Swenk Today: The Digital Marketing Agency Show

What are the two things you can send to a prospect that closes the deal with new prospects? Competition is tough but by sending these two types of videos to your prospects you will close more deals and set your agency apart from every other agency out there.

So many agencies struggle with finding the right salespeople. Then when they do find and hire a salesperson they have trouble training them to sell. So, my business partner and I created http://SalesPipelineAccelerator.com -- which is our company that finds, hires, and training salespeople for marketing agencies. This week we're developing video training for our courses and one of them is about these two things you can do to set your agency apart and close more deals.

1 -- Pre-indoctrination video: This is something that I send before the meeting and it helps the prospect feel at ease before we even meet. It addresses common questions and explains what will be covered in the meeting. It doesn't have to be long; just adequately cover the topics.

2-- Post-meeting video: After you've presented the proposal (remember: present it in person -- never send it!), create a video that summarizes your takeaways from the meeting. Summarize their problems, what they want, and walk through the plan again. A lot of times, the prospect meets with more than one agency in a day. So if they have this video to reference later on, you'll stand out from the others.

I like the software called Loom (https://www.useloom.com), but there are a lot of great ones out there. I promise you these personal touches go a long way with your prospects. This is what will separate you from the competition and win you more sales.

I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need?
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SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP
=======================================================
Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. 

JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.
Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

SCHEDULE
TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday
Q&A from my digital agency audience

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Podcast Wednesday:
(Digital Agency Interviews)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1
or
http://smartagencymasterclass.com

Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com 
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk  
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

What things should you automate in your agency? What should you NOT automate? With technology being what it is today it's very easy to want to automate as much as possible. But just because you can do something doesn't always mean you should.

When we try to automate everything we de-humanize the experience. Sure it saves us time, but it's also deteriorating the relationship with the customer.

I automate just enough to get the conversation started. Then I take over and have a real person conversation to try to understand what the prospect needs and if I'm the one who can help provide a solution.

I truly believe that is how we're going to stand apart from the competition. The winners are going to be the ones who build relationships and have real conversations.

You don't need a complicated funnel that leads to automated webinars. Trying to trick your prospects is not the way to win their trust. Be real, be honest, and you'll see results.

If you're not in a place that you want to be right now, think about what things you can de-automate in your business. The goal is to get the conversation started, but do not use automation to keep the conversation going.

Comment below and tell me what things you can automate or de-automate in your business. How can you stand apart from automation nation?

Related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOVMgkhCtY0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvtsth5WHIo

Should you merge with a bigger agency because you lack the confidence to go the long road? Honestly, no. Agency life is hard, but don't throw in the towel yet. Frustration happens daily and when an offer comes along it might be tempting to let someone else take over.

I think merging with another agency should really just be a last resort. Here's why...

I've worked with agencies for the last five years and before that, I ran my agency for twelve years. And what I usually see in these cases is that it works out in the short term but eventually, it blows up in their face.

Why are you considering merging with another agency? Is it a lack of skill, or a lack of knowledge? Are you unsure about how you can scale your agency? A lot of people look at mergers as a way to grow. But, it's not really the best way to grow and it ends up causing more harm than good.

Here's what you need to do first before I roll your agency up with another: surround yourself with like-minded people. Talk to other agency owners, join a mastermind, hire an adviser who's been there and done it. What you need is the wisdom and experience of others, because running an agency can be very isolating - but it doesn't have to be!

The next thing you should do is evaluate what your agency is actually worth. Maybe instead of a merger, you will want to cash in your chips and sell.

I just think if you merge with another agency you're giving up too much control for nothing. But, after you've researched other options then, as a last resort, consider a merger. First make sure both agencies believe in the same thing, have similar core values, culture and teams line up nicely. Then create a good Operating Agreement and define roles, buyout details, etc.

Wonder what the Godfather of Marketing thinks about the trajectory of the agency space? The one and only Seth Godin is on the show delivering massive value on everything from determining your value to the network effect to creating a line out your door.

Seth Godin is the author of amazing marketing books, including bestsellers like This is Marketing, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, All Marketers are Liars -- just to name a few!

Major takeaways from Seth:
11:11 - There are 2 ways to figure out your value.
15:11 - How niching down will win you more business.
18:00 - The tension we need to cause change.
21:50 - What is the network effect?
24:54 - Creating a line out your door.

I'm so appreciative to have Seth on the show... you'll see in this video I'm a little *star struck* :) But, you would be too! I loved every minute of this interview and I know you'll get tons of value from watching it start to finish.

Please leave your comments below and tell me what your best takeaways were from it. Also, drop your questions below so we can cover those in a future video.

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Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. 

JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

SCHEDULE
TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday
Q&A from my digital agency audience

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Podcast Wednesday:
(Digital Agency Interviews)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1
or
http://smartagencymasterclass.com

Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com 
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk  
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

What's the difference between building a business logo and building a brand? In this video, we'll talk about the differences and what you can do to make sure you're building your agency brand, instead of just a business.

