For es!

agenci
Pimp Your Project Management

1 2015
Pimp Your Project Management; A Simple Guide
to Managing Projects in a Creative Agency
FREE E-BOOK
 End-to-end agency management software
loved by 2000+ agencies
Pimp Your Project Management

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2 2015
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 You’re a creative.
You get Pantone swatches,
Adobe software, and vision
boards. Your day isn’t complete
Pimp Your Project Management

until you’ve had your coffee

and artisanal bread. You go
loopy with glee when someone
makes a new kind of font.
But when it comes to

3 2015
organising, admin, and all
that stuff, you’re lost. You’d
rather be doing anything else.
Seriously, folding laundry is
looking good to you right now. This guide isn’t about
If you want to run a teaching you a rigid
successful, thriving formula for managing
creative studio, then your team. Instead,
you’re going to have it offers some tips to
to get smart about help you facilitate the
project management. creative process better.
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 Contents
1. Rocking Your Client Meetings
Pimp Your Project Management

2. Get Your Team Jiving Together

3. Avoid Client Collaborating Pitfalls

4 2015
4. Manage Projects Like a Pro

5. Getting to Grips with Freelancers

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 Part 1:
Rocking your
client meetings
Pimp Your Project Management
Meeting a new client for the
first time is a bit like a blind
date. You put on your cleanest,
most flattering clothes. Your
heart pounds nervously and
your palms sweat as you turn
over the meeting in your head.
What are you going to say? Will
you like them? Will they like
you?
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Luckily, you don’t have to date
your clients (unless they’re
really cute) but you do have
to impress them. They want
to see an agency that’s
5 2015
experienced, professional,
organised, and highly
attuned to their needs.
If you find yourself striking out
in those initial meetings more
than you’d like, then take a few
of these tips and tricks to your
next meeting, and you may just
find yourself winning that big
account.
 Client tip 1:
Control The
Meeting Place
* Meet potential clients in a place
where you feel comfortable,
and have some control over
the elements of the room.
Pimp Your Project Management
* Usually, this will mean a room
in your office, but if you operate
virtually - or your office doesn’t have
meeting space - rent a room from a
business hub or co-working space.
That way you can arrive early,
prepare the space, and figure out
how to work any equipment.
* This is better than meeting at a
client’s office, where you can’t
control the surroundings. This can
become frustrating if, for example,
you bring along a USB stick of
samples but there’s no available
computer to demonstrate them.
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Client tip 2:
Set the Tone from
the First Glance
* You want your client to walk
away from the meeting feeling
confident that you’re the right
agency for the job. What they want
to see is a professional, friendly
firm with a real creative streak.
* Dress appropriately, but don’t
be afraid to let your personality
show. You’re a creative after all.
* Tidy the meeting room and
arrange all your materials
ready for the client. Check
that any digital equipment
you need is a) working, and b)
switched on and ready to go.
* When your client arrives, make
eye contact and shake their
hand. Take a few minutes to
get comfortable and establish
a rapport. Small talk can be
difficult for some people, but
it’s an important part of making
your client feel at ease.
Client tip 3:
Be Prepared
* Think of client meeting prep as
similar to the prep you’d do for a
job interview. You are trying to
show you’re the best candidate
for the job by going above
and beyond what is expected.
The key is being prepared.
* When a client sits down for a
meeting with you, and you should
not only talk authoritatively
about their company (which
6 2015
you’ve googled) but are aware
of a recent news story about
them (from their blog).
* Then, you pull out a selection of
mockups, concepts or samples
that demonstrate what you
can do, while talking about how
a competitor (who you’ve also
googled) is using a particular
technique and how the client might
employ it in a more effective way.
 Client tip 4:
Don’t Waste
Anybody’s Time
* At an initial meeting, it’s important
to get the gist of the project out in
Pimp Your Project Management
the open ASAP. Hopefully, you’ll have
had some discussion with the client
before the meeting. You will have a
fair idea of the project parameters
and what the client wants.
* But sometimes you go into a client
meeting completely blind. Many
clients can misunderstand what
different creative agencies offer,
so it’s vital to understand from
the get-go if you’re the right
agency for the job. There’s no
sense wasting anyone’s time if
they need branding experts and
you’re a digital marketing shop.
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Client tip 5:
Focus on Their
Needs
* Often in an initial meeting, it can
be easy to get carried away
selling your agency as the best
in the biz. The client might ask
you about some of your recent
projects and before you know it,
an hour’s up and you haven’t even
talked about their project. Oops!
* Instead, start by establishing
the client’s pain points. What
are they looking for? What is
the problem they are looking
to solve? Every time you find
yourself talking, ask yourself if
you’re focusing on the client’s
needs? Ask more questions than
you answer, and I guarantee
you’ll win over more clients.
Client tip 6:
Practice your
Pitch
* If you’re feeling particularly
nervous about a meeting, then
practice pitching your ideas
and chatting to the client.
* You may feel silly, but practising
your pitch in advance is a great
way to grow your confidence.
You’ll be able to focus on getting to
know the client (instead of worrying
7 2015
what you’re going to say next).
 Client tip 7:
Prepare your
Takeaway
* Prepare a small selection of When the meeting is over, you’ll
papers or samples to send head back to the office and nervously
away with the client. This will wait by the phone, hoping the client
Pimp Your Project Management

