Insights

A Perfect Sales Proposal 2023

Peter · May 9, 2023 · Leave a Comment

A Perfect Sales Proposal Thinks Like This…

The perfect sales proposal addresses the prospect’s main issues. The ones they’ve discussed and the ones you’ve figured out on your own by digging in.

Your feedback and insights prove that you understand their needs. It is about them.

Sure you have to sell yourself or your agency. Concentrate on selling the right set of your services that will directly meet their needs. Do not ramble.

Your sales proposal must be on point. Keep It Simple Stupid.

Your smart pitch recognizes how brains work. Think Aristotle:

“Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.”

Yes. Buy my pitch book… Your competition has it on their bookshelf. It includes even more help on building the perfect sales proposal.

The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.

Plus… You will love my next book: How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency. Out soon.

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WOW: A Chef Makes Big Bucks On TikTok

Peter · April 27, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The Show “Chef Reactions” Is A Mega Hit On TikTok

How does this shit happen? All of a sudden I’m watching the TikTok show “Chef Reactions” every day. Somehow it arrived in my feed and because it is so cool I subscribed. In the show, an unnamed very glib chef reviews the cooking videos of other cooks. Some are good recipes and some just suck. The show is funny and kinda instructive. All C/O of a cool unnamed dude.

I just listened to an interview with the chef on Peter Kafka’s Recode Media podcast. Listen to it.

This guy has gone from zero to 3 million Followers. Is now also on Instagram and Twitter.

BUT! BUT! $$$ $$$

Hyundai is now a sponsor. He sells merch. And, was just signed by Endeavor. #TikTok == Congress, do not kill this.

ABM As In Account-Based Marketing Fails

Peter · April 21, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Account-Based Marketing Anti-Failure

I help my advertising and marketing agency clients build effective ABM – Account-Based Marketing programs. I’ve seen some failures over the years and want to share my thoughts on failure over the next few newsletters. Here is a quick list:

You cannot build your best prospect list because you haven’t accessed the right information and data. As a result, your target list is too broad and undefined.
You do not personalize your outreach content.
Your marketing and sales teams are not aligned.
You do not give your ABM programs the time to become effective. This isn’t usually an overnight/one-time hit tactic. As in, your sales cycles might be too short for pure ABM, and worse you are way too impatient.
You do not have an efficient, smart, hard-to-resist thought leadership program. Plus, you might not be sending unignorable content out into the world. Be not boring.
You haven’t allocated the right budget for your Account-Based Marketing efforts. There are staff, design, and marketing costs. Plan well.

ABM works if you have a solid plan. Full stop.

More ABM Insights

I will riff on these fails. soon.

Six Books For The Savvy Creative Director

Peter · April 2, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Here is my list of the top six books for creative director brain stimulation. I could say more. But, why? Ok, let ChatGPT4 define (in a most boring fashion) what an advertising creative director does for a living:

An advertising creative director is a senior-level executive in an advertising agency or marketing department who is responsible for overseeing the development of the creative concepts and strategies for advertising campaigns. They lead a team of creatives, including copywriters, art directors, designers, and other professionals, to develop campaigns that effectively communicate the client’s message and achieve the desired results.

“Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” by Austin Kleon. I’ll keep this one simple. From Austin himself: “Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path.” Hey, just buy this brilliantly well-written and illustrated guide to how to use your head. Afraid to steal? Pablo Picasso on creativity, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

“It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The world’s best-selling book by Paul Arden.” I worked with Paul at Saatchi & Saatchi London. He was both brilliant and occasionally the most impossible-to-work-with creative director… ever. This is another just buy it. You can turn to any page and get your creative juices following big time. A quote: “Why do we strive for excellence when mediocrity is required?” One more just for you… “What do you do when your client won’t buy?”

“The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield. Over 25,000 people have given this book 4.5 or more stars on Amazon. Do I have to say more? One more from Steven. “Nobody Wants To Read Your Shit.”

“Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller. Yes, the word “story” has become a bit overused in the world of marketing. But… Miller’s book delivers a how-to guide for building out a brand story that delivers a brand’s core positioning and reason for existing in the first place. What is your story?

“Contagious” by Jonah Berger. Directly from the Contagious Amazon page: “The New York Times bestseller that explains why certain products and ideas become popular.” Getting an idea to stick ain’t easy. Here is a guidebook to help the creative director in you to get sticky.

“Popular Lies* About Graphic Design” by Craig Ward. Small. Easy to read (or not) you decide. A book built on lies. From Craig: “This is not a book full of facts. Nor is it a book full of advice. It is a book full of opinions, and confusion between those three is how a lot of these problems begin.”

A Banksy Creative Director: Bonus

And for serious inspiration, I Offer Banksy. Banksy You Are An Acceptable Level of Threat and if You Were Not You Would Know About it

Just to be clear here. This book is not aimed at Creative Directors that might be worried about how AI could end their careers.

34 Advertising Agency Search Consultants

Peter · March 28, 2023 · 6 Comments

Advertising Agency Search Consultants – The Personal Shopper Of The Ad World — Updated 24 March, 2023

I’ve updated my list of the advertising agency search consultants universe. After updating we’re at 42. But, I can not update the “34” URL – so, there. Let me know if I am missing any consultancies. Thanks.

Is Your Agency Findable?

Blows my mind that more (together) advertising agecies are not know within the agency search community. ya know… the people that are looking for your agency for your next client.

Before I get into the subject, I want to make an important point. Whether or not your agency has the chops and appropriate expertise to get the attention of a search consultant, please try to look and act different. Be unignorable.

Yes, you might be a great social media agency or media planning and buying group. But, I bet you have at least a dozen look-alike competitors.

Get It Right – First = Ask The Tough Questions Before You Contact Advertising Agency Search Consultants

Ask how you will stand out under the scrutiny of expert agency search consultants. Ask yourself, would you be interested in your agency? Ask me to help you.

The Big World of Advertising Agency Search Consultants

Advertising agency search consultants help clients locate the perfect agency out of hundreds, even thousands, of small and large agency options. It is estimated that about 10% to 15% of all searches use the services of a consultant (I am thinking about dollar volume, not total agency searches.) I suspect that the number of consultant-led pitches is well over 50% for clients that have large budgets, complicated accounts and now, highly specialized agency requirements.

Should Your Agency Contact An Advertising Agency Search Consultant? It Depends.

Should your agency contact the search consultants on this list? Well, yes and no.