Part I of II – the agency side of the street

In a digital world, ever-evolving marketing strategies mean today’s advertising agencies must be perpetually learning and adapting to new methods and solutions to help its clients. In trucking, perhaps, this is even more true. However, achieving positive results also takes an investment from the client; both agency and carrier must be equally committed to the relationship. This path to success is a two-way street.

To start, let’s look at the agency side of the street. 

Considering the intricacies of such a business relationship and the changing marketing and trucking industry landscape, an agency must have a real passion for the work to attain success. Trish Groves Agency is the leading boutique agency serving the trucking industry. It specializes in helping clients recruit drivers as well as solving myriad other issues facing carriers today.

 “The challenge is what motivates me,” says Trish Groves, President of Trish Groves Agency. “Creating a plan that is personalized for each client’s needs is satisfying. As my partner Becky [Bozarth, Trish Groves Agency Vice-President] once said, ‘It’s a jigsaw puzzle, and finding the right pieces makes it fun.’”

The unfinished puzzle can make for some sleepless nights, however. While the partners have long known that this is not an 8-to-5 job, Groves says she has seen the clock strike 3 a.m. all too often, wide awake with thoughts of reputation-enhancing ideas, turnover-reducing concepts, or how to bring in a dozen or more drivers. But the late hours and non-stop thought process comes with the territory; it’s the commitment Trish Groves Agency gives each of the clients it accepts.

“I want my clients to be proud to work with us. And I can honestly say our agency provides the very best personalized service and attention to detail,” says Groves.

What does that service and attention look like in action?

Trish Groves Agency measures and analyzes every program they put in place for its clients: from recruiting methods to enhanced safety systems, from retention concepts to improving CSA scores. “Nothing we implement is done with a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ mentality,” explains Bozarth. “Rather, we insist on complete results reports from our advertising avenues and then we analyze those not only for current months but compared to previous months and even year-over-year as well as the results from our other clients.

“For systems put into place within the client’s operations, we set up measuring tools in advance so that everyone knows the goals. Then we can all track how far we come each month or each quarter, and how much more we need to do to hit or even exceed goals.”

Bozarth touched on one of the key benefits many may not think about when deciding to use an agency in trucking: the insight a carrier receives when the agency has like-customers to measure against and/or corroborate with. For instance, a trucking company may feel its turnover rate has risen to an unparalleled percentage; however, learning the increase is on par with what other like-companies are experiencing changes how it may address the issue.

It’s clear that the success of an agency-client relationship takes a significant investment on the agency’s part. It means tackling hard issues, finding solutions previously unidentified and implementing them with a strategy for success. Honesty and integrity are critical.

As Groves sums up: “Your word means everything; your integrity is priceless.”

Next post, we’ll look at the client side of the street and what role it plays in the success of a strong agency-client partnership.

Trish Groves Agency: (501) 529-4670 ~ www.trishgrovesagency.com