help them to remember your will call, all the while replaying the
ideas when they’re back at their whole thing over in your head, trying
office and making up their mind. to figure out what you did wrong.
Wooing clients is a lot like dating.
* You might include a “welcome to
the agency!” document, outlining
some useful info about the company
and your creative processes.

8 2015
Some samples of your work,
or notes on your pitch, would
also be handy. Don’t forget to
attach your business card. If all goes well, that
client will call you
the next day, and
you’ll get the go-
ahead to make a
start on the project.

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Pimp Your Project Management
How much time does your
Part 2:
team spend collaborating?
Do you love to get together
T e a m
to throw out ideas for a client
G e t Y o u r project, or throw out concepts
with the client to find the
Jivi n g T o ge t h e r perfect solution?
Or, does your team prefer to
sit at their desks, heads down,
headphones jammed on their
ears, muddling through as best
they can?
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9 2015
If your company culture,
workplace design and
leadership style subconsciously
discourages workplace
collaboration, your team may
be missing out on a wealth
of knowledge and creative
ingenuity.
Here are three simple steps
you can do to improve
communication, and
therefore collaboration,
among your team.
 Step 1:
You Gotta Walk
the Walk
* As a leader, the onus lies with
you to set the example for
collaboration. You can’t expect
your team to collaborate if you’re
Pimp Your Project Management
Step 2:
Not Another Meeting!
Get Rid of Meeting-Itis
* Meetings are a part of life at a * Ask quieter members of the
creative agency, but they can be team to speak up, or even
emotionally and physically draining. allow them to submit ideas
Contrary to popular belief, just to you in writing beforehand

locked away in your office and
refuse to delegate any tasks.
* You can’t just say to the team,
“Collaborate more!” You need to
follow up this goal with some action.
* Take the initiative in opening
because you have a meeting to
“brainstorm” ideas, doesn’t
mean you’re collaborating
in the most useful way.
* Your first order of business is to
make sure time spent in meetings
is as productive as possible.
(many shy people prefer this).
* At any project meeting, you need
to decide upfront who will be
responsible for what aspect of
each project. With this blueprint
in place, you know exactly what’s
going on throughout the project.

up conversations, suggesting two
people work together on a project,
encouraging the free expression
of ideas, and by keeping your door
open and your presence visible.
* Set clear goals and objectives
* With you leading the direction
and setting the example,
employees will be able to
interact with each other
respectfully and professionally.
10 2015
Ensure all attendees understand
what the meeting is about, and send
out materials and objectives prior to
the meeting, ideally with the invite.
for a meeting, and steer
the conversation toward
focusing on those goals.

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 Step 3:
Celebrate the Wins,
Learn from the Fails
* Ensure that awesome work
and collaborative efforts
are highlighted, so that your
team can see their efforts are
noticed and appreciated.
Pimp Your Project Management
* When something goes wrong,
don’t jump on the blame-train.
Instead, ask the team what can
be learned from the incident.
Actively seek their input on
areas that can be analyzed and

* When milestones are reached, potentially avoided in the future.

congratulate the team and when
a particularly difficult project
is in the bag, take them out to
celebrate. Everyone should feel as
if their contributions are valued.
* Use a project management
* Progress tracking using your
project management system
can also help you to identify
areas for improvement.
Is it time to get rid of the
cubicles, come out of your
office, or simply buy the
team a plate of cupcakes
to say ‘thanks’?

11 2015
system that alerts the team
to deadlines and milestones,
it helps the team to feel invested
in the project when they can
see that their work contributes
to a successful outcome.
Ask yourself...
What can you, as a leader
within your agency, im-
prove on right now to help
your team collaborate and
communicate better?

