The New New Business: Why Selling Is All about Getting to Know Someone with Carlton Wood

Carlton Wood has worked in so many roles at Lewis, he’s practically an agency in one brain. Carlton brings 30+ years of industry experience working with clients like The Cartoon Network, Pizza Hut, Trex Decking, Alabama Tourism and The United Way and across sectors such as health care, tourism, insurance, beverages, etc.

After working in account management roles at firms in Atlanta and Pennsylvania, he came to Lewis in 1999 and found the perfect fit for his strengths: keen strategic insight, strong gut instincts, and an intuitive sense of how to help others perform at their best. Carlton drives business development across three offices in the US and as a result, has played a lead role in some of the agency’s most successful client partnerships, including Stony Brook Medicine, Tiffin Motorhomes, and Orlando Health.

LBB> What was your first sale or new business win?

Carlton> I’ve been involved in a lot of pitches and you always remember the big wins!

Early in my career I was assigned to a pitch team for a restaurant chain called Rio Bravo Mexican Cantina. The creatives on our team were coming off a huge assignment and they were tired and not very excited at our initial briefing. Their mood brightened when we had margaritas on a weekday at 10 a.m. to get them in the spirit. I was very junior and tried to be helpful wherever I could be, but my number one job was just helping keep the team focused on the pitch and make it as fun and energetic as possible. Winning that pitch was an incredible feeling and I wanted to experience a lot more of that!

LBB> What was the best piece of advice you got early on?

Carlton> At my first agency job, accounts were constantly coming and going. The economy wasn’t great and layoffs were something we all worried about. One of the creative directors told me I should always volunteer for new business pitches and do everything possible to work on new business because it is the lifeblood of any agency. That was true then and still is.

LBB> And the worst?

Carlton> I’m sure I’ve been given bad advice before, but fortunately I’ve forgotten it.

LBB> How has the business of ‘selling’ in the creative industry changed since you started?

Carlton> I’m not sure it really has changed that much. Maybe the tactics have changed, but at the end of the day, selling is about getting to know someone, building a relationship with them and demonstrating that you and your agency can provide real value in helping them solve their challenges.

LBB> Can anyone be taught to sell or do new business or do you think it suits a certain kind of personality?

Carlton> I think it’s easier for extroverts to be successful in new business, but the cliché of some slick, glib new business person is totally at odds with what it really takes. Clients are pretty sophisticated and they don’t want to be “sold.” Anyone who knows our business and communicates well can be successful.

LBB> What are your thoughts about the process of pitching that the industry largely runs on?

Carlton> I know a lot of agencies that are very successful participating in RFP’s and pitches that never produce spec work. If a client is asking for spec work in a pitch, agencies really need to ask whether that is something that is good for their business or good for the industry. I can’t imagine too many instances where the answer is yes.

Most agencies would love to land new accounts without ever participating in a pitch or an RFP. Some of our best accounts, 20-year relationships, started with small projects where we demonstrated our value and expanded our relationship over time. That is a much better way for client and agency to get to know each other and see if they can build a mutually beneficial partnership. 

LBB> How do you go about tailoring your selling approach according to the kind of person or business you’re approaching?

Carlton> No agency is a great fit for every client. Obviously, we all want to land a lot of new accounts, but you have to be careful not to try and change your approach and find that you’re selling a version of your company that you can’t deliver.

LBB> New business and sales can often mean hearing ‘no’ a lot and quite a bit of rejection - how do you keep motivated?

Carlton> Not winning an account that your team has really worked hard to pitch can be tough on morale, but we try to be really philosophical about it. Maybe we lost because the client wasn’t a great fit. We also try to build off all new business activity in a positive way. In the last two years, we’ve brought in two new clients that we stayed in touch with after losing a pitch. 

LBB> The advertising and marketing industry often blurs the line between personal and professional friendships and relationships… does this make selling easier or more difficult and delicate?

Carlton> If I’ve got a chance to do business with someone I already know, that may help give me insight into how to approach them, but I would never assume that gives me a leg up on the competition. If anything, I’m going to work harder to show that I’m not taking them for granted and I’m going to win their business without relying on the relationship.

LBB> In your view what’s the key to closing a deal?

Carlton> This is really hard and I sure don’t have a magic formula, but I think it comes down to asking questions and really paying attention to what the client most values. For most brands, choosing an agency is an expensive, time-consuming process and they want to make sure they get the best fit. Closing the deal means you’ve put to rest most, if not all, of their concerns about your agency being the best fit.

LBB> How important is cultural understanding when it comes to selling internationally?

Carlton> If we’re in a position to work outside the US, we’re going to partner up with another firm that ensures what we do translates, figuratively and literally, in the country where we’re working.

LBB> How is technology and new platforms (from platforms like Salesforce and Hubspot to video calls to social media) changing sales and new business?

Carlton> It’s never been easier to find, research and engage with prospective clients, but your competitors are also using these new tools, so the playing field is still fairly level. The agencies that are most successful at new business may be better at using new platforms, but they’ve still got to be able to position their shop as different and better than their competitors. That part of new business hasn’t changed.  

LBB> There’s a lot of training for a lot of parts of the industry, but what’s your thoughts about the training and skills development when it comes to selling and new business? 

Carlton> Our industry experiences almost constant change and innovation. As new tools, new technology and new approaches come into play, there is no question we could all use more training and skills development. However, it’s really difficult to budget the time and money to get your team what they need to stay on top of their game.

LBB> What’s your advice for anyone who’s not necessarily come up as a salesperson who’s now expected to sell or win new business as part of their role?

Carlton> When I moved into a new role leading business development for my agency, I scheduled calls and meetings with anyone and everyone who would talk to me; former colleagues, former bosses, consultants, etc. and asked them how they had been successful in new business. I’m still having those conversations and have found everyone I’ve reached out to very gracious with their time and their advice.