what I’ve learned is you have to be able
to trust your gut but most of us really
suppress that most of us try to try to
rationalize it or try to try to go
against it just to be nice sir just so
that way more people will listen to you
or more people will like you yeah and so
where do you start you start you don’t
start with me actually or anything I
have to say you start with your book
that you wrote you know you start with
your one word and so understanding and
being able to work through your one word
helps you get to that core essence so my
one word is extraordinary and so there
are things that I choose to do without
even realizing it because I’m always
trying to lean to the extraordinary I
want things to be ordinary yeah I don’t
think to be average yeah I don’t want
things to be if you can get it from us
or get it from somewhere else why would
you pick us
welcome back I’m sitting here with mark
Drager he has started a million
dollar-plus marketing agency in this
series is designed to help you guys do
the same with your company this is
episode 3 in the past we talked about
what was the first one you talked about
understanding the type of agency what
you want to build number two is about
pricing super-important and today we’re
going to talk about how to stop
second-guessing your decisions that’s a
big one what’s your advice where do we
go you want ask a question there how do
we stop second-guessing our decisions so
first of all as an entrepreneur there’s
no rulebook right you don’t know what’s
expected of you you don’t know what to
do you don’t know the right answer you
don’t know the wrong answer a lot of
times you spend your time just hoping
you’re going the right way right and so
really what most of us have to rely on
more than anything else is our gut okay
and so we’re told not to really trust
our gut we’re told you know I tend to
try to take counsel with lots of people
and I might really strongly believe one
thing but you know I’ll rationalize it
or someone will say something else but
in my gut it’s just going like no like
this is the right answer and what I have
learned is every time we’re where I’m
saying this is the right way to do it
yeah and I don’t listen to that it kills
me okay it kills me in the end so all
that said there’s a reason why you
wanted to start your agency mm-hmm
there’s a reason that the clients have
chosen to work with you all right
there’s a reason people are telling you
you’re good at your given crap
what you need to do is understand that
the common denominator and that is you
and it’s the innate way you you react
it’s the taste you have it’s the work
you do it’s the things that you go this
is right and this is wrong and so what
I’ve learned is you have to be able to
trust your gut but most of us really
suppress that most of us try to try to
rationalize it or try to try to go
against it just to be nice sir just so
that way more people will listen to you
or more people will like you yeah and so
where do you start you start you don’t
start with me actually or anything I
have to say you start with your book
that you wrote you know you start with
your one word and so understanding and
being able to work through your one word
helps you get to that core essence in my
opinion yeah you wrote the book on yeah
it gets eaten core essence yeah of
understanding what is this thing how do
I look at this what am i pursuing what
am I going after my one word is
extraordinary and so there are things
that I choose to do without even
realizing it because I’m always trying
to lean to the extraordinary I don’t
things to be ordinary yeah I don’t think
to be average yeah I don’t want things
to be if you can get it from us or get
it from somewhere else why would you
pick us right I want them to be
extraordinary and so that motivates me
and that even when I don’t know it yeah
so understanding that one word you know
in our office here one of our teams one
word one of our team members one word is
passion okay
so understanding that he is always going
to look at his work through the lens of
of having a passion for something a
drive for something a desire for
something means he’s gonna pour himself
into the work right right someone else
is one word in my in my offices art it’s
a very strange one word we thought but
we realized it wasn’t art like the
picture on the wall it was when things
align so well that it that the only word
to describe it is like magical it’s like
it’s like yeah it’s artistic yeah how
things can be so perfect and can align
so well and so when he’s doing his work
in pursuing his recommendations and
trying to work on behalf of the client
he’s looking for that so someone is
passion
someone is art minds extraordinary
they’re all living in the same kind of
world and so I’m attracting talent and
and and staff that align with my values
I’m attracting clients that align with
my values because they want the
extraordinary right and so to answer the
question like
how do you trust your gut yeah how do
you make better decisions it’s actually
understanding who you are understanding
why people like you why people don’t
like you a lot of people find me loud or
abrasive or I don’t think things through
it long enough or or you know because I
try to come at everything I think with
it like a lot of heart and some people
think I could be more polished or more
this or more that or whatever it is okay
cool some people don’t like me I can’t
change to make them like me yeah what I
can do is embrace Who I am
embrace my one word how I approach
things and just do more of it
we like be more comfortable sharing it
be more comfortable owning that and
you’re gonna attract more people you’re
gonna build a better culture and you’re
gonna you’re gonna trust your decisions
