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Did you know that there’s a way for you to increase the chances of your target audience finding you if they do a search on LinkedIn or even on Google? You may not be aware of this but if you’re looking to leverage your LinkedIn profile to grow your community of perfect customers, this is one of  the platform’s most important features. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

When I'm working with clients, especially on a one to one basis,  I encouraged them to choose four industries per year to target -one in each quarter - because it's just quite a nice, easy number and doesn't allow for too much flitting around.  So normally, when I open up the field to them, they go a bit wild, and give their absolute dream industries they'd like to be working with, they forget where their experience lies, where they have the most contacts, where they have the highest profile, where they've got the most confidence, where they've got proven results, where they've got established revenue come in, and already. In essence all the things that might lend themselves to being excellent target clients. That's why wanted to run through that list today. Some of it is going to sound really obvious. And if you've got your targeting down, which I know many of you will have, then it will serve as a reminder. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

My golf career ended abruptly this morning, when after applying sun protection oil, the club slipped out of my hands, hurtling like a demented boomerang about 50 yards behind me. Thankfully no one was stood there 😬 Now I’m sat in the clubhouse trying to hide my face. Ruminating on it: how it wouldn’t have happened if they teacher was there. Everything would have been calmer, more considered. Expertly guided. He’d have spotted it before it happened. It made me think of how so many creative agency new business and marketing drives end shortly after they start, mainly due to embarrassment.And it struck me that often I’m confused when clients want to spend significantly more to work one to one with me, rather than use my much cheaper, off the peg direction, to get the very same result.  But I think my experience of golf shows what it boils down to: with someone walking alongside me, the accountability, support, know how,  made me feel like I had a right to be there.  And likely I'd have been a lot more successful, or at least less dangerous. If you've made it to the end of my golf/new business metaphor, be advised that places for 1-1 agency new business coaching with me are opening soon. Apply here: https://www.kaffeen.club/Kick-Start-Coaching >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

ROI is the key to the best project wins. I see it time and time again: proof of the effectiveness of your work is the most powerful thing you have control over when you communicate to your prospective clients. The good news is you don't need to win a DEA to get started.  In this mini-podcast you'll learn how to start putting this to use for your business. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Today's email is a little different: I'm giving you a new business task for this week. I want you to do is listen to through this very short episode once and then listen again, with LinkedIn open and keep hitting pause as you do these tasks that I'm going to walk you through.  >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Sandra Booker talks with Charlotte about how to strategise for growth when you're feeling overworked, overwhelmed and multi-hatted. Sound familiar? Listen into this episode for topics like: Foundations to scaling your business. Why sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move forward. Forget the Unicorn. How to find and hire the right person for the right role. Delegation secrets. How to delegate like a pro so your business can thrive. Show notes: >> Find Any Old Task at https://anyoldtask.ca/ >> Get your VA task list freebie here https://www.anyoldtask.ca/vatasklist/ >> Connect with Sandra via email at  sandra@anyoldtask.ca or on social at https://www.instagram.com/anyoldtask/ or https://www.facebook.com/anyoldtaskca >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Love it or hate it, a big part of getting your agency known and remembered when the dream client is picking their next agency is being featured in the media. Here are five fundamentals that’ll lead you to consistent press coverage. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz  https://amzn.to/34TaPvn   There is no denying the buisness and marketing genius of former Starbucks CEO and now chairman emeritus, Howard Schultz. This book is an honest look back at the principles that have shaped the Starbucks phenomenon. Schultz shares the wisdom he has gained from his quest to make great coffee part of the American experience in a frank way that feels approachable as well as awe-striking, regardless of how you feel about the coffee.   Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin https://amzn.to/2Fyx8hi An FMCG brand marketing client that I really respect and love working with recommended this as a must read for anyone in the world of brand and beyond. Purple Cow is another one that I’ve heard a lot of excerpts from, but not read cover to cover yet, so is eagerly anticipated on the book list.   Inspiring Leadership: Staying Afloat in Turbulent Times by Jane Cranwell-Ward, Andrea Bacon, Rosie Mackie https://amzn.to/3428ijj   Combining the latest thinking on human performance at the turn of the 21st century with findings from the BT Global Challenge race, this book, recommended by a coaching client and podcast guest, demonstrates how to inspire others, sustain high performance and competitive advantage and keep a healthy work-life balance.   The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz https://amzn.to/2H5cZjL   This book has been a fundamental re-read for me, at any life or business juncture since 2010. It's a powerful reminder that whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, or choosing a doctor everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. This book offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.   Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decision by Dan Ariely https://amzn.to/2T3Gdlk In a similar vein to The Paradox of Choice, this book addresses why smart people make irrational decisions every day: Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? It's an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions that'll help you reconsider your work 'influencing' consumer behaviour, to the decisions you yourself make as a consumer. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

