Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn!
Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn!
Feedback is a gift. Do you know why you win and why you don’t? What you do well and maybe what you don’t? Having this understanding goes a long way to building more success OR prolonging mediocrity.
Clients choose agencies based on your positioning (USP), your credibility, your ability to get RESULTS and more. Sometimes it’s industry expertise, capabilities, price, strategy, creativity, but always relationship.
Too many agencies fail to carefully assess trends, competition, attend industry events, network, etc. In other words, they stay within their own cocoon. I always ask “what would your competitors/clients say about you? How would they describe you?”
I recognize that surveying may be costly and time consuming, but there are ways to gain critical insight. I don’t recommend something like Survey Monkey either. I do often suggest that effective communication throughout the engagement with weekly calls/reports/etc. is crucial. And when the deliverable is ready, I strongly encourage a “Wrap-up Meeting” with your client. Not only is this a great time to ask what went well – what didn’t, it’s an opportunity to upsell.
Getting more business is the ultimate goal, but a strong testimonial is a close second. This goes a long way to establishing your credibility, validating your expertise, and getting referrals.
Following this meeting, it is important to have an “Internal Wrap-up Meeting” with the team on the project to get their perspective – “what did we learn?” And then, share that learning with your entire organization perhaps in a lunch n’ learn or breakfast meeting – i.e. knowledge sharing/professional development.
I also encourage you to get an outside perspective. I know, having been an agency principal, sometimes we are too close to our own situation. It’s always good to hear what others think. Some rely on a Board of Directors, some peers, some consultants, and others. But you must be willing to listen and learn!
