by Ebani Advertising | Jan 25, 2023 | Blog
To keep our finger on the pulse of what makes the professional services industry tick, we recently interviewed over 100 agencies for our 2023 Clockwork report – The Agency Operations Survey.
The survey, which was conducted in partnership with Agency Hackers, aims to collect detailed insights into the processes that drive agencies, their best practices, and how they run their operations. We asked questions on agency structure, client management, and internal processes. We then analyzed the responses to gain valuable insights into how agencies are improving the service they provide to their clients through evolving operational efficiencies.
As a teaser, we’ve compiled the shortened results of one of the most interesting sections below, focusing on the four main areas agencies are eager to improve during the rest of 2023.
1. People, Culture and Collaboration
People and culture remain the cornerstone of a successful agency, and it is hardly surprising that many respondents identified this as their key aspirational focus for the year. Successful collaboration built on a strong cultural foundation does not always come easy, and we’re glad that we got a peek into the challenges as well as the rewards.
Here’s what some of the respondents had to say:
- “If I could wave a magic wand, I’d like for everyone in the business to have true commercial awareness and to think like they were the owner.”
- “Garbage in – garbage out. I’d love to get the team to have enough skin in the game to understand that coding expenses, adding POs and all that “admin crap” is fundamental! Everyone understands it’s needed but when busy it’s the one thing that doesn’t get done. Unfortunately, this just adds workload elsewhere.”
- “Better internal processes to manage workflow and delivery to scope – especially when interacting between specialist divisions. For example, PR teams outsourcing work to content team and managing this without going outside of scope.”
- “I actually think we’ve reached a point where we have two separate cultures internally, and it’s a struggle to get them both aligned. Our delivery teams are keen to stick to processes and more to the letter of what’s in our SOWs. Our CS teams prioritize making the client happy and view the other teams as being difficult when they push back. As you can imagine this can create some unhelpful friction! It’s one of those things that’s very simple on paper but in reality, we have to shift some mindsets and I don’t think that it’s an easy thing to achieve overnight.”
2. Dashboards and Management Information
Many people said they were keen to improve their management information, which is one of the key pain points we hear from almost every person who comes to Ebani looking for solutions.
Having access to management information is essential for agency owners in order to make informed decisions about their business. With access to the right data, an agency owner can better allocate resources and make strategic plans that will maximize growth.
Furthermore, access to management information allows the owner to track progress and monitor performance over time.
Here are some verbatim responses:
- “We are in a good place with our systems, data reporting and automations – these are stimulating behavior changes and making people more accountable but that takes time and mentoring. It would be great for that to be a quicker journey so you see the positive impacts more quickly.”
- “I would like to get a better overview of the projects and their profitability.”
- “Invest in more rigorous process management – both people and systems to focus inputs and outputs. Inputs as client and agency briefs and outputs as strategy, content and ideas at different stages.”
- “It would be that everybody was on the same page and communications were magically aligned. Everybody knew what everybody else knew!”
- “Improve the visibility on workload across client teams and pods. Calculate more easily and accurately our margins.
3. Process, Process and More Process
Many responses simply spoke of the basic desire to improve processes! Process is incredibly important for growing agencies – it allows you to structure your workflow and make sure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. By having a standardized process, teams can understand which tasks are priorities and how they should be completed.
- “I would love to improve our processes so that there is less momentum lost when a project gets delayed. Our clients require a lot of flexibility so projects often start and stop. This causes inefficiencies from a team perspective because they lose momentum and velocity to complete projects.”
- “If I had a magic wand, I’d improve SOPs on client retention, planning and client experience. We’re still growing as a company so I’d like that to happen without having to go through the necessary growing pains!”
- “I’d love to have our processes be smooth sailing from here on out. Having all the right workflows and processes in place that are battle tested and efficient.”
- “I’d love an end-to-end overview of a project for all the team so they all have real time data of how a project is performing. More automation in our project delivery process.
- “I would automate a lot more so that all the processes were linked and informed each other, leaving no room for human error or endless meetings.”
4. Knowledge Management
Knowledge management can improve agency performance. By capturing, storing, and sharing knowledge throughout the agency, teams can work better by themselves without having to check in with the “process person”. Robust knowledge management can also lead to increased productivity, improved customer service, and better decision-making capabilities. Having one central source of truth is vitally important.
- “We are at the start of reviewing all the historic processes that were written years ago and have not been looked at for a couple of years. We’re trying to write them down and simplify them so that there is consistency across the business. One of the biggest challenges at the moment is finding time in busy schedules to get this to be a top priority!”