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 Part 3:
Avoid Client
Collaborating
Pitfalls
Pimp Your Project Management

Agencies are hubs of It is how you handle these

collaboration. Between issues that will determine
account managers, creatives, whether your agency has a

the client, contractors and
external stakeholders, there can
be hundreds of eyes on a single
project. This can be awesome,
as experts in different areas
can lend their expertise, and
new ideas can be implemented
for the benefit of all.
12 2015
successful collaborative culture.
Here are some of the most
common client collaboration
disasters that can befall a
project, and how you can
handle them to get the
project back on track.

Unfortunately, people being

people, a highly collaborative
environment will eventually
breed some issues between
your agency and the client.

Issue 1:
The Client Doesn’t
Want to Collaborate
* You’ve got a great collaboration
system set up, with plenty of
Pimp Your Project Management
opportunity for the client to
take ownership for the creative
direction. The only problem is
… the client isn’t interested.
* He seems to believe his role is over
as soon as he signs the first cheque.
You can’t even get him to give
feedback on your drafts, let alone
suggest a direction for the copy
or answer any of your questions.
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What you can do!
* Approach someone else in the client’s
company and see if they can help.
* Ask the client specific questions,
such as “do you prefer the blue or
the red background?” instead of
“what is your favourite design?”
* Understand that your client’s
ambivalence probably stems from the
fact that he feels he doesn’t actually
understand what you’re doing or
how it impacts his bottom line.
* Decrease the number of queries
you address to the client and the
13 2015
number of contacts he has to
deal with from your company.
* Present your client with the options
and tell him which one you’d choose
and why. This will usually prompt him
to agree with you, meaning you’re
able to reach a decision and move
to the next stage of the project.
 Issue 2:
So how do you reverse
Client & Agency roles
these roles?
become reversed
* If the client presents that idea,
* This is a really common situation
Pimp Your Project Management

immediately hand that idea

when clients and agencies start to
talk together. The client will start to
offer some suggestions for solutions
to the brief. The agency team will
cut in with a list of all the problems
and issues with the client’s ideas.
* This isn’t a great way to start an
off to the creative team and
get them to expand on it.
* Ask the client if they have
any concerns.
* Structure initial meetings and client
onboarding to avoid this situation.

14 2015
agency/client relationship. The client Have the agency team go away and
spends all their time defending come back to present different options.
their idea against the agency
naysayers, and the agency staff
are being confrontational, instead
of creative. These roles should be
reversed - with the agency coming
up with the ideas, and the client Client! Mutual nt You!
trying to figure out how those ideas Agreeme
could work with their brand.

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 Issue 3:
Overcollaborating
* Just like eating too much ice-cream
will give you a stomach ache,
there is such a thing as too much
collaboration. Not every activity
on a project needs a crowdsourced
Pimp Your Project Management
So how do you prevent
overcollaboration?
* Be clear about what you want to
achieve through collaboration from
the onset. What are the goals?
What is the purpose of bringing

solution. Overcollaborating different people together?

can stall projects or derail
* Limit collaboration activities to
focus from the original brief.
certain steps in the process.
* Such environments typically
* Ask specific questions and force
emerge because managers are
decisions to make progress.
not clear what it is they want to

15 2015
achieve from people working
together, so end up collaborating
for the sake of collaborating.
The results are seldom good.

Issue 4:
Loss of Focus
* Often when people get into a
discussion and are sharing ideas
Pimp Your Project Management
- whether they agree or don’t
agree - they can get completely
sidetracked from the main focus
of a collaboration - which is, in
your agency’s case, the production
of collateral your client needs
for marketing or branding.
* If everyone gets caught up
in wider issues or off-topic
discussions, it can be easy to
feel as if you’re working while not
actually achieving anything.
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So how do you get a
collaboration back
on focus?
* Take the initiative. Someone is going
to have to. It might as well be you.
* Ask specific questions to bring
the conversation back to the
topic at hand. Ask, “so how can
we apply this to the project?”
* Suggest alternative ways to
discuss off-topic subjects, such
as opening a Google Hangout.
16 2015
* Dig deep to the heart of the problem.
If discussions are stalled because of
an issue, you’re going to need to dig
deep to find out what the underlying
problem IS. For example, often a client
will get confrontational if they are
worried about the project outcomes.
The project won’t get back on track
till that underlying issue is solved.
 Collaboration is definitely an
important part of the agency
process, but the more room you
have for collaboration, the more
Pimp Your Project Management

you invite these types of issues.

Getting through tough
collaboration issues is all

17 2015
about bringing the focus
back to the project and
ensuring everyone else
is on the same page.

