Lessons Learned
It was just 13 short years ago when I, and my two brilliant partners, decided to start H2R Agency.
We thought with our varied skill sets, our incredible industry relationships, relentless drive and work ethics, we could create an agency that would be an affordable option for those casinos sprouting up throughout the country. Afterall, we’re creative, likeable and affordable. Plus, we got a really cool name.
Crickets…
We filed the paperwork, set up bank accounts, built a website, and called our life-long relationships letting them know, “We’re open for business, when can we start?”
“Oh, we just hired an agency our GM used to work with.”
“We just brought everything in house.”
“We have a 3-year agreement, we’ll call you when that’s up.”
(No answer, no response, no reply, no bueno.)
Ooops.
Just like stand-up comedy, everything in getting new business is all about timing. Except, we found out quickly, this isn’t funny. It wasn’t just getting new business; it was getting any business. But all we got was the business. Nope. Nada. Not on your life.
Our eagerness, integrity and work ethic all took a back seat. We found ourselves in the very first autonomous (self-driving) car and heading down a road we’ve never seen before. The road of despair. We need a strategy. We need direction. We need a client.
The Call That Saved Our Agency
Finally, I received a call from a prominent CMO who was responsible for more than (over 10 at the time) casinos. She was seeking agencies who were interested in submitting an RFP for an incredibly massive Direct Marketing Program for their properties. “Would H2R be interested?”
Not only did one of my long-term relationships call back, she was offering us a chance to possibly work together on a huge scale and long-term basis. If you remember your first psychology course, this was Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and ours was about to be fulfilled.
We completed all the paperwork, asked numerous questions, brainstormed and created our very first H2R Presentation (punches his own shoulder in self-satisfaction) and sent it off.
Waiting. No response. “Should we call, email, what’s the thin line between being inquisitive and a stalker?”
A few days. “Should we have said this? Did we include past testimonials? Was our pricing too high?” Tick. Tick. Tick.
A Response. “Sorry, we took so long getting back to you, there were quite a few presentations to get through. However, we’ve finally narrowed it down to two agencies and you’re one of them! We would like you to fly out and present your proposal, in person, to our marketing panel.”
Long Story Short
We weren’t selected.
Although we made it to the final two, we didn’t get the work. “Your concepts are very impressive, your compassion and enthusiasm are contagious, your gaming knowledge and understanding of our business are second to none.”
However, “You’re a new firm. How can we be certain you’ll still be in business in the next year, let alone next month? We need someone we can rely on and who’ll be around with us to execute these programs for years.”
They were right. We couldn’t argue. I would have made the same call; had I been sitting at their table.
Dejected?
At first. It was a huge account, right out of the gate. We would have been set. No worries. We had no doubts we would have executed, produced world-class work, and established another long-term relationship.
But we would have to give it our all. Make little to no mistakes, no wiggle room. Every fiber in our team would have to be devoted to them. And then what? One mistake and we’re done? Gone? Then what? Start over?
That’s when we realized, this was a blessing in disguise. We used this presentation to massage our egos, understanding we could do the work, compete with the other agencies, we just needed that spark. And a steady stream of prospects. It changed our entire business model.
Less is More.
We felt we now had Big Agency Energy and we focused it on smaller clients. Those clients, pushed aside by the bigger agencies, without our enthusiasm. We were personal, humorous, and grateful to have them as partners.
Soon, our work got us other work. Our execution and reputation were rewarded as marketing executives moved on to other properties and brought us with them.
But we never lost sight of where we started, who we are and what keeps us ticking after 13 years. We needed a more refined sales strategy. We needed to reach out to the great unknown.
We learned; it wasn’t us being afraid of hearing the word “no” it was not hearing anything at all. The takeaway: Be relentless, stay focused, believe in your work and your team and your pipeline will always stay full.
Rick Harshman is the CEO of H2R Agency, the leading marketing agency specializing in inspired creative and results-driven strategies in the gaming industry. For more information, call (720) 226-3229 or e-mail RickH@H2RAgency.com.