- “We adore the process side of our agency. Could talk about it forever. Could tinker with it for longer! We have structured (yet flexible-ish) processes for a wide variety of disciplines. Sure they could be tighter, but it feels as though we have solved 80% of the challenge and have something that fits our brand, our approach and our target market well.”
- We are at a point where we could probably benefit from automating more systems. What we do is quite process driven so there is a lot of opportunity to rinse and repeat.”
Have these responses managed to pique your curiosity?
We believe it serves as a benchmark for those starting their own agency or clients seeking to understand the inner workings of an agency. Most importantly, this report is an invaluable resource to stay informed and competitive in the ever-evolving agency landscape.
Interested in knowing more, call Ajit Puttnam at +91 7799000590 or write to him at [email protected]
by Ebani Advertising | Jan 11, 2023 | Blog
It’s a common story – you started out as a talented freelancer, living the dream of only doing the work you love, not answering to anyone other than your clients, and having time to spend with family and friends.
The problem is, you’re extremely good at what you do, so you keep getting more clients and pretty soon you need help. Before you know it, you find yourself with a team of employees and a growing workload.
As your new agency expands, so do your responsibilities. You now find yourself juggling multiple roles, from CEO to project manager, from payroll specialist to creative director.
It’s overwhelming, and worst of all, it’s not making you any money. The dream of being the master of your own time and being able to do the things you love is now just a distant memory.
Welcome to the life of an Accidental CEO.
At this point in time, you have two choices:
- Fold the business, walk away and start again
- Get your house in order, implement some serious structural changes, and get back to doing the parts of your job that really add value to your fledgling business.
If you choose the second option, join us as we explore the benefits of implementing processes in your agency, and offer practical advice on how to get started.
By streamlining your operations and establishing clear workflows, you’ll:
- Regain control of your business
- Improve your bottom line
- Rediscover your motivation
The Power of Structured Processes
Every first-time agency owner will hear the same advice from any management consultancy: optimize your systems and procedures. Frequently repeated tasks, especially the ones performed daily, should be standardized.
Processes help you reliably acquire, onboard, and deliver results to clients while ensuring your entire team is on the same page. Developing and documenting your processes allows your business to tackle uncertainty, manage the team, and offer clients a fulfilling experience.
This article will help first-time agency owners identify and establish key processes to increase productivity and efficiency. We will discuss the procedures you need, why you need them, and how to develop them smoothly.
What are Agency Processes?
Agency processes are management systems that a company uses to carry out its day-to-day operations. This includes different software, tools, and methods that help business owners to plan, coordinate, implement, and analyze their projects.
These standardized processes bring stability and consistency to businesses while encouraging them towards the kaizen approach – creating continuous improvement based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements.
Benefits of Standardizing Agency Processes
In the modern competitive environment, standardizing agency processes is critical to optimizing organizational efficiency and enhancing productivity.
Saves Time: Organizations perform countless tasks that are repeated very often. If these tasks can be defined with preset procedures and guidelines, the amount of effort and resources needed to perform routine tasks would be reduced.
Aids Accountability: Tracking and measuring performance is easier when everything is outlined. This further makes accountability transparent.
Increases Efficiency: Employees become more productive if a repeatable, consistent process is implemented with clear guidelines. Efficiency increases when the team has clear directions, as this eliminates errors and redundancies.
Ensures Consistent Service: A standard operating procedure for clients provides consistent delivery of work with assured quality, even if different workers are performing related tasks.
Now that you are aware of how important processes are to agencies, let’s look at the most common ones and how you can implement them with ease.
1. Project Management Process
A procedure that monitors a project’s development from beginning to end is necessary for effective project management regardless of whether you have short or long-term assignments. However, it can be difficult to track all the tasks, due dates, and deliverables involved in a job without a standardized procedure. This may result in missed deadlines, incomplete work, and a lack of understanding regarding the state of the undertaking.
Creating a project management process with distinct timelines, milestones, and deliverables that are frequently evaluated and updated is crucial to overcome these difficulties. This strategy can be carried out efficiently by utilizing the project management application.
2. Time Tracking Process
You must have heard the phrase “time is money.” Whether you believe it or not, we can say with certainty that tracking the time spent on each project, task, or activity can lead to seriously increased productivity and missed deadlines.
