Improving efficiency + sales process for a boutique branding firmHagopian Ink
For an established, boutique branding and design agency, reliance on referrals prohibited predictable revenue. And with the principal / Creative Director at the helm, finding efficiencies would be key to scaling.
Hagopian Ink is a luxury and lifestyle brand design agency that increases value through branding, e-commerce, and email marketing.
Kelly was engaged for agency growth consulting to help increase internal efficiencies and craft a business development strategy—in addition to SEO consulting—to attract more luxury and lifestyle clientele.
Challenge
Stunning design work that meets brand objectives doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of rigorous training, meticulous attention to detail and years of experience. That’s what Hagopian Ink brings to the table, on time and on budget. In order to help the boutique design firm scale in its niche, Kelly’s work addressed three critical challenges:
• Too many manual processes and too little delegation
Hagopian Ink’s clientele are household names, and its design work turns heads, yet the agency owner was bogged down by manual processes—which left her feeling like there was never enough time to focus on leveling up or taking personal time. Sales, client relationships, resourcing and creative direction were all handled by the agency owner. She needed help, both to expand into new opportunities and to create a better work-life balance.
• No formal business development strategy
Referrals from existing clients, years of relationships and high-level networking groups allowed the agency to make a name for itself, yet it was time to begin targeting new clients aligned with the agency’s vision and honed expertise. Without a formal business development strategy in place, outsourcing a portion of sales responsibilities was premature.
• Positioning messaging on website
As Hagopian Ink’s brand new website was being designed, it was clear that the aesthetic was riveting but the right copy—and optimization thereof—required clarity from a positioning standpoint.
Solution
Working with the client, Kelly identified several ways to automate and streamline work processes. The entire proposal process was streamlined with web-based software, including customized proposal templates and e-signature functionality. Automating this, along with a new CRM system to improve pipeline and projections, as well as to reach multiple prospects at once via warm email.
To make the most of this newfound efficiency, Kelly created an outbound business development strategy, with automated email scripts and workflow training for both the agency owner and a contracted sales person.
She created buyer persona sheets based on ideal clients and the unique value proposition of the firm, introduced new contract resources for design and ecommerce web development work.
Lastly, Kelly optimized the new website for both conversion and organic search, including writing positioning copy throughout the primary pages—keeping the tone on-brand and focused on the benefits to prospects.
Results
No longer needing to do everything, the agency owner is able to focus on new business and oversee creative direction, while seeking balance with the ability to take significant time off to spend with friends and family.
A network of trusted partners is empowered to handle strategy and execution on client work.
New efficiencies have resulted in an increase in both new business and profit margin.
Visit hagopianink.com.
Kelly is a proven leader in the marketing agency world and I feel honored to call her both a mentor and a friend. She helped identify key needs for scaling my 15 year old design business including system automation, software integration and delegation. After making strategic team hires and implementing operational changes, I was able to take a full 2 week vacation for the first time in 7 years without working. Any principal in the weeds of the day to day can relate to how huge this was for me! I’m still basking in the glow of the first real break in so long, thanks to Kelly.
Are you looking to scale your creative, media or tech agency? Do you want stronger market position, better visibility, increased efficiency, more ideal clients and higher profit margins? Let’s set up a time to talk.