Finding a Business Development Agency To Help Grant-Funded Programs Succeed
If you’re a program director or manager already balancing projects with your research or medical work, the last thing you need is the challenge of finding a trustworthy agency. A business development agency should help meet the demands of your website, outreach efforts, event planning, and program reporting–not create further roadblocks with miscommunications or inefficient deliverable hand-offs.
How do you find an agency that truly delivers?
If you’ve been struggling to find an agency that feels like the right fit for your needs, you’re not alone.
Program managers at research institutions, hospitals, and universities often face challenges when seeking an agency that:
- Can tackle a variety of projects - You’re already juggling your medical career, programs, and performance reports, so you can’t manage a handful of independent specialty agencies that provide isolated services.
- Provides all of their services in-house - An agency that outsources its services could compromise your organization's security and disrupt communication, availability, and the seamless transition of deliverables.
- Helps you achieve long-term momentum - An agency that provides one-off deliverables won’t cut it when you’re working tirelessly to build your program. You need an agency that strategizes for long-term, sustainable program development.
- Has experience in healthcare - An agency that lacks experience with your industry's distinct challenges–including funding processes, program life cycles, and regulatory compliance requirements–will struggle to deliver the detailed solutions you need.
So, how can you find an agency that genuinely understands your needs, develops effective solutions for your team, and allows you to dedicate more time to managing your program effectively?
Opt for a full-service agency
If you’re tired of searching for vendors and managing handoffs between different specialty agencies, you need an agency that’s a one-stop-shop for all the services you’re looking to fill.
Full-service agencies aim to provide a wide range of in-house skills, while still delivering the same level of expertise as specialty agencies.
Here’s what program managers and directors can look for in a full-service agency:
Business development approach
Traditional agencies are less likely to be full-service, and can conduct isolated projects related to marketing strategy, web design, or event management. Business development agencies adopt a holistic approach to projects, offering a variety of business services that address the interconnectedness of your diverse business activities and needs.
Full-service business development agencies can help bridge disconnects between your various program efforts, such as synching your website strategy, email marketing campaigns, and event planning rather than approaching each as an isolated project.
Proof of in-house team
Look at the agency's website for case studies that demonstrate their past approach to projects that are complex and demand various skills.
To confirm that they don’t outsource crucial service offerings, you can also ask for live demos, a short trial period to get a feel for how they work, or to be put in touch with former clients who can vouch for their services.This will provide insight into an agency's skills, team dynamics, and communication style, ensuring their transparency and reliability.
Awards, badges, certifications, and accreditations
Does your team rely on specific applications or programs to run effectively? Checking third-party credentials can help you asses whether a business development agency can fulfill your organization's requirements. Ensure they hold the necessary certifications for the technologies and platforms you need them to work with. Recognitions or endorsements from reputable industry leaders can further boost your confidence in their credentials.
If your business development agency is set to work with a particular application, like a website design and development platform, reviewing trusted feedback from the platform’s partner listings can provide valuable insights.
Performance report expertise
If you’re a program manager, you're already under pressure to create performance reports to secure a future grant or grant renewal. A good business development agency should equip you with the reporting tools you need to present powerful performance reports.
Make sure the agency you’re considering has extensive expertise in creating custom reporting dashboards that will help your performance reports shine.
Automation & AI Skills
Any grant managers, professors, physicians, researchers, or interns on your team are likely juggling numerous responsibilities. This makes automation in marketing, sales, and services an invaluable tool. Ensure your business development agency possesses in-house expertise in automation.
AI tools can significantly reduce manual tasks, so consider choosing an agency that comprehensively understands how hospitals, research institutions, and universities can leverage AI.
Custom solutions
Running your program efficiently also means preventing data from becoming disjointed as it passes from your website, to your marketing automation platform, to other crucial data systems you rely on. For example, integrating your AirTable data with your CRM and CMS allows you to see the bigger picture and update all three platforms in real time whenever you publish changes in AirTable. A business development agency should make this job easier for you by offering custom solutions that connect and maintain these platforms.
Ready to adapt
Effective community engagement and support strategies need to be far from static. Your business development agency should look for ways to save you time and meet goals more efficiently. An agency with a growth-oriented mindset will always keep up to date on new AI tools, trends in your industry, and relevant business approaches in order to further improve your processes.
Experience in your industry
How do you determine whether an agency can cater their services to the unique challenges of your industry? In addition to examining the industry demographics of the agency's clients, you might want to ask:
- Do they regularly attend events in your industry?
- What size businesses have they worked with?
- Are they accustomed to serving businesses with a particular organizational structure?
Takes compliance seriously
Your business development agency should demonstrate a commitment to security on two fronts:
- By understanding and complying with HIPAA and ADA regulations.
- By upholding rigorous security protocols within their own organization.
If you're considering an agency, make sure to confirm they take comprehensive internal security measures, including password protection, antivirus software, and network security.
Need help planning your next move?
A full-service agency should support your team's grant or project objectives–not increase your workload. We're here to guide you through the process of finding a trusted agency.