Time-tracking is crucial for businesses of all sizes to identify areas of inefficiency and to optimize your team’s productivity. With a project management tool, you can have a bird’s-eye view of all projects, analyze the time spent compared to the time planned, and further break down the time spent on a project into activities. This helps business managers to intervene if the deadlines are not being met at a reasonable rate.
3. Cost management Process
Keeping your projects profitable is the most important stepping stone on the road to making your business profitable. Striking the right balance between revenues and costs requires tracking all expenses and making necessary changes. If cost management processes are not in place, projects can lead to losses in no time.
A project management tool helps you manage both your internal and external costs. The software allows you to assign hourly labour rates, add outsourced costs, track expenses, create purchase orders, and much more to manage costs effectively. Plus, project managers can ensure that the assignment stays within budget by monitoring project finances using budgeting and invoicing features.
Guide: Manage project costs
4. Client Onboarding Process
Establishing a client onboarding process from day 1 is important to offer customers a consistent and fulfilling experience. Clients must be led through the first phases of their partnership with your company, including communicating expectations, team introductions, and any restrictions they may impose. Thus, a standardized process is required to ensure all clients receive the same level of attention, regardless of their size or industry.
A project management tools’ centralized platform is an excellent solution for first-time agency owners who want to leave a positive first impression on their customers.
5. Client Management Process
Once the clients are on-board, successfully managing them for the entire duration of the project becomes the deciding factor of its success. Customers usually want to stay updated on the progress and be frequently consulted before making any major decision. Failure to do so can not just upset the client but also negatively impact the agency’s image in the long term.
This is where work-management software really comes into its own. For example, The project management tool can aid client management by offering a centralized tool for handling customer interactions, including scheduling meetings, sharing documents, and tracking progress. Furthermore, with its CRM features, you can monitor client communications and ensure everyone involved in the procedure stays informed.
6. Payments Process
Managing payments can be a difficult and time-consuming procedure. Invoice tracking, cash flow management, payment processing, and account reconciliation are all important aspects of the payment process. Businesses often struggle with late payments, unpaid invoices, and a lack of insight into their financial situation if they don’t have a good payment management process in place.
Third-party solutions can be used to automate payments. For instance, the project management can help businesses implement the mentioned process effectively. It gives users three payment options: fixed fee, time and material, and retainer. Which method is the most suitable depends on the type of project. Users can also schedule bills for clients through email and even include a Stripe link that allows clients to easily pay invoices.
7. Sales Process
Companies need an efficient sales process that fits their industry and customers perfectly. Turning leads into paying customers is challenging and is the most important part of any business. Thus, a proper sales cycle is vital to streamlining the conversion process. A sales cycle requires a good understanding of potential customers, the milestones they expect, and the resources they might want to access. Failure to have a proper sales cycle in place can bring a massive blow to business over time.
The project management helps you improve your sales by always keeping you informed about new leads and deals, sales forecasts, and upcoming customer meetings, provided that your sales team is dedicated to capturing this information. It also ensures that sales targets are met by calculating deal conversions, sales results from month over month, and other key metrics. This offers a complete overview of KPIs. It further brings a visual overview of your sales funnel and defines closing probability rates for each stage and client in your pipeline.
8. Communication Process
Communication is a two-way process in which two or more individuals interact. Business communication is one type in which people share information within the organization and with people outside the company. Establishing clear communication channels within your team and with your clients, including regular meetings, email updates, and progress reports, can contribute to your business’s success.
Having a standardized all-in-one solution to all your communication needs helps streamline interactions, reducing the chances of errors and miscommunications.
9. Employee Management Process
Employee management can be argued to be the most challenging aspect of a business. Acquiring human resources to and using them to their full potential is a never-ending struggle.
Optimizing team utilization has always been challenging. Companies can define individual capacity and allocate resources based on availability. Managers can also review current and future capacity and ensure everyone in the team is appropriately utilized. Furthermore, getting detailed insight into your team’s capability helps with restructuring or hiring decisions based on real-time data.
Guide: Everything you need to manage time and work
Conclusion
Processes help agencies control workflow, track performance, and ensure that every member works together as a team. They are also one of the most overlooked resources for growth in any industry. All businesses need to put the processes mentioned above in place to ensure the company runs smoothly, efficiently, and effectively in the long run.
This is especially true in the case of the Accidental CEO. If you’re not spending the bulk of your time chasing tasks, doing admin that can be easily automated, or focussing on anything other than the talent that created your agency in the first place, you’re in for a world of frustration. So take control of your destiny and gain the structure and insight that will take you from feeling like you’re running around with your hair on fire to a place of serenity, knowledge and profitability.