"I'm struggling to get clients... maybe I should hire a new business agency" I kid you not: I hear some version of this from 50% of the people who want my help with lead generation. "I'm having a hard time getting people to say yes to my branding project proposal." The hope is that spending some money to get in front of more people will result in a flood of prospective clients banging at their virtual door. Alas, that is rarely the case.If you can't get people who find you organically to say yes, that won't change when you have hire an external agency to hit the phones. Meanwhile, I've talked to hundreds of agency owners who can convert like nobody's business but who STILL haven't tried outbound lead generation! It hurts when I think about how much money they've left on the table over the years. 😩 But for all kinds of (often valid) reasons, they're hesitant to spend money to increase their visibility. So in this week's podcast episode I answer the question: "Who should launch a lead generation campaign ASAP, and who should save their money?" Download the episode to your phone now! >>If you're ready to get going with lead generation for your agency, check out this free resource >> https://www.kaffeen.club/wcc-bootcamp << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Melissa Harstine talks with Charlotte about how customer insights have sharpened Kaffeen's marketing, and how they could do the same for you. Listen into this episode for topics like: What is customer research and how can it help creative businesses get more clients?  How do you identify the people you should be speaking to?  How do you make the request in a compelling way so those people agree to chat with you?  What are some questions you recommend asking to get valuable feedback?  Show notes: >>www.melissaharstine.com >> https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaharstine/ >> Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn, send a DM to say hello, and she'll share a video of a real customer interview with some additional tips (like what to do if your question comes out of your mouth all jumbly.) >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

January resolutions don't begin and end at the (home) gym. But all too often agency ambitions for a shiny new year also fail to make it past the gatepost of February 1st. Here are the five new business mistakes I see most ambitious but smaller agencies make, and how to turn them round to a success. They go hell for leather in January, and then fade out. Consistency is key, slow and steady wins the race, tortoise vs hare. All analogies apply here. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

For many design firms, the first marketing/ new business person's hire represents an exciting marker of growth. A kind of milestone that says you've made it, and a signifier of your ambition to scale. It also represents a resignation that you can't do it all, and that you're willing to relinquish the outward message of your agency to another, more specialist person. Only most agencies can't afford for their first marketing hire to be a specialist. More often than not, they hire someone junior who has enthusiasm but needs direction. The direction that the business owner can't give. After all, that's the reason they hired someone in the first place. I know, because I was that young hire, and here is what I would recommend, having been in that position. If you prefer to read this rather than listen, hop to our blog: https://www.kaffeen.club/blog/how-to-hire-your-first-marketing-employee >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing and Advertising Kindle Edition by Ryan Holiday https://amzn.to/3dx1SM3 It maybe fairly old by this point (8 years at time of writing) but by no means is this book out of date. When I was in tech start up world, this was my bible. If you've got a marketing budget of closer to zero than squillions, how are you supposed to create a movement around your product or service? How can you get to your first thousand - or million - clients?   Although written with SaaS founders in mind, I strongly believe there is something here for every person with marketing in their remit. Clients From Hell: A collection of anonymously-contributed client horror stories from designers by Anonymous https://amzn.to/3iR6ais A cult phenomenon among those who work in graphic, print and web design — and those lucky enough to have discovered the namesake blog — Clients From Hell has been bringing readers to tears with its unbelievable and always hilarious anecdotes from the twenty and thirty-somethings on the frontlines of design. It'll help you realise which clients to appreciate, and which you should probably shed for your own good. The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert https://amzn.to/2IoofYt Series of letters written by copywriting legend Gary C. Halbert explaining the secrets to effect marketing. This is a timeless classic that holds true even though the thoughts were penned as far back as 1984. Fewer people appreciate the power of words than Gary, and it all holds true today. If words are part of your service, this is a must-read. ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever by Jason Fried https://amzn.to/3dr8oEf This has been on my repeated reading list since 2017, but it has never felt more poignant and relevant than following the disruption to the way we work, due to Covid. From the founders of the trailblazing software company 37signals (the people behind Basecamp and more) here is a different kind of business book - one that explores a new reality and way of working. Essential reading for anyone who wants to make lean, remote working a long term part of their business set up. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

If you feel you're undercharging, you're in company. Industry-wide, designers are often hung up on charging for time because of the decades they've spent filling in timesheets. Here's how to get over this money block. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Often within the agency space, there’s a perception that big is more important than efficiency and profitability. I disagree, so here are a few things that hold people back and are easy to resolve. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Even with the most notice you could possibly give a client, that you want to enter their project for an award, invariably there are always those times when it really feels like you’re not getting the information you need to draft a winning entry. Here’s a list of handy tools to use, that don’t require client input. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

I just wanted to scribble/record this straight after a call with one of my coaching clients to address an issue that’s come up for me a couple of times in the past week.The challenge is: how to share your client experience when your clients won’t let you talk about the work that you’ve done.So if this is something that effects you, read on/ listen in for ways to appease current clients and appeal to your new business prospects. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

When you're staring at a blank page it can be really hard to summon up interesting and relevant topics that you have something constructive to contribute to, and which your prospects also want to read. Here are three places you can summon great topic ideas that you will enjoy writing about and your clients will enjoy reading. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

Dan Englander, Founder at Sales Schema discusses with Charlotte navigating the path to agency new business when you've 'exhausted' referrals and 'milked' existing clients Listen into this episode for topics like: Beyond referrals and personal networks , what do you recommend agencies look to do next? Any advice on how an agency of under 20 people can build an effective sales team? How do you find the right balance between personalisation and scale in sales and marketing? What’s the right ‘order of operations’ for hiring and training salespeople? What are you excited about within the new business and sales space in the next few years? Show notes: >> www.salesschema.com >> dan@salesschema.com >> Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz  >> Spin Selling by Neil Rackham >> https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<

One easy way to get ahead of awards season is to start making folders for each possible entry on your server, where you can dump anything that might help the entry when it comes to writing. Better still, hand this task list below to a junior person, and get them to update the folders monthly with new info. >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here << >> Sign up for the Agency New Business Bootcamp here <<