In this post, I’m going to share how you can leverage agencies to get leads and grow your business.

We'll cover using agencies not just for their services, but also as learning opportunities.

How Agencies Want You to Think They Work

Agencies are essentially lead-getting service businesses.

You pay them to run ads, do outreach, or make content.

Typically, they’ll assign their best guy to your account during onboarding, get you some results, and then switch you to a junior rep, which often leads to declining results and eventual cancellation.

This cycle repeats with many agencies, leading to frustration and wasted money.

The Best Way of Working with Agencies

Nowadays, I use agencies primarily to learn:

  • New methods
  • New platforms

There are two main reasons for that:

  • Agencies are the best teachers: Agencies have to be good because their business depends on it. Unlike many teachers who may not be up-to-date with current practices, agencies are actively doing the work and can teach skills effectively.
  • I improve my team and build long-term growth engines: I use agency services not just to outsource tasks, but to learn from them.

The big idea is to bring their knowledge in-house.

You want to train either yourself, or one of your employees, and document the processes so you can later pass the knowledge to other employees.

Here’s the approach:

1. Set Clear Expectations

From the start, be clear about what you want to achieve.

Offer to pay extra for the inconvenience of teaching you.

Here's how - I get on the call and like to set very clear expectations.

This is what you can say:

"I want to do what you do in my business, but I don’t know how. I’d like to work with you for six months so I can learn how you do it. Plus, I’ll pay extra for you to break down why you make the decisions you do and the steps you take to make them. Once I get a good idea of how it all works, I’ll start training my team on it. Once they can do it well enough, I’d like to change to a lower-cost consulting agreement. This way, you can still help us if we run into problems. Are you opposed to doing this?"

Setting clear expectations upfront and offering to pay more for the inconvenience can make many agencies willing to work with you this way.

If one person doesn’t accept, another likely will.

This approach work with any type of agency you can think of.

2. Learn and Apply

‍Use the agency’s expertise to learn new skills.

Document new learnings: Record sessions, take notes, and apply what you’ve learned.

3. Transition

‍Once you’ve mastered the skills, train your team to take over and switch the agency to a consulting role.

‍Set Terms and Deadlines: Set clear terms with the agency and deadlines for your team. This ensures you don’t become lazy and dependent on the agency.

At this point, some will say 'hey, but aren't you paying double?'.

Yes, there will be a period where you’re paying both your team and the agency, which means extra costs.

However, the cost of ignorance and not knowing how to use the new platform or method over a longer period outweighs the short-term cost of double pay.

How to Pick the Right Agency

Choosing the right agency is crucial. Here’s what I look for:

  1. ‍Word of Mouth: Ask your network for recommendations.
  2. ‍Prominent Clients: Look for agencies that have worked with well-known companies.
  3. ‍Waiting List: High demand usually indicates quality.
  4. ‍Clear Sales Process: Ensure they set realistic expectations.
  5. ‍Long-Term Strategy: Avoid agencies that focus on short-term hacks.
  6. ‍Clear Communication: They should tell you exactly what they need from you and how they’re going to use it.
  7. ‍Regular Updates: They should offer scheduled meetings and progress reports.
  8. ‍Simple Metrics: Ensure they provide clear, trackable results.
  9. ‍Good Offer: They should follow a solid offer framework.
  10. ‍Expensive but Worth It: Good agencies are usually expensive, but not all expensive agencies are good.

Action Steps

  1. ‍Decide if an Agency is Right for You: Consider your budget and needs.
  2. ‍Talk to Multiple Agencies: Talk to 5-10 agencies and get a feel for the market.
  3. ‍Use the Agreement Framework: Be clear about your expectations.
    1. Clear Expectations:
      • Clearly define what you want to achieve by working with the agency.
      • Specify the duration of the collaboration, such as six months.
    2. Learning-Oriented:
      • State that your primary goal is to learn their methods and processes.
      • Request detailed explanations for their decision-making and steps taken.
    3. Extra Payment for Teaching:
      • Offer to pay extra for the inconvenience of them teaching you instead of just doing the work.
      • Emphasize that this additional payment is for the detailed breakdown and learning opportunity.
    4. Gradual Transition:
      • Explain that once you understand their methods, you’ll start training your own team.
      • Specify that after your team is proficient, you’d like to switch to a lower-cost consulting agreement.
    5. Continued Support:
      • Ensure that the agency is willing to provide support and guidance even after the initial intensive training phase.
  4. ‍Set a Deadline: This forces you and your team to learn the skills.
  5. ‍Use Both Teams: Keep both the agency and your team working until your team can consistently outperform the agency.
  6. ‍Switch to Consulting: Once your team is proficient, switch the agency to a consulting role and eventually (when you feel like they don't add value) phase them out.

Conclusion

Using agencies can be a powerful way to get more leads and learn new skills quickly.

By setting clear expectations, leveraging their expertise, and gradually transitioning the work to your team, you can maximize the value you get from agencies.