#inbound2013

POSITIONING YOUR AGENCY FOR HIGHER RETAINERS AND GROWTH

Bob Ruffolo @bobruffolo

@bobruffolo bobruffolo.com

BOBRUFFOLO

Founder & CEO of IMPACT. Fun Fact: I built my first website in 1997 on Geocities at age 12.

1 TELL OUR STORY OF GROWTH

2 SHARE WHAT WE DID (BOTH RIGHT AND WRONG)

3 PROVIDE A LIST OF TACTICS AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE SIMILAR OR BETTER RESULTS

PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION

1 ABOUT OUR AGENCY & BECOMING A HUBSPOT PARTNER

2 MARKETING YOUR AGENCY

3 DEVELOPING YOUR SALES PROCESS

4 PACKAGING & PRICING

5 SETTING EXPECTATIONS & CLIENT RETENTION

6 HIRING & RECRUITING TALENT

TOPICS WE’LL COVER TODAY

ABOUT OUR AGENCY & BECOMING A HUBSPOT PARTNER

1

OUR STORY

• STARTED IN A CONDO IN 2009

• PRIMARILY A WEB DESIGN COMPANY

• HAD A GOAL TO SCALE THE BUSINESS

2010

What?????

GETTING STARTED• GRINDED!!!!

• HUPSPOT UNIVERSITY & ADVANCED SALES TRAINING SERIES

• LATE NIGHTS AT THE OFFICE = LOTS OF PIZZA & BEER

• WE WERE GOING TO BE THE BEST INBOUND MARKETING AGENCY

GET OFF TO A FAST START1. SET AN END GOAL, ONLY MAKE

DECISIONS BASED ON THAT GOAL

2. LEARN HUBSPOT INSIDE & OUT

3. READ THE PURPLE COW

4. CONSUME ANYTHING FROM GARY VAYNERCHUK

5. THINK STRATEGY BEFORE TACTICS

2 MARKETING AN AGENCY

OUR STORY• DECENT LOCAL

PRESENCE

• IF OUR GOAL WAS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE TOP INBOUND AGENCY, WE HAD TO LOOK LIKE IT

• IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW WHO WE WERE

HOW WE GOT OUR NAME OUT THERE• CREATED VIRAL

CONTENT

• BUILT A MARKETING TEAM

• BUILT RELATIONSHIPS

• REMAINED CONSISTENT & AGGRESSIVE

REAL TACTICS1. MAP OUT YOUR ROUTINE

2. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

3. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

4. GET FEEDBACK

5. GREAT DESIGN / VISUALS

3 DEVELOPING A SALES PROCESS

NOT GOOD AT “SALES”• ALWAYS PITCHING

• STANDARD PROPOSALS / SELLING TACTICS

• NO PROCESS

• NO GOALS

• CHURN

THIS ENDS NOW!• BROUGHT ON A

DEDICATED SALES CONSULTANT

• ADVANCED WEBINAR SERIES & BASELINE SELLING

• DOCUMENTED PROCESS

• UTILIZED MY TRUSTED RESOURCES (HUBSPOT, OTHER AGENCIES, CONSULTANTS)

WHAT YOU CANDO NOW1. DO SOME HOMEWORK

2. MASTER YOUR IMA

3. STRATEGIZE YOUR AGREEMENTS

4. SAY NO, MORE THAN YES

5. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

4 PACKAGING & PRICING

HOW WE WERE DOING IT• USED TO BE PRIMARILY

PROJECT BASED(85% PROJECT : 15% RETAINER)

• KNEW IF WE WANTED TO SCALE, WE NEEDED TO REVERSE THAT

• NOW WE’RE 85% - 90% RETAINER

PRICING THAT MAKES SENSE• DEVELOPED PACKAGES

AND PRICING AROUND GOALS

• OUR PRICING PAGE

• DON’T BE AFRAID TO INCREASE YOUR PRICING

IMPROVE YOUR REVENUES NOW1. PUT YOUR PRICING OUT

THERE

2. STOP TAKING PROJECT WORK, FOCUS ON RETAINERS

3. 12-MONTH PLANS

4. SELL TO THE GOALS, NOT THE FINAL DELIVERABLES

5. DON’T LET THEM CUT THINGS THEY DON’T THINK THEY NEED

5 SETTING EXPECTATIONS & CLIENT RETENTION

REAL STRUGGLES• WE WERE SELLING

WITHOUT SETTING FAIR EXPECTATIONS

• ALSO NOT SETTING UP OUR TEAM FOR SUCCESS

• WE’VE BEEN FIRED AND HAVE HAD SOME VERY ROCKY ACCOUNTS YOU’RE

FIRED!

BIG CHANGES• RAN STRONGER IMA’S

• WE QUALIFIED OUR CLIENTS AS PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH

• INCORPORATED A STRATEGY MEETING BEFORE CLOSING

• MUCH STRONGER CLIENT BASE, MUCH BETTER RESULTS

MAKE YOUR CLIENTS HAPPY1. CREATE CLIENT AND ACCOUNT

MANAGER CHECKLISTS

2. LINK ALL TACTICS TO THE OVERALL GOAL OF CAMPAIGN

3. MAINTAIN A COLLABORATIVE STRATEGY DOCUMENT

4. CONSISTENTLY ASK FOR FEEDBACK

5. THANK YOU ECONOMY

6 HIRING & RECRUITING TALENT

EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING, WE WERE VERY GRASS ROOTS, AND USED UNPAID INTERNS AS A WAY TO HELP US GET OUR WORK DONE.

EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING, WE WERE VERY GRASS ROOTS, AND USED UNPAID INTERNS AS A WAY TO HELP US GET OUR WORK DONE.

• DEVELOPED AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART THAT WAS SCALABLE

• DEFINED ROLES

• DEVELOPED OUR TRAINING PROGRAM

HOW WE BUILT OUR TEAM

REAL TACTICS1. LOOK FOR YOUNG TALENT

THAT IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU

2. WHILE THEY’RE TRAINING, HAVE THEM PRODUCE MARKETING CONTENT FOR YOU

3. BRING IN “PIECES” AS NEEDED

4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO OUTSOURCE

5. DOCUMENT ALL OF YOUR PROCESSES AS YOU GO ALONG

#inbound2013

KEY TAKE-AWAYSKEEP LEARNINGKEEP WORKING HARDBUILD A LOT OF STRONG RELATIONSHIPSMARKET YOURSELF

THANK YOU

@bobruffolo bobruffolo.com