Unquestionably, the impending threat of a second recession has caused a tightening of belts across creative industries. Francis Ingham, chief executive of the PRCA, encapsulated the general feeling revealed by the PRCA’s Q3 Barometer survey as “we’re ok, but I’m not sure about everybody else.” The results showed that while influencers in the creative sectors feel positive about their own agencies’ futures, they don’t necessarily have the same optimism for the whole sector.

 

Within the prevailing economic climate, winning new clients is vital for agencies to stay afloat. But many companies fail to instil a ‘new business ethos’: a mindset which, if adopted by whole teams, can be a valuable and essential endeavour.

 

There is sometimes reluctance among employees within creative agencies to get involved in new business, especially if lead generation isn’t part of their job description.

The first step towards overcoming this negative thinking is to identify the barriers that are holding staff back from getting involved. These commonly include general time constraints, a lack of understanding of what’s required to win new business, and a negative attitude (sometimes justified) towards approaches such as cold calling.

You can put simple measures in place to help your team prioritise new business.

 

Circulating regular new business news will help your team feel more involved. A simple circular can keep employees updated and give details of upcoming events. Keeping staff in the loop generatesanticipation and interest.

 

Building contacts will only ever be beneficial, so encourage your team to turn every networking opportunity to their advantage. Attending trade shows is valuable - arrange meetings prior to the event to make the most of the opportunity.

 

When somebody new comes to your agency, take note of their past experience and detail this to your team. Likewise, take stock of your employees’ current and past connections. Even the smallest lead can make a difference.

 

Allow your team to brainstorm and voice opinion about companies they want to work with and feel passionate about. If the brand isn’t suitable then explain why, so they understand your reasoning.

 

Being organised is vital to creating a good new business ethos, and systems are useful. For example, each month ask a member of your team to highlight the brands they intend to approach, and to keep a record of any new business activity undertaken: all interactions, successful or not, should be logged.

 

It is inevitable that some people will be more successful than others at winning new business. By ensuring that your team members share their observations (good or bad) with each other, the process will be a learning experience for everyone.

 

Generating new business leads can be a lengthy process - and maintaining enthusiasm within your team, especially when results can take months to materialise, is vital. Acknowledge achievements, even small ones, by introducing incentives. Giving your team impetus with the prospect of meaningful reward is key - after all, their efforts will hopefully be profitable for your company!