I don’t want to hear about CPMs. I don’t want to see your 137-page deck with your astute market analysis. I don’t want to hear how it’s going to take time for the ads to start working.
I definitely don’t want to hear from guru marketers, with your 10x promises, slicked-back hair, Ferrari videos, talking about how easy it all is if you just follow five simple steps.
None of this is easy.
It’s really hard. It’s hard to make a quality product. It’s hard to package that product, to ship it, to handle customer service issues. It’s hard to build a great website. It’s hard to attract good talent. It’s hard to raise capital. It’s hard to hold all of it together, align incentives, and keep driving for a vision.
And I strongly recommend not working with anyone who doesn’t respect those challenges. I’ve been an entrepreneur working with multiple agencies for fifteen years, and an agency owner for one. Spending that money on an agency, when it could be going to inventory, payroll, or your own pocket is so very scary, especially in the beginning. So what should you look for?
1. Contract length- People who believe in their services don’t force long contracts. They keep your business through value-added, not lawyers.
2. Who runs the account? If your calls are with a salesman at the beginning, and you get handed off to a 22-year-old right after you sign the agreement, you’re gonna have a bad time. Meet your account manager before signing.
3. Deliverables- Pay for deliverables, not hours. A good agency should have a plan that they execute every month that is clear, measurable, and drives results. If you’re wondering, “Is this working?”, it is not working.
4. Personal investment in you- It sounds cliche, but if they don’t care about you, it’s obvious. If every call feels like it’s a chore for them, if there are no original ideas, or if they are delivering nothing but jargon, you likely don’t matter to them. Find someone who cares.
5. Originality- If you look like everyone else and sound like everyone else, you’re just noise in the marketplace. A good agency makes sure that you stand out.
7. Vibe- An agency can be great and you can be great, but if you’re different flavors of great, you won’t get along or appreciate each other. Interview your agencies like your interview for a job and make sure it’s the right fit.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WpzTFwDlNI
Spoken by Nick Palmisciano, Diesel Jack Media
Media Contact
Stacey D. Barker
Jade Umbrella, Principal
Email: [email protected]
