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Originally post on Forbes.com on June 30th, 2020.

A few decades ago, the rule of thumb for businesses when it came to politics or social issues would be to ignore it. However, as the world has become more politically aware of the situations that infiltrate everyday life, businesses can no longer sit on the sidelines as history passes them by.

Politics and social issues can be thorny subjects, especially if a company doesn’t understand where its audience’s sentiments lie. A wrong step could mean a public relations disaster of epic proportions. Here, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council examine how a business can comment on social and political issues without finding themselves on the receiving end of “cancel culture.”

1. Walk The Talk

A tweet in support of an issue might feel like a good idea, but when you lend your brand’s support to a cause or issue, make sure it’s more than words on a screen. Woke consumers do their research. Be prepared to speak to what your company is doing with its policies, procedures and dollars if you choose to join the conversation on social issues. – Kate Weidner , SRW

2. Get Buy-In From All Levels

It has to be more than a public statement. When you stake a claim, be sure that the belief has buy-in across all aspects of your business. Your employees need to have buy-in and stand behind the belief, you need alignment with existing core clients and local support within the community. Each business decision should be held up to a litmus test to ensure it aligns with your belief (social or political). – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

3. Don’t Force It

Engaging in political or social issues may not be right for your brand. Before you go down this path, make sure that you take an honest look at your brand and your consumer to see if these issues fit your identity. If they don’t, it’s best not to force it. Today’s consumers can spot forced or disingenuous commentary a mile away. – JP Johl, AdTribute

4. Make It Defensible

If you have a fully-informed opinion that is based on more than emotion and you can articulate it well, then feel free to share it. If not, keep it quiet. Then, you can stand on your principles and the truth when there is dissension (and there always will be). – Christine Wetzler, Pietryla PR

5. Embrace Controversial Content

When you post about traditional “taboo” content, it will invite both sides of whatever issue to come forward no matter what, no matter how polite or how well-oiled your PR team is. Instead of trying to fight the inevitable, be open with your wording to encourage conversation. The more organic comments, the cheaper your CPC, the better your content performs on social media. – Kelly Samuel, Kelly Samuel

6. Define Your ‘Why’

Before you take a position on anything political or social, define your “why.” Make sure you live up to it with your actions. This is the hard part. Now, do not conduct market research to see how people respond to your “why.” Even if you do, never change it to please everyone. Own it as is. Now go ahead and be fearless in inspiring your brand followers with social commentary. – Kashif Zaman, Pivyt

7. Make Sure Your Stance And Values Align

Be authentic. When your words align with your brand, they will impact people. The popular choice is not the proper one if it goes against your values or does not connect with your brand. If you have no history or actions to back your statements, they will be poorly received; but if your messages are consistent over time and what you say matches what you do, your stance will draw people to you. – Fran Biderman-Gross, Advantages

8. Understand Consumer Perception

While authenticity has long been a marketing buzzword, it’s critical that brands understand who they are and how consumers perceive them when venturing into any political or social commentary. This ensures that if brands are entering taboo waters, they are doing so in a way that doesn’t appear to be opportunistic and will feel authentic to their followers. – Jessica Reznick, We’re Magnetic

9. Connect With Integrity

Connection with a brand should never come at the expense of integrity. Unless you represent an intentionally polarizing brand, there is no reason to create deliberately polarizing content or messaging. Even in that case, keep in mind that the internet is forever, and your messaging has the potential to haunt the brand, its stakeholders and you as the creator, for a long time. – Patrick Nycz, NewPoint Marketing

10. Be Politically Polite

Political issues should still be off the table unless someone invites the conversation — do not actively bring it up especially in such polarizing times. However, if someone does bring up a political subject and you don’t have the same views, politely listen to the content and then redirect the conversation to pertinent business topics instead of personal political feelings. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC

11. Don’t Try To Satisfy Everyone

In sharing your views, you will appeal to many consumers, but not all. In fact, you may turn some consumers off such that you lose their business. But for those that share your beliefs, you will create a much more loyal customer and the increase in sales from them will offset any loss. Don’t be afraid of losing customers because the ones you gain will make up for it! – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®

12. Always Be Fair

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you have to be very fair. As a company, you need to remain fair and share information and perspectives that are balanced and inclusive of all viewpoints. – Jon James, Ignited Results

13. Research Your Sources

Sharing your opinions or values can be a great way to bring authenticity to your messaging, but use extreme caution when sharing other people’s content — if at all. Items like user-generated quotes and photos need to be vetted carefully before you stake your online reputation on them. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions

14. Be Mindful Of How You Say It

It’s not about what you say, it’s about how you say it. Today, there’s no longer one “media elite” but rather, endless conversations that are taking place on many different platforms. Listen to communities and hear what they have to say on the matter you wish to talk about and figure out what your added value is in the conversation or solution. – Hamutal Schieber

15. Support Causes That Resonate With Customers

Studies show consumers are apt to switch brands to those that share similar values to their own. The best way for a company to make social commentary to increase brand loyalty is to support causes that resonate with their customer base. For example, sponsoring arts and cultural organizations, or programs such as arts education, shows that the business is investing in their community and its people. – Henry Kurkowski, One WiFi

Originally Published on Forbes.com on January 7th, 2020.

