One of the first questions we ask agencies that we work with is “What is your agency positioning statement”? We are still finding that more than 9 out of 10 people say that they either started and did not finish, or never got around to doing it as they were too busy selling and running the business.
Which is of course fair enough, however as your agency starts to mature, and as we discussed in the blog post earlier this week about growth, you know now that there are a few different ways you can choose to take your agency further.
Choosing your agency positioning is a part of helping you shape the agency of your dreams.
Step One - Reflection
If you are sole owner or if you have a business partner we recommend booking time away from the office, downloading our Agency Positioning Questionnaire and answering the questions to the best of your ability.
Step Two - Present
Transfer the answers into a presentation deck, get your team together for a meeting and go through the answers together. In the deck, you can expand on answers with the team or make modifications and refer to the presentation in the future as you use the answers in your marketing and hiring. If you email me and ask me nicely, I can email this template to you too.
Step Three - Align
It is crucial at this meeting to see if everyone on your team is aligned with your vision and positioning - you will quickly spot people that are not onboard, and that is ok. Better you know now that they do not agree with your core competencies and that perhaps they are better suited working somewhere else. You can also check with your business partner if you are both aligned in the direction of the company.
Read more: Why defining your positioning can get your agency on the right path.
Step Four - Update
Now you are clear about the people and clients you wish to attract to the agency. At this step, you should do a refresh on your buyer personas, perhaps launch a new inbound campaign to attract new leads. Create a “we are hiring’ page on your website if you do not have one already. Write out a paragraph about the type of people who are a good fit for your agency using your core competencies. Include on the form a place for applicants to upload their resume.
Having an “always hiring” approach is a good strategy to have for your business as it can really slow down your growth if you spend too long finding the right people when you have new clients onboard.
Read about how Penguin Strategies changed in line with their processes.
Step Five - Action
Update your website with your agency positioning statement. Update your sales processes to reflect the conversations you will have with these good fit clients. Print off your agency positioning statement and have it in artwork or framed pictures around the office. Do the same with your refreshed personas and your core values. Interview your ideal clients and create case studies that highlight the results you have achieved for them so that it will attract more good fit clients. Stay focused and once per year review your agency positioning deck and make minor changes as you go along.
If you have any tips on how you have done the agency positioning exercise for your agency we would love to hear from you. If you would like help in doing this for your own business drop us a line at hello@growitgroup.com or go to our contact page.
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