shares everything you need to know about the legalities of using AI.
In this clip, Sharon explains the risks of sharing sensitive information when using AI and what account managers need to know.
9. Episode 111: Alison Coward, “How a Workshop Culture Builds High-Performing Teams”
Alison Coward, founder of Bracket, explains how to build high-performing team cultures.
She shares:
- Why agency teams often struggle with collaboration and how to fix it.
- Her five-pillar framework for implementing a workshop culture.
- How to make meetings more productive.
Here’s Alison on using time more effectively in meetings.
10. Episode 105: Benjamin Dennehy & Marcus Cauchi, “How to Sell”
Marcus and Benjamin are two of the most popular guests we’ve had on the show. Their sales tips are a masterclass for agency owners.
Marcus: “Good account managers meet expectations. Great ones anticipate needs and solve problems before they arise.”
Benjamin: “Many agency owners approach sales with flawed strategies. Here’s how to rethink your approach.”
This episode has received incredible feedback. Here’s Marcus and Benjamin sharing their collective wisdom.
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