5 reasons we run workshops as an inbound marketing agency

Here at Six & Flow, we like to think of ourselves as a helpful and supportive inbound marketing agency. We're not here to bamboozle clients with industry lingo and technical jargon. With that in mind, here's a short and hopefully useful blog on the subject of client workshops!

Ideally, we aim to run workshops with all new clients, but particularly if we're going to be working with them on a continuous basis. Short project-based work may not require a workshop, but it's a matter of necessity when it comes to inbound marketing campaigns. Here's a few good reasons why we choose to work this way.

1. We like to make a real connection

Whether it's in our Manchester office, at your place or through video conferencing technology, we want to get to know our clients. It's important to us that we get along with the people we work with, and properly understand their needs, pains and ambitions. We find the best way to form this connection is to talk in person - or over digital channels if need be - and get to know you as individuals as well as a company.

2. We need to get under the skin of your business

Now the niceties are over - we need to get to the nitty gritty. While we do send all prospective clients 'homework' forms to fill out, this only provides the bare bones of what we need to get to work.

We're not after your shoe size and a hair sample, but there's plenty of in-depth information we need from you. In our experience, this works much better as a two-way conversation, with us asking questions as you go and prompting explanations of particular points of interest. 

3. We want to show you what we do

Client workshops aren't just about us gaining a better understanding of how you work. We also want our clients to have a good understanding of the way we work too.

Respect is a two-way street, and this rings true for any business relationship. In the case of any marketing campaign, whether inbound, biddable or social, we need client buy-in to make the magic happen. 

We're not an inbound marketing agency that shrouds our work in mystery. That's why we encourage our clients who use HubSpot to get acquainted with the platform and make use of our very own training academy. "Mi casa es su casa," or in this case, our HubSpot knowledge is your HubSpot knowledge.

When it comes to the client workshop though, we simply want to encourage you to ask questions and really get to grips with our offering. If you don't understand what we do, you'll never appreciate all our hard work!

4. We need to challenge your assumptions

"We know our industry better than anyone" ... "No other company does what we do"... " We know exactly what our audience wants"... "Our customers think our offering is the best thing since sliced bread"

These are common phrases we'll hear when we first start working with a new client. Unfortunately, they aren't always true. Our job in a client workshop is to challenge any assumptions you might hold about your industry, your company, your clients and your future prospects.

5. We work collaboratively

As I said earlier, we need client buy-in to give our inbound marketing campaigns the best chance of success. We want to propose a plan which you understand, believe in and better yet, had a hand in developing.

Our strategic sessions can include competitor analysis, research into your market sector, interviews held with key stakeholders, reviews of your current sales and marketing processes, and identification of current issues. This information all contributes to our understanding of your business and its marketing needs. 

We then work together to suggest what working with an inbound marketing agency can do for you. We rank each task in terms of importance, prioritising 'quick wins' and planning ahead for the longer-term campaign roll-out. Clients always sign off on proposals, so it makes sense to get their input on it as we go.

The result is a collaborative strategy which everyone understands, appreciates and knows their personal responsibilities within.

Working with an inbound marketing agency

If you have any questions about inbound campaigns, client workshops, or anything else in the world of marketing, get in touch with Six & Flow. We'd love to chat.