New Business Solutions
Composed and Proposed by Adam Kroft
SJG and New Business Background
The San Jose Group (SJG) was formed in 1981 by George San Jose. SJG is a
multicultural advertising and marketing agency located in the heart of downtown
Chicago. SJG strives to be an industry leading independent provider of innovative
marketing solutions.
SJG specializes in reaching out to the multicultural demographic, especially the
Hispanic population. They have created many brilliant and award-winning advertising
campaigns for products aimed at the Hispanic market. SJG’s work in the Hispanic
market includes working with brands like: Anheuser-Busch, Dial, Ameritech, Hormel, the
Illinois Office of Tourism, American Family Insurance, the Chicago White Sox, and
many more.
Currently, SJG is presented with an opportunity to make some changes. SJG has
the credentials and potential to work with all these elite clients. Yet, we are
presented with a challenge to differentiate SJG from the overcrowded amount of
agencies. SJG has the power to let these clients know who we are and what SJG
represents in targeting the multicultural audience, as the audience.
At the bottom of SJG is the pitch that is given to these clients. This initial step at
the bottom works its way up to affect SJG’s opportunities as an agency. Does the
current business pitch truly represent SJG’s culture or an agency with such
prowess?
New Business: Department Overview
Tools – what means SJG currently utilizes for the New Business pitch to attract the
potential accounts.
The Knowledge Base (in New Business Binder)
Capability Statement – what SJG is able to do as a business, their services,
differentiating themselves, and current clients.
SJG Sound Bites – talking point for reps. about SJG as they are speaking with clients.
Category Master Sheet – different categories of clients that SJG has done business
with. That range from different San Jose divisions
New Business Assets Tool List – different sources that are connected to SJG
New Business Vendors – different online sources that SJG receives relevant info from
Market Research – articles and reports on related topics in the marketing industry
New Business Activity Qualifications – what categories and people SJG is looking for
when contacting different companies
Dream Perspective Companies – companies that are on SJG’s list of most wanted
Industry Categories - companies divided into industries and sub-industries
New Business Contact Criteria – who SJG is targeting when searching for contacts
Online tools – used to search and organize clients (thelist.com, Sage ACT!)
SJG New Business Procedure – flow chart of how to contact potential companies
Call Script(s) – script that is used when phoning a client, speaking or voicemail
Facts and Trends Topics – links to trends relating to Hispanics and multiculturals
Mail Chimp – email blast to include SJG blog
Rules of Engagement – Robb High writes tactics on how to engage New Businesses
Connect with leadership – brief outline and how to set up a WebEx meeting
Weekly New Business Activity Report – # and summary of interested new businesses
Resources Files – sources from all the information in the New Business binder
The Script
SJG uses 3 different scripts when contacting New Businesses: SJGPR, SJN, and SJG.
Each script is different, but the SJN and SJG script is similar.
SJGPR call script – longer than the others. PR script discusses whether a
communications or social media team target African Americans and Hispanic
customers. Script does cite multicultural market; no other script cites African Americans.
The Blog
SJG only uses the consulting blog for New Business. If the client agrees to be added to
the blog they are sent monthly emails, so SJG is at the top of mind.
New Business: Process Overview
1. The Start
a. The New Business representative is given a weekly assignment of 125
calls to various potential clients.
b. The rep. uses ACT to find the designated clients they are calling for that
week, and the rep. writes notes about the call for future callers in ACT.
2. Calling
a. The rep. will usually make a ‘cold call’ to these clients.
b. If the call is answered the rep. will speak to the employee using talking
points from the script.
3. Voicemail
a. If the call is not answered the rep. leaves the employee a voicemail
b. The voicemail script is the same as the call script.
4. Email
a. Once a call or voicemail is made, the rep. sends out an email that has the
same theme as the call script.
5. Meeting
a. If the call or email is responded to with interest the goal is to set up a
meeting with SJG and the client.
b. The meeting can be a conference call (usually with Mark or George) or a
face-to-face meeting if the client is local.
6. Blog
a. If the client is not interested, but responds, the rep. then asks if the client
is interested in an email subscription to the blog.
7. Goal
a. After the meeting is set up by the rep. the client will hopefully be intrigued
enough to work with SJG.
