Tim Keen’s Post

I used to hate agencies, but my perspective has shifted. When you're a growing business in the low millions annually, you face two challenges: 1. You either go for the cheapest agency, which leads to poor quality. 2. Or, you overspend on a big player, but with your brand still evolving, it's hard for the agency to deliver results. I'd avoid both options unless you deeply understand your growth needs and can clearly pass them off for execution. Otherwise, hiring a skilled contractor to help you develop that understanding might be the better move. This is just general advice, but it was our experience. Now, as a more mature brand, we’ve found success with agencies, internal teams, and contractors.

Hi Fellow agency folks, Let's shine a light on something often overshadowed in agencies: hiring. While sales take center stage, hiring is the glue that holds everything together. It's about assembling a team that not only rocks at what they do but also vibes with your agency's culture and values. With the right people in place, you're not just building a team; you're building a family that's ready to tackle any challenge. Plus, strategic hiring ensures scalability, keeping your agency poised for growth without sacrificing quality. Ultimately, it's about creating an environment where everyone thrives, from your team to your clients. So, let's give hiring the attention it deserves – it's the heartbeat of your agency's success.#AgencyLife #HiringMagic #TeamAwesome#Operations

Unpopular opinion - The reason Agencies fail to scale is not lack of sales or cash, but rather these two things: 1. Clear Positioning 2. Incredible People Not everyone wants to scale their Agency, but those who do understand 1 + 2. For everyone else, Agencies are a great lifestyle business 🏝️ The gurus will tell you scaling is all about following a specific “blueprint”. Huge truth right there, but you need to evolve your own blueprint within your positioning. In my experience: it’s faster to hire incredible people, give them crystal clear positioning then get out the way and let them build the blueprints.

In the last 5 years, I’ve been the Fractional CMO / Strategic Marketing Advisor to hundreds of (and some of the biggest) B2B companies and Private Equity firms. In most of these companies, Marketing is not performing to its potential. Often, marketing is not delivering the way they are supposed to. Sometimes, there isn’t a CMO in place / there is a transition period / the CEO or CRO are leading Marketing. I end up helping a lot of these companies hire their CMO to help them achieve their objectives. Getting this hire right is critical because every company needs a different kind of CMO based on their context: -Enterprise B2B companies need different CMOs than transactional ones -PE backed companies need different CMOs than VC backed companies or bootstrapped companies. -A single product $7M business needs a different CMO than a $100M M&A platform company Understanding these nuances is the difference between hiring a CMO that helps you grow your company and one that you have to part ways with in 12-18 months. And getting this hire wrong is incredibly costly in terms of missed projections, onboarding and off boarding, not raising capital, false starts and employee turnover. So I put together a guide of all the factors companies should think about when hiring a CMO. There is also a CMO scorecard for each scenario. If you want access to this, comment below and I’ll send it to you.

If you want to scale your agency efficiently, you need to get serious about systems, SOPs, and hiring A-players. Too many founders think they have to handle everything themselves to ensure quality and keep clients happy... ... but that's just a perfect recipe for burnout and slow growth. Instead, you've got to break free from that mindset... ... and start building systems and SOPs that allow you to delegate effectively. Why? Because when you've got clear processes in place... ... you can trust your A-players to get the job done right. These are the guys who take ownership, excel in their roles... ... and deliver results that knock it out of the park. But here's the thing: For your A-players to do things on their own properly... ... they need the right tools from you. And that means having solid systems and SOPs... ... so they can do the job the same way YOU would do it. It's pretty simple, but it's crazy how many agencies don't actually have this... So focus on building those processes, hire great people to run those systems... ... and your agency will grow 10x faster without you having to be stuck in the operations all day. 💪 - Kilian P.S. Curious... Why do you think so many founders struggle with setting up the right SOPs and having their team follow them? Drop your answer in the comments.👇

Is hiring an agency better or having an in-house team? Let's talk! It's always interesting to hear what people have to say on this. Here’s my take: 👇 Benefits of hiring an agency: - Low investment high returns -Save time - Faster Turnaround Benefits of having an in-house team: - Immediate availability  - Better understanding of your business - Better control and adaptability Which is the best option for your business? 1️⃣. If your MRR is <$20K: Hiring an agency will work the best. Here you won’t have to invest a lot of time in team training. All you have to care is about the results But make sure to look at the agency’s portfolio before signing them. 2️⃣. If your MRR is $20K+: Build your own in-house team! You can hire an agency as well here to train your team and build SOPs as a one-time thing! — What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts on this! #agency #inhousetraining #team

Insider’s tip: It’s nearly impossible to scale an agency without a Director of Client Service. As a firm grows, this position is vital for: ➡️ Allowing the founder to exit from day-to-day client work and focus on growth ➡️ Client retention and satisfaction ➡️ Overseeing teams ➡️ A smooth transition from sales to service ➡️ Protecting project scopes ➡️ Organic growth opportunities Sounds like the unicorn you’ve been looking for, right? Well, hiring the right person and setting them up for success with a solid foundation aren’t simple tasks. This is why agencies often hire Advocation to set up a successful foundation, train their team, or step in to fulfill this role in a fractional capacity. In a new blog post, I’m sharing the full scoop on hiring a Director of Client Service. Link in the comments below!

Hey guys, me again, what's up? Hope you're doing well... Ok, OK, said I'd be back today with another of my 9 daily steps for you to take away. Steps for you to avoid, sustain growth and success as agency owners so please... without further ado.. #8 Hiring Too Soon: • Most people hire for the jobs they don't want to do. But at the beginning that's not always the best path, or what the business needs in order to grow. • So, hire based on pain, not because of laziness. • Resources are scarce in a scaling business. • Use those resources wisely. • Hire based on the areas you're struggling with rather than hiring on the areas that you desire to stop working on. • An example: If you're on sales calls all day, hiring someone to send cold emails back again tomorrow peeps.. 👣 N

This might hurt some feelings, but it´s the hard uncomfortable truth.. Especially for you as a marketer👇🏼 This thought comes from sitting (freezingly) in my tent at night, snuggled into the cold steel of my weapon and thinking about life - this will shock you: (Other than the fact that I ran out of water for 36 hours) Most people are standing in their own way - whether that´s exercise, business, or their passion. The question is, are you one of them? Marketers often do the same - they focus so intensely on statisfying the customer, ensuring they get a excellent CTR, but lose crucial parts of their business out of sight. Simple deliverables like: -> Thoughtful Onboarding -> Consistent Customer Communication -> Warm Lead Management -> Reporting -> And so much more.. And don´t get me wrong - I lose sight of this consistently haha The good part is I don´t have to worry about this anymore. I created systems - systems which saved me +700 hours already. All so I can focus on the important tasks WITHOUT sacrificing or hiring staff. Ensuring the service is on point AND the business runs like a well-oiled machine. Thanks for reading - wish me luck on my ruck march back home with no water left.. Speak soon!