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Scoop.it!
A friend of mine shared an agency RFP with me today. It’s been circulating around the town although the client thinks it is a secret.... ...It’s time for agencies to stop mooing. It’s time for agencies to stop dropping their pants. It’s time for agencies to stop chasing rejection and the RFP of the day and focus on developing a vibrant network of prospects and alliance partners. It is time for all agencies to just say NO. NO. NO.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
I like Hank Blank's thinking. Often, I think RFPs are managed by inexperienced juniors or the purchasing department. Knowing the source and decision process will tell you plenty and whether to even consider the RFP. 
Scoop.it!
Best tip for how to pitch a client? Don't make them feel defensive. They may want better online marketing, but criticism of their website can feel personal. ...
And now some kid tells you that your website has serious problems? And you have to fix them right away? And it’s going to cost you how much money? Does he really think he knows more about your business than you do? It really can’t be that bad or you would have noticed. You’re doing just fine, thank you very much.
That’s exactly how business owners and stakeholders can feel when you’re pitching your services. Defensive. As an online marketer, you know that your work on their website can improve their business and help them make money. You even have proof in the form of research and reports about their website and their competitors’ websites. But if you put your potential client on the defensive, chances are that you’ll be escorted politely to the door even if they’re the ones who asked for a proposal in the first place.
Instead, when you’re thinking of how to pitch a client, anticipate the reasons that they might feel defensive and try to prevent it. Here’s how....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
These are great pitching tips whether you're a solo PR pro, a PR agency or other service professional. Lots of learning here.
Scoop.it!
When first striking out on their own as businesspeople, many consultants and designers don’t know how to bargain or strike a deal. Consider this story from Ted Leonhardt, cofounder of The Leonhardt Group and a consultant for design businesses. What would you do in this situation?...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
If you're a consultant, freelancer, professional or solopreneur, you'll appreciate the superb advice offered by David Sherwin.
Scoop.it!
My good pal and now co-author of “Marketing In The Round,” Gini Dietrich, says we should be more personal in our blogs. Tell more stories. Acknowledge when we need to get better at how we run and market our businesses. In her blog, Gini has spoken with ruthless honesty about some of the challenges she’s faced in her business.
[Great reminder for any business or solo consultant - JD]
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I distinctly remember my first boss at Hill & Knowlton telling me Uniroyal was very late in paying its invoices and that I needed to collect the outstanding monies ASAP. ”This makes both of us look really bad to management,”...
But, before I could pick up the phone, my boss provided some additional counseling. “Come up with a list of day-to-day activities, provide Lynn with updates and, then, at the very end, apologize to her for having to even mention the subject of money, but ask if she'd mind checking on our invoices,” he suggested....
[Great financial tips for PR agencies and solo PR pros - JD]
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Scoop.it!
Vacations are non-existent; the hours suck; you’re all alone. The author loves his job as a solo PR consultant, but it does come with its drawbacks.
...Basically, they see all the potential benefits of the solo lifestyle, and none of the hardships. In reality, there are plenty of drawbacks to this line of work. People just don’t talk about them that much.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Arik Hanson shares a reality check for potential solo PR pros..
Scoop.it!
I'm a big believer in lifelong learning and the importance of listening before crafting a communications strategy, much less a campaign.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
What a great lesson on PR agency new business pitching from Steve Cody.
Scoop.it!
Telling people to “create compelling content” is not marketing advice. It’s common sense. And if this is the type of content you create or share, you’re part of the problem. I hear some of you already “yeah, but this and other marketing 101 concepts aren’t understood by everyone.” Perhaps not. But if someone doesn’t get it by now they aren’t going to. Ever. The web is not new and you’re wasting your time writing stories on painfully clichéd and obvious concepts that could be solved by a simple web search (btw: the people you want to reach are smarter than you think). The industry has moved past the people writing the overdone. If you’re not a publisher but you share these types of stories, you aren’t adding value to your network. In fact you may be carving out a reputation for yourself that’s not so positive. We need to push our peers, our trade publications, our consultants and agencies to stop with the obvious and clichéd advice. It’s not helping and merely succeeds at making the people sharing or creating it look like they publishing for the sake of publishing (instead of doing so because they have passion). It’s boring at best, spam at worst....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Adam Singer shares a wake-up call and says enough with the clichés!
Scoop.it!
When deciding whether to work with a new client, how do you tell if you should invoke the "Life's too short" rule?
That's the subject of this month's newsletter....
[Michael McLaughlin shares heartfelt advice any consultant can appreciate - JD]
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Hank uses a somewhat sarcastic tone to discuss the UN-importance of RFPs. The client asking for proposals ultimately is trying to quantify skills and campaigns that, in order to be effective, must be emotional and pull at heart-strings; and therefore are NOT quantifiable.
RFPs commonly refuse to interact with agencies once a decision has been made. Hank writes: "The hours of completing an RFP are not worth a one-minute email."