How Do Agencies Get Clients?

[The Grind]

That's the golden question, isn't it.

That's really the only factor in growing and scaling, get more clients.

Clients = revenue

But, HOW do you get these clients?

Where do you find them?

Are these agencies literally cold calling businesses? "Hey you don't know me but I'm a marketer, I can grow your business hire me."

I suppose this is the #1 difference between the entrepreneur and the employee, is being able to figure it out. But I'm not understanding it.

 

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[illmasterj]

Anywhere they can.

Quality work gets referrals.
Networking events.
Friends and family.
Marketing funnels.
Cold calling.
Cold emailing.
Digital marketing.
Traditional advertising.

 

[iizu]

My friend has a marketing agency and I think they started by launching a couple of free e-books about marketing.

Though I don't know how many clients they got thru the books.

Maybe start with focusing on one industry. For example just offer marketing services to machine shops.

And of course I am assuming that you run a marketing agency.

 

[The Grind]

My friend has a marketing agency and I think they started by launching a couple of free e-books about marketing.

Though I don't know how many clients they got thru the books.

Maybe start with focusing on one industry. For example just offer marketing services to machine shops.

And of course I am assuming that you run a marketing agency.

The agency is focused on 1 industry.

Still not seeing how to actually get a business owner to give you thousands of dollars to provide marketing for them.

 

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[Andy Black]

That's the golden question, isn't it.

That's really the only factor in growing and scaling, get more clients.

You can grow revenue by moving upstream and having less or the same number of clients, but charging them more (bigger clients, more services, higher prices, etc).

HOW do you get these clients?

Where do you find them?

Lots of agency owners in here. Maybe some will add their thoughts?



I'll brain dump more of my own thoughts later on.

In the meantime, you may want to check these out:

1. Video: Who can you help?
2. Video: You don't need to be an expert
3. Video: How I often sell AdWords
4. Video: Help the people in motion
5. Video: Another way to cold call
6. Radio Interview: The biggest reason why websites suck

 

[maleek]

I used to cold call into business all day. Info USA and LinkedIn were my friends for lead list building. Then when I got bored, I would go visit them in person. Trade shows, and luncheons are good as well. http://www.meetup.com/ and your local chamber of commerce are probably the best bet in terms of getting your first clients. Local chamber of commerce members are typically easier to sell to IMO.

 

[eekern]

I have tried everything, got some clients with cold email in scale but that was far from my "dream clients" they threaded me with no respect.

I was just a guy behind the email...

Now I go more targeted, find the client I want to proudly want to do a great job for and create a custom video for them explaining how I can help them.

Or I do as I have seen Andy Black does, print out some visuals and go talk to them like a human beeing.

Most people make the mistake of wanting the internet take all the rejection for them in the process of getting clients, in reality you will get a harsher rejection over internet than face to face

 

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[Fox]

People like to buy from who they know. A great way to massively increase your sales (even for smaller companies) is to recruit your own sales person who is well liked, familiar with the business and has a large network of people in that niche. Convince him of your product/service, cut him/her a good slice and then get back to focusing on growing your business. They don't have to be full time either.

 

[ZCP]

What about a blog? Kidding.... I actually am intrigued and want you to take me up on the offer from the other thread....
-----------------------
For us, we have a system of scraping and contacting that puts us in front of people three times. Direct mail, then email, then call. Then we follow up via our CRM until we get a job or a restraining order against us..... Our leads do the scraping on a regular schedule and also feed from our job contacts / contact lists.

 

[Fox]

I have tried everything, got some clients with cold email in scale but that was far from my "dream clients" they threaded me with no respect.

I was just a guy behind the email...

Now I go more targeted, find the client I want to proudly want to do a great job for and create a custom video for them explaining how I can help them.

Or I do as I have seen Andy Black does, print out some visuals and go talk to them like a human beeing.

Most people make the mistake of wanting the internet take all the rejection for them in the process of getting clients, in reality you will get a harsher rejection over internet than face to face

Can you elaborate on the videos and visuals - You do this up first or after a quick cold call?

I have thought about doing this for large clients - building a front page and then calling to show them. Basically like a free sample tactic, of course they can't do anything with a free front page but it would give them a good taste as to what a full site would be like. Obvious downside is time.

 

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[Thiago Machado]

I work with an agency who achieves great results through ''acount based marketing''

Ever heard about it?

It's a great way to attract large, high quality and long-term clients that will need you on a frequent basis.

 

[Andy Black]

Can you elaborate on the videos and visuals - You do this up first or after a quick cold call?

