Is the ideal marketing agency out there?
There is no reason why there shouldn’t be, but are they easy to find?
You can talk to agencies about specialism, you can talk to agencies about relevant industry sector experience, track records – the list is potentially endless. All of these aspects are certainly important and should play a major part in your decision-making process; but is it the be-all and end-all of the matter? Certainly not!
For me, this comes down to the difference between learned skills as opposed to inherited skills; all of these qualities would suggest a long time in the business with a wealth of knowledge and experience amassed in that time which is exactly what you want from the people looking after your marketing budgets and results – isn’t it?
What it doesn’t tell you is how they look after their clients – what is their retention rate, what is their reporting style, what do they see as a success, will they be honest with you, will they listen to your suggestions, will they consult with you or just do what they think is right because they know best?
What if you could get the perfect balance between the two? What if you could find an agency that didn’t work for you but worked with you? That you could treat as an extension of your own business – your own marketing department employed at a fraction of the wage bill of employing in-house, without the headache of HR issues, payroll, holiday entitlement, sick pay etcetera etcetera…..
Someone that you can form a healthy, trustworthy, working relationship with, someone you can bounce ideas off and brainstorm with, someone that you can hold to account, comfortable in the knowledge that they are doing everything they can to fix an issue because they have already talked through all of the options with you and asked you what you think….Surely this is the ideal? I’m not talking about choosing an agency because you want to be best friends with them and head off down to the pub after work and put the world to rights or because they follow the same sports team as you – let’s be realistic, they are probably at the other end of the country and realize that your sports pundit based opinions are better kept to yourself but it can come close.
All of this can be found out surprisingly easily – by listening.
Are they talking about price as one of the first points in the conversation?
Are they making rash promises with regards to revenue or return on investment (ROI)?
Or
Are they talking about growth plans, strategies, the bigger picture?
Are they talking to you about your products, your business, your unique selling points (USPs)?
Are they talking about what they can bring to your business?
Do they see you as an entry on a client list or do they see you as an opportunity to help a business achieve its goals?
I know which conversation I would prefer to have!
Is the ideal marketing agency out there?
Simple answer – yes! Are they easy to find? – That bit is down to you!
Get in touch with our team at Colewood today for more information on what we can do for you and your business and the services we have to offer.