A business's logo is just a symbol that is easily interchangeable with other businesses in their industry. But a brand tells customers what the business stands for and believes in.

I use the example of the Apple Watch... How much more will people pay for it versus its competitor which is not as well known? People will pay more for the Apple Watch because they identify with the Apple brand. Right?

How can you build your agency brand? How can you make your prospects and clients brand loyal? It's by making your belief the foundation of your brand.

I believe that agencies need a resource for growing their business faster and easier because when I owned my agency I wish I'd had that type of resource. That's what I believe and it's evident in everything I put out into the world... whether it's a program or course, podcast, video, book... it's what we stand for and what I've built the JasonSwenk brand around.

What do you stand for? How do you want people to describe you? This is one of those things we skip over when we're starting our business but its one of the most key foundations for dominating the industry.

So what you are going to do in order to build your agency's brand? Comment below!

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Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. 

JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

SCHEDULE
TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday
Q&A from my digital agency audience

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Podcast Wednesday:
(Digital Agency Interviews)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1
or
http://smartagencymasterclass.com

Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com 
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk  
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

There's one thing that you are probably doing at your digital agency that you should definitely NOT be doing. If you're concentrating on your weaknesses and trying to improve those, then you need to stop right now. In this video, I'll tell you exactly why...

I was speaking at a conference and one of the other speakers made some great points about how we, as businesses, look at our strengths and weaknesses. It inspired me to share the message with you because I know a lot of agency owners are making this mistake.

Most of us know our business' strengths and weakness. We are constantly working to improve our weaknesses. But the fact is, we need to just let those go and concentrate on the strengths. Don't worry about improving your weakness instead, accept and move past it. Build your business and brand based on the strengths alone.

The same holds true for your employees. Rather than focusing on their weaknesses and trying to improve those areas, focus on their strengths. Put them in the right role at the agency where their strengths can really shine. Don't worry about their weaknesses if you can have someone one else do those things. Find team members that are ying-and-yang so they balance each other out harmoniously. That's when your agency can really take off and grow.

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SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP

=======================================================
Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. 


JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.


Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.

Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 


SCHEDULE

TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday
Q&A from my digital agency audience


Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk


Podcast Wednesday:
(Digital Agency Interviews)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1
or
http://smartagencymasterclass.com


Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com 
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk  
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk


Music by epidemicsound.com

If you're asking yourself "Why am I still at the same level I've been for the past couple of months, years, decades?" And if you're stuck in a rut - then this is the video for you. We'll talk about what you might be doing that could be holding you back.

My uncle worked for the company which worked on the F-14 fighter jet (think Top Gun movie). Super cool!! Anyway, my uncle told us this story when I was younger...

They were working on the F-14 canopy because bird strikes are pretty common. So they would use dead birds to test out their solutions. Time after time after time they would shoot these dead birds at the canopy at different speeds but for months it kept breaking the canopy. No matter what they tried the bird kept breaking the canopy. They were totally stumped.

Finally, they ended up contacting NASA and explaining the situation. NASA responded back in one line: "Unfreeze the chicken." See, my uncle's company was just too close to the situation. They were literally firing frozen chickens at the canopy. And they couldn't see the solution that was right in front of them.

So, what problem are you experiencing that you're too close to? The solution is to seek outside help. Whether it's me or someone else, you need a fresh perspective.

----- EXCLUSIVE AGENCY OWNER MASTERMIND -----
Are you overwhelmed by all the information out there on various ways to grow your agency? Do you want direction on how you can grow your agency faster and easier?

Then you’re in luck! I created an innovative mentorship called Agency University Mastermind.

Check out http://Agency.University to see if its the right fit for you.

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SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP
=======================================================
JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.

SCHEDULE
TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday
Q&A from my digital agency audience

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Podcast Wednesday:
(Digital Agency Interviews)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1
or
http://smartagencymasterclass.com

Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

Do your employees always come to you not sure what they should do? Are you constantly struggling with what projects to say "yes" to, and which ones to say "no" to? Well, in this video we're going to talk about clarity.

Whether you're brand new to agency ownership or doing it for decades clarity can get muddy. And I was talking to one of my agency clients who's been in the business a long time - 20 years. They're currently at the $3 million mark, but past couple years sales have been stagnant and the profit margin is less than 10%.

I remember I was at this same point when I owned my agency... and it was depressing! I was about 10 years into the business. That's when I first considered closing or selling my agency in order to go do something else. But it turns out what I really needed was clarity.

I was actually applying for a CMO job with NASCAR and they asked two questions:

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO EVERY DAY?
WHAT DO YOU NEVER WANT TO DO ANYMORE?

Those 2 powerful questions will help. It will help you get clear on what you love doing and what you need to stop doing. Go through this exercise and I promise you will get really clear on what you should be doing and what you should be saying "no" to.

In order to grow, you have to be extremely focused. And when you really focused on where you want to go and what you want to do then you can start effectively delegating to others. That's when your team will be able to make decisions that are to the benefit of the agency because they know where you want to head with the business.

