Effective Strategies for Client Engagement | Blair French from LMNO

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro-experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Blair from LMNO, Chief Growth Officer with them. How are you doing today, Blair?

Blair French: We’re doing good. The sun’s out in Saskatoon, finally.

Ernesto: Awesome, awesome. Here in Puerto Vallarta, it’s always sunny, so we’re looking forward to kind of that winter. Awesome. Hey, well, Blair, thank you so much for joining today. And, well, I’m sure our listeners are tuning in wondering what LMNO is all about. So, let’s kick it off with that. In your own words, tell us a little bit more.

Blair: Yeah. We are a consulting firm based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, an amazing province in Canada. We are in the business of solving problems for our clients. Traditionally, we specialize in branding—that is our bread and butter—helping clients define their story, their products, and how to resonate with their audiences. We also take that full funnel to executing full campaigns for our clients. That’s across digital and more traditional media. Radio still holds true in our province, which I think shocks a lot of people. But yeah, we really work with our clients to provide that full-funnel, omnichannel experience to help them connect with their audiences.

Ernesto: Definitely. Okay, awesome. Great, thank you so much for sharing that with us. And so that way our listeners can get a good understanding of LMNO, what would you say is that key problem you guys like to solve for clients?

Blair: I think for us, it’s really understanding their audience and how to connect. Audiences right now are so fragmented because there are so many different ways they gather information about a client or a product and how they retain that information. I think we really help try to simplify that for our clients. You know, it’s not always that you have to be everywhere and anywhere to reach your audience; it’s finding the best ways to connect with them. I think that’s at the root of what we do: how to reach our clients’ audience in the best, most economical way and in a way that’s manageable for them as well and not too complicated.

Ernesto: Okay, perfect. Awesome. And so, is there a certain vertical segment? Is there an ideal ICP for LMNO?

Blair: Are you asking from an industry perspective?

Ernesto: Yes.

Blair: I would say, you know, our agency—while LMNO itself hasn’t been around for 40 years, the agency has been around that long, and we’ve done a lot of branding work. I would say we do very well with our government clients here; the province invests a lot in international attraction, like convincing organizations and companies to set up shop in the province. So investment attraction is an area where we do great work. We also work in the tech and agriculture realms as well. Our province produces a huge amount of potash, which is crucial to the agriculture industry internationally. But, I wouldn’t say we’re limited to one niche because our processes and principles are really industry-agnostic.

Ernesto: Okay, I like that. So then, how would someone usually find out about LMNO? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Blair: Like all agencies, we’re probably the worst at promoting ourselves because we focus so much on the client and the client work. I would say the number one way a client comes to us is through word of mouth and referrals from our existing clients. We’re also in a smaller market, so we have a bit of a reputation, which really helps. We leverage our website, and we have our marketing plan with content promotion, paid search, and SEO for a variety of target markets that we want to branch into. But our highest conversion rate for new business has always been referrals, and to be honest, I love that. It makes my role—tackling new business and being the first face of the agency—so much easier when it’s a referral.

Ernesto: Interesting, I like that. And so, that way, our listeners who are tuned in can go ahead and visit you at meetlmno.com. What role does the website play for client acquisition?

Blair: It plays a big role. Now, we’re constantly evolving the website, so we’re phasing it to have all the pertinent information you need. We’re adding case studies because people want to see the clients you work with, the campaign ideas, and the results. We’re starting to be a bit more boastful about the results we’re getting for clients. We’ve also launched what we call a content hub, promoting thought leadership pieces. We have our own podcast too—maybe you’ll be a guest on it one day. We’re leveraging the website more than we have in the past.

Ernesto: On that note, is there any tools or tips you would recommend to our listeners for website lead generation?

Blair: For lead generation and the website, it’s a volume game with content. You want as many eyes on you as possible. So, we’ve shifted to producing a lot more content and focusing less on perfection. It’s about getting information out there, posting more, and driving more people to the website. We used to hesitate to put our name out there, but now we’re like, okay, we need eyeballs on our agency. And the only way to get that is by actively posting and doing more of it.

Ernesto: I like that. Let’s switch gears a little. Let’s talk about you as a leader. Blair, as the Chief Growth Officer at LMNO, what are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Blair: Just to give context, as Chief Growth Officer, I oversee our client services, marketing, and strategy teams—around 35 people. My day-to-day is all about supporting the team in any way they need. Whether that’s ensuring they have the right tools and professional development or helping them with a challenging client discussion, I’m there as a resource. The day changes based on what the team needs. I also lead the new business efforts, pulling in experts from different teams to develop successful responses to client needs. The dream is having a team that’s successful, has autonomy, and makes good decisions, while I’m there to support them.

Ernesto: Awesome. So, how do you stay up-to-date with marketing news, trends, and strategies? Is there a preferred channel you like?

Blair: My preferred channel right now is LinkedIn. That’s my go-to. I follow key people whose opinions and thought leadership I value. LinkedIn gives me a baseline, and then I dive deeper into topics of interest, researching further and scanning the environment.

Ernesto: Good to hear. Let’s jump into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Blair: As ready as I’ll ever be.

Ernesto: First off, what’s the last book you read?

Blair: The last book I read was “Who Would Win? Small Sharks,” my six-year-old’s favorite book. I think a lot of life lessons can be learned from kids’ books.

Ernesto: I agree. They change your perspective. Next, if there were no boundaries in technology, what’s the one thing you’d want fixed for your role as a marketer?

Blair: I’d say I wish people would focus less on technology and more on the human side of our business—on relationships.

Ernesto: Definitely. If there’s one repetitive task you could automate, what would that be?

Blair: Scheduling meetings with precision. Trying to coordinate calendars for a team of ten is a nightmare. I haven’t found a platform that handles it with the human touch I need.

Ernesto: Makes sense. Finally, if you could restart your journey as a marketer, what advice would you give yourself?

Blair: Focus less on marketing and more on the industry I’m passionate about. If you understand an industry inside and out, the marketing role becomes an easy fit. I wish I’d focused more on an industry that aligned with my values and passions.

Ernesto: Great advice! Before we end, what’s the one thing someone should remember about LMNO?

Blair: We’re a team that cares. We do what’s best for our agency, our team, and our clients. At the root of everything we do is kindness. Being kind is a lost art, but it brings all the human and financial benefits you need.

Ernesto: Awesome. Thank you for sharing that. Listeners, check them out at meetlmno.com. Blair, thank you so much for being on with us today. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in. Looking forward to our next episode at Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Blair.

Blair: Bye, take care.