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Pimp Your Project Management

18 2015
Part 4:
Manage Projects
So we’ve dealt with meetings and teamwork and clients. But what about the
actually nitty-gritty of project management? How do you keep track of each
stage of each project in your agency? And most importantly, what other

Like a Pro
benefits could you gain from a robust project management process?
 Forget spreadsheets.
You need an online project
management system.
Too many agencies are still using spreadsheets to manage details about a job, and
manually creating quotes and invoices. These methods are time-intensive, not to
mention tedious beyond belief! That’s a huge amount of effort that could be spent
Pimp Your Project Management

on creative projects or growing the company! Here are some of the benefits to
your agency of using project management software like WorkflowMax:

1. You’ll instantly cut hours per 4. Use your data – get visibility in your 7. Manage globally – clients and
month off your administration business with the click of a button by freelancers can log in to the system
time – as information is carried from running reports on your project data. from anywhere in the world.

one stage of the project to the next.
5.
2. No more paperwork – every step of
your project process is done online,
from leads and estimates, right through
to time tracking and invoicing.
Totally integrated – merge your
project management with your
accounting, payroll, collaboration,
marketing or CMS software to create a
complete end-to-end agency solution.
19 2015
Run a truly global company.
8. Get the gossip – use the data in the
system to gain insights to improve
your agency, such as learning which
types of projects are most profitable.

3. It’s cheap – no costly overheads, just 6. Work anywhere – manage your

a small monthly subscription fee. agency projects from anywhere,
including the beach, the ski slopes,
or the comfort of your couch.

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 A better project management system is also awesome for your customers. It leads to
improved customer service and ultimately increased customer retention and referrals.
Here are five reasons why your agency needs project management software:
Pimp Your Project Management

More accurate Total Better service Improved Adding value

quotes transparency delivery communication

* Use job and task * Accurate time-tracking * Your creative team can * Your team has instant * Use custom reports
templates to quote means you can offer your log on and collaborate access to a project’s to slice your data
on a job in minutes. clients total transparency. on a project from due dates, notes, any way you like.
wherever they are. milestones, workloads,

* Break down a job into * In WorkflowMax, your
associated costs, staff have six options
so clients can see for tracking time,
exactly where their including a time tracker
money is going. that works from within
the Creative Suite.
* Use data from previous
jobs to see if you’re * Instantly provide
undercharging for your clients with
certain types of tasks. accurate breakdowns
of time and cost.
* Notifications let you know
when a project is about to
go over budget or over time.
* WorkflowMax stores
every part of a project
including job data,
documents, proofs, and
email correspondence.
20 2015
emails and documents. * Which types of jobs are
most profitable? Which
* Use notifications to clients haven’t paid their
keep the team informed bill? See all this, and more!
about changes.
* Give clients an annual
* Client wants a status review and demonstrate
update? They can log the continued value you
in themselves and see add to their brand.
where their project is at.

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 But don’t just take our word for it: find out why WorkflowMax
could revolutionise project management at your agency.

SIGN UP FOR A
FREE TRIAL TODAY.
Pimp Your Project Management

“Instead of having to deal with

a lot of fragmented information,
you’ve got it all there in one

21 2015
place. I’ve not come across
another piece of cloud software
that’s so financially powerful.”
EL REEVE – LEAD PRODUCER, CANDYSPACE,
LONDON BASED DIGITAL AGENCY

Click to viedwy!
the case stu
Pimp Your Project Management
Part 5: Outsourcing some of your
Getting to grips
agency work to freelancers
can be an excellent idea.
Freelance creatives can handle
with freelancers
work overflow during busy
periods, preventing you from
needing to hire more staff. A
freelancer might also have
special skills required for a
job that you can’t fill in-house,
such as content-writing and
web development at a graphic
design studio, or video skills for
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22 2015
But if you’ve never hired or
managed contractors before,
it can be difficult to know
where to begin. How do you
find the perfect candidate?
What skills do they need?
How do you approach them
about a project? How do you
deal with copyright? On the
next page, we’ve outlined the
top 7 considerations you
need to make when hiring a
freelancer.
 One.
Get a
Recommendation
* Freelancers are a dime a dozen
these days, and it can be
difficult to tell the awesome
from the mediocre in an initial
meeting. Sure, their work might
be stunning, but how will you
Pimp Your Project Management
Two.
Choosing Your
Freelancer
* With a few recommendations in
hand, you contact three freelancers
and start the conversation about the
project. They all seem competent
with good portfolios. Which one do
you choose?
Three.
Define the Project
Parameters
* The agency/freelancer relationship
works more symbiotically if you
take the time to outline the
parameters of the job. This
means having an idea of your key
milestones, all the details of the

