FAQs

Ten Fast FAQs on Sanders Consulting Group:

Where are you located?
A. We began in Richmond, VA and last year moved our operations to Florida, on the East Coast, near West Palm Beach, because Stuart likes the
sun and the fishing. Besides, it’s a great spot to hold agency retreats anytime of the year with agency executives who want to get away for some
long range planning.

What’s the business split within the industry?
A. Our business splits this way. About 50% comes from ad agencies of all types and sizes and another 50% come from other forms of marketing
communication companies such as design firms, PR firms, direct response companies, media buying organizations and others such as brand
consultancies and other types of marketing organizations.

How does the agency side split down on business side? Are there any patterns?
A. Every year about 1/3 of our business comes from agencies with less than 10 people. Another 1/3 comes from what we might describe as
regional firms. And 1/3 comes from large national firms, holding companies, and international agencies.

How does your practice areas break out?
A. Our work is split evenly into three practice areas: 1) What we call new business or growth opportunities including the firm’s brand; 2) Client
retention including account management training; and 3) What we describe as management concerns. These include activities such as exit
planning, merger and acquisition support, executive coaching, partner issues, operational improvements and other leadership problems and
opportunities.

Why type of work do you do for clients, meaning customers of ad agencies and other communication firms?
A. We do no work on the client side unless we have been invited in by one of our marketing communication company clients to provide help and
resources. This happens several times each year.

Are you available to meet with clients on behalf of agencies?
A. We do meet with clients on your behalf for a wide variety of reasons, and we provide backup in many cases to help you sell in a major
recommendation. And this happens often.

Tell me about the firm’s staff.
A. The firm uses a number of well-qualified senior consultants in the field who work with us usually on exclusive relationships but normally not
full time. This adjunct staff keeps our costs low and allows us to deploy enough resources to make sure the work we promise is done on time.

Do you guarantee your work?
A. All of our assignments are taken on a 100% guarantee. That means you must be satisfied with our performance, or you do not pay.

What’s the biggest problem facing agencies today?
A. We believe that marketing communication companies, for the most part, have been badly hurt by the drift from once being strategic to now
being more tactical. This shift has been forced upon the industry by clients and consultants who have won the ear of senior management on the
client side. We believe this drift must be reversed, and it begins by changing one client at a time.

How do you compare to other agency side consultants out there?
A. We believe we work with more marketing communication companies than any other firm in the world. Industry contacts and trade
publications tell us this but no one has taken an accounting. So until then, let it go that we have the experience and the skills to help you
accomplish what you want to do.

What’s the hardest job agency CEOs have?
A. Being able to work with the new breed of clients who want things faster, cheaper, and with stronger results guaranteed. Clients are moving
quicker from job to job and they want that urgency felt on the agency side. Most agency CEOs have had a hard time adjusting to that.

Isn’t this more than 10 FAQs.
A. You’re right but we like to do more than we promise.