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Television viewing habits have changed dramatically over the years — from three broadcast networks to the rise of cable and hundreds of channels to choose from. This has evolved into time-shifted watching with DVRs, and now, on-demand viewing through subscription services and downloadable apps.

While this has been a tremendous step forward, it’s created a challenge for buyers. What this means for advertisers is another seismic shift on how we plan, buy and place our television spend. However, like much of the most effective advertising today, it’s now safely in the control of the viewer and out of the hands of the advertiser. They choose when and what to watch, and what they’re willing to pay for.

According to emarketer, over 51% of the U.S. population subscribed to an OTT (over-the-top) video service in 2018. This is expected to top 58% by 2022. And traditional pay-TV households declined from 99.6 million in 2015 to 86.5 million in 2019.

I believe this is a positive shift for all involved — one that includes OTT and alternative TV. For almost two years now, our agency has been working with clients to integrate OTT with traditional marketing efforts to effectively reach their viewers. To start incorporating this into your plans for 2020, here are a few things brands should know:

• There are a few names currently being used: OTT, alternative TV, addressable TV, CTV and internet TV are all options that allow viewers access to TV and film content without a cable box, dish or antenna. Over-the-top (OTT) is named as such because it goes around the cable input to connect a device to an internet-based or streaming service. The quality and overall viewing experience are very similar to that of a broadcast network.

Originally Published on Forbes.com on December 10th, 2019.

Expansion is one of the most exciting parts of business growth. However, new markets may be significantly culturally different from the company’s traditional customer base. That’s why a business should have a framework in place to gauge the response of the new audience before it releases its product or starts providing services in that market.

Because of the cultural differences, some of the tweaks to a product’s marketing may be minor, but in a few cases, massive overhauls need to be done to ensure that the buyers find the product attractive. To aid companies embarking on expansion, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council explore some of the methods businesses can use to test product engagement in new markets.

Members share their best tips for testing out product engagement in a new market.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

1. Clearly Define The New Audience

To cut through the noise, it’s critical that we create products and services for a specific, well-defined group of people.  Creating clearly-defined model audiences based on things like geography, demographics and psychographics provides the testing ground to validate new audiences via marketing campaigns featuring specific offers targeted to the new audience. – Jody Resnick, Trighton Interactive

2. Test On Your Toughest Consumers

Test your product or service in small groups — not focus groups, but with people who will be your toughest customers, and do it on their turf. Take a lesson from politics: Keep it local and relevant to the communities’ needs. Meet them where they are, whether that’s a community center, diner or the mall. At the end of the day, it’s their story, not yours. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

3. Compare Your Audiences’ Purchase Paths

Since funnel does not exist in the new environment, the purchase path length and retention can still be good indicators of whether the new audience is the right fit. There should be an adjustment to the adoption of your product by a new audience, but beyond that, the average sales cycle and check should be within your current key performance indicators, unless you are changing the business model or the product is new. – Oksana Matviichuk, Verizon Media at Zenith | Publicis Groupe

4. Leverage Hypothesis-Based Marketing

Hypothesis-based marketing is a strategic approach to marketing that prescriptively builds ROI by proposing: “If we [do this marketing or targeting], we will increase [this ROI metric].” Formulate a hypothesis about a variant and test. For example: “If we run social ads Monday to Friday, 9 to 10 a.m. for our daily planner app, we will positively increase our click-to-conversion ratio.” Start small, test, verify and scale up. – Edward Unthank, Etumos

5. Test Through Influencers

One of our clients wanted to test where to go next with the help of influencer conversion rates. We tested for them every market in Europe and found that Portugal, for example, had the highest conversion rate, despite being a country with low brand awareness. They were then able to put together a launch strategy to enter the market. – Emilie Tabor, IMA – Influencer Marketing Agency

6. Consider Secret Shopping

In our digital age, many brands overlook the value of secret shopping. They shouldn’t. Expanding and even retaining a customer base requires knowing and honing the customer’s journey with your brand. Secret shops give you an accurate look at what customers experience when they interact with your brand, revealing opportunities for improvement and further refinement. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative

7. Set Up Focus Groups

A basic and very effective way is to put the product in the hands of the right people and observe their behaviors. That said, it’s worth noting that I’ve seen many focus groups go wrong due to bias. Emotions often make us blind to obvious mishaps. To overcome that, build questions to prove your hypothesis wrong. If they still like it, you may be ready for a more public experiment. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing

8. Invest In Paid Social

Test the waters by doing a few different A/B tests through Facebook or Instagram. It’s less expensive than traditional paid digital and is an easy way to set up and try out new audiences with several slight variations. After a few months of testing, you’ll have detailed analytics to make an educated decision on how to move forward for new marketing initiatives. – Katie Schibler Conn, KSA Marketing + Partnerships

9. Create Proof Of Concept

Tap into existing relationships and connections to build out a proof of concept before jumping in to create and launch. Do you have friends, acquaintances or customers who would be an ideal testing ground for the new product or audience? Find partners that will be willing to give open feedback on all aspects, from the message to the packaging and the product itself. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

