It is so hard for agencies to differentiate themselves these days.
Where did they all get the same presentation template?
It is like the perfect resume that people copy to create a sea of sameness.
I am often glad that I am not in their place.
But then again we all have parallel challenges in different places.
You have to work hard to make yourself different and stand out above the crowd. It takes creativity and isn’t that what agencies should be all about?
When I am conducting agencies searches we obviously visit a variety of shops.
At the end of the day you reflect and think about what you heard and saw.
I am looking for some differences that I can use as rationale to recommend a shop.
Most times great shops with different addresses use the same language, jargon, flow and processes.
Today the pain point for many companies is improving their company’s lead flow.
The agencies talk about their experience in Eloqua, Marketo, Salesforce or whatever platform they are used to.
They all say we are platform agonistic. We will use whatever you platform you use client.
As sticky as Teflon.
Then they get to the results pages.
The cost per lead before they engaged with the client or the cost per acquisition or their management of the funnel. The same flow charts. The same claims, the same spin.
Assessment, deployment, improvement.
The results can be presented in circles, it can be charts, it can be numbers with 220% decline in costs or 150% increase in some goal and achievement.
I don’t make any notes because this is nothing I could define or defend.
Just claims like leaves blowing in an autumn rain.
Just people throwing out numbers without any support.
No footnotes. No sources. No third party validation.
I can guarantee that I will hear the same words, see the same chart and hear the next promise at the next shop.
Most clients are skeptical of the numbers. There is a lack of trust.
A great agency creates conviction for clients.
You need to present your knowledge in a different way.
How about the value of a cutting to a video of you client talking about the results with their contact information at the end.
That may prove more compelling.
I might scribble down a note about that.
In the end you need to differentiate how you present your data or your agency will be as predictable as the same hipster bartender at every different cocktail bar around the world.