more because you know like like I take
comfort in knowing that clients come to
work with us because they like me okay
right they like what I have to say they
like what I have to do they like me the
people I hire believe the same things I
believe so if people come to work with
me because they like me they’re gonna
like the people who I have on my team
they’re gonna like our recommendations
we’re gonna deliver a project and
they’re gonna like the project right I
take comfort in all of those things
aligning because as I’m making decisions
to hire someone I’m like no no they need
to click in with us I don’t need to
change for them when I’m making
decisions on on pitching for clients if
I feel that connection we just talked
about pricing and would you do things
for free
yeah if I if I feel like this is a great
opportunity this is a great clients like
sure I’ll do it for free of course I
will because we share the same values
and we have the same things but that
only comes from me understanding me and
and having the confident to be able to
do that and so if you work through your
one word if you understand what makes
you you if you understand why people
like you then you can attract more of
those clients more of those people and
and you can make decisions with more
confidence right so if I’m just getting
started
I’ve got this big decision in front of
me should I take this path or this path
is that for you come back to what would
the extraordinary version of mark do or
what would make this extraordinary that
helps shape your decision mm-hmm I think
I have learned to trust my gut more okay
so so I know that I pursue things
because I want them to be extraordinary
yeah and most of the time that helps me
sometimes it gets me into trouble okay
all right sometimes I over invest in
projects that like I just spend more
time and energy on stuff to make an
extraordinary when no one asked for it
to be extraordinary wants to be stream
is that good well your client doesn’t
want to extraordinary but you want to
well it helps me realize that they’re
not a great client for us right and so I
get through the project and I go why am
i working so hard for this why do I care
so much what do I want it to be so good
why do I want these things and I go oh
but what a good vice they’re like but so
it’s a bad client yeah who doesn’t
respect and you thought they would be
great and you learned along the way that
these guys suck awesome do you the
action you can take is you can say you
fire the client okay do you fire the
client do you you know if what they want
is is a tenth of what you actually want
to give them do you do you just mail in
the project and give them what they want
or do you add even if it’s at a loss to
you add it to make it extraordinary like
how do you balance that decision yeah so
you you can only I would I would still
go all the way until the client is
basically telling you to stop but what
if they’ve already told you to stop but
it’s not what you want then you stop you
handle the project like we’re like yeah
you can’t you but they’ll say like this
is great they love your vision for what
no I do but we beg we’ve begged clients
to let us take it further okay like so
we did this project with the client
where is missing a core component we
were shooting this video mm-hmm right
and we put it all together the client
likes it but it’s missing it’s missing a
few shots of a people doing a few things
and there’s this big hole in the project
like it just doesn’t make sense without
it yeah so we go back to clients say
listen client we will show up Monday
morning at this place we will make all
of the arrangements and we will do it
for free okay and they’re like hmm do we
really need it and we’re like we need it
we need it cuz the project doesn’t make
sense right to everything for you we
just need you to call this location and
tell them we’re coming by right and they
were like ah you know I don’t know I
don’t really want to make that call I
don’t really want to do that you know I
don’t really want to go there like I
can’t just show up like we can’t just
break into a facility yeah yeah so like
a little part of us dies yeah
and we tell the client like we are
willing to do this just please let us
make the project better well because
even though it’s free it’s not free cuz
they have to still have their team
involved somehow
it’s free for them because there’s this
perceived thing of like I don’t really
want to bug that person right there I
work right there’s their time even
though you’re not charging for it yeah
so I can understand their point of view
right they’re like that’s good enough I
I had to like sew a little part of you
dies and then little part of us dies and
we wrap on the project cancel it and you
give them what did it make us money yeah
it’s no longer an example piece right
does the client still like us right
right like you can’t like okay so now
it’s immediately not an example piece
right right so hopefully we made money
would you like sus we’ve worked with
them for many many years would you then
take it and in tweak it to make it on
your own yeah we do that too
even if you don’t like because you want
the portfolio piece and say you know
I’ll eat the cost of the extra whatever
so I have a portfolio in this case we
didn’t but
oh you mean I you’re like we do that
I’ll go to their facility yeah you need
them right yeah we do that all the time
in case of what you don’t so I just last
week I emailed my client and I asked for
for changes to be made after the project
was delivered there’s a few things just
so it would be at my standard on the
website and where you’re paying for that
and we will give the client the updated
version after the fact we’ll be like hey
