A client needs a new agency and after a diligent process has narrowed the field to a couple agencies.
The prospect is excited! They’ve done their homework. They think they’ve found a couple promising agencies! The agencies are excited – they know they are one of only a couple left standing in the competition.
But any agency decision is an important decision, and the prospect has decided to visit the final couple of agencies (good idea!) to see and experience firsthand what the team is like on their own turf and hear them talk about their offerings and what working with them is like.
What could possibly go wrong? You’d be surprised!
We have developed some very specific guidance for how agencies and clients can make the most of an agency visit. We’ll cover those tips momentarily. Before we get to those tips, it is important for agencies to recognize that unforced errors can really dampen the enthusiasm of the visiting prospect. What are some common unforced errors that agencies can readily avoid?
We visit dozens of agencies every year during the agency reviews that we manage. Here is just a sampling of the unforced agency visit errors we’ve seen very recently:
1. Recommending a bad hotel.
That sounds silly, right? But, bear with me here. If a prospect accepts the agency’s hotel recommendation and stays there before the visit, and it’s a poor experience, the agency visit itself starts under a bit of a cloud. It’s not the agency’s fault, but a poor night’s sleep and uncomfortable hotel stay can certainly impact the mood and attitude of the prospect.
How do you avoid this? Provide a range of options at different price points. Let the prospect decide for themselves.
2. Not responding to the entire requested agenda.
The prospect is likely visiting for a number of reasons, like a final chemistry check and meeting additional agency team members. A common purpose is to further explore any questions that remain unanswered. Agencies need to be diligent about making sure every client question and/or concern is answered.
3. Too many speakers that aren’t in the SOW.
At this point the prospect typically wants to make sure they are comfortable with the team that will really be working on their business. Including a number of speakers that aren’t part of the scope often backfires.
4. Failing (without clearance) to end on time.
This is a business meeting, and the prospects visiting have calendars they need to work around. If the agency does not respect the prospect’s time BEFORE they are hired, the prospect will have little faith in what may happen AFTER the agency is hired.
I could add a number of other unforced errors, but you probably get the point: the agency is inviting the prospect into their “home” and the key is to avoid any mistakes that can leave the prospect questioning the agency’s fit.
There certainly are specific steps that prospects and agencies can take to make the most of the agency visit. Keep reading!
Mercer Island Group’s Guide to Making the Most of the Agency Visit
A site visit can be an important step in evaluating an agency. To make the most of your visit, we recommend that you approach the visit with a limited number of objectives in mind and keep the visit focused on those topics.
Some clients attempt to cover too much ground and too many minor issues – which in our experience can lead to missed opportunities and even less clarity in the process.
We recommend that you keep the visit simple and straight forward.
Co-Plan the Agenda
First things first: both marketer and agency will have a better visit if you start at the beginning: the agenda. Plan your visit along with your agency counterpart! A good agency visit starts before the visit with a clear and mutually agreed agenda. This planning gives the agency the opportunity to address any questions or concerns that you may have or to clarify their responses to previous questions. The idea is not to make the visit a “spot quiz”. Provide your requests in writing and allow time for the agency to address the questions during your visit.
Marketer Advice
The visit will be most productive if you focus on the following four areas as you approach your visit:
1. Chemistry & Rapport – By now, you have reviewed the agency’s website, seen some of their work and likely chatted with them by phone or videoconference. If it’s a formal review, you’ve read the agency’s materials and may have had early teleconference tissue sessions. Regardless, this visit provides you an opportunity to get to know them much better on the most meaningful level possible – a human level. This is a people business and it’s important for teams to want to work together. Take the opportunity to meet the team in person, get to know one another and make sure that you will truly feel comfortable working with them on an ongoing basis.
A meal together is a good idea! See what they are like on a personal level. Let them do the same with you.
2. Culture: What is the agency’s culture like and how does it feel vis-à-vis your needs?
Observe. Walk around and take note on body language and behaviors. Are the agency staff head down with headphones, keeping to themselves? Are they collaborating openly? What’s the climate – congenial, lively, business like?
Listen. What’s the vibe? How does the agency staff interact?
You want an agency that is comfortable being themselves.
3. Deeper Discussions: Any formal presentations prior to a visit have likely provided a limited opportunity to have deep discussions – whether on the business, strategy, philosophy or culture. The visit provides an opportunity for much deeper discussions on a variety of important topics. The visit is also a forum to really dive deep into their capabilities, knowledge and experience and identify how they can be leveraged to help your business.
4. Next Steps: Next steps could vary from starting a relationship to requesting more information. Regardless of what the next steps are, it is important that they are well defined. Both sides have a lot at stake in this process; so it must be clear what each side is specifically responsible for providing or completing moving forward.
Agency Advice
The key for agencies is to remember that this IS business and at the same time you’re the host.
That means:
1. Prep re the Prospect’s Business: This should go without saying; client’s hire agencies because they have specific business needs that they need help with, not because they like to spend money. You’ll undoubtedly know a bit about what is on the prospect’s mind based on initial conversations. Go deeper. Prep by researching potential issues your prospect might be facing. Look at key trends impacting their industry. Take a look at competition. Be ready to ask better questions and engage deeper in their business.
2. Let Your Team Shine: Leadership should open and close. Tell the client how honored your agency would be to work with them. That’s all.
Let your team showcase how strong they are. Your team should focus the conversation on better understanding the prospect’s business. The best chemistry comes from actual business conversations about a client’s business.
This is how you let your talent AND chemistry shine.
3. Be a Good Host: This doesn’t mean Michellin dining or an espresso bar. It does mean making sure the prospect has comfortable seating, a place to write, and that you’ve inquired about their dietary restrictions. Keep the coffee, tea and soft drinks flowing and have appropriate snack food, Make sure they have internet access and a place to debrief or make private calls.
4. Follow Up: Send a heartfelt “thank you”. Respond promptly with any requested items. Ask for a phone debrief as a next steps.
The partnering of a client and an agency is one of the most important and difficult decisions in business. A visit can really help both parties size each other up. Regardless of whether you are a client or agency executive, remember that this is a dating process. Be yourself. And avoid unforced errors that diminish the potential for an engaging and productive session.
Steve Boehler, founder, and partner at Mercer Island Group has led consulting teams on behalf of clients as diverse as Ulta Beauty, Microsoft, UScellular, Nintendo, Kaiser Permanente, Holland America Line, Stop & Shop, Qualcomm, Brooks Running, and numerous others. He founded MIG after serving as a division president in a Fortune 100 when he was only 32. Earlier in his career, Steve Boehler cut his teeth with a decade in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, leading brands like Tide, Pringles, and Jif.
Mercer Island Group helps marketers and agencies succeed. Company leadership is as much at home with marketers and their C-Suites as in an agency’s boardroom. With marketers, Mercer Island Group is a top 5 agency search consultancy covering all types of agency relationships (creative, media, web, PR, experiential) and assists marketers with marketing organization structure, workflow and critical skill development (briefing, creative evaluation & feedback, etc.). The company also supports leading and aspiring agencies with positioning, pitch and strategy training and pitch support.
