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Natasha Ellard-Shoefield

Natasha is Managing Director of The Hand and specialises in helping design agencies grow through the acquisition of new clients via a targeted business development strategy.

Beginning with the creation of a strategic roadmap she creates commercially led achievable new business strategies for agencies. She offers agencies all levels of consultancy from the initial in-depth analysis of their agency strengths through to guiding them through the pitch process. 

She has ‘trained to train’ and offers coaching and sales & communications training to new business professionals, account management teams and agency owners.

Areas of expertise

Marketing: New business development Marketing strategy & planning
People: Staff development & training plan Coaching Training
Business processes: Business strategy & planning

Experience in the design industry

Design industry experience: +15 years

I commenced my work with the design industry at RSW and moved on to work in-house at Euro RSCG where I was Business Development Manager and responsible for the UK retail markets at Conran Design Group and FMCG brands at Biss Lancaster. I have worked with numerous agencies since to grow their business.

 

My approach

What?

I can help you grow your agency in both turnover and headcount. I can help your team all become advocates of business development. I can help you articulate your offer with more clarity.

I can help you raise the profile of your agency within your chosen target audience. I can ask your clients questions you wouldn’t dare ask. I can help you analyse your pitch win/loss ratio and aid the implementation of conclusions from this within the business. I can help you take stock, develop a strategy and take action.

How?

I join up the cycle of strategy, planning and activity. I help assess your business goals and develop a new business plan that is line with your business objectives. I help design agencies grow through the acquisition of new clients via a targeted business development strategy. I create commercially-led, achievable new business strategies. I offer all levels of consultancy from the initial in-depth analysis of the agency strengths through to guidance through all stages of lead generation and right through the pitch process. I offer coaching and training to new business professionals, account management teams and agency owners using proven communications and sales methods that include NLP.

Why?

Developing a strong pipeline of leads is the key to achieving good and successful new business relationships. However fat or slim the opportunities you have from day to day, year to year, without a long-term business development strategy and plan, that encompasses marketing and PR, and without a plan that is activated with dedication, intelligence and ability, your business will grow or dwindle – with you having no control over how it happens.. My role is to remedy the above. My passion is to effect change within an agency, helping it to achieve its commercial objectives.

Case studies

1. I have helped a packaging agency win a major home wares brand by an attraction campaign that required the agency to use the Blair Enns win without pitching process to successfully convert business that today stands at over £400,000 of new business. To date the client win remains the agencies 2nd largest client.

2. For a retail interiors agency I have introduced them to through tailored targeting to a major health & beauty brand looking to expand their UK and international presence. The agency with my support have put together a proposal for working together and we are about to be briefed on commencing work in March. This process has taken 3 months, start to finish and will be a very important new business win.

3. With my brand and digital agency, through a unique engagement programme we won in 6 weeks a piece of business which is worth £180,000 and positions the agency as dominant within their desired sector of operation.

Contact expert

Use the form below to send an email to Natasha Ellard-Shoefield.

Resources

brennan-burling-xn602ft9hjq-unsplashOur Experts regularly contribute their insight to the wealth of resources available at the DBA, from c-suite design foresight and financial planning to strategic design management, new business, leadership and beyond.

 

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