we met our deadlines and everything’s
great but we noticed a few little things
we wanted to fix right we’ll give them
that but I paid for that out of pocket
right anyway there’s a photographer came
and took a picture of me early and I
just want a head shot for my website and
he wanted to do fancy stuff and like
made me look like a I feel like I had
like devil eyes or something it’s just
really weird that’s what that was his
expression like I don’t really want to
put that on my website as a probe so he
gave me what I wanted but then he said
hey do you mind if I put this up on my
website as a portfolio piece hmm Evan
being like devil Isaac yeah go for it
might have gotten old of you out of it
like now because I would have trusted
your gut and your gut says oh I don’t
really want people seeing me this way I
don’t care about that I just don’t want
it I had a vision in mind for what I
wanted and I got it and then if you want
to tweak something to then fit something
else that serves you and I can be part
of that yeah awesome yeah we’ve I mean
we’ve got so far to submit like there’s
a few things we submit awards for
sometimes people think it’s credibility
to get awards yeah
we’ll submit our versions of stuff
rewards not the client version right
right and you ask the client for
permission are you just doing we just do
it okay I hear you
we’ve only been in trouble once right
one client for and it’s only because
they won the award okay we said great
news right you won the award yeah we
gave them the award like you or this
project won the award they’re like
they’re like Thanks
just so next time you know yeah just the
next time you know you asked us in
advance right and and thank you so much
that we wanted to where that’s great but
no that’s an advance then yeah we were
like oh my goodness I didn’t realize
like to be honest I didn’t even think
right who would get mad for winning an
award right and they didn’t get upset
right they were like next time please
all right right the semi wants one of
the things I think you’re really good at
is pushing clients whether it’s and like
you’ve gotten way better at this to
pushing them on what they need in their
business pushing them on the limitations
that they have like you recognize you’re
the expert at this you’re trying to help
them accomplish a goal you guys are on
this joint path and because you’re the
expert they should listen to you on this
thing you’re good at pushing people to
bigger budgets if you feel that it
serves their need better and so to this
theme of making better decisions and
learning to trust your gut how do you I
think a lot of people have an idea and
they would love to tell the client or
ask the client but they never do it
so how do you get the the courage I
guess to to trust your gut yeah you hear
that voice like yeah you know I wish if
I if I had asked him this yeah and then
you you they take away the yes for them
right yeah so so a few things when I was
starting on my career I felt like I had
to have all the answers yeah and now I
have grown very comfortable with this
being exploratory with clients okay
right so one remove the idea that you
should somehow have a crystal ball and
know how things are gonna turn out when
you don’t right you know you just you
just I can’t predict now when clients
say like how’s this gonna be I’m like I
don’t know right I trust my process I
know that we’re very good I know we will
get there working with the client but
but I used to feel that somehow I had to
be able to answer the question that
couldn’t be answered because that showed
how smart I was
yeah and that’s not it’s actually having
the confidence to say we will go through
this together the questions you are
asking I can
answer but trust me it’s gonna be like a
lot of fun to get there
it’s having excitement for the work
you’re doing right if you’re not excited
about the project the opportunity or the
work clients can get a sense of that
it’s having you know we are very
transparent with budgets we are very
transparent if clients ask any question
at all we answer the question we’ve only
ever had one client ever say like hey
let me see the budget breakdown yeah
like the actual like hours and budget
and hourly rate one client yeah we do
like 100 140 projects a year the last 12
years and we’ve had one client ask for
that and we gave it to them yeah and
they said oh gosh I wouldn’t spend money
this way okay how would you like us to
spend your money but we’re very open and
I believe that the clients understand
that like like things cost money they
cost what they cost if you wanted to
cost less we’ll pull stuff out until the
project no longer works yeah if you want
the project to be better and and I say
better because spending more money
doesn’t always make it better but yeah
if you want to spend more budget it’s
more resources for us that’s fantastic
for everybody yeah but for the most part
it’s if something is gonna break the
project we are always looking for
something that’s gonna break the project
yeah every project has like a red flag
or a lynchpin or one core component or
if you like if we do not do this yeah
really really well the project will fail
right and so we are actually just coming
up projects and looking at for like
trusting my gut yeah right knowing how I
would approach it and you’re going ah
this is the one thing that’s gonna make
the project fail yeah so so for someone
like this could be on the macro it could
be I’m a big picture we’re like you
should even take this client or they
want me to do this website but I trust
your gut no no okay but so I’m thinking
like they wanted this website but it’s
actually it’s great for me but it’s not
even for them like it’s not the best
thing that they should be doing I would
