Working life has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cabinet meetings by Zoom, TV presenters broadcasting from their kitchens – no one is untouched. Even the tribe of working from home (WFH) veterans have had to adapt to the many new challenges – juggling home schooling, no coffee shop to break the day … Read More

Here are a few observations to help you optimise your approach to business development in the current climate. Firstly, it’s really important that we all adhere to government advice and avoid unnecessary face to face contact as a priority. One obvious solution to this is to set up video calls, Zoom meetings etc. An approach … Read More

“At the end of a storm there’s a golden sky and the silver song of a lark”   It’s what we do now that will get agencies through this storm – leadership, proactivity, adaptation and innovation are key, but more importantly collaboration and community. For most, that golden sky seems a long way off, and … Read More

As most of the country are being confined to their homes for at least the next few weeks, I’m sure I’m not alone in finding there are a very different set of distractions to those faced in the office. My first distraction is the pain in my back as I’ve been sitting on a dining … Read More

Amid all the chaos and misery of the Coronavirus outbreak, not just in the UK but across half the planet, there have been a couple of positive points that have struck me. Firstly, the sheer speed that so many companies have been able to adapt and continue operating with a remote workforce. Secondly, the tenacity … Read More

Ensure you have a clear objective for the phone call, which in this instance is likely to be agreeing and confirming a time and date for a face to face meeting. Prepare thoroughly for the phone call, just as you would for a face to face meeting: Research the person you’re speaking to, look at … Read More

As you are no doubt aware, there is an increasing trend for companies to take their content related functions such as SEO, analytics, data and social media in-house. The insource-outsource argument has always existed and probably always will, so here are a few ways we try and counter this response from prospects and try to … Read More

Picture the following scenario – you are a Research Manager or Head of Insight in your office, trying to make sense of a ton of data in a fiendishly complicated spreadsheet that’s just arrived in your inbox. The phone rings and someone you don’t know from a research agency you’ve never heard of wants to … Read More

Earlier this week, as I popped into Scribbler to buy a birthday card for my brother, I was reminded in no uncertain terms that Eros is second only to Father Christmas when it comes to the pecking order of the greetings market. The shop was packed with hordes of customers blocking the aisle, no doubt … Read More

Business development in the agency world can be a pretty tough racket at times. It will often require the seller to convince the buyer to take a leap of faith. In many cases, you are effectively trying to put across the case for buying into a “new idea” and this may feel like a step … Read More