10. Bring The Product To Them

Experiential marketing activations are a wonderful way to engage a new customer base in a way that feels organic. By meeting these consumers where they are and giving them a chance to interact with a product one-on-one, you can authentically gauge customer reactions and favorability in real-time. An added bonus is the ability to garner data insights in order to further analyze this new audience. – Scott Kellner, GPJ Experience Marketing

11. Create A Mock Experience

One effective test is to create a “mock” experience so consumers can understand it from a real-world perspective. Inviting consumers to experience the product/service firsthand will provide in-depth insights into key areas such as receptivity, pricing, user experience, challenges, etc. This will identify if any changes need to be made and assist in the development of a marketing/strategy plan. – Angela Woo, Woo Brand Consulting

12. Consider A Holdout

One way to validate the results of a new product is to utilize a holdout panel as part of that test. By excluding an audience segment in your campaign, you are able to use them as a control group against those in your campaign that received the marketing. By monitoring this control group, you can measure whether or not there was a lift in the audience that was targeted versus the audience that wasn’t. – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®

Originally Published on Forbes.com on November 22nd, 2019.

Nowadays, agency clients primarily focus on digital marketing. Because of this, agencies have had to keep up with the times, investing in digital marketing techniques that can offer new avenues for engaging with consumers.

New marketing technology has a lot of potential, but some agencies never realize the latent power of their marketing tech. A business that chooses the wrong platform in their martech adoption could cause far more problems than the digital platform would solve. To help agencies come to grips with what they should keep in mind, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share several vital questions an agency should ask and answer when considering implementing new marketing tech.

Members share some essential questions to ask yourself when deciding on a new martech solution.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. What Is The Value?

When we evaluate martech we are always asking questions. Does it save money? Does it save time? How is it different from what we are doing currently? And ultimately, is it better for the client? The general rule of thumb for us is to avoid the “shiny object syndrome.” If you are going to try some new tech, make sure you have a performance benchmark to compare the results against. – Sean Allen, Twelve Three Media

2. Is It Integrated?

When exploring new martech, it is very important to ask yourself, “Can I find a comprehensive solution that will integrate online, mobile and social marketing all in one easy platform?” Also ask yourself if the platform offers support staff to provide on-demand assistance to help make your job easier. – Laura Cole, Vivial

3. Does It Align With Our Branding?

Does the platform’s initiatives align with the branding of the company? This is an important question to ask because although acquiring customers and users is important, the lifetime value of the customer or user is one of the most important data points to focus on. – Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

4. How Does It Change How I Work?

From small agency to enterprise client, the efficiencies and value martech generates for business are amazing. The challenge with choosing, though, is agencies and clients seek martech to execute what their business is currently doing instead of looking for systems that can change how they work. Do not fall into that trap. Ask yourself and your clients,  “How does this system change how I work?” – Marc Hardgrove, The HOTH

5. Will It Help Us Meet Client Goals?

The best martech solutions will help you meet client goals, either directly (i.e. marcom platform) or indirectly (i.e. process efficiencies). The martech provider should be able to demonstrate their ability to affect your client goals, and provide the training and support to maintain success into the future — because exceeding client goals will build loyalty and agency growth into the future. – Stephanie Shreve, PowerChord

6. Do I Need A Platform Or A Feature?

Oftentimes, we look at a new platform because of their ability to present a feature that we are searching for. Meanwhile, our existing martech stack may have that feature in a platform that we are already using. I would suggest that before looking at the next shiny platform, make sure that you don’t already have the functionality in an existing purchase. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta

7. Do We Have The Team To Back It Up?

Always ask yourselves if your internal resources can support learning and maintaining a martech platform. Putting your (human) team in place is more important than the latest snazzy tech product. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

8. What’s The ROI?

Don’t get caught up in all the bells and whistles. Instead, focus on the core uses of the product and the ROI you will get from those features. It makes it much easier to evaluate cost (which includes price, cost to train, cost to maintain, etc.) versus benefits derived from the core features — which makes reaching the right decision much easier. – Vic Drabicky, January Digital

9. If It Was A Person, Would You Hire Them?

The best advice I received was to treat each solution as if you were hiring an employee. Before exploring new martech, write a job description and detail the expectations of the role. Evaluate the capabilities and salary against the predetermined needs of your company. Hire slow. Fire fast. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

10. Open-Source Or Not?

Open-source martech can bring with it a large layer of hidden costs, low levels of support and ongoing issues down the road. Stick to tried-and-tested platforms that have a high level of support and strong partner channels in place. – Zamir Javer, Jumpfactor

11. Does Our Privacy Policy Allow For All Use Cases?

Privacy is (and should be) at the forefront of marketing technology today. Get a good understanding of your privacy policy before integrating a new platform into your system. Also, understand the future platforms’ privacy policies and how they are protecting your data and consumer data. – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®

12. Is This More Than We Need?

I have found the simplest software to be the best. If the software is simple, the company will have an easier time managing and developing that software, which means it will likely be better than competitors. Simple software is also easier to use, so members of the team are more likely to utilize it and be happy with it. – Adam Draper, Gladiator Law Marketing

Originally Published on Forbes.com on November 13th, 2019.

Podcasts are one of the fastest-growing methods for a business to connect with its current and potential clients and expand its influence and reach. Many people listen to podcasts since they are portable, easy to access and fit into a busy schedule.

