Imagine a flow chart (I’m sure there’s an app for that, but I’m not bothered to find it). Picture the first question (probably in a diamond shape – I’m not entirely sure): “Is your creds deck over 15 pages long?”
If the answer is “no,” congratulations – you’re done. Feel free to take your shoes off, step outside, and enjoy some fresh air. Well done.
But if your answer is “yes,” I’m afraid you only have yourself to blame.
Your creds are far too long for cold-channel business, and that’s the harsh truth.
No one, especially someone who’s never heard of your agency, is going to spend ten minutes sifting through 30 pages of your creds. It’s just not going to happen.
So, what do you do?
(I’m glad you asked.)
Start by looking at each page of your creds deck and giving it a score from 1 to 5 based on how likely it is to win you new business.
A welcoming cover page? One page down, zero points.
A "Meet the Team" page? Another page wasted, zero points. No one is hiring you based on your photo (and if you think your personal experience is what seals the deal, just take a look at all the successful agencies made up of young, fresh talent).
I won’t go page by page, but I’m sure you’re starting to see the trend. The pages that score the highest are likely to be your case studies (because potential clients will hire you based on the quality of your work and results, not because of your quirky team photos) and testimonials (if you were good enough for Nike’s Head of Marketing, you’re probably good enough for anyone).
Pages that list services won’t win new clients, and anything that goes on about your methods, beliefs, or ethos? Ditch it immediately. This is new business – your job is to show them work that makes them think, "Nice work. Nice company." That’s it. You need to open the door for a conversation.
Forget about pages that boast about your building’s history or your agency’s combined 600 years of experience (why do agencies still do this?!). That stuff is irrelevant to a potential client you’ve never worked with. Save it for later when you’re in the room.
The bottom line: every page of your creds deck should be scoring 5/5. Keep it tiny, efficient, and effective.
Cold-channel new business is tough. But with the right approach, you might just stand a chance.