I have thought about doing this for large clients - building a front page and then calling to show them. Basically like a free sample tactic, of course they can't do anything with a free front page but it would give them a good taste as to what a full site would be like. Obvious downside is time.

I'm a fan of building first, then selling.



Years ago I was on a Local Enterprise Course with other business owners (hint hint).

I got talking to two brothers who ran a Private Investigators firm.

They were interested in learning more and we arranged to meet in a hotel reception for coffee.

I was early so flipped open my laptop and opened one of my AdWords accounts.

I bid on keyword "private investigators Kildare" and created an ad linking to their site.

They turned up. We talked. I asked them to put themselves in the shoes of someone in Kildare who wanted to find a private investigator.

What would you do?

What would you Google for?

I asked them to do the search on their laptop.




Show, don't tell.

 

[Andy Black]

How I screwed up a sales pitch:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-i-screwed-up-a-sales-pitch.67327

 

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[DaRK9]

I went to the top companies locally and managed their SEO and PPC for 100% free the first month. Came to them with a full scale plan, showed them what is right and what is wrong.

Fear, Logic, Gain.

Showed them demographics they were missing, showed them why they should act, showed them how it would get them good ROI after the first month.

I make mock-up SERP ads, FB Ads and they they have something tangible.


Otherwise it sounds like, "Hey, I will do shit you most likely have no clue about on a computer and charge you money."

 

[theag]

We are an Adwords agency. Our value proposition is that we help our clients get profitable leads/sales from Adwords. So we lead by example and get our clients by running Adwords ads.

Adwordsception.

Why go through the trouble of convincing unknowing business owners of the benefits of Adwords by cold calling, going to conferences, business owner meetings and all that other time-wasting shit (everytime I went to a business owner meeting or conference I wanted to kill myself) when you can have hot leads that are dying to give you their money rolling in from the same source you claim to be an expert in?

 

[lowtek]

We are an Adwords agency. Our value proposition is that we help our clients get profitable leads/sales from Adwords. So we lead by example and get our clients by running Adwords ads.

Adwordsception.

Why go through the trouble of convincing unknowing business owners of the benefits of Adwords by cold calling, going to conferences, business owner meetings and all that other time-wasting shit (everytime I went to a business owner meeting or conference I wanted to kill myself) when you can have hot leads that are dying to give you their money rolling in from the same source you claim to be an expert in?

CPC for adwords and PPC management related terms tend to run $25-$100

If you're just starting out, you can't afford to spend $2,500 to get that first client (assuming 1% conversion rate).

 

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[eekern]

CPC for adwords and PPC management related terms tend to run $25-$100

If you're just starting out, you can't afford to spend $2,500 to get that first client (assuming 1% conversion rate).

Yes this is the exact reason why I don`t get clients with PPC, since keywords for my clients is 100x cheaper than the once I need for myself.

But now I run a facebook ad with a case study I did for a client and it preforms well so far..

 

[lowtek]

Yes this is the exact reason why I don`t get clients with PPC, since keywords for my clients is 100x cheaper than the once I need for myself.

But now I run a facebook ad with a case study I did for a client and it preforms well so far..

define performance.

high CTR? High conversion rate?

By performance, I mean the latter. I'm not sure what you are going for, though.

 

[eekern]

define performance.

high CTR? High conversion rate?

By performance, I mean the latter. I'm not sure what you are going for, though.

relevance score at 9, cheap cost per lead and one booking of consultation so far

Could not care less about CTR, all I care about is cost per lead and bookings.

 

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[AustinS28]

Anywhere they can.

Quality work gets referrals.
Networking events.
Friends and family.
Marketing funnels.
Cold calling.
Cold emailing.
Digital marketing.
Traditional advertising.

This and it takes a long time if you're just starting. The first client is the hardest. Consistently providing a great service and growing your network will lead to more clients.

 

[cliff]

Not sure what kind of agency you're speaking of, but I run a SEO agency, and we get clients because we rank #1 in our city. Those clients then turn into referrals. Why would someone buy SEO services from #2 or from the guy who just pays for adwords?

So, if that's your field, learn to rank your own site first, then clients will come to you, and most importantly, they'll STAY around for a long time.

 

[SweetTooth]

Not sure what kind of agency you're speaking of, but I run a SEO agency, and we get clients because we rank #1 in our city. Those clients then turn into referrals. Why would someone buy SEO services from #2 or from the guy who just pays for adwords?

So, if that's your field, learn to rank your own site first, then clients will come to you, and most importantly, they'll STAY around for a long time.

I've always laughed at this very idea. SEO agency's that don't even rank in Google.

 

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