do it or you know in a little mini
scenario where you know you’re shooting
the video and you think there should be
an extra light and so you pause and you
say hey can we bring in an extra light
yeah where you you know it might be
inconvenience in them but you know like
this is I’m trying to get the best video
for you out when when you have an idea
whether it’s a little tiny thing like
that
or something bigger and this that voice
telling you yeah say hey I should ask
but but it comes down to will it break
the project right so so if you’re
shooting and you want an extra light yes
you really want to fill in yeah this
side of the face and whatnot okay but
you are gonna sacrifice something else
to make that happen you have a one-hour
window you don’t get any more time so so
like but like if it will not break the
project if you can save it later if you
can edit around it if you can fix it if
you can fix the code if you can rewrite
it if you can take a photo better later
it’s not cornerstone then then if you
can bring it up but don’t don’t lose
sight of the big picture of delivering
the project sure but if it’s gonna break
the project you have to say something
okay so that’s it so if you’re if it’s
gonna break the project it’s an
important decision you got the voice
telling you I should say something but
you’re afraid what do you tell yourself
to get in there there’s lots of people
like they know this is the right thing
but they’re they’re just afraid to what
if what if it’s the wrong call like I
mean what if it’s around call and the
client thinks I’m an idiot or or I want
to do this and it doesn’t work and yeah
I don’t do it but they feel like they
should do it how do you know you tell
yourself so there’s a few things if
you’re if you’re a little voice in your
head screaming at you in the moment yeah
and you’re not comfortable speaking up
yeah and the conversation by saying I
need to go away and talk to my team and
think about this well the other team or
not
I need to go away and talk to my team
and think about this I mean I’m really
not sure about this one part of it
okay and then you go away and an hour a
day two days later you come back okay
you say I talk to my team about this and
we have some concerns okay I talk to my
team about this and we could totally do
it this way but I’m a little bit worried
about this or this so if you don’t have
an answer don’t fake an answer no say
I’m gonna go think about it and that’s
part of the process I used I used to
think I needed all the answers all the
time yeah and now I’ve learned that that
most people actually have to take time
to explore things yeah you have to I’m
not sure about that and I don’t know why
so let me just go away
and think about this let me do some
research let me look at what other
people are doing yeah let me let me talk
to let me talk to someone on your team
okay can I talk to Bill and then maybe
and and then I will come back to you but
I’m a little bit worried about this okay
so if you don’t have an answer don’t
pick a name
they’re asked more time it’s awesome
don’t feel like you have to have the
answer what if you have the answer like
you feel like this is the right thing
but you just afraid it well how do you
tell yourself because a lot of people
have that but they don’t they still
don’t say it it’s like what do you tell
yourself so that you say it do you want
to be I don’t like I don’t I don’t have
that I have that issue in like social
media I don’t like to share things and I
should be more vulnerable and I should
share more but in a meeting it’s just
like it’s just to me it’s black and
white it’s common sense it’s right like
so sure so your common sense is not
somebody else’s common sense so for me
I’ll say if you’re 85 percent sure
you’re a hundred because you’re never
hung a percent sure oh yeah sorry that
that’s a great way to explain it then
right so here if you trusting your gut
is if that little inkling is there not
suppress it
do not say oh I hope things will work
out later that’s a red flag yeah that’s
some that’s and and you’re you owe it to
your client yeah to speak up about
something they’re not aware of now I
have seen a lot of creatives harp on an
issue over and over and over again when
the client is just saying no and they’re
not listening and yeah and they’re just
pushing and pushing and pushing but
that’s not what we’re talking about
we’re not talking about the 10th time
you’re going back to the client yeah
we’re not talking about arguing with a
client to try and prove you’re right and
they’re wrong right this is just if
you’re sitting in the meeting and
someone’s like let’s go left and you’re
like guys I think we should go right
yeah then they you need you need to
speak up okay I love it so so takeaways
I’m hearing our one figure out your one
word gives you a lot more clarity
confidence that’s us an easy one for me
but for yourself and your team which was
interesting like the people who you work
with you want to know they’re one worse
you can help them with what they’re
doing understand them better – when you
work with clients if they if you don’t
have an answer don’t fake one and just
say you need some more time and three
when you have that little voice saying
that you got to step up then practice
listening to it and step in them okay so
this is part of a 10 part series and how
to build a million-dollar marketing
agency I did I know I’m just excited no
no okay
that let’s we’ll start over guys this is
part of a 10 part series on how to make
a million dollar business in the
marketing agency so much filled right
and next we’re gonna talk about in the
next video it’s right there next to me
we’re gonna talk about how to under
then your market and your competition go check it out
