You’re considering an agency for a key assignment. You may be well into a competitive agency review or simply are exploring agencies for near term or future efforts.
You’ve done your homework. You’ve found an agency that looks promising!
But any agency decision is an important decision. You’ve decided to visit the agency (good idea!) to see and experience firsthand what the team is like and hear them talk about their offerings and what working with them is like.
How do you plan and manage an agency visit that sets up your team and the agency to be able to put your best feet forward?
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.
Agency Visit Guide
Co-Plan the Agenda
Marketer Advice
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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. -
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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
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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.
- 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.
- Follow Up: Send a heartfelt “thank you”. Respond promptly with any requested items. Ask for a phone debrief as a next steps.
