160. How to Charge for Strategy, with Karley Cunningham

The Innovative Agency

Is your agency charging for more than just tangible deliverables?

In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by Brand Strategist and Business Growth Accelerator, Karley Cunningham. She takes businesses from overcrowded, competitive spaces out into blue ocean territory where they can confidently stand out and thrive as brand leaders in their sector. During our conversation, Karley discusses the challenges that come from selling services and the benefits of collaborating on strategy.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why agencies are hesitant to charge separately for strategy
• How being seen solely as a creative can limit your ability to be seen as a strategic thinker
• How to help clients see the value in the process instead of just the deliverables
• What are the five value points that you explain to clients during the sales process
• How to shift your mindset into being brave enough to propose strategy as a stand-alone service
• What is the difference between a consultation and a strategy session
• Why working in stages or phases is beneficial to both the client and agency
• How to transition from work-for-hire to fee-for-strategy in your agency

Bio

Having built three successful businesses, Karley knows what it takes to start, develop and lead a company that delivers results. Her entrepreneurial success story is featured in the awarded book, The Widest Net by Pamela Slim. In addition, she's a sought-after mentor and speaker for national and international business organizations and the host of The Made Possible podcast.

Believing deeply in the practice of givers gain, she is well-known and networked and rarely goes a day without making a referral or connection. As a former pro athlete, Karley is performance-driven. An avid mountain athlete, she is a two-time finisher of the BC Bike Race, a seven-day, 325 km mountain bike stage race, and is always looking out for her next trail running adventure. When not focusing on the business or expanding her network, she can be found somewhere in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her wife and dog in their 4x4.

Resources:

• Website: www.bigboldbrand.com
• Free Brand Audit & Guide: https://www.bigboldbrand.com/surefireaudit/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karleycunningham/