Introduction
Minty Digital is an international SEO and Digital PR agency focused on travel, leisure, and lifestyle brands. Charlie Clark, the agency’s leader, approached The OMG Center for Coaching as their agency was growing fast, and they needed guidance to scale their digital marketing agency in the right way. They wanted to improve processes around sales, internal marketing, hiring, and delivery processes.
Goals
The coaching engagement goals were to create a clear mission, direction, and purpose for the team, improve sales processes, streamline internal marketing, improve hiring processes, and create a clear plan of action for delivery processes. At the onboarding of the process, Charlie stated: “We needed someone with the knowledge and experience in scaling a digital marketing agency in the correct way.”
DADA Methodology
To achieve these goals, Chris Simmance followed his DADA methodology. The Discover phase of the DADA methodology involved interviewing team members and asking calibrated questions to understand the current systems and processes more fully within Minty Digital and how they work. A deeper dive was taken into the WHY and the core focuses of the organization to uncover the ideal application of efforts. With a deeper knowledge of the organization, Chris Simmance facilitated a “wallpaper” strategy day where the plan for the next three years was outlined to drive growth toward a goal defined by Minty Digital. This allowed for the development of an accountability and systems plan. Once proposed changes had been planned and agreed upon with the leadership, work was set to build these changes into the business and manage their delivery. These involved changes to workflows or project management systems and additions to the current workforce and tools, as well as training and support. Following the delivery of the adapted systems, tactics, and strategy, the team continued to work with Chris Simmance on implementing this day-to-day to ensure adoption and results. The changes were nuanced as they folded into the day-to-day, and outcomes were recorded.
Strategy
The strategy involved working with Charlie to develop a clear mission, vision, and set of values for the agency. We then worked to create and implement sales processes, streamline internal marketing, improve hiring processes, and create a clear plan of action for delivery processes. During the Discover phase of the DADA methodology, we uncovered the ideal application of efforts and the core focuses of the organization. With this knowledge, we facilitated a “wallpaper” strategy day to outline the plan for the next three years, which drove growth toward a goal defined by Minty Digital. This allowed for the development of an accountability and systems plan. The plan included a clear mission, vision, and set of values for the agency. We worked to create and implement sales processes, streamline internal marketing, improve hiring processes, and create a clear plan of action for delivery processes.
Implementation
During the implementation phase, we worked closely with Charlie to ensure that the strategies we developed were effectively implemented. To ensure the success of the implementation, we held weekly check-ins via video calls to review progress and address any issues that arose. These check-ins allowed us to ensure that the project was on track and make any necessary adjustments.
We also held monthly in-person meetings to keep the momentum going and make any tweaks to the approach as needed. These meetings provided an opportunity for the team to discuss any challenges or issues that arose, and we could provide guidance and support as needed. This helped us to stay on track with the plan and make any necessary adjustments to achieve the desired results.
In addition to the check-ins and in-person meetings, we also provided a work hours availability advice line to check thinking, run through ideas, and help to coach through problems via WhatsApp. This service provided an additional layer of support to ensure that the project stayed on track and to help address any issues that arose.
Overall, the implementation phase was successful in achieving the goals set out in the plan. The weekly check-ins, monthly in-person meetings, and work hours availability advice line all helped to ensure that the implementation was successful and that the desired results were achieved.
Results
As a result of the coaching engagement, Minty Digital has seen a significant improvement in its agency’s direction, purpose, and team culture.
He states: “We’ve seen client retention, leads, and closing rates increase since working together. Our branding now attracts new talent without us even needing to advertise for it!” “
They have seen a noticeable increase in the quality of leads, and day-to-day operations feel much more manageable now they have a clear plan of action. Minty Digital’s net profit has increased from 13% to 20%. The company has also increased its client base from 16 clients to 22 clients. The coaching engagement has helped position the agency to attract clients that fit their niche and are of a retainer size that is both manageable and profitable. The team has a clearer understanding of the company’s value and its place within the company, and there are now clear progression paths for team members to achieve from their roles at Minty Digital.
Lessons Learned
The coaching engagement with The OMG Center for Coaching, using our methodology, has provided valuable lessons to Minty Digital. They have learned that having a clear mission, vision, and set of values is crucial for any agency’s growth. Developing clear sales processes, internal marketing, hiring processes, and delivery processes are essential to creating a streamlined and efficient operation. Our way of working also helped to facilitate the development of a plan for the next three years, which was essential for the company’s growth. The methodology also helped to ensure that the changes were nuanced and adopted day-to-day to achieve the desired results.
Charlie said: “It feels like for the first time in years we’ve been able to grab hold of the reins of our agency and have a clear mission, direction, and purpose for our team to follow.”
Conclusion
Charlie Clark and Minty Digital’s engagement with The OMG Center for Coaching, using the DADA methodology, has resulted in a successful digital agency coaching story. The coaching engagement has helped them achieve their goals, increase net profit, and grow their client base. The company culture has improved, and the team has a better understanding of their roles and progression paths. The coaching engagement has positioned the agency to attract clients that fit their niche, and are of a retainer size that is both manageable and profitable. Minty Digital would recommend The OMG Center for Coaching to other businesses, as they have seen increased client retention, leads, and closing rates since working together. The lessons learned have shown that having a clear mission, vision, and set of values is crucial for any agency’s growth. Developing clear sales processes, internal marketing, hiring processes, and delivery processes are essential to creating a streamlined and efficient operation. The methodology was effective in facilitating the development of a plan for the next three years, which was crucial for the company’s growth. Minty Digital has successfully scaled its business and is now better equipped to handle any challenges that may arise in the future.