There are only a handful of ways to get a podcast right, and a myriad of methods to get it wrong. A podcast has to compete against a lot of other, similar recordings, and it needs to prove its worth — or else it won’t get the recognition it deserves.

To help, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council offer their best advice for businesses planning to start a podcast and keep it running for as long as possible.

Members share their best advice for launching your own business podcast.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

1. Have A Clear Plan

It’s easy for many of us to talk about a topic that we find interesting or know a lot about, but make sure you don’t run off on too many tangents. Stick to the goal, the question or the topic to keep your podcast on track and your listeners engaged. Remember, it’s a podcast, not a broadcast. It doesn’t need to be perfectly polished. Your skills will improve and evolve over time. – Bernard May, National Positions

2. Know Who You Are Talking To

I’ve created many podcasts for my clients, from concept to production. The one thing that I know is that brands need to know who they are talking to. Podcasts are just like ads: Do you know who you want to talk to? Podcasts, similarly to video, don’t need a massive number of listens to have a high ROI. What you need to do is focus on your core audience and make sure they follow and listen. – Azad Abbasi, Genius

3. Think End-User First

When brands create podcasts, content typically tends to be focused on what’s important for the business. This approach results in each episode having a different target market, which prevents it from building community. Treat podcast episodes like serialized storytelling rather than a single public relations opportunity and you’ll find greater success, increased consumption and engaged listeners. – Carey Kirkpatrick, CKP

4. Provide Value Without Fluff

Standing out is a critical problem to solve with starting a new podcast. What’s the best way to do it? Provide value without the fluff. Shorter length podcasts that are jam-packed with value have an easier time gaining traction and retention than ones where the listeners have to sit through an hour just to hear a few points of interest. – Nishank Khanna, Demand Roll

5. Defining The Cadence And The Structure

One mistake that is constantly made with podcasts is people who are not taking them seriously enough. If you want to have a successful show you need to plan ahead and show when you are going to be creating content. When you put that content out, you always, without question, must be on time. You also must constantly bring an exceptional format to the show. – Jon James, Ignited Results

6. Build Viral Awareness

Every guest you host and every company they represent should be an advocate for promoting the program. Leveraging individual company newsletters, databases and social media channels will help build a following. In addition, make sure the focus of the podcast (its messaging) is clear and concise so people looking can find you based on their interests. – Ilissa Miller, IMiller Public Relations

7. Be Extremely Customer-Centric

Remember that your podcast content is not about you. Make sure that every podcast topic and episode is laser-focused on bringing value and entertainment to your audience. Think about what they want to learn in your industry and don’t be afraid to talk about things that you don’t offer. Focus on their interests and they will stick around to hear the rest. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta

8. Capture A Niche

In order to survive in the extremely congested podcast landscape, the podcast must adequately capture a niche and communicate that niche in a way that is extremely clear to the target audience. General topic podcasts are extremely difficult to sell to a saturated market — find a particular thing you can own and run with it. – Stefan Pollack, The Pollack PR Marketing Group

9. Become Predictable

Become predictable but not in the repetitive, boring sense — in the way that your fans know when they can expect the next release, the type of content they will hear, and how that content will be delivered. From my experience, maintaining a consistent schedule is just as important as delivering interesting stories to your listeners. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

10. Don’t Copy Someone

If you find yourself needing to copy someone else for lack of your own originality, then maybe the time to start a podcast just isn’t right. We don’t need more content for the sake of more content. If you’re patient, your original idea will eventually come, and then it’ll be time for you to go all in before someone else beats you to it. – Greg Trimble, Lemonade Stand

11. Remember Your ‘Why’

We’ve just started our own podcast, so we’re experiencing these challenges firsthand. My biggest tip would be to always remember why you created it so that you don’t go off-topic, off-brand and off your strategy. Always think about how you are going to add value to someone else’s day. If you hold that in, you’ll be able to stay on track. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

12. Ask Better Questions

Having started my own podcast recently, my tip would be to make sure you get really good with asking better questions. I saw a lot of videos on how to ask good questions before I sat down to frame my own. Asking questions that don’t lead to a one-word answer would be my one tip. – Namita Ramani, Above Digital

13. Learn Your Distribution Model First

Developing a good podcast is similar to making a website search engine-optimized. Strategy-wise, the search engine component to podcasts is as important as the content itself. Having knowledge of your potential distribution is crucial, so it’s best to start with a distribution model and work your way back through content creation and storytelling. – Scott Harkey, OH Partners

14. Promote On Social And Track Results

It’s critical for the success of your podcast to properly leverage social media to drive listeners from your target audience. Make sure to share a link to each episode on the social platforms relevant to your target audience of listeners: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Snapchat and/or LinkedIn. Tracking visitors to your podcast will allow you to optimize future distribution efforts. – Jody Resnick, Trighton Interactive

15. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Personal

A good podcast tells a story audibly but makes you visualize the situation, personal story or character of the narrator or interviewee. When starting a podcast, strive for that personal connection by sharing relatable stories with human flaws that people sympathize with. The audience will feel they truly “know” the person and continue following their story in subsequent podcasts. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC

Originally Published on Forbes.com on August 28th, 2019.

