It’s 12 years now since Damian and I set up D&M Creative. Initially fumbling our way through the process of selling, it was probably 2 years before I really understood why we started to be so successful.
It’s all down to the relationships we built and grew. I’d say it was another year or so before I was really certain about how important relationships were, and I’m pleased to say many of those relationships that I formed in the early days are still going strong today. But here’s the thing, how do creative agencies really grow aside from word-of-mouth, which are essentially relationship based introductions?
The answer, and it’s the same for any business – is raise your profile, get your brand right, and do lots of focussed activity to find out what generates business. It’s a challenge we discussed with our mentor at length. It’s a challenge we all face and one I hear so often – how can I get more from our existing client base? The answer? Develop a deeper relationship.
You might ‘know’ thousands of people via social media but how often and how well do you engage with them personally? My solution to this is simply going for quality over quantity. I guarantee that if you cultivated the relationships you already have - you’d see a spike in business.
Do good things, be a good contact, be responsive and positive and always try to help! Be seen as a ‘go to’ person – because that will elevate you in the eyes of the people you know and it will ensure you get more from you current network.
A great by-product that I’ve found is that many of my business contacts have become good friends too, which makes you feel great and makes doing business and referring much easier. But remember, relationships take time to build but can be destroyed very easily. Be consistent, be truthful and be reliable.
That way you’ll not let others or yourself down. Like I’ve said in previous blogs, Growth Mentoring can help you to overcome these challenges but there’s also Skills Assist workshops that will help you to grow and develop. Want to know more? Get in touch with Boost and you might be surprised where your journey leads.
Boost Business Lancashire, Creative Lancashire and Community & Business Partners are holding a free Skills Assist workshop on building great client relationships for creative and digital agencies in Lancaster on 3rd July. Click here to find out more and book your place.
Boost Business Lancashire offers a growth mentoring programme matching business owners with experienced entrepreneurs. To apply for a place on the programme, complete our online form or call 0800 488 0057.
Morgan Rothwell, Director of D&M Creative Ltd.
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