24 Takeaways for Agencies From #INBOUND14

The INBOUND conference brought together more than 10,000 marketers and agency professionals to discuss content marketing, lead generation, automation, conversion optimization, and more. The conference has a track specifically for advertising and inbound agency professionals, and I compiled some of the best quotes and takeaways from day one.

"One way or the other, We’re in the idea business." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

“Your clients do not care about you at all. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can prepare for your future." - David Baker, Principle of ReCourses [Tweet This Quote]

"The only long-term commitment you make to your agency is when you sign a five- or 10-year lease." - David Baker, Principle of ReCourses [Tweet This Quote]

"If people expect you to give them the goods upfront, they’re never going to value your services." - Paul Roetzer, founder of PR 20/20 [Tweet This Quote]

"We need to make an ad for our ads -- ads for our ideas." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

"Tell personal stories. That is the way to make a real connection. This is an emotional exercise." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

"The only thing that kills innovation is micromanaging." - John Bonini, Marketing Director at Impact [Tweet This Quote]

"When the clients sees that you really care, they are much more likely to say yes. Passion carries the day." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

"Frustration is the F-word of the Internet." - Marcus Sheridan, founder of The Sales Lion [Tweet This Quote]

"The way to get better is to defy the conventional and create the exceptional." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

"Ideas are the currency we trade in. They are prized by clients. The problem is ideas can be hard to come by." - Robert Solomon, founder of Solomon Strategic [Tweet This Quote]

Knowing how to ask the right question -- this is the most important thing to know about client service. - Robert Solomon, founder of Solomon Strategic [Tweet This Quote]

"Hierarchies are bad for our physical and mental health. Hierarchies are bad for our products and bad for our services." - Carl Smith, founder of nGen [Tweet This Quote]

Clients expect you to show up when things are wrong. Showing up when things are right is the difference-maker.- Robert Solomon, founder of Solomon Strategic [Tweet This Quote]

Difference in way you phrase something might be small but the impact is large. - Robert Solomon, founder of Solomon Strategic [Tweet This Quote]

"Don’t concentrate on the price, concentrate on the terms." - David Baker, Principle of ReCourses [Tweet This Quote]

"The average utilization of an agency should be 60%. The average in the U.S. and Canada is 42%." - David Baker, Principle of ReCourses [Tweet This Quote]

You would think client dissatisfaction comes from a failure in strategy, but usually, it is the "simple" things. - Robert Solomon, founder of Solomon Strategic [Tweet This Quote]

"Make the story simple. We have a tendency to want to make things complicated. Elegance lies in simplicity." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]

"Make a commitment to quality and quantity but build the process for quality first." [Tweet This Quote]

"Get out of the way, and let people consume your content." - John Bonini, Marketing Director at Impact [Tweet This Quote]

“Create exceptional cultures, instead of 'programs.' If you got the right of culture, everything will change.” - Marcus Sheridan, founder of The Sales Lion [Tweet This Quote]

"The best teacher and presenters understand their entire goal is to help the audience discover what they already know."- Marcus Sheridan, founder of The Sales Lion [Tweet This Quote]

"If you get really really good at this, you will make more money. And your great ideas will have a chance to live." - Peter Coughter, author of The Art of the Pitch [Tweet This Quote]