David C. Baker

SEMINAR. Only held once per year, this revamped one-day seminar has been developed especially for design, advertising, interactive, and public relations firms, and it is crafted to cover everything about managing client relationships (see the complete agenda on page five). The seminar is appropriate for principals, account managers, and anyone integral to client relationships. The sessions are a mix of presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, and roundtables. You?ll learn how to position your relationship with the client appropriately in order to have a balanced one in which they need you (for the right reasons) and you need them. We?ll examine formalizing that relationship appropriately at the outset, too. Your role, both in its larger context and in relation to other roles at the firm, will be charted. Then the specific elements of what?s expected of you?and what?s not expected?will be delineated. We?ll examine your own specific approach to account service, tailoring that offering to your individual strengths and weaknesses. We?ll also delve into how to recognize client style and then adapt your approach to be more effective in working with them individually. You?ll get a primer on strengthening your presentations, a step-by-step guide to conducting the agency tour, and the specific expectations that clients bring when it comes to serving their accounts. Finally, we?ll look at specific tactics to grow the client relationship and solidify it in the process. Note that the cost for the first attendee is $695, but that all additional attendees from the same firm are 50% off. See the registration form on page seven.

SEMINAR. Only held once per year, this revamped one-day seminar has been developed especially for design, advertising, interactive, and public relations firms, and it is crafted to cover everything about resourcing the creative process (see the complete agenda on page five). This seminar is ideal for principals responsible for setting up the system, or anyone directly responsible for resourcing (traffic, production management, pricing, or even some account service roles if they are combined with this function). The sessions are a mix of presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, and roundtables. We are including extra attention to digital this year. Resourcing, our name for the nerve center of the firm, includes estimating/pricing, traffic, production management, quality control, yield management, profitability, resource allocation, deadline management, etc. This course, unlike any other available, will look at workflow, roles, procedures, software, staffing, and systems. The foundation is built on the ReCourses Functional Model (RFM) and our system for a Profit Based Management Environment (PBME). Research underpinning the RFM began in 1998 and continues today. So far we have spent $300,000+ on the research, including 14,000+ direct interviews! While resourcing isn?t taught in preparation for a career in the creative services field, it?s a critical foundation for doing work that is effective and profitable, and this seminar is meant to bridge that gap. Note that the cost for the first attendee is $695, but that all additional attendees from the same firm are 50% off. See the registration form on page seven.

SEMINAR. Only held once per year, this three-day summit has been developed especially for design, advertising, interactive, and public relations firms, and it is crafted to cover everything about new business development (see the complete agenda on page five). Anyone who deals with positioning, marketing, and selling is a perfect candidate for this seminar. It is our largest and most popular seminar by far, and this year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary! The sessions are a mix of presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, & roundtables. You?ll learn how your firm should be positioned, what your role should be, how to perform that role flawlessly, how to adjust for your own strengths/weaknesses as you deal with prospects, and how to make the most of the marketing assets at your disposal. Most importantly, you?ll learn how to develop a thought leadership position that draws prospective clients to you. Especially popular is our expanded section on thought leadership, as well as all new roundtable options, including a hands-on opportunity to craft your positioning and positioning statement, or an in depth look at your website (bring a companion and attend both). In addition, there will be networking opportunities on Wednesday evening (sponsored by our friend Emma, the email marketing folks at myemma.com), where you?ll be able to connect with fellow attendees while continuing the day?s discussions. This seminar will include everything from knowing how to identify prospects, how to nurture them to the client stage without weakening your firm?s position, how to deal with objections, and one hundred other things that will enhance your success in new business. Essentially, it?s a complete look at this function in your marketing services firm. Note that the cost for the first attendee is $2,000, but for an extra $1,000 you can bring as many additional attendees from the same firm as you like. See the registration form on page 7.