The importance of diversity in business is understated in many cases. However, for a company to experience its true potential, it must be willing to take advantage of the benefits that a diverse workforce offers. Engaging different audiences, for example, is a much easier task with a diverse workforce from whom the company can draw experiences and background information.

Executives and agencies can help seed this diversity within their workforce by progressive hiring practices and the implementation of specific processes in everyday operations. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council offer insight into how agencies and executives alike can incorporate these practices into their work to encourage increased diversity within their industry.

Members explain how to shift your work and hiring practices to better promote diversity.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. Don’t Fake It From The Outside

The first (and most important) rule in reaching out to and engaging with diverse audiences is to make sure that members of the audience are a part of your team. You can’t fake it from the outside. No research will tell you how another demographic will receive a message. Make sure that you include diverse members of your own team to vet any diversity message or hiring practice. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta

2. Understand Your Audience So No One Is Left Out

It all starts with knowing your audience. You need to understand not only what they want from you, but also the things they like and, more importantly, what they don’t like. Everything, from the content on your website to the ad campaigns you create, should be with your audience in mind. Diversity is about making sure no one is left out, and the last thing you want to do is leave out your audience. – Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing

3. Implement Processes To Fight Unconscious Bias

Everyone has unconscious biases, but failing to address these creates a cycle in which companies continue to hire those that act, think and look similar to themselves. Promote diversity by implementing internship and mentoring programs that target non-traditional candidates as a way to invest in training for critical skills and build a pipeline of more diverse talent. – Theresa Schieber,Givewith

4. Seek Those With Different Life Experiences

We focus on “results-first” in everything we do for our clients. One of the things that helps fuel this results-first mantra is diversity. This can translate to diverse lifestyles, expressions, opinions and beyond, so we seek out those with different life experiences and points of view who can help fuel creativity. Our no-dress code and open-door policies encourage this creativity every day. – Bernard May, National Positions

5. Partner With Local Organizations

One thing that is very important about promoting diversity is making sure that you are going to be able to do so locally. There are often many local organizations that will allow you to find great people from all backgrounds. One of the best ways to do this is to offer internships at your company and hire from there. – Jon James, Ignited Results

6. Develop A Culture That Welcomes Diverse Opinions

Diversity does not just happen. It does not land on your doorstep with one clever hire. Agency executives have to make a real effort to develop a culture that welcomes diverse opinions and actively demonstrate that in their practices and show it on their masthead. Start by uncovering what might be some of the quiet fears or concerns of your diverse applicants and addressing them head-on. – Danica Kombol, Everywhere Agency

7. Promote Creative Careers At Schools

Our industry is significantly behind in minority representation. In order for the creative business to reflect the shifting demographics of our country, we need to be visible and present at colleges and high schools to show them that creative careers are viable. We need to offer intern programs for minorities, as well. – Elle Morris, SnapDragon

8. Attract People From Diverse Places

Here’s one small change to the hiring process that can make a night-and-day difference. Rather than hoping that the right candidates will find you, start looking for them. Promote job offers on the places where they will actually see them. There are some niche job boards like Diversity Working or Recruit Disability where you can advertise to diverse candidates specifically. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

9. Step Outside Your Circle

We often see applicants come to us through a referral or inner circle of connections. Oftentimes, our circle is similar in age, ethnicity, race, beliefs, and viewpoints. To expand our recruitment efforts, we need to engage in organizations, schools and communities in which we will find individuals who have the characteristics that we are looking to add, and then be open to their differences. – Korena Keys,KeyMedia Solutions

10. Hire Worldwide Talent

As an international boutique branding agency, we look for prospective employees from other countries, some of whom may not be U.S. citizens. Making the investment in understanding the work visa process and having a relationship with an immigration attorney allows us to offer employment where other companies overlook qualified candidates. This results in a more diverse and dedicated workforce. – Kris Flint, Citizen Best

11. Avoid Hiring Similar Types Of People

You may think you have your hiring “type” down. But, if your agency hires similar types of people with similar experiences and skillsets, they solve the same problems the same way. This is very limiting, creating a big risk for your organization. Today’s most effective creative agencies must have diversity in creative product — which is nearly impossible to do without diversity of creative talent. –Blair Brady, WITH/agency

12. Implement Bias-Free Procedures

Procedures should be free from biases related to race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation or other characteristics that are unrelated to the job. This starts with the verbiage used in job postings. Many times the language used in job descriptions can subconsciously dissuade diverse candidate from applying. Use a diverse group of interviewers from various educational and economic backgrounds. – Henry Kurkowski, One WiFi

13. Define What Diversity Means To You

Diversity doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, so the first step is to define what diversity means to your agency. For instance, does it mean having one or more multilingual staff member? Maybe your definition of diversity is around skin color or nationality. Once you define what it means to your agency you should set clear goals around hiring so that you can achieve the mix of diversity you desire. – Kristopher Jones, LSEO

14. Focus On The Future Leaders In Your City

It’s important to connect with younger generations of professionals. Build inroads now into young professional organizations and college chapters of industry associations in your city to show them you value their voice and need their talent. When you’re hiring for an open position, prioritize diversity over expediency. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative

15. Purposefully Expand Your Network

All companies have the ability to draw from the same group of people. I’ve found the most effective method to reach diverse candidates is to be thoroughly networked. We don’t just simply post a job and hope someone sees it. We get involved with development groups for underrepresented folks, build relationships with coding and project management education programs, and host meet-ups in our office. – Justin Grossman, meltmedia

Originally Published on Forbes.com on August 9th, 2019.

