How your agency can come back stronger. Part 1: positioning
This is the first in a series of articles to help digital agencies come out of the Covid-19 crisis stronger, particularly where business development is concerned.
Before I go on, I know many of you will still be very much in fire-fighting mode. Your team, clients and cash are the only things that matter right now. So, the last thing you need is some idiot telling you what a great time this is to start working through your business development ‘to-do’ list. For now, please ignore me. But I hope you’ll come back when the time is right.
However, from my recent conversations, many agency owners now have a better idea of the short-to-medium term impact of Covid-19. Having just about ridden the storm, they are beginning to look at how they put themselves in the best possible position for when normal returns (whatever that might look like). When this happens (and it will be gradual, of course), they want to be ready at the start line, not five paces back.
And with fewer clients and projects on the go, they have the headspace to work on stuff that has been on the backburner for far too long. There is also an acknowledgement that a more sophisticated approach to business development pre-Covid-19 might have mitigated some of the damage. Not in all cases but certainly some.
If this sounds like you, and you’re starting to turn your attention to how you use this ‘downtime’ to get your house in order (between home-schooling, Zoom calls and DIY), then I hope you’ll get some value from this series. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing advice on topics including:
- Ditching spreadsheets and getting yourself a CRM
- Researching prospects properly before making contact
- Considerations when putting together your business development plan
- Building proper client and partner referral programs
- Bossing the discovery and qualifying process
- Using storytelling to craft impactful presentations
- Taking (at least some of) the guesswork out of forecasting
- Getting more done in less time
But I start with positioning, the foundation of your business development strategy. I’ve already written at length about the pitfalls of positioning, and how to approach it, so this is a collection of past articles.
If you suspect that prospects see little difference between your agency and twenty others around the corner, then this could be the perfect time to reflect on your experience, expertise, interests, beliefs and values to create that all-important point of difference or specialisation.
Here are a few articles to help you on your way:
34 violently clichéd phrases that agencies mindlessly add to their positioning
Making the case for change by exploring how the same tired words and phrases are regurgitated and recycled by agencies, to the point where they have become pretty much meaningless.
Agency positioning — what does good look like?
Positioning answers a number of critical questions in the mind of buyers, for example, who are you? Why should I work with you? What makes you different to the other 30,000 agencies out there? Frankly, why should I give a %&!* about you?
In order to answer such questions and communicate in a relevant and engaging way, there are (in my humble opinion) three ingredients that go into the positioning pot.
Positioning. Proposition. What’s the difference?
After slapping agencies to the ground for being inward-looking (‘hey, we’re brilliant’), broad-brush (‘we work with anyone’) and cliché-ridden (‘transparent’, ‘results-focused’ and ‘passionate’, to name just three), it was time I provided some actual advice on how to fix it.
I start by pondering the difference between ‘positioning’ and ‘proposition’, terms I have used interchangeably myself.
How to get creative when defining an audience for your agency offering
The key to positioning is defining your ‘who’; the clients that will benefit most from your experience and expertise. Narrowing your audience by sector might be the way to go. But beyond this, the market for agency services can be sliced and diced in numerous ways. This is where you can get creative.
How to craft your agency proposition
A good proposition dials down the ‘we’, whilst dialling up what really matters to your target audience. It demonstrates your understanding of the problems they face or the opportunities they are looking to exploit. It succinctly talks about your offering only in this context. And it is outcome orientated.
How to give your agency’s value proposition some fizz
Even after writing your proposition, you might still fall into the trap of using ‘agency-speak’. To stand out and resonate with your target audience, your choice of language is key.
The articles above include a whole load of questions you might find useful as you work on your positioning. I’ve recently created a ‘positioning and proposition canvas’ to consolidate these into a one-sider:
The first part (shaded in grey) includes questions to help discover your why, how, what and who.
The second set of questions are about shaping a clear, compelling and credible proposition, which is a whole lot easier if you first define your ‘who’. Conversely, when you claim to work with ‘businesses of all shapes and sizes’ it is nigh on impossible to come up with a proposition that will be attractive to everyone.
Message me if you’d like a copy of this. And if you’re working on your positioning in the coming weeks and want a second opinion, just shout.
I’ll be back with part 2 very soon.
Until then, stay safe.