New Business: Statistics Overview
Statistics – the numbers* behind the SJG New Business reps. process
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125 weekly nationwide phone calls to clients
1 in 40 potential clients answers the phone
There is about an 8.9% success rate of a client responding to a call or email
About 95% of people who respond to a call or email reply through email*
o *The email response does not determine if client showed interest
About 9.7% of people subscribed to the blog open the Mail Chimp email
o Compared to the industry average of 21.7%
Since July 2012 to May 2013 there is about a 0.7% success rate of clients who
were contacted setting up a meeting
o 44 conference calls were set up
o 27 WebEx or face-to-face meetings
*Sources: Weekly New Business Activity Report, New Business reps
New Business: Best Practices
Best Practices – what thoughts do the professionals and clients have to say about
agencies and their pitch to them
What are clients looking for in an agency? Don’t hire an agency. Hire a culture.
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The clients have heard and seen the same story over and over. They want
something fresh, something new, something exciting.
Clients favor agencies that are collaborative, innovative, and proactive.
Clients look for agencies that are truly passionate, and stay away from agencies
that are mercenary and opportunistic.
What should an agency pitch to clients? Killer creative work is its own promotional
campaign.
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Clients are overwhelmed with agencies hounding them; agencies need to
separate themselves from the pack by finding their distinctness and selling it.
If your agency is putting out ideas that bring in customers and create buzz, you
won’t need to do any self-promotion work.
Any agency can use simple inexpensive creative video for promotions giving you
a leg up to show the client your abilities.
What are things agencies should not do? Don’t be basic.
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Do not fit in; do something that will catch a client’s eye.
Do not sell the clients something.
o Major clients could receive over 400 contact attempts in a single day; do
not blend in with the crowd.
Do not overkill the client with boring information; they do not have a large
attention span, so make your agency distinct.
New Business: What are clients looking for?
Content in the pitch: SJG can create an entertaining short video. Video and message
shows what SJG represents.
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Message should represent quality over quantity.
Videos are a simple, effective, amusing way to send your message.
Appreciate awards, yet are humble.
SJG should represent: Innovative, yet culturally stimulating. SJG specializes in
reaching a market that the client could not be marketing toward.
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Searching for traits like passion, friendliness, and innovation.
Receive overwhelming amount of pitches; separate yours.
Why SJG over the other guy?
SJG understands the multicultural audience, because we are the audience
The pitch should entail: SJG standing out among agencies. We are creative and
original. We represent the SJG brand and culture.
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Make the pitch feel special for the client.
We are new age combined with old school ethics.
Creativity mixed with uniqueness.
The pitch should stand out.
What to stray away from: SJG cannot send clients bland telemarketing info that clients
do not want to take the time to read. Clients have a small amount of time, so SJG needs
to grab their attention and hold it.
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Do not have a long attention span.
Do not be a salesman or telemarketer.
New Business: SWOT Analysis
Strengths
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SJG is an award-winning agency that has a history of putting together great work
SJG is the multicultural market
SJG specializes in marketing to the largest demographic in the United States.
Very few agencies can also claim that.
SJG reps. can be persistent, yet not over pursue the client.
Weaknesses
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SJG pitch blends in with the rest of their competition for clients
SJG pitch does not reflect the brand.
SJG does not have a large amount of experience in marketing and advertising for
nationalities other than Hispanic.
Opportunities
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SJG can grab the attention of the client they are pitching to by separating
themselves by being different.
SJG has the ability to represent innovation combined with originality.
SJG has the diversity to offer special, unique, and first-hand insights to any
company looking at the multicultural market.
SJG can be at a level where there are multiple clients vying to work with SJG.
Threats
 There are other agencies that can make a better pitch than us creating a
competition for accounts.
 Other agencies may understand how to effectively reach a client
New Business: Recommendation(s)
SJG has a unique position in the market. We offer a proven award-winning agency
specializing in attracting the largest audience of multicultural people in the United
States.
With the overwhelming amount of agencies pitching to clients, SJG has the opportunity
to alter the New Business pitch to make sure SJG is standing out by representing
ourselves as the brand we’re pitching.
We’re not just good at what we do, we are what we do.
The pitch should include the SJG brand of a professional business attitude,
combined with the innovation of an elite agency, stirred together with the
multicultural audience that is SJG. Here at SJG we represent the multiculturals.
We understand how to connect to the audience companies should be marketing
toward, because we are the audience.