Before you interview your next set of potential sales hires, check out this list of underappreciated traits and skills from the industry experts of Forbes Agency Council. Keep their suggestions in mind when you are evaluating a possible new salesperson.

Members list some of the most underrated qualities to look for in great salespeople.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. Positive Energy And Attitude

People buy from those they like. There are a lot of things you can teach, but being likable isn’t one of them. It’s a positive energy and attitude that lights up a room — someone agile enough to read the energy and, if in a one-on-one conversation, know when it’s time to move it forward and when and how to “close.” They start and leave on a positive note, no matter the outcome of a particular deal. – Ajay Gupta, Stirista

2. Humility

Most people associate “salesperson” with someone who is pushy, arrogant, has all the answers and won’t let the customer get a word in. While this isn’t true for all, customers come in with their guard up expecting to be steamrolled. The most effective ways to combat this is with humility — a willingness to listen, transparency, honesty and being OK with losing a sale if it isn’t the right fit. – Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR

3. Ambivert

Ambiverts, not extroverts, make the best salespeople — that is, the rare people who are in the middle of the introvert-extrovert spectrum. Surprisingly, studies have found that the order (in terms of effectiveness) is actually ambivert, then introvert then extrovert. This makes sense because sales is about listening intently and asking questions while being unafraid to challenge flawed assumptions. – Adam Guild, Placepull

4. Likeable

A salesperson may have a specific skill set like being persuasive, but there is nothing like a likeable person! My experience is that there is nothing like being around a happy, positive person. People will want to do business or buy products and services from someone they like even if the price is higher, capabilities lower and so on. Being a happy, fun, positive person is a secret weapon for sales. – April Joy Rudin, The Rudin Group

5. Good Conversationalist

It seems that striking up a good conversation is a lost art these days. This conversational ability, as well as being relatable to others, is key in hiring salespeople. Relationships are built with trust and this trust is earned not by hard-selling people, but by being able to relate to others and deliver a message that is portable, depending on the audience. – Lee Salisbury, UnitOneNine

6. Good Listener

A good salesperson must listen, understand what they hear and then position solutions to address the needs of the person. It’s less about talking and more about listening, aligning and then repeating back their problem with a solution that you can offer. A salesperson is only as good as what they deliver upon. Timely and efficient follow-through is a must. – Ilissa Miller, IMiller Public Relations

7. Entrepreneurial Mindset

As a digital agency, we look for sales candidates who have been entrepreneurs themselves, so they can authentically communicate with our startup clientele and prospects. Strong communication skills and being relatable and passionate, coupled with in-depth industry knowledge, creates that unique combination of skills and traits for a great salesperson. – Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

8. Resourcefulness

Being resourceful is vital when it comes to selling a product or service. It’s not just being resourceful about what you are selling, but also with your competitors and your surroundings. Knowledge is key and customers admire that trait. – Cagan Sean Yuksel, GRAFX CO.

9. Intellectual Curiosity

As a digital media firm, our services and tools are constantly evolving. This requires our team to be in a mindset of continual learning. Our best sales team applies that philosophy in client relationships. We ask questions to understand the business, the challenges they are facing (not just in marketing) and the competitive landscape. It positions us to solve problems and avoid selling a service. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

10. Analytical

Sales is a numbers game. The best salespeople understand their numbers and have figured out which behaviors and disciplines on their part produce the best outcomes. Great sales people track their activity and results, and eliminate those things that don’t work and repeat those things that do work. – Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group

11. Ability To Read People

The ability to “read” people is an innate quality that is often underappreciated. It’s a skill that some people are just born with. It’s not something you learn — people who have this ability can read a room. They can sense how to approach someone, when to speak, when to listen intently and when to walk away. It’s definitely an “it” factor that’s rare. – Scott Kellner, GPJ Experience Marketing

12. Tenacity And Patience

A great salesperson has more than the love of a sale. They have a true love of the hunt and the patience to wait it out. My best business development folks have two traits: tenacity and patience. In sales, it’s tempting to focus on the quick win, but we’ve landed the best clients by slowly and patiently proving our value. In my opinion, “slow and steady” wins the race in agency sales. – Danica Kombol, Everywhere Agency

13. Ability To Solve Problems

When a salesperson is dedicated to solving a problem over pushing a product, this comes across when speaking (or emailing with a customer). To solve a problem, you need to know what it is first. How do you learn this? By listening. The more you listen, the more your prospect will feel heard. Listen for the pain, provide a solution and let the client sell themselves. – Bernard May, National Positions

14. Visual Skills

By and large, sales people are visual learners and communicators, more so than verbal. They take their cues from body language and prefer to use presentations and collateral that show diagrams, charts and images. While many may consider this trait to be a disadvantage due to our society and business being based on the written word, a visual tendency is perhaps the most worthy sales trait. – Francine Carb, Markitects, Inc.

