Agency Lead Generation: Build the System vs. Working the System
Every agency needs a steady stream of leads. It is the lifeblood of a sustainable business. To predictably grow, you need systems thinking.
Systems thinking asks “How can I do something once and then never have to think about it again?”
It is easy to see a mechanical system in action, but it is harder to picture in our minds what a human-centric system looks like.
Systems require consistent inputs. That is what generates the consistent outputs and the transformation that clients are looking for.
With the table set, let’s jump in!
Question #1: How do we create regular inputs into our agency sales process?
Answer: Audience + Pain + Proven Solution + Leveraged Business Model.
We call this the Agency Profit Maximizer.
This focus allows for clear messaging, market testing, fast pivots, and bigger deals.
The worst thing you can do is start beating the streets without clarity on who you help and how you can help them.
The result is going to be frustration. Your body and your mindset can only handle so much rejection and frustration.
You could help anyone do almost anything.
You need clarity on who you’re trying to reach.
You want to be able to say “NO!” to 99% so the 1% that you can really help jump off the page.
This is a gift.
One of our clients put it to us this way: “Narrowing our scope has actually broadened our reach.”
They made that hard decision and made the jump. Now they have a 3-month waiting list of clients to work with them.
If this sounds overwhelming or you’re just not sure how all of this works, go to zenpilot.com/case-study. You can learn how we walk agency owners through this process. We have a free video there that walks you through the whole process.
This focus is the game-changer.
This focus creates a steady stream of consistent inputs into your sales process and delivery system.
Question #2: How do we attract people to me?
Answer: Create a standardized process and work it.
Don’t overthink it. Just work it.
Random acts of marketing can kill your organization.
When you’re running a business, focus is your #1 asset. That is your ability to creatively solve problems. It is what allows you to look at the chaos and see opportunity.
If you’re constantly speaking with prospects that need different things and have a different sales process, you’re going to get drained.
You can’t build a scalable business by offering a custom set of deliverables every time. This is failure on several levels.
First, each client you bring on dilutes your team’s attention to existing clients.
That means your current clients are penalized as you grow.
Second, each new client gets a different set of stuff. That means that you’re constantly testing and trying new things.
No one spends enough time working a process to the point of mastery. This creates inconsistency and clients get pissed.
Simple systems that are worked over and over again are best.
Your goal is to gather your collective force and channel it into one specific goal.
That goal will be achieved by building simple systems and then working those systems.
This isn’t easy. This takes time. Things will break. That is ok.
The faster you fail, the faster you get the chance to innovate.
You’ll need a clear offer, something that people can point at and say “Yes, I want that! That is what I’ve been looking for!”
Find that group of people and start talking to them. Get to know them.
Remember, you don’t want to be in the business of delivering deliverables or implementing tactics. That world is commoditized.
There is an agency apocalypse on the horizon. Soon all the businesses that just “do stuff” that their clients ask them to do will be dead.
You want to build a business that delivers desired outcomes.
You want to be the trusted expert that guides the client on a journey from where they are to where they want to be. You want to master each step on the path by running it over and over for every single client.
This way, every client you bring on strengthens your process. Lessons learned on one account are directly applicable to the next account. Clients win the more you grow.
You hyper-focus on what they need to achieve this outcome and that is all that you focus on. That eliminates 80% of the distractions.
So remember this:
- Systems require consistent inputs. Do the work to build the experience that attracts the consistent inputs to your sales and delivery system.
- Simple systems that are worked over and over again best. 90% of this game is showing up every day and doing the work.
