Common Mistakes When Starting an Agency
- Thinking that everything should begin with money
- Thinking that you can begin accommodating just any random client
If you do that, you will realize pretty soon that you’re in a mess where you have 10 different random clients, you can’t scale, and you’re working too hard.
- Don’t have a clear package
When you don’t have a clear package of what you are offering, every one of the deals that you have will become customized, and therefore your business is not scalable. You have to negotiate with every single one of them. People who come to you will not know what it is that you specialize in.
- You haven’t niched down
So you have to re-explain what it is that you do. You get a lot of people who are not a fit for your particular niche because you’re not clear on your X, Y, and Z.
- You’re not clear on your Lighthouse
That is the catch-22 chicken-and-egg issue because, yes, you might be thinking of how to get your first few clients so that in the process you can develop a lighthouse.
A lighthouse is that one example that you will use to incept and be able to get all the other clients that are like that.
Building Proximity with Your Audience through Personal Videos
So let’s think about how this works at the strategy level.1. Your 3×3

2. Attracting the Right Clients through Expertise and Targeted Content
So know who your target is and share your content and your knowledge openly. And when you show people how to do something, then at some point they’re going to come in. They’re going to say, “Okay, man. I had no idea that there was this whole process of setting up Google Tag Manager, editing videos, hiring virtual assistants, building websites, making sure I’m able to rank inside Google, and being able to make sure I have retargeting for all the different things.” And they say, “Man, like all the stuff you’ve been teaching, can you just go ahead and do it for me?” And that’s when they come in and they buy a package. There are many ways you can target potential customers, such as direct mail and targeting people who have clicked on your email. In summary, know your target audience, share your content and knowledge openly, and demonstrate your expertise in a particular field. By doing so, you will establish yourself as a credible expert in the eyes of potential customers, who will approach you asking for your help, leading to sales. Make Facebook advertising work for you by driving traffic and conversions for as Low as $1 per day! Here is a course on Facebook for a dollar a day that can keep you up to speed.3. Attracting the Right Clients with a Clear Service Package
The key to driving sales is to understand that acquiring any random business will not guarantee success. It is essential to find the right client, and that means having a clear package that defines the services you offer. This will help you attract the right clients who are a good fit for your business and more likely to convert into paying customers. A package and a course are essentially the same things in that they both provide a checklist of proven steps and information for the client to follow if they choose to do it themselves. By providing a proven process, it helps to eliminate the “chicken and the egg” problem of needing clients to develop a process but not having a process to attract clients. It also serves as a filter for tire kickers and clients who do not value your time and expertise. When you present a proven process that has been tested and implemented successfully in various industries and locations, it instills confidence in the client that the process will work for them as well. The do-it-yourself option is parallel to the done-for-you package, providing clients with the choice of taking on the process themselves or hiring you to do it for them.4. Demonstrate your Expertise
To be able to sell effectively, it is important to have the expertise, a repeatable process, a package, and some form of certification that demonstrates your knowledge and abilities. Without these, it will be difficult to speak the same language as potential clients and convince them of your capabilities. So come in and fill in your 3×3 videos.5. The BANT Model: A Proven Strategy for Closing Sales and Positioning Yourself as an Expert
Many people try to sell packages without having a course that precedes them, which can result in giving away free consulting during one-hour strategy calls without knowing if the potential client is qualified, interested, or able to pay. This is where the BANT model comes into play, which stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing.-
- Budget: They’ve got to be able to afford you.
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- Authority: They should have the authority to be able to spend the money.
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- Need: They have to have clear pain.
- Timing: Do they really need it right now? Maybe they need it, but maybe not right now.
6. High-Quality Content and the 3×3 Grid to Maximize Revenue
By positioning yourself as an expert in your field, you can command higher prices and avoid having to sell yourself short or offer discounts. This can be achieved by creating a wealth of high-quality content that showcases your knowledge and expertise and then organizing it into a clear and easy-to-understand format, such as a three-by-three grid. This can help you effectively communicate the importance of starting with the foundational elements, such as digital plumbing, and how it impacts the success of their overall business strategy. Be aware that clients who have been burnt by previous agencies may have a negative perception of your agency as well, and it’s essential to address and overcome their concerns. Fed up with hearing how people talk about content marketing and how you need “great content,” but how exactly does one create great content, especially with limited resources, and often in competitive and unsexy industries? Here is the Content Marketing Course that can help.7. Maximize Revenue through Service Packaging and Transparency
Having a clear menu of services that you offer can help close deals by using reverse psychology. By communicating that everything you do is governed by a process and that you won’t take on a project unless it falls within your area of expertise, it establishes trust and credibility with potential clients. Furthermore, if a potential client asks for something that falls outside of your expertise, it’s important to be honest and refer them to someone who can better serve their needs. This approach is ethical and demonstrates a commitment to providing the best service to your clients.Do it For You Package
When selling “Done-for-You” services, it’s important to demonstrate that there is a way for clients to do the work themselves. This way, even if you charge a premium for the work you do, it will be perceived as a valuable investment because the client can see the process and the value of the work being done for them. Many digital marketing consultants are hesitant to increase their prices for fear of losing clients, but in reality, this approach can lead to increased revenue and attract clients who value and are willing to pay for your expertise. It’s important to note that some clients may not be willing to pay the higher price, and that’s okay as it could be a good filter to attract the right clients who are willing to invest in your services.Don’t represent your work as being done by the hour
When selling your services, it’s important to present your work as a result rather than by the hour. This means packaging your services as a solution to a specific problem or achieving a specific outcome, rather than billing for the time spent working on it. This approach positions you as a provider of solutions, rather than just a service provider and makes it easier for clients to understand the value of what they’re paying for.8. Communicating the Value of Your Services: The X, Y, Z Video Approach
Using the X, Y, and Z model that involves creating a video that clearly communicates the services you offer, the specific problem or outcome you help your clients achieve, and the process or methods you use to achieve that outcome. The video should be clear and concise, highlighting the value of your services and how they can help the client achieve their desired outcome. This approach makes it easy for potential clients to understand the value of your services and how they can benefit from them.9. Maximizing Efficiency in Sales: The Benefits of Pre-made Videos for Your Services
Creating pre-made videos that explain your packages, services, and processes can help save time and increase efficiency when selling your services. Instead of spending time on the phone explaining your process to potential clients, you can simply direct them to the pre-made videos. This approach also helps establish credibility and authority, as it demonstrates that you have a clear and defined process that you stand behind. By creating videos that clearly explain the business benefits, the checklist of what will happen upon implementation, the target audience, and the process, you can set clear expectations for potential clients and avoid wasting time on calls with unqualified leads. Additionally, by highlighting the features and benefits of your services, you can increase the perceived value of your packages and charge more for your services. If you’re not very good at video, then just make six little videos that you can then chop up and turn into landing pages. If you have experience, you could just do a one-take and talk about:- The business benefits of that particular package. What is going to happen upon implementation from a business standpoint– “I’m gonna get more people searching for me on Google, or I’m going to get more reviews, which then creates word of mouth, or I’m going to get more conversions because my website’s loading faster.”
- Feature versus benefit. The benefit of the feature is that “My website load time goes from eight seconds down to three seconds.” That’s great, but the benefit is that “Because it loads faster, I’m losing fewer customers, and I’m getting more conversions”.
- Who’s it for? Be very clear about what your lighthouse is so you don’t try to say yes to everything.
- What do you do? Show people what are the particular items.