Do you go with us to the meetings you get for us?
No. But we get more information on the category and the company/prospect for you in advance of the meeting. And we provide a proven “First Meeting Strategy” with suggested tactics for getting a next step in the first meeting. But I always participate in the initial conference calls and on-line meetings that I arrange. I serve as the “host” of that, which provides a good set-up for making the hand-off to you, for you to begin the relationship and be the primary contact with that prospect from then on.

Do you develop a formal new business plan for us?
Yes. After we have completed our “Orientation & Planning” session with your agency, we write a Business Development Plan for each new agency client. The plan includes Goals, Strategies and Tactics for Targeting and Prospecting, Timetables and Responsibilities. The Targeting section always identifies between 6 and 8 different types of Targets that would be especially appropriate for your particular agency. One of the first is – Leveraging Your Experience. We identify categories in which you have good experience and a good record of results. Then we identify companies in those categories – and get information on each to make sure that it meets the criteria we have established with you, in terms of size of company, geographic location, etc. 

How do you usually operate?
Although Dick Vinyard is with The Vinyard Group, I like to look as if I am with your agency, to people at the companies we are targeting. Part of that is a title, an e-mail address and a phone number. Then I send e-mailings with your agency’s signature, mailings on your letterhead, etc. You see and approve all copy in advance. Then I make the follow-up calls, talk to as many as possible, and interest them in your agency, your services and the promise of what you can do for them. I persuade them to talk further with us in either a conference call or in a meeting.

How do we know you will keep what you learn about us completely confidential? 
The very first document that we both sign is a Confidentiality & Non-Compete Agreement which I provide. Let me know if you would like to see a copy.

How are you compensated? 
We are compensated by way of a monthly service fee. The amount of the fee is customized for each new agency client. The amount depends on the size of the agency, the size of the accounts we want to go after, the amount of time and work anticipated and other factors. From what we understand that others are charging, we are often less costly. And, if measured on “cost per opportunity produced”, our monthly fee compares very favorably.

Do you work for more than one agency in a given marketing area?
Not usually. Only did it once and it worked O.K. One was a general, full-service agency and the other was a strictly pharmaceutical agency. One agency was completely different from the other, going after different targets, etc. And we never accept an agency client in the same city as an agency we are already working for if there is any possibility of conflicts.

What if we don’t think you are producing for us?
Our Agreement for Business Development Services enables you to terminate us on short notice at any time, if you don’t feel that we are producing for you as you expected.

How are you different than the many other business development firms that contact us all the time?
We are a better choice and value for most agencies for several reasons:

Do you provide a list of references of agencies with whom you work or have worked? 
Yes. Just let us know if you would like to see those and we’ll send them.

About how many phone conferences/meetings per month can we expect?
This varies widely by size of agency, size of prospects we go after, nature of the industry/category we are targeting, season of the year and other factors. But, in general, if we have a solid “story” and if we maintain the level of mailings, e-mailings and phone prospecting that we normally do, we can usually get one, and sometimes two, valid opportunities per month. And, of course, that varies. We might not get any opportunities in one month (example: a new category where we are getting passed around and still trying to identify the “real” decision maker). But we might get three the next month. For some promotion and/or direct marketing agency clients, we have developed about 18 to 20 valid opportunities for them over a 12-month period. 

For other, more general agencies (and often larger agencies) we may only get 8 or 10 opportunities in a year for them. But it may be that some of those opportunities were with companies with budgets in the $5-$20 million or larger budget range!

How much advance notice will we have about a conference call or a meeting?
Each time we set a time and date for a conference call – or in-person meeting – we always try to schedule it for at least two weeks out. Then I call you. And, when I set a date with a prospect, I always tell them I must confirm it with my “associates” and will get back to them. (That gives me a BIG opportunity to get more info from them, etc. I can explain much more to you about the psychology involved with this when we talk in person). We need that time to really prepare. It is vital, of course, that our performance with that opportunity be the absolute best we can make it. If it isn’t, we may never get a chance with that prospect again.