You know the saying: “New year, new me.” While it might be an overused idiom, there’s some insight behind the phrase, especially when it comes to managing your business.
1. Focusing On The Details
Every year we learn something new and every year we try to improve our strategies within the work sphere. The main thing each agency should do is focus. Focusing on pitches, proposals and work is the key to success. Once the focus aspect drifts, the work will drift as well. - Cagan Sean Yuksel, GRAFX CO.
2. Showing How We’re Different
Customers and clients care about your company culture now more than ever. Often, we talk about culture as being an internal practice, but moving into 2019, we aim to shine a light on the unique culture we’ve built. Showing how we’re different, strategically and culturally, will help us build even greater trust. Come on inside—we’re all family in here! - Bernard May, National Positions
3. Saying ‘No’ More Often
We’re very polite with all prospects and try to help as many people as we can, but we are going to be more efficient in weeding out those not sophisticated enough to allocate marketing budgets early in the process, who are looking to poach ideas with no real intention of actually hiring a marketing partner, as well as small projects with no real creative potential. We just don’t have the time to waste. Ever. - Sean Looney, Looney Advertising & Branding
4. Staying Ahead Of The Marketing Curve
It is very important for all of the lessons that were learned in 2018 to be applied to marketing. What that means is that I want to make sure that I am staying ahead of the curve and learning all of the new applications as they come to market. I want to make sure that I am staying ahead of the curve and am always involved in learning new ways to be able to communicate with audiences. - Jon James, Ignited Results
5. Investing In Ourselves
In 2019, we’re committing to investing in ourselves. Thinking it’s acceptable for the “cobbler’s children to have no shoes” only gets you so far. We write, publish, win awards and host events every day to achieve thought leadership for our clients, so a major goal for our firm this year will be to invest that same dedication in our own agency as well. - Leslie Licano, Beyond Fifteen Communications Inc.
6. Taking My Time
I relearned a valuable lesson in 2018, and that is that most decisions don’t have to be made in the moment. Taking a day or longer for many decisions improves the quality and outcome and gives me time to get advice. My natural tendency is to decide and keep moving. Sleeping on most decisions leads to better outcomes. - Don Neal, 360 Live Media, Inc.
7. Practicing A Value-First Mentality
Companies cannot provide value without making a profit in return. True value is met when two entities exchange equally. Last year we served without carefully measuring our own returns. This year we are creating freedom by growing as much value into our agency as we give out. This isn’t a turn from our long-standing, value-first mentality, but rather a step toward sustainable future value trades. - Evangeline Sutton, Regenerative Marketing LLC