The project management tool is the one-stop solution you need to implement all these procedures. With features like project management, sales pipeline management, invoicing, and reporting, the tool provides companies with an all-in-one platform to simplify operations and accomplish their objectives. We will help your business with our comprehensive “sell it, plan it, do it, bill it” strategy.
Interested in knowing more, call Ajit Puttnam at +91 7799000590 or write to him at [email protected]
by Ebani Advertising | Dec 28, 2022 | Blog
Defining the most appropriate marketing deliverables for a campaign can be more difficult than you might think. That’s because there are many factors to take into account.
For starters, you have to think about the client’s overall goals and the resources and budget to achieve them. Then, you have to find a middle ground between client expectations and a realistic outcome.
Here are a few tips to help you produce marketing deliverables that get that balance just right.
1. Ask the right questions
Before you get bogged down in the details of the project, it’s important to zoom out and get an overall view of what the client wants to achieve.
Asking your clients the following questions will help you get a better idea of the project deliverables that you’ll need to produce:
- What’s the purpose of the project?
- What does the client hope to achieve?
- What do you need to produce to meet the objective?
- Do you have the resources and budget to produce the deliverables?
- How are you going to produce the deliverables?
2. Define the requirements for each deliverable
Once you have answers to all of those questions, the next step is to think a little more deeply about the details of each project deliverable. A good starting point is to ask the client to list their requirements for the project.
From that, you can assess whether you can meet those requirements and prioritize them in order of importance. If you decide that you cannot meet specific requirements, then now is the time to discuss that openly with the client.
3. Break the deliverables down into tasks
Once the marketing deliverables have been established, you can then break them down into the tasks that need to be completed and by whom. This is where an experienced project manager can work their magic.
Breaking the deliverables down into bite-sized chunks enables project managers to establish a timeline for the project. It also helps them to consider whether the deliverables are feasible given the resources and budget available.
4. Assign critical metrics
How are you going to measure the success of your project deliverables? The answer is to work alongside the stakeholders to assign the metrics that will give you the clearest idea of the project’s progress and whether you’re achieving your goals.
This is an important stage of the process as it helps align the clients’ expectations with what you think is achievable. You should work alongside the clients to make sure they understand and are happy with the marketing metrics for the project deliverables.
Complete transparency at this stage will help to avoid disappointment further down the line.
5. The review and approval stage
Once you’ve decided what deliverables you’re going to produce, one stage that’s often missed is thinking about how those deliverables will be reviewed and approved.
Without planning, this stage can easily spiral out of control and affect the cost and quality of your deliverables. That’s why it’s important to think about how long the approval stage will take and what the process will look like if changes are requested.
Are You Using The Right Tools?
Project deliverables should be well-defined, attainable, measurable, clearly communicated, and realistic. However, when working on deliverables for internal and external stakeholders, it can be tricky to share key updates and keep everyone on track. That’s where the right project management software can help.
Ebani helps you build a customised solution that works best for you and makes it easy to share important updates, adjust your project timeline, and get a quick overview of your deliverables and their performance against key metrics on a real-time dashboard.
Critically, you can also plan and track project progress by defining phases and milestones. That ensures you know exactly what goals and activities need to be completed for each deliverable you produce.
Interested in knowing more, call Ajit Puttnam at +91 7799000590 or write to him at [email protected]
by Ebani Advertising | Dec 16, 2022 | Blog
In any field of work, the term “deliverables” is often used to describe the tangible outputs created as a result of a project or campaign. Despite being a common buzzword, deliverables are an important aspect of any marketing strategy and must be carefully chosen to achieve the desired objectives.
Simply put, marketing deliverables are any outputs that contribute to the overall goal of a campaign, have been deliberately created, and have been agreed upon by internal or external stakeholders. While the final output is often considered the deliverable, it can also include any output created along the way to achieve the campaign’s objective. Thus, there are usually multiple deliverables at each phase of a campaign, each with its own deadline and often dependent on the completion of other deliverables.
Choosing the right deliverables is critical to the success of a campaign, as it ties the project’s progress to its objectives and helps to track and manage the deliverables. Deliverables can be classified into various categories such as internal and external, tangible and intangible, and process and final deliverables.
Internal deliverables are shared with key stakeholders within the business and are typically measured in terms of time and results. They are not shared with clients and their success is usually measured by the results they help to generate. For instance, a keyword research document created to target a client’s digital marketing campaign is an example of an internal deliverable.
