Agency Success Trait #3 – Simplicity
Buongiorno! I’m bringing this email to you from a train in Italy, on the way from Rome to Florence. Getting a family vacation in and knocking off a bucket list for my mother’s first time out of the country. So far on this trip, I’ve got one client here in Italy, another friend, and on our exact same Colosseum tour was a friend of my son’s whom he just met at Texas’s student orientation a week ago. To say it’s a small world is an understatement!
In case you missed the last newsletter where we discussed the second trait of a successful agency…Structure. After connecting, interviewing, or working with over a dozen agencies each week, today we discuss trait number three, Simplicity.
Simplicity
Simplicity is very closely linked to structure. I’ve mentioned before that an agency is a hard business. So, it makes since that keeping things simple as possible would serve well to agencies.
Why is Simplicity so hard?
I’m sure many of you have heard the phrase “if I had time, I’d write a shorter letter.” Simplicity is no different in an agency. Think about what simplicity truly entails – it involves having such a deep understanding of a subject that you can distill it to its most crucial elements. It means cutting through the superfluous and focusing on what truly matters. Given the ever-evolving nature of the marketing landscape, achieving this clarity is no small feat.
Processes start out complex. Pitches contain way more slides and words than necessary. Hiring is focused on the wrong traits. Not to mention all the other business minutiae (HR, accounting, and those damn taxes). It takes experience and applied focus to whittle down all of these components to their core.
Simple, simply takes time.
What does Simple look like in an agency?
Well positioned agencies, who know exactly who their target customer is, how to find them, and how to serve them. They don’t waste time talking about things that don’t matter to solving the customer’s pain point.
Agencies that have built a truly effective culture, know exactly what traits to look for in the hiring process. And it isn’t sexy portfolios and resumes. Its subtle, specific traits demonstrated not through Q&A, but astute observation within the entirety of the interview process.
Process is inherent, not forced. There are rituals in place that ensure projects and clients stay on track without an endless number of meetings and stress.
There is always an up-to-date short term and long-term financial projection for the business that isn’t a chore to maintain. Those that didn’t have this before and now do can attest to how many years this can add back to your life;)
There’s no shortage of areas within the business where simplification can be beneficial. If you’re an avid listener of our podcast, my main objective is for you to extract one simple idea from each episode, inspiring improvements in your own business. By learning from others, we can embrace simplicity.
The KISS principle never fails.
An Agency Story – Featured Episode
Kristina has worked hard in her business to focus on what matters most. This was an all around great conversation of sharing ideas and thoughts about running an agency.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Russel
“The Backboard”
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