SEMINAR. With one-third of the content new this year, this one-day ReCourses seminar was developed especially for principals, operations managers, and controllers in marketing firms (advertising, design, interactive, and public relations), and it is crafted to cover everything about the numbers side of running a firm well (leading software firms have licenses our IP on this subject). You?ll learn how to construct financial statements properly, how to interpret them, how to avoid common reporting mistakes, and how to understand the same event from the perspective of leverage, profit, and cash. You?ll get a hands-on explanation of several dozen benchmarks (which you can apply to your own statements as we walk through it), how you should work with your accounting firm, how to manage cashflow, and what your software options include. We?ll teach you how to measure utilization (billable efficiency) and how to fix any gaps that the analysis reveals. We?ll look at taxes, legal structure, retirement, insurance, funding growth, employee benefits, open book management, collections, and navigating a downturn. By the end of the day you?ll have a fairly complete manual that should arm you for years to come, all while applying it specifically to your own numbers in a helpful, interesting environment. We?ll even supply the calculators. Note that the cost for the first attendee is $695, but that all additional attendees from the same firm are 50% off. See the registration form on page seven.

SEMINAR. Only held once per year, this three-day summit has been developed especially for design, advertising, interactive, and public relations firms, and it is crafted to cover everything about new business development. Anyone who deals with positioning, marketing, and selling is a perfect candidate for this seminar. It is our largest and most popular seminar by far, and this year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary! The sessions are a mix of presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, & roundtables. You?ll learn how your firm should be positioned, what your role should be, how to perform that role flawlessly, how to adjust for your own strengths/weaknesses as you deal with prospects, and how to make the most of the marketing assets at your disposal. Most importantly, you?ll learn how to develop a thought leadership position that draws prospective clients to you. Especially popular is our expanded section on thought leadership, as well as all new roundtable options, including a hands-on opportunity to craft your positioning and positioning statement, or an in depth look at your website (bring a companion and attend both). This seminar will include everything from knowing how to identify prospects, how to nurture them to the client stage without weakening your firm?s position, how to deal with objections, and one hundred other things that will enhance your success in new business. Essentially, it?s a complete look at this function in your marketing services firm.Note that the cost for the first attendee is $2,000, but for an extra $1,000 you can bring as many additional attendees from the same firm as you like.

SEMINAR. Only held once per year, this three-day summit has been developed especially for design, advertising, interactive, and public relations firms, and it is crafted to cover everything about new business development (see the complete agenda on page five). Anyone who deals with positioning, marketing, and selling is a perfect candidate for this seminar. It is our largest and most popular seminar by far, and this year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary! The sessions are a mix of presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, & roundtables. You?ll learn how your firm should be positioned, what your role should be, how to perform that role flawlessly, how to adjust for your own strengths/weaknesses as you deal with prospects, and how to make the most of the marketing assets at your disposal. Most importantly, you?ll learn how to develop a thought leadership position that draws prospective clients to you. Especially popular is our expanded section on thought leadership, as well as all new roundtable options, including a hands-on opportunity to craft your positioning and positioning statement, or an in depth look at your website (bring a companion and attend both). In addition, there will be networking opportunities on Wednesday evening (sponsored by our friend Emma, the email marketing folks at myemma.com), where you?ll be able to connect with fellow attendees while continuing the day?s discussions. This seminar will include everything from knowing how to identify prospects, how to nurture them to the client stage without weakening your firm?s position, how to deal with objections, and one hundred other things that will enhance your success in new business. Essentially, it?s a complete look at this function in your marketing services firm. Note that the cost for the first attendee is $2,000, but for an extra $1,000 you can bring as many additional attendees from the same firm as you like. See the registration form on page 7.

A hashtag for attendees of the MYOB Conference (http://*** which I founded and involved HOW/F&W Publications in 10 years ago. This year it will be held in Nashville, TN, on Oct 17-19. David C. Baker?speaks 30-35x/yr worldwide, has analyzed 700+ marketing service firms, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, MarketingProfs, BusinessWeek, and about a dozen books others have written. His second book (of four) was just named by Inc. Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Books Entrepreneurs Should Read."