What makes the perfect pitch? That was the question posed at Biz Dev Camp, with Joe Rinaldi, Coach/Owner of That was Clutch, facilitating the discussion. Drawing on the collective experience and know-how of the group, we landed on several takeaways to up the ante on your next pitch.
Read on for a walk-through of the ideal pitch, play-by-play, using insights gleaned from Biz Dev Camp.
The digital services industry is changing. That is beyond doubt. What it meant to be in the industry in the late ’90s and mid-2000s and what it means to be a part of it today are hugely different. And every year, someone decides that the end is near. Sometimes it’s a member of the old guard, and sometimes it’s a member of the new.
But we’re still here. Not because they were wrong, which they were, but because we are resilient and strong. We learn and we adapt. And the digital services industry is maturing. Where will it end? We don’t know. But we do have some insights into where it’s going.
So read on!
Of the hundreds of people I’ve met who started a digital agency, almost all of them stumbled into it. But the two people on today’s show saw the web as a way to improve their lives. Living in a small Northeastern mill city, a tanking economy and failing health were taking its toll on the young couple. And then a friend told them about working in tech in Atlanta. Sherri and Reuben Johnson never looked back. Listen to part one of The Fly Media Origin Story. Listen to this episode now!
Post-Summit blues are a real thing. But in a good way. It’s sad to turn the page, but exciting to get back to the day-to-day with a fresh perspective, set new intentions and start putting takeaways to work with the team. And there’s always the promise of next year.
Read on to find out more about Owner Summit in 2019!
Imagine walking into a room of 200 people. People you’ve never met. People who don’t know you from anyone. Now imagine you have to figure out how to get them all to work together. And not just work together, but work together effectively. Because your job depends on it. Where do you start? How do you know who’s a team player and who’s a problem? And how do you answer questions from your boss like, “how long is this going to take?” and “how will we know if it’s working?” Well, that’s exactly what Garci Inigo did when he accepted a job with the National Bank of Canada.
If I say the word “sales” I bet a lot of you will stop readin… WAIT! Come back right now! This is important. For some reason in the digital services world, we get creeped out by that word. But this isn’t about wearing polyester and convincing you to buy the 2-year warranty that you don’t want. But it might include cold calling. And today more than ever it feels like digital agencies are maturing when it comes to how they manage not only inbound but outbound, too. So listen in as Dan Englander from Sales Schema talks about selling in a way that doesn’t make it feel gross. Nice work, Dan.
Conference talks are often focused on big and innovative ideas that in many cases kickstart brand new approaches to our people and work, which is a great thing that continually helps push our industry forward.
However, when managing projects or leading teams, being consistently good at getting the absolute basics right can be the difference between success and failure. In this session, presented at Digital PM Summit 2017, Marks and Spencer’s Senior Development Manager and DPM veteran Sam Barnes discusses some of these basics. He touches on how often the little things are forgotten or overlooked, why they’re so important, and how to get better at them in such a way that you really see positive changes in both what you’re helping to deliver and in your working relationships.
Check it out for yourself below, or on our YouTube channel, and sign up for updates as we plan the 2019 Digital PM Summit.
Conference talks are often focused on big and innovative ideas that in many cases kick start brand new approaches to our people and work, which is a great thing that continually helps push our industry forward. However, when managing projects or leading teams, being consistently good at getting the absolute basics right can be the difference between success and failure.
Digital project management can be a lonely gig. But it doesn't have to be. Join us at the Digital PM Summit.
From the beginning, digital studios large and small have leaned on contracts, SOWs, and MSAs that weren’t quite right. Either they were based on agreements that had been created for a different industry or we worked with lawyers that didn’t quite understand the nuances of the work.
Many of us rolled our own which lead to some great innovation while also exposing us to more than a few liabilities. Finally, there is a standard base level agreement for digital services. Crafted by Gabe Levine and Josh Barrett, the Bureau Standard Agreement for Digital Services is a starting point for digital agencies that has been written based on the work that we do. Listen in as Gabe and Josh talk about the origin, process, and future of this large step forward for the industry.
It's that time of year where we're getting ready for digital agency owners from around the globe to gather at Owner Summit 2018. So what better time to share the powerful closing keynote by Lori Gold Patterson from Owner Summit 2017?
Lori is a valuable member of the Bureau Community known for her contributions in helping us better understand diversity and inclusion as well as her insights on how to run a successful digital agency. Especially when it comes to creating an empowered culture. Just watch, you'll see.
Speakers and attendees from across the globe joined us for the Digital PM Summit 2017 in Las Vegas, NV. Sessions provided a solid mix of informative, tactical, reaffirming, and inspiring content. It’s a mix that we aspire for every year, and we’re certainly planning to make The Digital PM Summit 2018 even better when we converge on Memphis, TN September 4-6, 2018. Grab your super-early bird tickets now!
Hello, and welcome to the most anticipated post of the year. We’ve been asked a bunch of times about the plans for 2018, and as you’ll see it’s an action-packed calendar. For those of you new to the Bureau, we provide events and online communities where digital professionals gather to connect with peers, explore ideas, and learn from one another. Here’s an explanation of the different types of events we’re putting on in 2018.
