The agency business is in the toilet right now. Laziness, inertia, resistance to change, fear or ignorance just isn't going to cut it in this dog-eat-dog media coliseum. It's time for fresh thinking and a new approach to stop the rot, and in doing so, raise the margins once again before it's too late. Albert Einstein is credited with the popular aphorism: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result! Despite these challenges, agencies still represent our future in terms of gaining access to the client, the brand and its secret sauce. Inquire about: Agency Relations Consulting - A suite of strategic services including best practices development, custom publishing, event marketing and research Connecting with Buyers - A comprehensive presentation on how to better understand and connect with the buy-side, ideal for sales conferences, offsites and brainstorming sessions. Shortly after I left Chiat/Day, I developed a presentation titled, "Connecting with Buyers." In short, it's a reflection of insights, learnings and perceptions from the buy side for the sell side to help expose myths, offer perspective and clarity in terms of what makes buyers tick and how best to connect with them. The elevator pitch goes something like this, "I was the buyer you were trying to reach; now I can tell you how to reach me." Here are three testimonials from three very fine organizations: "Joe Jaffe was a hit. He set the tone for Ask Jeeves' 3 day sales conference, and gave our team terrific insight into why buyers makes the decisions they do. Joe made us take note of what we need to do to win agency business. He is thought provoking, spontaneous, irreverent and worth the investment. He was the missing link that brought together our entire conference. He gets my highest recommendation." Jim Diaz SVP, Revenue Group Ask Jeeves Web Properties "It takes one to know one, which is why we looked towards former Interactive Media Director and current Industry pundit, Joseph Jaffe, to share some of his insights on how to better connect with the buy side. Joseph brought a fresh and honest perspective which resonated strongly with our sales team." Randy Kilgore VP, Advertising The Wall Street Journal Online "Jaffe helps sellers understand the buying process. Sellers who understand what buyers want close more business. This is good!" Peter Naylor VP/GM of Sales iVillage Network If you have a sales event or conference coming up, or even if you don't, give me a shout and let's discuss how "Connecting with Buyers" can help you and your team reach and connect with the buy side.