to trust your gut but most of us really
suppress that most of us try to try to
rationalize it or try to try to go
against it just to be nice sir just so
that way more people will listen to you
or more people will like you yeah and so
where do you start you start you don’t
start with me actually or anything I
have to say you start with your book
that you wrote you know you start with
your one word and so understanding and
being able to work through your one word
helps you get to that core essence so my
one word is extraordinary and so there
are things that I choose to do without
even realizing it because I’m always
trying to lean to the extraordinary I
want things to be ordinary yeah I don’t
think to be average yeah I don’t want
things to be if you can get it from us
or get it from somewhere else why would
you pick us
welcome back I’m sitting here with mark
Drager he has started a million
dollar-plus marketing agency in this
series is designed to help you guys do
the same with your company this is
episode 3 in the past we talked about
what was the first one you talked about
understanding the type of agency what
you want to build number two is about
pricing super-important and today we’re
going to talk about how to stop
second-guessing your decisions that’s a
big one what’s your advice where do we
go you want ask a question there how do
we stop second-guessing our decisions so
first of all as an entrepreneur there’s
no rulebook right you don’t know what’s
expected of you you don’t know what to
do you don’t know the right answer you
don’t know the wrong answer a lot of
times you spend your time just hoping
you’re going the right way right and so
really what most of us have to rely on
more than anything else is our gut okay
and so we’re told not to really trust
our gut we’re told you know I tend to
try to take counsel with lots of people
and I might really strongly believe one
thing but you know I’ll rationalize it
or someone will say something else but
in my gut it’s just going like no like
this is the right answer and what I have
learned is every time we’re where I’m
saying this is the right way to do it
yeah and I don’t listen to that it kills
me okay it kills me in the end so all
that said there’s a reason why you
wanted to start your agency mm-hmm
there’s a reason that the clients have
chosen to work with you all right
there’s a reason people are telling you
you’re good at your given crap
what you need to do is understand that
the common denominator and that is you
and it’s the innate way you you react
it’s the taste you have it’s the work
you do it’s the things that you go this
is right and this is wrong and so what
I’ve learned is you have to be able to
trust your gut but most of us really
suppress that most of us try to try to
rationalize it or try to try to go
against it just to be nice sir just so
that way more people will listen to you
or more people will like you yeah and so
where do you start you start you don’t
start with me actually or anything I
have to say you start with your book
that you wrote you know you start with
your one word and so understanding and
being able to work through your one word
helps you get to that core essence in my
opinion yeah you wrote the book on yeah
it gets eaten core essence yeah of
understanding what is this thing how do
I look at this what am i pursuing what
am I going after my one word is
extraordinary and so there are things
that I choose to do without even
realizing it because I’m always trying
to lean to the extraordinary I don’t
things to be ordinary yeah I don’t think
to be average yeah I don’t want things
to be if you can get it from us or get
it from somewhere else why would you
pick us right I want them to be
extraordinary and so that motivates me
and that even when I don’t know it yeah
so understanding that one word you know
in our office here one of our teams one
word one of our team members one word is
passion okay
so understanding that he is always going
to look at his work through the lens of
of having a passion for something a
drive for something a desire for
something means he’s gonna pour himself
into the work right right someone else
is one word in my in my offices art it’s
a very strange one word we thought but
we realized it wasn’t art like the
picture on the wall it was when things
align so well that it that the only word
to describe it is like magical it’s like
it’s like yeah it’s artistic yeah how
things can be so perfect and can align
so well and so when he’s doing his work
in pursuing his recommendations and
trying to work on behalf of the client
he’s looking for that so someone is
passion
someone is art minds extraordinary
they’re all living in the same kind of
world and so I’m attracting talent and
and and staff that align with my values
I’m attracting clients that align with
my values because they want the
extraordinary right and so to answer the
question like
how do you trust your gut yeah how do
you make better decisions it’s actually
understanding who you are understanding
why people like you why people don’t
like you a lot of people find me loud or
abrasive or I don’t think things through
it long enough or or you know because I
try to come at everything I think with
it like a lot of heart and some people
think I could be more polished or more
this or more that or whatever it is okay
cool some people don’t like me I can’t
change to make them like me yeah what I
can do is embrace Who I am
embrace my one word how I approach
things and just do more of it
we like be more comfortable sharing it
be more comfortable owning that and
you’re gonna attract more people you’re
gonna build a better culture and you’re
gonna you’re gonna trust your decisions
more because you know like like I take