15. Ability To Make People Smile

The ability to make people smile is an underrated trait in sales. People will smile when they feel comfortable and at ease. Many times a potential client has put up walls to not seem overly eager. If you can make them smile, then they have lowered their defenses a bit. It means that they are now more open and willing to share their thoughts as well as genuinely hear what you have to share. – Henry Kurkowski, One WiFi

Originally published on Forbes.com by Forbes Agency Council on February 14, 2019.

Marketing trends come and go, and some are more successful than others. What many companies don’t realize, however, is that certain marketing fads, no matter how “hot” they are at the time, simply don’t work for certain brands.

If you want to successfully market your business, you’ll have to experiment with techniques that make sense for your company. The last thing you want to do is invest a lot of time and money into a tactic just because “everyone else is doing it,” only to discover it was a total miss with your audience.

Below, 11 members of Forbes Agency Council share important questions to ask yourself when deciding whether to adopt or ignore a popular marketing trend.

Members of Forbes Agency Council offer tips for deciding whether a new marketing trend is a good fit for your business.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. Can We Apply Good Marketing Basics To This Trend?

In my 15-year digital marketing career, the methods have stayed the same but the mediums have changed. It is all about sticking with the basics and making the visitors’ likes and dislikes the most important thing. If you simply listen to customers it makes it easy to adapt. But what I have found is that it is all the same marketing methods, you’re just presenting it in a different way on different outlets. – Justin Christianson, Conversion Fanatics

2. Does It Match Our Customers’ Interests?

Most new trends are worth evaluating. But before acting on it, take time to see if it aligns with your customers’ behaviors and interests. If your customers are not early adopters or tech-savvy, there is no reason to jump into the latest social platform. However, if you rely on teens and young adults for your livelihood, it is import to have a budget set aside for testing out the latest tools. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

3. What Is The Cost Versus Potential Return?

Assuming that you have a well-defined brand position and your marketing strategy is based on meeting measurable objectives, you can easily determine if a tactic (no matter how trendy) is a fit for you. How is your target responding to the trend? What’s the cost of the tactic? What’s the potential return? Is the return greater than a proven tactic? Can you stay on brand? If yes, test and measure! – Jacquelyn LaMar, VI Marketing and Branding

4. Does It Already Align With Our Existing Strategy?

In Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about great companies that did not go after every new technology. They selectively used technologies fitting their business strategy (hedgehog concept). Marketing trends behave the same. The most important thing to consider is: Does that trend fit your marketing strategy? Can you reach the right audience with the right message at the right time? If yes, then test. – Marcia Barnes, Valve+Meter Performance Marketing

5. How Will It Impact Our Ability To Grow?

For many of our clients, reaching revenue goals and achieving return on investment is what matters most when it comes to marketing. When looking at new marketing trends, these organizations should consider how the trend impacts their ability to grow their business, find more customers and drive revenue. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.

6. Will It Effectively Reach Our End User?

We all talk about being where your potential customers are in terms of reaching them. That is important, but it’s more important to be where they are going to actually buy. For example, employ retargeting as a strategy to follow people who visited your website and social media properties so you can ping them when and where they are going to buy (via online purchase). – Tom La Vecchia, MBA, X Factor Media

7. Can We Still Tell Our Authentic Story?

You have to make sure you are not a victim of the trend. Focus on the storytelling and dialogues you want to have with your consumer first, then decide what the best vehicle is to get you there. If you can use a marketing trend and still tell an authentic story for your brand, go for it! But if not, don’t let the trend be more important than your storytelling. Consumers will notice. – Jessica Reznick, We’re Magnetic

8. Do We Have The Capacity To Execute On This Tactic?

What will it take to actually execute it? Do you have the infrastructure in place to support? How much of an investment (people and money) will be needed to execute? Take web-powered direct mail for example. If you are already engaged in direct mail, then it is easy to implement this new “hot” new marketing trend. If not, there may be an additional level of investment needed to take advantage. – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®

9. Can We Do It Well?

When the entire marketing world says to jump headfirst into a new trend, you should consider if you have the capacity, ability and desire to do it well. Starting a podcast, for example, is pointless if you can’t pull it off. Find the trends that your team can tackle triumphantly and you’ll attract business for your efforts, which is the point of going after marketing trends in the first place. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative

10. Do Our Clients Think It’s A Good Idea?

Check with your clients to find out what they see as the future needs of their industry. Don’t be scared about asking questions. Listen to your clients, and ask what the next years may look like to them and how their business needs may change. General trends can give you interesting insights, but real conversations with people involved in the field allow you to contextualize those trends and develop more specific plans. – Daniela Pavan, The Ad Store New York

11. Will It Really Drive Sales?

The most important thing to consider is whether the “hot” trend is actually solving something for the consumer. Our industry is notorious for getting caught up in what’s hot before making sure the end consumer cares. Yes, as a marketer we can say we were first with some new technology, but if it doesn’t drive sales, who cares? – Brian McHale, Brandience

Originally published on Forbes.com by Forbes Agency Council on February 26, 2019.

As every successful business knows, closing a sale is a team effort between marketing and sales. Collecting the best leads and presenting them to your sales team is only the first half of the battle. The other half is fostering clear communication between the sales team and marketing about what happens with those leads going forward.

This dialogue is important for a business to better understand which leads are working out, which are not and why. Yet, closing the sales loop may be more difficult than anticipated. To help, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council share their best tips for closing the sales loop.

