First Meeting Effectiveness: '78% of Agencies Don't Know Enough'

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May 27, 2010, 05:13 ET

CINCINNATI, May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent survey released by RSW/US, 78% of marketers state that agencies don't know enough about their business during first meetings or calls. The survey results can be downloaded at: http://rswus.com/surveys/index.php.

"Too many agency principals walk into first meetings unprepared. They might be ready to talk about themselves and their agencies, but they are not adequately prepared to converse about the marketer's business," says Mark Sneider, Owner/President of RSW/US, an agency new business/agency search firm.

The survey, conducted among senior marketing decision makers and agency principals, highlights some significant differences between what agencies think they're giving prospective clients during first meetings and what marketers say they're actually getting. "Their opinion", "Creative before strategy", and "Sales pitch" are among the open-ended responses provided by marketers when asked what they get from agencies during first meetings.

Sneider provides recommendations/insights in the survey report on how to best address these, as well as other marketer concerns revealed in the results.

Another key insight gleaned from the results of the RSW/US survey is that marketers believe agency principals are too aggressive in their follow-up and don't bring enough value when trying to follow-up. "Agencies have to remember that while winning the marketer's business might be on top of their priority list, their agency isn't on top of the marketer's list," says Sneider. "Finding ways to add value to the marketer's world (e.g. providing insights on how you might address business issues) after the introductory meeting or call are important tools to help agencies stay in touch with prospects as they work their way to close."

Sneider's firm has found that in addition to helping their clients find good quality meetings with marketers, they now are counseling clients prior to first meetings and as they move to close after the meeting. "Simply getting great meetings isn't enough. We are the sales experts, and feel we need to help our agency clients however we can."

RSW/US is an agency new business/agency search firm that operates on two levels: 1) They operate like a virtual business development group to help agencies build pipelines of qualified new business opportunities; and 2) They help marketers find better agencies. More information can be accessed at: www.rswus.com or by contacting Sneider at 513.559-3101 or via email at [email protected].

SOURCE RSW/US