comfort in knowing that clients come to
work with us because they like me okay
right they like what I have to say they
like what I have to do they like me the
people I hire believe the same things I
believe so if people come to work with
me because they like me they’re gonna
like the people who I have on my team
they’re gonna like our recommendations
we’re gonna deliver a project and
they’re gonna like the project right I
take comfort in all of those things
aligning because as I’m making decisions
to hire someone I’m like no no they need
to click in with us I don’t need to
change for them when I’m making
decisions on on pitching for clients if
I feel that connection we just talked
about pricing and would you do things
for free
yeah if I if I feel like this is a great
opportunity this is a great clients like
sure I’ll do it for free of course I
will because we share the same values
and we have the same things but that
only comes from me understanding me and
and having the confident to be able to
do that and so if you work through your
one word if you understand what makes
you you if you understand why people
like you then you can attract more of
those clients more of those people and
and you can make decisions with more
confidence right so if I’m just getting
started
I’ve got this big decision in front of
me should I take this path or this path
is that for you come back to what would
the extraordinary version of mark do or
what would make this extraordinary that
helps shape your decision mm-hmm I think
I have learned to trust my gut more okay
so so I know that I pursue things
because I want them to be extraordinary
yeah and most of the time that helps me
sometimes it gets me into trouble okay
all right sometimes I over invest in
projects that like I just spend more
time and energy on stuff to make an
extraordinary when no one asked for it
to be extraordinary wants to be stream
is that good well your client doesn’t
want to extraordinary but you want to
well it helps me realize that they’re
not a great client for us right and so I
get through the project and I go why am
i working so hard for this why do I care
so much what do I want it to be so good
why do I want these things and I go oh
but what a good vice they’re like but so
it’s a bad client yeah who doesn’t
respect and you thought they would be
great and you learned along the way that
these guys suck awesome do you the
action you can take is you can say you
fire the client okay do you fire the
client do you you know if what they want
is is a tenth of what you actually want
to give them do you do you just mail in
the project and give them what they want
or do you add even if it’s at a loss to
you add it to make it extraordinary like
how do you balance that decision yeah so
you you can only I would I would still
go all the way until the client is
basically telling you to stop but what
if they’ve already told you to stop but
it’s not what you want then you stop you
handle the project like we’re like yeah
you can’t you but they’ll say like this
is great they love your vision for what
no I do but we beg we’ve begged clients
to let us take it further okay like so
we did this project with the client
where is missing a core component we
were shooting this video mm-hmm right
and we put it all together the client
likes it but it’s missing it’s missing a
few shots of a people doing a few things
and there’s this big hole in the project
like it just doesn’t make sense without
it yeah so we go back to clients say
listen client we will show up Monday
morning at this place we will make all
of the arrangements and we will do it
for free okay and they’re like hmm do we
really need it and we’re like we need it
we need it cuz the project doesn’t make
sense right to everything for you we
just need you to call this location and
tell them we’re coming by right and they
were like ah you know I don’t know I
don’t really want to make that call I
don’t really want to do that you know I
don’t really want to go there like I
can’t just show up like we can’t just
break into a facility yeah yeah so like
a little part of us dies yeah
and we tell the client like we are
willing to do this just please let us
make the project better well because
even though it’s free it’s not free cuz
they have to still have their team
involved somehow
it’s free for them because there’s this
perceived thing of like I don’t really
want to bug that person right there I
work right there’s their time even
though you’re not charging for it yeah
so I can understand their point of view
right they’re like that’s good enough I
I had to like sew a little part of you
dies and then little part of us dies and
we wrap on the project cancel it and you
give them what did it make us money yeah
it’s no longer an example piece right
does the client still like us right
right like you can’t like okay so now
it’s immediately not an example piece
right right so hopefully we made money
would you like sus we’ve worked with
them for many many years would you then
take it and in tweak it to make it on
your own yeah we do that too
even if you don’t like because you want
the portfolio piece and say you know
I’ll eat the cost of the extra whatever
so I have a portfolio in this case we
didn’t but
oh you mean I you’re like we do that
I’ll go to their facility yeah you need
them right yeah we do that all the time
in case of what you don’t so I just last
week I emailed my client and I asked for
for changes to be made after the project
was delivered there’s a few things just
so it would be at my standard on the
website and where you’re paying for that
and we will give the client the updated
version after the fact we’ll be like hey
we met our deadlines and everything’s
great but we noticed a few little things
