Ka-ching!

KA-CHING! is all about the money. We'll help you to navigate your way through the Account Management minefield of sales, business accounting, profitability and more.

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• Agency/client contracts: signing on the dotted line
  Getting your client to sign a contract for services is the shangri-la of all business relationships. What are these contracts and why isn't everyone using them?
• Creating a culture of "honest hours"
  Do you feel pressured to fill every single minute of your 8 hour time sheet with chargeable time? 
• Cross-selling to increase your revenue
  With agencies competing for a finite pool of clients, cross-selling can help increase revenue from the clients you already have.
• How to calculate GST (New Zealand)
  Formulae for New Zealand-based Account Managers to calculate GST for quotes and invoices.
• How much information should you divulge on an invoice?
  Should an agency invoice show a detailed breakdown of time and materials, or just one paragraph and one lump sum total?
  
• Is a cost blowout redeemable?
  When a job summary shows a blowout of costs, can you invoice your client for the over-runs?
  
• Is an Account Manager a sales person?
  Did you get into account management thinking you'd be an organiser or relationship-builder, but never in "sales"? You may have to think again!
  
• "It's too expensive!"
  How can you alter your client's perception, win your client over and close the sale?
  
• Margin and mark up, what's the difference?
  Let's learn what "margin" and "mark up" mean in an agency context, how the terms differ and when to use them.
  
• Negotiating a retainer
  A retainer agreement is the agency contract valued the most, yet it is also the most difficult to hammer out. Why is that, and what can be done about it?
  
• Networking: do you really have to?
  The smart account manager understands that sometimes a little short-term networking pain can result in a lot of long-term financial gain.
  
• Not-for-profit clients: should you work for free?
  When talking with a prospective not-for-profit client it can feel "wrong" to broach the subject of charging money for your services. What should you do? 
  
• Sales: getting past the gate-keepers
  You need to add another substantial account to your stable of agency clients. To achieve this you are going to have to go whale hunting. Here's how.
  
• Sales? No thanks!
  Within AgencyLand there is a definite "Sales Spectrum" of being sales-focused vs being relationship-focused. Where do you sit, and which way is right or wrong?
  
• Should you charge for account management time?
  Does your agency charge clients for your account management time? Perhaps it is not charged out at all...and should that matter?
  
• Should your client be paying a retainer?
  What is a "retainer"? What is included in the fee? Is a retainer a good idea for both agency and client?
  
• The value of adding value
  "Adding value" is one of those terms that can be difficult to pin down as "value" is highly subjective. How, then, can an account manager add value for their clients.
  
• Whale hunting: how to land a whopper account
  To land large whale-sized accounts for your agency you’ll need to learn how to go whale hunting (a.k.a cold calling on steroids). 
  
• What if your client won't pay?
  What do you do if your client is late paying their account, or flat out refuses to pay an invoice?