“How did you get into project management?”
I recently had the pleasure of presenting a workshop on digital project management basics to a group of tech apprentices who are a part of the Urban Technology Project in Philadelphia, and someone asked me that question. I fumbled through my story in response and finally said, “I think I was always meant to do this, it just took me some time to figure that out.”
The truth of the matter is that project management was never offered as a subject when I was in school. And early on, when working at a startup, it wasn’t even a role. And, I’ll admit it: PM isn’t the sexiest or most sought-after title--particularly in our industry. But the truth of the matter is, I found the role through a series of fits and starts, and I’m pretty darn happy with where I landed. And now I feel like it’s my mission, as a part of this community, to share that story and some basic principles with people coming into their own as young professionals. Read More.
If you’ve ever ventured off on your own to start a business, or even thought about it, then you should listen to this episode. There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s journey when they think about selling the company they’ve created. But how do you do that? And is what you’ve grown even worth selling? Listen as Martin Ringlein shares his story of selling his first company to Twitter. Then leaving Twitter to join President Obama’s innovation council. All the while running a successful co-working space which he later sold. Oh, and creating a product to disrupt the event space which was also acquired. His insights, experience, and enthusiasm are more energizing, they can help you see the world of business in a new light.
Every year, the Bureau of Digital invites the Digital PM community to take part in two days of enlightening and inspiring presentations, interactive sessions, and social events that spark new professional connections and friendships. This year’s Digital PM Summit, which also happened to be our fifth, followed through on that invitation in spades.
If you weren’t in attendance, you were missed and we hope you can make it to a future Summit to experience the event and the community first-hand. If you’re looking for some follow-up, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for links to presentations, photos, our favorite tweets, and more. Read more.
Why is it we don't do for ourselves what we do for our clients? We know the key to success in new business is sharing the great work we do. But when we get busy we forget to tell everyone we're here. It's crucial to remember that marketing ourselves isn't a one-time effort, it's an ongoing process of outreach across multiple channels. Frustratingly, we often quit using our most successful techniques because we don't like them. Even though they worked amazingly well. Today, Ilise Benun joins us on the Bureau Briefing to talk about marketing and managing clients. We also talk about the importance of self-respect in building the companies we want. Because ultimately, marketing is about relationships with ideal clients.
And be sure to say hello to Ilise at Owner Summit 2018 in Charleston! You'll learn more great insights and connect with digital agency owners from around the world.
If you are part of a digital agency, there has a been a discussion around launching your own product. We all talk about it. Heck, maybe you've tried to build that perfect solution in the time between client projects. But you never get traction. Or maybe you assigned a dedicated team to develop it, but that adds financial and cultural stress to a successful service business. So how do digital agencies build and launch great products? Listen in as Martijn van Tilburg shares his insights from the creation of 10,000ft.
And be sure to join us for Owner Summit 2018 in Charleston to learn more great insights and connect with digital agency owners from around the world.
No matter how your digital studio began, you are now a CEO. This is a welcome job title for some, but daunting for others. Either way, you are now running a full-fledged studio and managing a group of people. Understanding how to lead well is an essential key to success. How should you lead your digital studio? How do you work “on” the business while working “in” the business? How do you make the business less dependent on you? How can you share the burdens and benefits of being an owner? How do you keep your employees engaged and active in your vision?
Enjoy this session from Owner Summit 2017, where Traci Barrett from Navigate the Journey will share some of the best practices of leadership, how to align your people to your vision and hope for your agency, and how to embrace your role as head of your organization. Watch the presentation.
Podcasting has always been popular, but there seems to be a new resurgence among digital agencies. But what are the keys to success in podcasting? And the pitfalls to avoid? Lea Alcantara and Emily Lewis share the experience of reaching 100 episodes of their very popular CTRL+CLICK CAST show. They share how they got started, stay motivated and discuss the highs and lows of a long-running podcast. Listen to the episode.
With the fifth annual Digital PM Summit closing in (October 15-17 in Las Vegas. Register by September 30), I thought it might be nice to talk a little bit about what DPM is, how the community is growing, and what that means. Spoiler alert: I’ll also talk a little bit about this during opening remarks at the event. But read on, because this goes far deeper.
Sure, Digital PMs are just like any other PM in that we handle project scopes, timelines, communications, and team dynamics. But we take special interest in our niche, which is the process by which we build websites, apps, and other digital products. Add to that the fact that we think strategically about how to apply process and deliverables to our work in order to facilitate decisions that meet project goals and get the best out of our teams given specific project constraints. We face similar issues to project managers in other fields, but we get especially excited about the things that specifically affect our projects and our teams. Read more.
I’m writing this as I wait for multiple contractors and insurance adjusters to come to my house. It will take awhile for my family to get back to normal after the nastiness that was Hurricane Irma. While we have a lot of struggles ahead, we are very fortunate to have a house we can live in and a business that, although impacted, has weathered the storm. Here are some tips and tricks we learned so far that have helped us keep moving forward. Read the post.