know about their work habits? Do deliverables (things like format,

they meet deadlines? How much
handholding do they need?
* Ask other contacts in the
agency or business world for a
recommendation. Not only will
they be able to point you in the
What you’re looking for dimensions, colour scheme, word
is a good combination of count, etc), and the in-house
price, style, personality, resources the freelancer can utilize.
and process.
* A short in-person conversation,
phone call or Skype convo will give

direction of a skilled freelancer,
but they’ll also be able to give
you anecdotal evidence of their
work habits and talent.
* Google their name, check
out their Linkedin profile
for recommendations and
their background. Linkedin
recommendations are extremely
trustworthy and can help you in
picking the right freelancer.
23 2015
you a good idea of which candidate
you’d like to work with. Come
prepared with a list of questions
- you should strive to find out how
the freelancer deals with feedback,
what their process is like, and how
effectively they communicate.

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 Four.
Discuss the
Budget
* Freelance pricing can be an
elusive beast - every freelancer
prices their services differently,
and it can often seem as if
Pimp Your Project Management
they have no rhyme or reason
for how they set prices.
* Know the amount you have
to spend before you go into
the project. Find out how the
freelancer charges - do they work
on an hourly rate, or charge a
per-project fee? What does their
fee include? Be upfront from the
beginning about your budget, but
be prepared to negotiate on what
you will get for that money.
* Alternatively, you could set
the rate and payment method,
and pitch the job to multiple
freelancers. Look into the
industry standards, and be
prepared to negotiate to get
the right person for the job.
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Five.
Clear Communication
Process
* Communication is key to
a successful freelancer/
agency relationship. Set up
a single communication point
through the agency; one person
liaises with the contractor.
* Make sure both parties understand
the guidelines for communication,
such as when replies to emails
are expected. Problems arise
when expectations aren’t set
properly and there isn’t good
communication through the project.
Six.
Freelancers and
Copyright
* Copyright ownership and
transfer of rights is a vital
part of any agency/freelancer
contract. As the agency, you
can’t sell a copyright on to a client
unless the freelancer has signed
over rights to you. Ignorance about
copyright on the sides of both
parties can result in costly legal
fees for the client down the road.
* Copyright law varies state-to-state
24 2015
and country-to-country, but it pays
to have a (hopefully short and not
too expensive) conversation with
an intellectual property lawyer
so that you understand the law
as it applies to your situation.
 Seven.
Create a Style
Guide
* A style guide is a short document Main Brand Colours Secondary font
created for each project that
outlines the formatting, language,
colour scheme, brand elements, Lexia Black
Pimp Your Project Management

and other style aspects of the

project. This is essential reading for Secondary Colours
Lexia Italic
all freelancers, as it ensures that
what they’re working on is aligned
with the work being done in-house.

25 2015
In short...
Working with a freelancer can
be a joy, or a nightmare. The
key to a symbiotic relationship
is communication - taking the
time to carefully outline the
project parameters, come up
with an action plan, and openly
discuss all aspects of the job,
including price and copyright.

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 Is your agency ready to pimp your
project management?
offers a complete end-to-end project management solution for creative, marketing
and digital agencies. Here are the top 6 reasons agencies love WorkflowMax:
Pimp Your Project Management

One. Two. Three.

Don’t break Stay on Access anytime,
the flow brand anywhere
Stay in “the zone” Manage staff and Use your company
with six simple time projects from branding to send

26 2015
tracking options. anywhere, on beautiful custom
any device. quotes and invoices.

Four. Five. Six

Full Know thy Collaborate
transparency business effectively
Assign jobs to your team, Reporting answers Get staff and clients
track project timelines and your pressing working together
keep tabs on deadlines. business questions. with awesome
collaboration tools.

TRY A FREE TRIAL NOW

 This e-book was
written and designed by
Pimp Your Project Management
Steff Green
Steff Green is one of
WorkflowMax’s resident
wordsmiths, writing everything
from website pages to blog
posts, ebooks, emails and
everything in between. Steff is
also an award-winning author,
with several fantasy novels
available on Amazon. When
she’s not writing up a storm,
Steff lives on a lifestyle block
with her musician husband,
two cantankerous cats, several
sheep and chickens and her
medieval sword collection.
Fou nd it useful?
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Mallika Goel
Mallika Goel is the newest
addition to the WorkflowMax
27 2015
team, fresh from the agency
world! She brings with her four
years of experience working
with some of New Zealand’s Visit www.workflowmax.com for more
largest brands as well as more
boutique ones. Life’s really information and see how it can help
too short to do one thing, she
says, so keeps herself busy transform your project management!
pursuing her many interests:
an obsessive love of writing/
blogging, fitness and design.