Training Center

Your one-stop source for growing your agency, your staff and your clients.

Bob leading an ad agency session on new business.

Sanders Consulting is best known for its full range of skill-building new business training courses that are agency specific, meaning no extraneous, non-industry materials are included.

It’s 100% directed at marketing communication companies of all types, and it builds skills in learning how to do new business better, and how to improve account service by learning new ways to present and new skills in project management, organic growth, relationship building and negotiation.

Other learning programs cover how to increase client retention, learning how to do brand consulting, and new tools to help agencies learn new ways to provide better strategic leadership to clients.

We also do on-site consulting in improving work flow, agency profitability, and process management. Most of the learning programs are supported by training manuals designed to keep the skill building fresh for years to come.

Learning How To Grow

Growing an agency can be confusing. Often we place up-and-coming staff in the role of new business while providing little or no training. Or we try and muddle on as best we can, trying the same-ol same-ol and expecting different results. One lucky win and we think we’ve got it all figured out… only to then lose the next several opportunities and wonder why.

Our AE’s, coordinators, and managers are forced to work on projects with little or no understanding of how to sell or how to grow existing clients – organic growth. The focus is on getting the work out, not growing the relationship. Everything is on-the-job training.

There has to be a better way. The good news is the skills needed to be great at understanding growth can be taught.

Agency Growth Training Options:

DayOne: New Business Roadmap | New Business Assessment & Mapping

This one-day learning and planning session maps out a powerful new business program for the agency going forward. Review 12 key new business skills needed for growth. Provides timetable, measures of success, best targets, assigned responsibilities and a unified agency management team set to go after more growth. Supported with 80-page New Business Evaluation Guide.

Brand Retreat | Agency Branding

Review of the current agency landscape, the marketing chessboard, and develop a unique agency positioning for growth. Helps the agency find its most appealing brand attributes and brand personality that drive more new business. Shows agency management how to build brand congruency within the agency and sustain it by living the brand. Supported with 75-page Agency Branding manual.

Profiling | New Business Chemistry

Work session with senior staff on using chemistry to increase the agency’s new business success. Shows agencies how to win the chemistry battle and overcome lack of size, limited creative firepower, poor category expertise, and geographical handicaps because the prospect has decided it wants to work with you. Agency learns how to profile clients and prospects. Supported with 120-page Chemistry Wins New Business manual.

Spark | New Business Outreach

A learning experience that sets up the agency’s outreach program so a continuing stream of new business leads flows into the agency for years to come. Set up an agency awareness building program with follow-up relationship stimulation that encourages good prospects to request first visits. Agency outreach materials are developed under the brand congruence program. Agency cuts dependency on RFPs and cattle calls. Supported with 200-page Spark outreach manual.

Benefit Testing | New Business Closing

Planning session to adopt a high-impact research technique using a strategic-development process that encourages prospects to hire the agency. Learn how to build a new business process that makes the agency smart on any account, develops the best brand strategy, points out the winning creative solutions and forms the center piece of the agency’s final pitch for the business. Strategic development becomes the centerpiece of the agency’s new business efforts. Supported with 120-page Benefit Testing strategic closing manual.

Torch | Fast Closes

A learning experience that shows the agency’s senior team how to turn interested prospects into new clients with special trust-building, first-visit techniques that avoid doing proposals. Learn how to make powerful first visits with prospects that set them up for fast closes, either 48-hours or 7 days. Agency sets requirements for taking on new accounts based on size, chemistry, creative requirements, and ability to service. Agency never takes on a bad client again. Supported with 180-page Torch fast-close manual.

Presenting to Win | Formal Presentations

How to use the latest presentation techniques so the agency not only gives the best presentation but also wins because the client likes the agency best. Includes casting, structure, content and presentation skills. Learn how to build chemistry throughout the presentation, and win. Agency puts equal emphasis on the show, not just content. Supported with 100-page Presentation To Win manual.

High Ground | Brand Consulting

Brand consulting opens up new revenue streams for agencies that want to move out of the conference room dealing with marketing managers and into the boardroom where the C-level executives make important marketing decisions. Establish a marketing consultancy at the agency with a first year revenue target of over $600,000 in fees. Who will lead the consultancy, including procedures to follow, name, location, geographic focus areas, and businesses to target. Session is supported with 100-page Brand Consulting Set-up manual.

High Gear | Shifting Account Management to a New Level!

Shows agencies how to master the organic-grow process by turning normal account activities into new revenue opportunities by presenting a series of business-building ideas that clients love. Hands-on workshop with a fresh look at the role and responsibilities of account management. Learning includes understanding the client world, moving from tactics to strategy, selling the work, setting price and value for what you offer, how to negotiate, and how to improve your social skills. Session is supported with 100-page HighGear Training manual.

Sharking | Lure Large Accounts. Bypass Formal Reviews

Sets up an outreach program aimed at the agency’s largest prospects and takes these whale accounts from uninterested to a personal relationship that leads to the agency presenting for the business. Target your key prospects for extra attention. Reach out to your best prospects with your best people, and build interest in your firm the right way. Set up ways to meet your largest prospects socially and create unique opportunities to tantalize prospects in your services. Put your senior talent next to their senior talent. Supported with 90-page Shark Manual.

Account in Review | Winning The Defining Moment

A customized program aimed at winning those large opportunities agencies have every year that transform the agency because of the account’s size, impact, category or reputation. One to three days at agency and/or on phone. Focus is on lead already at the agency, high success rate at helping agencies win. Earlier in the greater the chance for success. Strategy is to win at every level: RFP, tour, first round and last round. One year we won 26 pitches in a row, with over a billion in billings.

Note: If the best option for your agency is unclear, schedule a DayOne to sort it all out so the agency doesn’t waste time or money.