"How Can Agencies Achieve Better Alignment Between Sales and Project Management?:" with Rachel Gertz

"Alignment is going in the same direction, fighting for the same things, and looking at the same big picture together.” – Rachel GertzThe finer details of this episode:●       Importance of project management and operations in digital agencies and creative studios●       Challenges in project management and the need for alignment between sales and project management●       Solutions to improve communication and alignment between departments●       Importance of understanding client goals and business objectives during the sales process●       Concept of time in the sales process and optimizing operations for long-term efficiency●       The three questions of project management: "Where are we? Where are we going? Are we okay?"●       Importance of ongoing alignment, regular check-ins, and alignment exercises for client satisfaction and project successEpisode resources:●       Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/●       Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.summitcpa.net/summit-newsletter●       Digital Dollars and Cents: A Virtual CFO’s Playbook to help Digital Companies Create a Financial Roadmap to Success, is now an audio book! Download it here: https://vcfo.summitcpa.net/ddcConnect with Rachel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gertz-trainer/Check out Louder than Ten here: https://louderthanten.comTimestamps:Welcome to the Creative Agency Success Show (00:00:00)Introduction to the podcast and anticipation of the upcoming discussion with Rachel Gertz.Insights from Rachel Gertz's Interview (00:00:14)Discussion about the valuable tips and insights shared by Rachel Gertz in the podcast episode.Improving Client Onboarding Process (00:00:36)The importance of implementing new client onboarding strategies and the potential impact on client efficiency and improvements.Implementing Advice from Rachel Gertz (00:01:11)Encouragement to implement the advice shared by Rachel Gertz and the anticipation of positive outcomes from the episode.Introduction of Rachel Gertz and Hannah (00:02:10)Introduction of Rachel Gertz as the guest and Hannah as the special guest host for the episode.Rachel Gertz's Background and Passion (00:02:35)Insight into Rachel Gertz's background, passion for project management, and the focus of Louder Than Ten.Rachel Gertz's Transition to Project Management (00:03:15)Rachel Gertz's transition to project management, her background in teaching and education, and her passion for the softer side of project management.Common Ailments in Project Management (00:05:14)Identification of common challenges in project management and the impact of misalignment between sales and project management.Improving Communication Between Departments (00:06:50)The significance of communication between departments and the need for solutions to ensure effective communication among all departments.Sales Process and Project Management Handover (00:07:43)The impact of rushed sales processes and the importance of aligning project goals with business goals for successful project delivery.Optimizing Sales Process (00:09:00)Strategies for optimizing the sales process, including vetting criteria, involving subject matter experts, and aligning project goals with business goals.Project Management Alignment Exercise (00:15:36)Recommendation to use a client fit matrix for alignment exerci