SJG represents agency that has the upper-hand compared to any other agencies
in this market. We have all these diversities and cultures right here at SJG. This
gives us insider access to innovative, original, and creative insights that can
translate to assisting any company reach the multicultural market.
Outline of Recommendation
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Call - absorbing, professional, personable
Voicemail - intriguing, sincere, kind
Email - attention grabbing, engaging, enthusiastic
Video - entertaining, animated, humorous
New Business: Current Call and Voicemail Script
Good morning/afternoon <prospects name>, this is <salesperson name> with The San Jose
Group.
I’m calling because I’m interested in discussing <company name> efforts and research within
US multicultural markets in order to increase your brand awareness and sales.
We’re a full service group with persuasive content, strategic planning, consulting and PR that
specializes in the Hispanic and multicultural segments of the U.S. with over 30 years experience
working with <industry> brands and we have some insights you might find of interest that could
be beneficial to your product sales in the multicultural space.
I’d like to talk to you more about our <industry> insights and see if they could benefit you for
your 2013, 2014 and 2015 planning.
My number is 312-565-6448. Again this is, <salesperson name> with the San Jose Group at
312-565-6448, <prospects name> have a great day!
1. This call script does contain everything SJG in a few short paragraphs
2. The problem still arises, how in this script we tell the client about SJG in a manner
that grabs the attention and represents the SJG brand
3. In the mass amounts of overwhelming pitches clients receive daily this one does not
stand apart from the rest
New Business: New Call and Voicemail Script
Good morning/afternoon and buenos días! This is <name> from the award-winning The
San Jose Group in the Windy City.
I wanted to speak with you today about insights regarding <company> that we know can
help you grow. The San Jose Group is an independent agency that specializes in
connecting the Hispanic and multicultural audience, the growing majority in the U.S.
Within the San Jose Group we have a variety of cultures that allow us to connect to the
multicultural audiences, because we are the multicultural audience. We build upon firsthand
insights of the audience sparking new innovative ideas. Our unique diversity has given us
the upper-hand understanding our audience, because we are the audience.
I would love to talk to you more about our insights and what The San Jose Group
represents as more than an agency. Give me a call back anytime at 312-565-6441. Again
this is, <name> with The San Jose Group at 312-565-6441. I cannot wait to hear from you,
have a great day!
1. SJG offers insights of the multicultural audience, because we are the multicultural
audience. This gives us insider access to creativity and innovation to help
<company> grow.
2. “We’re not just good at what we do, we are what we do.”
3. The script summarizes everything SJG has to offer. SJG is excited about the ability
to build upon something. Thus representing the SJG brand and culture.
New Business: Current Email Script
Per my voice mail today, I’m interested in discussing <company name> efforts and research
within US multicultural markets in order to increase your brand awareness and sales.
The San Jose Group is a full service group with persuasive content, strategic planning,
consulting and PR that specializes in the Hispanic and multicultural segments of the U.S. with
over 30 years experience working with <industry> brands and we have some insights you
might find of interest that could be beneficial to your product sales in the multicultural space.
I’d like to introduce you to Mark Revermann, VP, Insight & Integration, to talk with you more
about our <industry> insights and see if they could benefit you for your 2013, 2014 and 2015
planning. What is your availability like for a brief call <this/next week> or in the next few weeks?
I can be reached at 312-565-6448.
1. An email script is much less personal than a voice, and a robotic telemarketer tone
separates the connection between SJG and the client further
2. Emails tend to blend together more than calls, receiving an overwhelming about of
pitches this one does not differentiate SJG from the rest
New Business: New Email Script
Good morning o buenos días!
My name is <name> from the award winning San Jose Group (SJG) in the Windy City. Dame
60 segundos, and let me tell you what can turn out to be a life-changing *gasp* decision for
<company>. If you’re having trouble with Español, that’s where we come in.
What can SJG do for me?
Here at SJG our specialty is reaching the multicultural audiences. We have a variety of cultures
within SJG that allow us to connect to the multicultural audiences, because we are the
multicultural audience. Multicultural, you know, the new guys? Those new guys represent the
growing majority in the US. That’s where we come in.
What does that mean?
SJG is an industry leading, independent, award-winning provider of innovative marketing
solutions for the multicultural audience, and we can bring those people to <company>. We are
firsthand insights of the multicultural audience, which sparks new innovative ideas. Our unique
diversity here at SJG has given us the upper-hand understanding our audience, because we are
the audience.
