If You Want to Double Your Sales Use An “Ad Agency”… Correctly

To grow your sales rapidly, you need the help of a great ad agency-marketing-communications firm. But a mediocre agency is just a drain on your money and energy. So how do you know the difference?

We put the word “agency” in quotes because is hard to define what that is in the digital age. Social media, interactive, digital information gathering of all all kinds have made the traditional “agency” obsolete.

First understand that an ad agency’s job is to find innovative ways to simultaneously increase your sales, profits and reputation and show you how to get $1 worth of work out of 50 cents of budget.

How do you know the relationship is working:

• They constantly surprise you with fresh ideas to move your business forward
• They are focused on your metrics: I always preach here “What is measured grows; what is measured and reported grows exponentially”
• They have an intimate knowledge of what your customers and prospects want. Good agencies know what you want and how great your product is compared to the competition. Great agencies know what your target wants and what they consider great product. You need a great agency.

How do you know when your agency in not a fit for you?

• You get bills you don’t understand
• You have a closet full of brochures. You don’t need brochures, you need whatever outcome you think the brochure will give you. You want an outcome like useful product information, credibility, or to sell something… but there is probably a better, more effective way than a brochure. And if you have a closet full, you are in big trouble.

Here is my point: a rapidly growing company needs a great “agency” to help move forward, but you do not need a mediocre agency. Know the signs of a great agency and then show them some gratitude. But also know the signs of a lousy agency and then show them the door.