Recently I have had this conversation too many times with” social media” agencies looking for guidance in pitching a prospective client. They live by the old rules of offering a host of “great” ideas and suggest the client pick what they like. All this does is open the discussion to a myriad of “their” ideas as well as others offered up by the client and leads the client to believe that they do not have a firm grasp on what can work best… at least in their opinion.
They are afraid to stand by their convictions, take a stand, and truly lead a client in the what they believe to be the right direction. Hard to break old legacy thinking and start pitching “only” what you truly believe and not just what you think will get you the account and earn you fees. It is the effective solutions that will make you and your business shine for the long-run.
If you are going to specialize and call yourself a Social Media Agency… then be sure to bring your expertise to the table, tell it like it is, and only execute what you believe will work, is appropriate and will provides value.
Ted Rubin
I agree – it’s a tough balance, but you have to take the leadership position while also showing you have familiarity with other options. We try to do that not just with Social Media options but with all marketing proposals. It’s as important to explain why you don’t recommend something, non?
Great post, many agencies have a difficult time balancing the clients interest and billable hours. Social Media isn’t any different, know your client’s customer and where they go in the social space. Then formulate the message and style to be delivered.