What’s the next step?
Let me introduce our VP, Mark. He would love to talk with you more about SJG, and what we
could do for you and <company>. Give me a call or shoot me an email back. We’ll be in touch.
1. I created something that is sincere that uses SJG as an audience to our audience. I want
to exemplify the SJG brand and how we’re unique.
2. I believe there is nothing more important than having an understanding of what you’re
doing when dealing with anything. Having the first-hand understanding of these cultures
is beyond significant
New Business: First Draft Email Script
I put the current and new email script on the same page for comparison reasons, but
I wanted to offer you a peek on my original draft where the final email developed.
Hi!
My name is <name> from the award winning San Jose Group in the Windy City. This is
NOT spam! Don’t you dare click that X. Give me 60 seconds of your day, and let me tell you
what could turn out to be a life-changing *gasp* decision for <company>. Did I mention we
have a bunch of shiny trophies?
So, let’s get to it. How can SJG help me?
Perk up grumpy, I’m going to tell you so SIP your coffee and sit back. We call ourselves a
melting pot here at SJG who actually like what they do *faints*. We’re not only good at what
we do; we are what we do. We’re a multicultural agency combined with the enthusiasm of
coffee running intern stirred together with the experience of your Papí with a dash of
cayenne pepper. We’re those people who were too hyperactive to wear suits in a “normal”
business setting, so we formed our own. Most people think we’re nuts, we like to call it,
“creative.”
What does that even mean?
You’re still reading? Great! I could give you the 20-minute ‘businessy’ speech, but
I’ll cut it down. Basically, we’re an industry leading, independent, award-winning provider of
innovative marketing solutions for the multicultural audience. How’s that for a one-sentence
summary?
OK, so. What’s your point?
I’m going to use a big word here, say it with me, mul-ti-cul-tur-al. You know, the new guys?
Yeah, those new guys that represent the majority of the population. That’s where we come
in. We can direct those people to your company, and that’s what we’re good at. If you’re a
company in this country looking to attract, I dunno, THE LARGEST GROUP OF PEOPLE IN
THIS COUNTRY. Give us a call anytime or shoot me back an email. We’ll talk.
1. When I wrote this original draft I thought I was onto something great, yet the script
did not contain what SJG represented, it wasn’t professional and too in-your-face
2. I went back to the drawing board and I toned it down to create something that is
enjoyable to read and attention grabbing, but is not on the verge of being offensive
New Business: Video Script
“Everyone, every business, should be using video. There’s simply no better way to show
someone what you do or what you’re all about.” –Jim Kukral marketing expert
1. A video is captivating to watch, and was recommended by nearly every source dealing with
an agency reach to clients in a creative manner
2. I have credentials in this area, I directed and created a video that went viral that now has 2.1
million views
3. The video script is a bit “out there,” so I want to prepare you. Keep an open mind while
reading, and hopefully you can envision its potential like I have. Humor sells
New Business: Web Sources
• http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/marketing-matters-selecting-agency/145554/
• http://onlinebusiness.about.com/od/successstories/a/Jim-Kukral-Interview_2.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States
• http://advertising.about.com/od/creating/a/Self-Promotion-For-Advertising-Agencies.htm
• http://www.inc.com/guides/201108/how-to-choose-an-advertising-agency_pagen_2.html
New Business: Closing Thoughts
“Everybody has to start somewhere. You have your whole future ahead of you.
Perfection doesn’t happen right away.” –Haruki Murakami
1. First off, I want to thank you guys, Adriana, Mark, hopefully George for taking the
time out of your day to read this.
2. Everything I put in here is something I believe in, and I would not be passionate
about this if I didn’t believe it has the ability for SJG attract more clients through
the New Business process.
3. We can measure the success of this recommendation by sending it to potential
clients we are less inclined to work with, and gauge the results.
4. If you don’t like anything here feel free to crumple it up. Those professionals
whom I have shown and discussed this with believe this can become great.
5. Everything here is completely open to revision and criticism. I would look forward
to reworking this pitch until it is perfect.
6. Thank you again for you assistance and continued support on this project. I am
incredibly anxious, curious, and a bit terrified to see what you have to say.
7. Have a great day.
-Adam