This post is outlining the Search Scientists Principles, a series of guidelines we use to manage our relationships, campaign optimizations, and our company.
These principles are what sets Search Scientists apart from other companies – both online and offline – and what helped us being featured as a Top Digital Marketing Company on DesignRush.
Thanks, Marcus Lemonis
If you’re like me, you love business-entertainment shows. When you’re not hustling away at the latest project, learning the latest online marketing technique, and polishing up the fundamentals – you pop on shows like Shark Tank, Bar Rescue, and my personal favorite: The Profit.
For those of you who haven’t seen The Profit, here’s the 10-second summary: Marcus Lemonis invests and coaches the executives of a failing business by improving its people, process, and product. Trailer below.
What usually happens in the show:
- Marcus arrives at the failing business
- He observes what’s not working
- He then presents a plan with investment offer to the business owner
- In every single case, the business owner doesn’t stick to the plan, even though they agreed to it
When watching this show, I realized one of the most important elements of any business or individual: have the integrity to do what you say you will do.
Principle One: We Do What We Say We Will Do
It was October, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. I just got done with a presentation “The 6 Most Common Money-Wasters in your AdWords Account (and How to Fix Them)”.
A question popped up from an audience member. It’s one that I hear often.
“How can I tell if the PPC company I’m working with is a good one or not?”
It was a great question.
It’s extremely difficult for online marketing managers and business owners to hire a PPC team. It’s then even more difficult to judge their performance over time.
My answer to that question is a big part of our Search Scientists Principles.
Do what you say you will.
This simple yet powerful principle is what separates a company with integrity, trust, and reliability, and a company that only generates frustration.
How This Principle Guides Search Scientists
Hiring Decisions
The transition from traditional business in-person environments to distributed teams was and continues to be a challenge for most people.
They bounce around the spectrum of control by saying things like:
- “I need everyone on my team to track their time and record their screen so I can be sure they’re working”
- “I need a better project management app”
This lack of trust cuts through the efficiency and effectiveness of most companies. Resulting in missed deadlines, frustrated customers, and unmotivated employees.
I challenge those in remote environments to hold people accountable not to an app or to time-in-chair. Instead, hold people accountable to their word.
Search Scientists is a place with high standards. The most talented people out there only want to work with the most talented team members. It’s important to be a place of standards, so that a constant buzz is present in everyone on a distributed team: Regardless of when or where we are, we know that there are other Search Scientists doing A+ work out there. That is exciting for A-Players, and that’s who we’re attracting.
We drive this home in every aspect of our operations.
It doesn’t matter if the task is small (filling out a chart), or large (formatting reports in a certain way). We take our word of “Yes, I’ll get this done” seriously.
I’ve had the short-term discomfort of severing ties with many talented but undisciplined individuals because of this principle. However, it gives everyone on the team the assurance that we are a team that can trust each other to do what we say we will.
PPC Services for our Clients
As a client there is nothing worse than being catfished or bait & switched. We all share the excitement of working with a new B2B service for the first time. Eager to watch our traffic and conversion numbers increase. There is no greater frustration than when we realize the team we thought we were hiring, doesn’t actually exist.
We do a lot that most companies don’t do. Whether it be a live-reporting dashboard instead of PDF’s, or our twice a day inbox-zero, or anything else on our paid traffic service offering, we work hard to deliver more than just “ticking tasks off a checklist”.
In addition to longer commitments, we have the option of month-to-month agreements. We wouldn’t be able to grow the way we have been by operating under the typical online marketing services model of churn & burn.
One of our simple secrets to retaining our clients: We do what we say we will.
When we say we’ll A/B Test ads on Facebook, we do it.
When we say we’ll drop in 100’s of negative keywords on Google Ads, we do it.
If a business can’t stand behind its promises, what can it stand behind?
Closing Thoughts: Keeping Your Word
I won’t pretend that this principle is cutting edge, and is going to sweep the marketing world by storm. I do believe, however, that this principle is more important than ever. In a world full of constant bombardment with “one simple trick” and a push towards the superficial and vanity, we need principles.
To build a lasting company, that is great for both clients and employees, you need principles. Any company build on vanity will quickly be discovered and discarded for the next shiny object.
Principles like these allow you to build a company that grows stronger over time. Being a person and company that is known for reliability and trust isn’t flashy – but it’s a principle we’re proud to prioritize here at Search Scientists.
2 Replies to “Search Scientists Principle #1: We Do What We Say”
Transparent. Honest. Integrity. Driven by passionate people. I look forward to joining your team in the future (will make sure of that) 😉
I’ve worked at previous agencies and I can happily testify that 85% of agency’s pull wool over their clients’ eyes. Investing in Search Scientists as a go-to agency definitely seems like a sound strategy.
Thanks a lot for not being bad apples in the basket and here’s to even more client success in 2017
Now those are some kind words Wiehan!