Members of Forbes Agency Council offer their best tips for closing the sales loop.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. Establish A Clear Process

Business development is as much a science as it is an art. Last year, we developed a standard operating procedure for our internal process that follows each new lead from inquiry through closing. We apply specific timing, communication, and printed materials to each vetted opportunity. Since rolling it out in 2018, our days to close have dropped substantially. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

2. Focus On Interaction With Small Groups

Decision-makers want interaction with very small groups of accomplished professionals who have the experience and aptitude to know what they’re talking about and the confidence to talk directly. In short, the best way to close the sales loop is to be face-to-face with a decision-maker and have that decision-maker feel like he or she is talking with someone who can credibly solve the problem. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding

3. Create A Sense Of Urgency

Give clients an incentive to make their decision, such as a free assessment or a discount, and attach a deadline to the deal. This creates a sense of urgency and gives clients an extra reason to think about your services, to see them as the right way to go and to see that the right moment to choose is right now! – Daniela Pavan, The Ad Store New York

4. Create A Disney-Like Experience

If marketing tees up leads and sales puts on a hard sell then you’re going to lose sales opportunities. Instead, create a seamless educational experience helping prospects feel safe—one where the sales team nurtures prospects. Map out every sales touchpoint and design a process where prospects get an amazing experience with your sales team. Close rates will go up and sales cycles will go down. – Mike Lieberman, Square 2 Marketing

5. Personalize All Communication

No one wants to feel like they are one of thousands targeted by a mass mailing campaign. Once we receive a sales lead or engagement, we immediately get all relevant materials emailed to the potential client personalized to their firm and anticipated needs, followed by a package in the mail with a personalized handwritten note and a phone call. It’s a lost art that will get you far. – Meredith Xavier, The Ligné Group

6. Provide Content For The Journey

Marketing must arm sales teams with content throughout the customer journey. They must go beyond “top of funnel, bottom of funnel” thinking and consider that each lead has their own unique journey and need for information. Marketing has to have content readily available for sales to access, and it must be able to support any questions or objections that sales may face when working a lead. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta

7. Train Sales To Differentiate Your Company

Provide your sales team with ongoing training about your products, services and the industry at large. Ensure that your team has a current set of nurturing content that provides value to prospects: videos, e-books, PDFs, etc. The more information and tools your sales team has, the better they’ll be able to differentiate your company from the competition and close the loop. – Bernard May, National Positions

8. Show Your Company Cares

Sales teams need to be able to connect with leads based on pain points and/or opportunities. Having incredible content that shows that you are a company that cares and understands the day-to-day challenges of your customers will go a long way when establishing and nurturing relationships. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

9. Keep Your Base And Your Team Updated

Part of the most important outreach you can do is to connect with your base. They need to be informed as to what you are bringing to the table as well as with the most recent updates to your products and your services. You need to think about how you are going to improve your team as well by sharing more presentations and things like newsletters. – Jon James, Ignited Results

10. Blow Them Away With Your Proposal

In my experience, the best way to close a sale is to write a proposal that is head and shoulders above the competition—in-depth, comprehensive and personalized to the prospect. At that point, there is really no contest with any competitor for the business. The prospect’s only choice is between hiring you or doing nothing. – Jeff Bradford, the Bradford Group

11. Leverage High-Quality Data And AI

We always recommend the use of high-quality prospect data to enable more effective sales conversations and faster conversions during the lead generation process. Taking it a step further, the use of AI-driven automated attendants is vastly improving digital lead quality today and is fast becoming a game-changer for businesses with varying sales cycles. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.

12. Employ End-To-End Reporting

Having strong metrics in place between marketing channels and customer relationship management will help provide sales with a better understanding of the intent of the leads. Marketing will get a better understanding of what the best leads and opportunities are for the sales department. Bringing sales and marketing data together is the best way to close the loop. – Dan Golden, Be Found Online

13. Understand What Drives Your Customer

It is critical to customize your persistence to the sales lead. Taking the time to research and understand what drives the customer or client is an important part of making that connectivity. Putting in the extra effort before the sale demonstrates your dedication to the prospect—and don’t stop! Continue to build that relationship through consistent, personalized follow-up. — Tavi Fulkerson, The Fulkerson Group

14. Educate, Educate And Educate Some More

The best way to sell is to educate your prospects so they can really understand what they’re getting into and what they should look for in a vendor or partner. You want to highlight how your strengths make you the obvious choice—not to push them for the sale, but to explain why it’s an obvious choice. – Rafael Romis, Weberous Web Design

15. Create A Sales-To-Marketing Feedback Loop

Ask the sales team for the objections they receive during each step of the sales process. Incorporate those objections into the content that leads receive at each step of the lead nurturing process. Get in front of the objections with valuable content. Continue to optimize the marketing funnel with feedback from sales. – Andy Etemadi, EYEMAGINE

16. Use ‘Octopus’ Marketing And Follow-Up

Every potential customer has different communication preferences. We find that using multiple methods of contact (phone, email, SMS, LinkedIn, video, handwritten notes) is the best way to gain and keep a customer’s attention. This also helps with building a more personal and long-term relationship as well. – Marc Hardgrove, The HOTH