So going back to that agency client of mine... they needed to go back to the basics and get really clear. That's how they can get out of that funk of being stagnant. Without clarity you don't know your market position or offering... it all starts here with clarity.

More info: 👉 https://jasonswenk.com/framework-books/

Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows.
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JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Follow me here:
Website: http://jasonswenk.com 
Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk  
Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

One big issue for agencies headed into 2019 is client acquisition. We recently sent a survey to 30,000 agencies and discovered an alarming truth about the trouble they're having with sales and client acquisition.

In the survey, we asked how many agencies have salesperson(s) outside of the owner... and it was just 40%. Of those, less than 20% were actually happy with their sales team. That's staggering!

Now, a lot of agency owners wonder when they should hire for sales. I like to suggest the benchmark of $500,000 in revenue is when you want to hire someone else to handle sales.

Alternatively, if you're seeing lots of fluctuation where sales are really high then really low, it's probably time to hire for sales. This fluctuation is usually because you're very busy selling and then you get busy executing and delivering, which pulls you away from sales. The constants ups and downs indicate that it's time to hire for sales.

When you're looking to hire for sales, you don't need someone with a ton of experience and a huge network. What you need is someone who is resourceful and scrappy. You have to have the clarity of your agency's ideal client and be able to give them specifics on who to go after. You want them to get the attention of your target audience, get the meeting and find the opportunities. That's how you give them direction.

Now, the other thing that agencies always ask me is how to pay a salesperson. I've never seen a good salesperson who works 100% commission. If someone is straight commission they're not dedicated to you. You have to give them a base salary and then come up with a commission structure that incentivizes them.

If you're still stuck, check out www.SalesPipelineAccelerator.com which is a company that I've co-founded to help agencies find, hire, and train salespeople.

Another thing we uncovered in the survey was that about 80% of agencies are pitching their core services off the bat. That's huge! What you need to do create a foot in the door offer, which is a slice off part of your core service to point out an opportunity the prospect is missing out on. This is a paid engagement, but not necessarily a money maker. It's just to establish authority and trust, and it's a smaller price point so a much easier decision for the client to make. Then see if they want to have your help with this newly discovered opportunity.

If you want to learn more, I suggest checking out my 3 workbooks on Clarity, Positioning, and Offering so you can build the right foundations and grow your agency faster and easier. http://AgencyFramework.com

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Here's another thing to bear in mind as we enter into the new year. Think about your profit margin goals for this year. Then think about the team you have to have in place in order to achieve those goals? Now when you're planning for your goals and you're adding up all those new sales, remember your overhead is going to increase too by adding more employees. Calculate these added expenses when you're planning your profit margin goals that way you aren't caught off guard and get disappointed.

Related:
https://youtu.be/8Fw_GseAsiQ
https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk
https://youtu.be/Wx5IxpV4EXg

Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows.
=======================================================
JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

Ask me A Question
http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk

Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you pricing your agency projects all wrong? Do you have the right person in charge of estimating your agency projects? If your agency is bringing in a ton of sales and a lot of new accounts but you aren't making more money then this episode is for you.

Are you lacking cash flow despite an upswing in your business? Is your net profit low despite the fact that you're landing new business? Don't worry - it's a common problem, so you aren't alone! Here's what you can do about it...

The real problem isn't actually the sales, it's the person who's doing the pricing. In A LOT of cases, it's usually the agency owner who's setting the pricing. They go and do all the selling and set the pricing but then aren't actually really involved in the delivery. So, there's a disconnect between the pricing and what's really involved in the delivery. You see where I'm going here? :)

So, if you're pulling the pricing out of thin air then you're going to lose money on most of your projects. You need to look at the math and you need to have someone who's objective to sales and delivery set the pricing.

So, here's how you can use the numbers to make sure your projects are more profitable.

1. You should already be tracking everyone's hours from FTE's to contractors.

2. Have your Ops Manager or CFO be the one who manages pricing. They're the ones that understand the frontlines and the ins and outs of sales.

3. After 3-6 months of analysis, you'll be able to determine whether it's a pricing issue (you're not charging enough) or a delivery issue (your team is spending too many hours and over delivering)

4. In many cases, it's a pricing issue. That's when you want to put your Ops Manager or CFO in charge of pricing and ** incentivize ** them for hitting certain profit margins. That way, they're going to charge aggressive prices and make sure that people are hitting their hours.

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Here's another thing to bear in mind as we enter into the new year. Think about your profit margin goals for this year. Then think about the team you have to have in place in order to achieve those goals? Now when you're planning for your goals and you're adding up all those new sales, remember your overhead is going to increase too by adding more employees. Calculate these added expenses when you're planning your profit margin goals that way you aren't caught off guard and get disappointed.

Related:
Two Ways to Be More Profitable-- https://youtu.be/Jz1rzdbtZf4

Please comment below and let me know what challenges and struggles you're facing. Maybe we'll feature your questions on one of our shows.

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Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. 

JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.
Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download…

The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and

SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. 

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