Wow – how did we arrive in September already? For those in the UK, today is the first day of the meteorological autumn, although don’t panic because the astronomical autumn doesn’t start until Sept 22. This observation has nothing to do with this week’s content which looks at a diverse range of topics including AI hype, agency trends, winning new business by design, and linked to that – what not to say in sales conversations. Today’s issue rounds off with posts on why cynicism bleeds cultures from agencies, how to approach pay rises, and a cry to replace utilisation with outcomes as a measure of agency performance.
As always, thank you to all the authors for this week’s content. It’s quite the selection and I am grateful that LinkedIn continues to serve up such a range of topics.
Cutting Through the AI Hype in Consulting
Here’s another excellent article from Luk Smeyers, this time on the topic of AI in consulting. Much continues to be written about the use of AI in comms but here Luk explores the growing trend for consultancies to put AI at the heart of their value proposition. The point he makes is that AI tools are just that – tools. They are not a replacement for deep expertise. And for those of you who follow Luk (and if you don’t, you should), you will know that he firmly believes consulting firms must offer true expertise and show what problems they solve for clients. A strong value proposition should not centre around what tools are used.
Read Luk’s article in his newsletter – The Visible Authority - here:
Asia Pacific Agency Trends
It’s always instructive to read about the trends that matter most to agencies, regardless of the region. And so, Provoke’s Arun Sudhaman’s excellent summary of the Asia Pacific market makes for interesting reading. He cites six key trends which may or may resonate globally.
1. The AI era is taking shape
2. The changing nature of influence
3. Social issues and impact remain important
4. The threat of insular mindsets
5. New expectations of the new generation of talent
6. Performing under pressure – the continued difficult economic environment.
From my perspective, all these trends will be recognised by agencies around the world. How regions and agencies therein react and adapt to the new order and the opportunities presented in 2025 given how the geopolitical landscape will have changed remains to be seen.
Winning New Business is by Design not by Accident
This is a brilliant article by biz dev advisor Ben Potter in which he generously shares his experience and advice on how to win new business, stating that to be successful, agencies must give new business the same level of focus and attention as say operations or account management.
I completely agree with his position and also his assertion while most agencies win their fair share of new business, it’s not necessarily the ‘right’ business. I’ve seen this to be true over the past 18-months or so as agencies have battled against the economy and fought to win whatever new business opportunity presents itself. And to Ben’s point, this has often led to agencies nursing bad hangovers with a portfolio of the wrong type of client with low lifetime values.
Read why new biz needs rigour & intent here:
Advice on What NOT to say in Sales Conversations
There’s some great material in Arnaud Renoux’s post to help you overcome some of the most common barriers you’ll have no doubt encountered in pitch situations. The most common problem I come across is that prospects won’t reveal their budget. Often this is because you are asking for the budget in the wrong way. Also – in a bid to avoid ghosting – try the conversation Arnaud suggests as a replacement for the request to schedule a follow-up call. There are five ‘golden nugget’ alternatives that work in his post – check them out.
Here are the sentences / questions to avoid & the conversation to have instead.
Handling Pay Increases
How often do you plan salary round in your agency? In Simon Collard’s view, agencies should have a fixed salary review for everyone in the agency. In his short but useful post, Simon lists the disadvantages of reviewing people individually and cites the disruption of always having reviews underway; of maintaining consistency; and of making decisions about pay increases without necessarily knowing what is affordable.
How do you handle pay increases?
Why a Healthy Dose of Cynicism is Not Healthy After All
I was intrigued by this post from Helen Beven in which she cites new research which shows cynical thinking is a barrier to success at work. I’ve come across cynical personalities in my time but never really considered the impact they might be having in the workplace. Helen makes the point that people who succeed at work tend to do so by building trusting connections and alliances. Cynics on the other hand bleed workplaces of creativity, openness and morale. She backs this up with a wonderful quote from Nick Cave which is worth reading in her post.
Read Nick Cave’s quote and Helen’s advice on avoiding cynicism here:
Why You Should Focus on Outcomes Rather than Utilisation
Positioning, pricing and productization consultant
n outlines a strong argument for why he’d like to see agencies focus less on utilisation as a measure of productivity and more on outcomes and accountability. He argues that agencies should define roles by outcomes rather than activities and then leave teams to decide how they will achieve those outcomes. It’s a powerful argument but one which, IMO, needs careful management and the right mindset from the top to the bottom of the firm. As always with Brian, he provides the ‘how’ this shift in approach can take place and the results agencies should aim for. It’s a great thought starter which in this era of value-based pricing is worth exploring further.Outcomes not hours – read Brian’s argument here:
Shorts
Event Klaxon: Is PR a Young Person’s Game?
Organised by PR Mums and supported by the CIPR Greater London Group, this event features a great panel (Sarah Atkinson, Gemma Rowlan, Susanna Wood, Nicola Wisdom – Smart and Jenny Manchester) who will take a deep dive into the issue of age discrimination in the PR industry.
Date: Thursday 5th Sept.
Location: @Hotwire, 69 Wilson Street, London, EC2
Time: 09.00
Admission free
The Missing Women Study – Please Get Involved
and a cohort of researchers ( Rana Audah C., Josie Shepherd & Isobel Wilson-Cleary) have launched the missing Women study to understand the barriers to women's progression to senior roles. The survey explores women's experiences in UK public relations practice, including those currently working, those considering leaving, and those who have left the field.If you’re a woman working in public relations in the UK, the team would welcome your perspective. The survey will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete and remain open until 30 September 2024. The results will be published by the CIPR and Socially Mobile in Spring 2025.
If you like what you have seen in this newsletter, please do repost it to your network, comment on one or other of the topics that have been covered, and if you don't do so already, follow me for more shared posts on matters relating to agency management and comms in general.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyjhwest/
Many thanks.
Andy