Getting new business used to be about word-of-mouth buzz, good old referrals, knowing when to strike, and presenting unique creative ideas. While these are still important, this approach can take a bunch of time just to land one new client, and results are often sporadic.
An old-school pitch was kind of an abstract promise: âSee how well we get along? Letâs work together.â It was more about pitching the agency than pitching the skill set and results. Similarly, the client buyer used to be searching for good chemistry and solid creative.
Not anymore.
Now, client acquisition is data-driven. âSee what weâve done in the past? We can do the same for you. You need to boost sales? We can increase your lead gen by 5x and boost your conversions 3x.â The proof is in the pudding.
While brand reputation and strong relationships are still important, pitching new business today has to be highly scientific and clearly mapped out. Leaving things up to âgood chemistryâ or reputation is just hoping things will fall into place.
In todayâs competitive marketplace, you have to make your own luck, and for that to happen, there are a few key things you can do to seal the deal.
1. Develop a âValue Promiseâ
When it comes to your pitch, donât hedge on what you might be able to do for the client. Theyâre deciding whether to put their trust (and dollars) into your services, so itâs up to you to make it worth their while â and this begins with being precise about what you have to offer. Donât waste time coming up with generic elevator pitches. Instead, spend your time developing clear âvalue promisesâ that tell clients exactly what they can expect to receive from you.
2. Zone In on Your Niche
You win some, you win some. The more youâre able to show similar results for a certain client type, the better your chances will be in winning over more of that business. Then, once youâve figured out your ideal client types and youâve got some case studies to prove it, just keep hammering the story about why you are the expert in this area. Make it clear to clients that you wonât need any learning curve. Youâre ready to hit the ground running.
3. Be Persistent Without Being Pushy
âNoâ doesnât always mean ânoâ when it comes to doing business. Weâve all heard it a million times: âNo thanks, Iâm happy with our current services. Weâre not in the market for a new agency to work with.â This is where it pays to be clear and precise. By tracking everything you do in a CRM, youâll have the ammunition you need to say: âOK great, weâre not here to pitch an agency relationship. Weâre here to pitch added leads, higher engagement rates, increased sales, and better profit margins. And hereâs how weâll do it.â
4. Make It All About the Client
Position yourself as an extension of the clientâs internal team. If you beat your chest and give the impression that you think you can do things better than they can, theyâll just be downright put off. OK, youâre an expert. We get it. Put yourself in the shoes of the client and walk through the buying journey with them. Provide useful data and evidence to support your pitch, and be open in your communications. Youâre here to work with them.
5. Donât Be Afraid to Stand Out
How is everyone else in the agency market pitching business? Whatever it is, you should do something different. If they zig, you should zag. If they push, you should pull. To set your brand apart, you have to be willing to break out of the template. Donât do the expected pitch about your awesome creative team and content strategy. Thatâs great and should be mentioned, but give your pitch a real âWOWâ factor with actionable data points. Make a promise you can deliver on, and then bring up those handy case studies to give it an extra oomph.
6. Remember to Use Your Tools
Donât just talk the talk â walk the walk. Youâre offering marketing automation to your clients, but donât forget to use it for yourself too. Some of the most successful agency principals use marketing automation to sell marketing automation. Leverage anonymous visitor ID, dynamic emails and landing pages to target people with the right messages. Shift from a âgo-to-marketâ strategy to a âgo-to-personaâ one. Win by being precise and personalizing your content. And remember â lead scores arenât just a theoretical thing. Use them. Work them. Focus your efforts on the folks who are most interested.
Making Your Own Luck
Thereâs no need to start throwing every old-school sales method out the window just yet. But in order to cut through all the noise and bring more clients on board, you canât just make vague promises anymore. You have to show clients exactly what their money is going to buy them, how youâre going to do it, and when they can expect to start seeing results.