we wanted to fix right we’ll give them
that but I paid for that out of pocket
right anyway there’s a photographer came
and took a picture of me early and I
just want a head shot for my website and
he wanted to do fancy stuff and like
made me look like a I feel like I had
like devil eyes or something it’s just
really weird that’s what that was his
expression like I don’t really want to
put that on my website as a probe so he
gave me what I wanted but then he said
hey do you mind if I put this up on my
website as a portfolio piece hmm Evan
being like devil Isaac yeah go for it
might have gotten old of you out of it
like now because I would have trusted
your gut and your gut says oh I don’t
really want people seeing me this way I
don’t care about that I just don’t want
it I had a vision in mind for what I
wanted and I got it and then if you want
to tweak something to then fit something
else that serves you and I can be part
of that yeah awesome yeah we’ve I mean
we’ve got so far to submit like there’s
a few things we submit awards for
sometimes people think it’s credibility
to get awards yeah
we’ll submit our versions of stuff
rewards not the client version right
right and you ask the client for
permission are you just doing we just do
it okay I hear you
we’ve only been in trouble once right
one client for and it’s only because
they won the award okay we said great
news right you won the award yeah we
gave them the award like you or this
project won the award they’re like
they’re like Thanks
just so next time you know yeah just the
next time you know you asked us in
advance right and and thank you so much
that we wanted to where that’s great but
no that’s an advance then yeah we were
like oh my goodness I didn’t realize
like to be honest I didn’t even think
right who would get mad for winning an
award right and they didn’t get upset
right they were like next time please
all right right the semi wants one of
the things I think you’re really good at
is pushing clients whether it’s and like
you’ve gotten way better at this to
pushing them on what they need in their
business pushing them on the limitations
that they have like you recognize you’re
the expert at this you’re trying to help
them accomplish a goal you guys are on
this joint path and because you’re the
expert they should listen to you on this
thing you’re good at pushing people to
bigger budgets if you feel that it
serves their need better and so to this
theme of making better decisions and
learning to trust your gut how do you I
think a lot of people have an idea and
they would love to tell the client or
ask the client but they never do it
so how do you get the the courage I
guess to to trust your gut yeah you hear
that voice like yeah you know I wish if
I if I had asked him this yeah and then
you you they take away the yes for them
right yeah so so a few things when I was
starting on my career I felt like I had
to have all the answers yeah and now I
have grown very comfortable with this
being exploratory with clients okay
right so one remove the idea that you
should somehow have a crystal ball and
know how things are gonna turn out when
you don’t right you know you just you
just I can’t predict now when clients
say like how’s this gonna be I’m like I
don’t know right I trust my process I
know that we’re very good I know we will
get there working with the client but
but I used to feel that somehow I had to
be able to answer the question that
couldn’t be answered because that showed
how smart I was
yeah and that’s not it’s actually having
the confidence to say we will go through
this together the questions you are
asking I can
answer but trust me it’s gonna be like a
lot of fun to get there
it’s having excitement for the work
you’re doing right if you’re not excited
about the project the opportunity or the
work clients can get a sense of that
it’s having you know we are very
transparent with budgets we are very
transparent if clients ask any question
at all we answer the question we’ve only
ever had one client ever say like hey
let me see the budget breakdown yeah
like the actual like hours and budget
and hourly rate one client yeah we do
like 100 140 projects a year the last 12
years and we’ve had one client ask for
that and we gave it to them yeah and
they said oh gosh I wouldn’t spend money
this way okay how would you like us to
spend your money but we’re very open and
I believe that the clients understand
that like like things cost money they
cost what they cost if you wanted to
cost less we’ll pull stuff out until the
project no longer works yeah if you want
the project to be better and and I say
better because spending more money
doesn’t always make it better but yeah
if you want to spend more budget it’s
more resources for us that’s fantastic
for everybody yeah but for the most part
it’s if something is gonna break the
project we are always looking for
something that’s gonna break the project
yeah every project has like a red flag
or a lynchpin or one core component or
if you like if we do not do this yeah
really really well the project will fail
right and so we are actually just coming
up projects and looking at for like
trusting my gut yeah right knowing how I
would approach it and you’re going ah
this is the one thing that’s gonna make
the project fail yeah so so for someone
like this could be on the macro it could
be I’m a big picture we’re like you
should even take this client or they
want me to do this website but I trust
your gut no no okay but so I’m thinking
like they wanted this website but it’s
actually it’s great for me but it’s not
even for them like it’s not the best
thing that they should be doing I would
do it or you know in a little mini
