What makes potential clients trust a marketing agency? How can new agencies overcome their lack of experience when seeking clients?
David Ogilvy—the “Father of Advertising”—says getting clients for a marketing agency requires understanding different strategies that work for different personalities. He shares insights on earning trust, building relationships, and proving your agency’s worth to potential clients.
Read on for Ogilvy’s advice on how to get clients for a marketing agency from his book Confessions of an Advertising Man.
How to Get Marketing Clients
There’s no single, surefire way to earn a client’s business. Ogilvy explains that every client is different, and you’ll need to employ different strategies to win their trust. Try to understand the unique ways that each client thinks, and you’ll have a better chance of convincing them to hire your agency.
As he doles out advice on how to get clients for a marketing agency, Ogilvy emphasizes that the process of earning a potential client’s trust will look different every time. Still, he offers a couple of strategies that work in the majority of cases. First, being an active listener in conversation often makes people perceive you as insightful, which reflects well on your agency. The less you speak, the more respect you’ll gain.
(Shortform note: In The Psychology of Selling, Brian Tracy sorts customers into categories based on their behavior when making a deal, and he explains the most effective sales strategies for each. His advice likely applies equally well to advertisers looking to make deals with potential clients. For instance, Ogilvy’s suggestion to be an active listener in conversation would work better for social customers (who make personal connections before committing to a business deal). In contrast, this advice may not be as effective for directive customers (who want results and see small talk as a waste of time). Prepare and practice unique pitches for each kind of client so you can adjust your pitch as you sense what kind of client you’re talking to.)
Ogilvy also suggests being honest and vulnerable with clients by admitting your agency’s weaknesses. This honesty will make you seem more trustworthy and respectable. For example, if your agency is new and lacks the track record of an established firm, confess this to potential clients rather than hiding your inexperience.
(Shortform note: In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown explains that many people avoid vulnerable actions like owning up to their professional weaknesses because they believe that doing so makes them weaker. However, she argues that the opposite is true: Acknowledging your weaknesses makes you stronger because it empowers you to do what it takes to overcome them. Likewise, admitting your weaknesses may help earn clients’ trust and respect because it shows that you’re confident you can overcome them. For instance, if an agency owns up to its sparse track record, it indicates that its members believe they can win clients solely based on the strength of their new work.)
If you’re founding a new agency, your first few clients will be the toughest to secure because you lack the positive reputation of an established firm. Ogilvy encourages you to compensate for this disadvantage by working harder than anyone else. One way to do this is by developing speculative advertising campaigns for prospective clients, pro bono. Clients are more likely to take a chance on your new agency once you show them what your campaign for them would look like.
(Shortform note: Although Ogilvy asserts that developing ad campaigns on spec may help you secure your first few clients, other experts warn that this tactic may encourage some clients to take advantage of you. For instance, unscrupulous clients in some creative fields launch “contests” that invite creatives to submit their speculative work. The client then uses the best work and awards prizes to the “winners” that are worth far less than a standard industry wage. Instead of giving away entire campaigns speculatively, consider offering short-term projects that demonstrate your competence without providing your entire product for free.)