External deliverables, on the other hand, are those that are shared with clients and require their approval before continuing with the rest of the campaign. They are more likely to be measured in terms of the revenue they generate. For instance, the adverts created as part of an online advertising campaign for a client are an example of an external deliverable.
Tangible deliverables are physical or digital objects that can be touched or counted, while intangible deliverables are measurable outcomes for a project rather than something that can be seen or touched. An example of a tangible deliverable could be a marketing brochure for a client, while an intangible deliverable could be a certain number of leads or new end-users generated by the brochure.
Finally, there are process and final deliverables. Process deliverables are smaller outputs produced during a campaign or project to help reach the final goal. They must usually be approved by internal or external stakeholders before the project can proceed. For example, a website mockup is a process deliverable. Final deliverables are the end-goal deliverables of a project and outline the entire scope of a project’s work as per the client’s specifications. They are tested and signed off by the client, and an example would be a completed website.
In conclusion, understanding what marketing deliverables are and how to choose the right ones is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign or project. By categorizing deliverables and keeping track of them, businesses can ensure they are achieving their objectives and delivering value to their clients.
Interested in knowing more, call Ajit Puttnam at +91 7799000590 or write to him at [email protected]
by Ebani Advertising | Dec 5, 2022 | Blog
Choosing a product or service can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available in the market today. As a customer, one must consider several factors before deciding to invest in a particular product or service. This article will delve into the key factors that customers think of when choosing a product or service, and how businesses can use this knowledge to better understand their target market and improve customer satisfaction.
Price
Price is often the first factor that customers think of when choosing a product or service. Customers are always looking for the best value for their money, and price is a significant determinant of that value. A product or service that is too expensive may be perceived as unaffordable, while a product or service that is too cheap may be seen as low quality.
Businesses must carefully balance their pricing strategy to ensure that their products or services are competitively priced while still providing value to their customers. In addition, businesses must also be transparent about their pricing structure and any hidden costs that may be associated with their products or services.
Quality
Quality is another critical factor that customers consider when choosing a product or service. Customers want to invest in products or services that are durable, reliable, and of high quality. A product or service that is of poor quality will not only disappoint customers but may also damage the reputation of the business.
Businesses must prioritize quality in their products or services and invest in quality control measures to ensure that their products or services meet the expectations of their customers. In addition, businesses must also communicate their quality standards to their customers through marketing and advertising efforts.
Brand Reputation
Brand reputation is a crucial factor that customers consider when choosing a product or service. Customers want to invest in brands that are trustworthy, reputable, and have a positive reputation in the market. A brand with a poor reputation may struggle to attract customers, while a brand with a strong reputation will likely have a loyal customer base.
Businesses must work hard to maintain their brand reputation by providing high-quality products or services, excellent customer service, and transparent communication with their customers. In addition, businesses must also actively monitor their online reputation and address any negative reviews or feedback promptly.
Customer Service
Customer service is a significant factor that customers consider when choosing a product or service. Customers want to invest in businesses that provide excellent customer service and are responsive to their needs. A business that provides poor customer service may lose customers and damage its reputation.
Businesses must prioritize customer service and invest in training their employees to provide excellent customer service. In addition, businesses must also provide multiple channels for customers to contact them and address any customer complaints or issues promptly.
Convenience
Convenience is another critical factor that customers consider when choosing a product or service. Customers want to invest in products or services that are easy to access, use, and maintain. A product or service that is too complicated or requires a lot of effort to use may not be attractive to customers.
Businesses must prioritize convenience in their products or services and invest in user-friendly design and user experience. In addition, businesses must also provide multiple channels for customers to access their products or services, such as online shopping, mobile apps, or brick-and-mortar stores.
Social Responsibility
Social responsibility is a factor that is becoming increasingly important to customers when choosing a product or service. Customers want to invest in businesses that are socially responsible, environmentally conscious, and ethical in their practices. A business that neglects social responsibility may struggle to attract customers, especially among the younger generation.
Businesses must prioritize social responsibility in their practices and invest in sustainable and ethical practices. In addition, businesses must also communicate their social responsibility efforts to their customers through marketing and advertising efforts.
Conclusion: Choosing a product or service can be a complicated process for customers, as they must consider several factors before making a decision. As a business,
Interested in knowing more, call Ajit Puttnam at +91 7799000590 or write to him at [email protected]
