Here are 5 key points as to why the creation of a stand-out team really will be the key to nailing that agency growth this year:
- Agencies can’t scale past one human
Believe it or not, there are 10 million other people out there in the world who are smarter than a business owner. Some may be more creative, some may be better with numbers and some may be better with strategy. Every human has at least one skill set that they excel in and it is the business owner’s responsibility to hire those who have the skills they need to grow their business further – beyond what they thought was possible.
- People connect with people
Be particular about those you hire. Yes, you may be in the position where you desperately need an employee, but the right ones are worth the wait and extra workload in the meantime. People connect with people, especially those who excite them, who they can connect with, who they relate to and in particular, those who they can truly tell care about how they feel. Results aren’t the only aspect clients are looking for. You could be generating the best results possible, but if the service your clients are receiving isn’t stand-out, they won’t be happy enough to stay.
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- Yes, results matter, but client care is essential to retention
Building a team that has complete transparency through correspondence, both internally and externally, is a driving force to client retention. Build teams within your teams so that you can offer clients the best possible service. Having a client-correspondence team member per client allows for a strong client relationship to be built, especially when you focus on correspondence with transparency. Every business has off weeks and months; it is just a matter of addressing this to the client with a solution, before they ask you what is happening. Beat them to the punch. This helps build trust and a strong relationship between clients.
Speak to them as a friend, build a partnership and don’t look at it as a transactionship. Having a client-correspondence member also allows your strategists to focus purely on strategy and results, ensuring your client is happy with your all-round service.
- Teamwork can take you to new heights
Create a stand-out team who can work together and support each other. You are who you surround yourself with. Being surrounded by like minded, driven individuals that support you and the entire team can help you grow on a personal and professional level. It creates an environment where you can not only have fun, but can also exceed personal and client goals. If your team clashes, you’re likely to face the challenge of others not offering help and support, and as we know, multiple brains are better than one.
Have you thought about implementing business KPI’s with rewards each month, quarter and year? For example, if the team hits their budget each month, the reward could be an event such as Top Golf. These are great ways to connect and build as a team.
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On the lines of personal goals, write a personal goal for each team member in a place that everyone can see. Each week have a team meeting recapping the week and touching on the progress of everyone’s personal goals! Introduce a CFO (Chief Fun Officer) into the team who creates small tasks each week to grow on a personal level. For example, do a good deed such as buy a stranger a coffee or introduce yourself to someone out in the public, who you are, what you do and find out a bit about them. Get your team out of their comfort zone and watch them flourish.
- Time and team management is everything
A team that is on top of their time management is crucial. Agencies are fast-paced and the truth is, not everyone is made for it. A team that delegates their time effectively minimises workplace stress, allows time for all tasks to be completed in a timely manner and allows an exceptional service to be delivered to all clients. Have you calculated your hourly rate per client and how many hours your team should be working on them each month? Once this is established, your team can then allocate the time accordingly in their calendars, which will then show how much free time they have left for expanding their skills with training sessions and meetings. A crucial task is for your team to map out their calendars with their workload and stick to it to avoid falling behind.
Make your team your number one priority. Give them a career pathway, make them excited (and challenged), create tasks that will keep their drive strong, implement monthly reviews to offer feedback on their performance, and always highlight what they are doing well. You will be surprised at how much you will grow not only internally, but externally.
A team is the driving factor to your success. Find those smarter than you, more talented than you and those that excel in a particular skillset more than you do. As an agency leader, don’t be afraid to hire outside your comfort zone to choose who is best for your business.
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