Hiring Smart and Managing a Virtual Agency Team
Key Takeaways
- It is better to lose sleep before you make the hire, not after - a disciplined process prevents costly mistakes
- Talent banking through proactive networking builds a pipeline of candidates before positions open
- Three cultural principles - integrity, quality, and responsiveness - create clear behavioral expectations
Matt Sunshine, Managing Partner at LeadG2 - the inbound marketing division of Center for Sales Strategy - joins the show to discuss how to build and manage a virtual inbound agency team.
Disciplined Hiring
Matt’s philosophy on hiring is captured in a simple phrase: it is better to lose sleep before you make the hire, not after. LeadG2 uses a multi-step process with distinct talent interviews and fit interviews to evaluate candidates from different angles. The rigor upfront prevents the far more expensive mistake of hiring the wrong person.
Talent Banking
Rather than scrambling when a position opens, LeadG2 practices talent banking - proactively networking and building relationships with potential hires before roles become available. When a position does open, the agency already has a shortlist of qualified candidates who have been evaluated informally over time.
Culture and Pricing
LeadG2 has been managing a virtual team since 1983, making them one of the longest-running distributed teams in the marketing industry. The culture is built on three principles: integrity, quality, and responsiveness. These are not abstract values but operational expectations that guide daily behavior.
Matt also discusses pricing strategy, emphasizing the importance of not underpricing services. If you agree with what is in the book, then we are the people to work with, he tells prospects. If not, no worries. This confidence in positioning helps the agency attract clients who value quality over low cost.
Recommended tools include Toggl for time tracking, HipChat for team communication, and Basecamp for project management.