Boost the success rate of your new business team by making small changes to the way you build relationships such as adjusting the role of account managers, allocating innovation leads and encouraging creativity.
Key messages from Mary Keane-Dawson Group CEO of TAKUMI, on episode 9 of Word on the Street which delves into an interesting debate on what new business lessons agencies can learn from large tech and finance corporates, including why we should change “Account Managers” to “Customer Success Managers”!
They also assess why influencer marketing can no longer be an “add-on” but is now essential to your new business strategy.
This episode covers
- New business lessons agencies can learn from tech corporations
- The value behind Account Managers
- The development of the sales role in agencies
- The commoditization of agencies
- The importance of being helpful and kind
- The rise of TikTok and working with influencers
- How agencies should use social media
Word on the Street is sponsored by Just After Midnight, supporting your websites and applications 24/7. They provide managed cloud, 24hr monitoring and support and DevOps. Get a month free here: https://www.justaftermidnight247.com/street
Links & references
Katie Street: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestreet/
Mary Keane-Dawson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marykeanedawson
Movers and Shakers: https://moversshakers.co/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Episode highlights
“I think that agency business development is an art. I do not think of it simply as a science at all.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 8:59
“If you are not creating value for your clients, then you’re going nowhere.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 9:54
“If you want to be successful you have to really understand your client’s problem. What’s on their mind? What’s the burning issue of the moment? How can you help them?” Mary Keane-Dawson – 11:39
“I’ve always loved new business development. It’s a really exciting, dynamic space to be in. If you’re passionate about people that’s really where it comes to pass. That’s where your magic happens. In that connection that you make and the empathy that you have for people is such a powerful powerful part of building relationships.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 17:42
“In an agency environment, people are makers and strategists and that’s where that personal value can really blossom and develop” Mary Keane-Dawson – 19:30
“One of the biggest problems the industry faces is this drive to commoditize what we do, because agencies should be there to be creative, be collaborative and solve problems.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 21:33
“If your business cannot articulate the value that it delivers to clients, then go back to the drawing board and work it out” Mary Keane-Dawson – 30:30
“It’s so important that you understand who your audience are, what their needs are, and have a value proposition and marketing messaging that talks directly to that.” Katie Street – 31:20
“Our value proposition is all around delivering really strategic multi platform campaigns for clients, which they can track the data and they can use and they can meet their KPIs because it has to be an end to end solution. And I think that’s probably why we’ve been quite successful with some of the biggest brands in the world.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 42:37
“Influencer marketing is no longer an “add-on”, it’s fundamental to your business strategy” – Mary Keane-Dawson – 44:56
“They won’t work with brands that won’t actually engage with the community as well. Which I think is really powerful. Because this is where systematic change can happen. When you’re saying to a brand “Thank you very much for sponsoring me or giving me your product, and I’ll promote it for you. But you’ve also got to give my community something back” which I really like. And I think that that’s where these influencers and creators are really, really powerful, and they’re really brilliant at it, and we should support them.” Mary Keane-Dawson – 46:44