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.
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:
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Your business development agency should demonstrate a commitment to security on two fronts:
If you're considering an agency, make sure to confirm they take comprehensive internal security measures, including password protection, antivirus software, and network security.
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.