scenario where you know you’re shooting
the video and you think there should be
an extra light and so you pause and you
say hey can we bring in an extra light
yeah where you you know it might be
inconvenience in them but you know like
this is I’m trying to get the best video
for you out when when you have an idea
whether it’s a little tiny thing like
that
or something bigger and this that voice
telling you yeah say hey I should ask
but but it comes down to will it break
the project right so so if you’re
shooting and you want an extra light yes
you really want to fill in yeah this
side of the face and whatnot okay but
you are gonna sacrifice something else
to make that happen you have a one-hour
window you don’t get any more time so so
like but like if it will not break the
project if you can save it later if you
can edit around it if you can fix it if
you can fix the code if you can rewrite
it if you can take a photo better later
it’s not cornerstone then then if you
can bring it up but don’t don’t lose
sight of the big picture of delivering
the project sure but if it’s gonna break
the project you have to say something
okay so that’s it so if you’re if it’s
gonna break the project it’s an
important decision you got the voice
telling you I should say something but
you’re afraid what do you tell yourself
to get in there there’s lots of people
like they know this is the right thing
but they’re they’re just afraid to what
if what if it’s the wrong call like I
mean what if it’s around call and the
client thinks I’m an idiot or or I want
to do this and it doesn’t work and yeah
I don’t do it but they feel like they
should do it how do you know you tell
yourself so there’s a few things if
you’re if you’re a little voice in your
head screaming at you in the moment yeah
and you’re not comfortable speaking up
yeah and the conversation by saying I
need to go away and talk to my team and
think about this well the other team or
not
I need to go away and talk to my team
and think about this I mean I’m really
not sure about this one part of it
okay and then you go away and an hour a
day two days later you come back okay
you say I talk to my team about this and
we have some concerns okay I talk to my
team about this and we could totally do
it this way but I’m a little bit worried
about this or this so if you don’t have
an answer don’t fake an answer no say
I’m gonna go think about it and that’s
part of the process I used I used to
think I needed all the answers all the
time yeah and now I’ve learned that that
most people actually have to take time
to explore things yeah you have to I’m
not sure about that and I don’t know why
so let me just go away
and think about this let me do some
research let me look at what other
people are doing yeah let me let me talk
to let me talk to someone on your team
okay can I talk to Bill and then maybe
and and then I will come back to you but
I’m a little bit worried about this okay
so if you don’t have an answer don’t
pick a name
they’re asked more time it’s awesome
don’t feel like you have to have the
answer what if you have the answer like
you feel like this is the right thing
but you just afraid it well how do you
tell yourself because a lot of people
have that but they don’t they still
don’t say it it’s like what do you tell
yourself so that you say it do you want
to be I don’t like I don’t I don’t have
that I have that issue in like social
media I don’t like to share things and I
should be more vulnerable and I should
share more but in a meeting it’s just
like it’s just to me it’s black and
white it’s common sense it’s right like
so sure so your common sense is not
somebody else’s common sense so for me
I’ll say if you’re 85 percent sure
you’re a hundred because you’re never
hung a percent sure oh yeah sorry that
that’s a great way to explain it then
right so here if you trusting your gut
is if that little inkling is there not
suppress it
do not say oh I hope things will work
out later that’s a red flag yeah that’s
some that’s and and you’re you owe it to
your client yeah to speak up about
something they’re not aware of now I
have seen a lot of creatives harp on an
issue over and over and over again when
the client is just saying no and they’re
not listening and yeah and they’re just
pushing and pushing and pushing but
that’s not what we’re talking about
we’re not talking about the 10th time
you’re going back to the client yeah
we’re not talking about arguing with a
client to try and prove you’re right and
they’re wrong right this is just if
you’re sitting in the meeting and
someone’s like let’s go left and you’re
like guys I think we should go right
yeah then they you need you need to
speak up okay I love it so so takeaways
I’m hearing our one figure out your one
word gives you a lot more clarity
confidence that’s us an easy one for me
but for yourself and your team which was
interesting like the people who you work
with you want to know they’re one worse
you can help them with what they’re
doing understand them better – when you
work with clients if they if you don’t
have an answer don’t fake one and just
say you need some more time and three
when you have that little voice saying
that you got to step up then practice
listening to it and step in them okay so
this is part of a 10 part series and how
to build a million-dollar marketing
agency I did I know I’m just excited no
no okay
that let’s we’ll start over guys this is
part of a 10 part series on how to make
a million dollar business in the
marketing agency so much filled right
and next we’re gonna talk about in the
next video it’s right there next to me
we’re gonna talk about how to under
then your market and your competition go check it out
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