• The Secret to Agency Growth–Differentiation

    While I may seem like a broken record, the importance of agency differentiation and positioning for growth cannot be overstated in the context of successful business development. Agency differentiation and positioning is the secret to agency growth. In fact, the differentiation and positioning of any product or service, any choice whatsoever, is the most significant

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  • Best of Times or Worst of Times

    Do you think this is the best of times or the worst of times for your agency? Have you adjusted your agency new business strategy? If you attended Mirren Live last week, you heard about increasing competition, marathon pitches, smaller budgets, and longer decision times. There are pitches aplenty, but reviews seem to be getting

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  • Is Ad Agency BD Harder Today

    Is ad agency business development harder today than ten years ago? The 80:20 rule suggests so. In a recent discussion with a friend in the business, we found ourselves at opposite ends of the spectrum. To delve deeper, I reached out to thirty agency owners and GMs. The results were a mixed bag, but one

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  • 2nd Half Agency Growth Playbook

    Missing your first-half forecast is a tough pill to swallow. Your passion-driven new business goals are starting to feel more like pipe dreams. The pressure is mounting to turn things around in the second half before the year is a complete write-off. No worries. I’ve got some ideas for your 2nd half agency growth playbook.

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  • 10 Agency Growth Tactics

    Let’s say you completed my CORE Identity Exploration process and have your manifesto, brand narrative, anthem, positioning, messaging, and sales copy in hand. Now, what do you do? Most agency consultants hand you the deck and say goodbye, leaving the rest up to you. Not me. I take the results and put them to good

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  • From Chasing Anything to Strategic Business Development

    In the fast-paced advertising world, agencies often rely on a whirlwind of short-term new business prospecting tactics, hoping for quick wins in client acquisition. However, a new business engine for agencies to enhance client prospecting, the right clients, is a nuanced, long-term endeavor that demands consistency, discipline, and a sound strategic approach. Forget the short-term

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  • Find Your Agency’s “Aha!”

    There is no doubt about the importance of understanding the difference between two or more choices. That difference has never been more critical for agencies, but more on that later. Whether between mobile phones, fast food, a date, or an agency, every choice considers the differences. A fundamental marketing responsibility is influencing choice, while a

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  • Winning the battle for new clients

    As the pace of change continues, agencies must adapt to the ever-evolving landscape to win the battle for new clients. Reports indicate increased difficulty obtaining new business opportunities, necessitating more innovative, efficient, and practical approaches to identify and win new clients. Agencies that think cold prospecting will start generating results fast will be increasingly disappointed. This

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  • Ad agency business development is hard–It doesn’t have to be

    It’s been my world for more than 20 years. Not as a consultant but in the trenches perfecting my craft at small, mid-size, and large agencies selling marketing services, AOR engagements, and everything in between. I bring hands-on experience with many kinds of new client wins that have generated millions of dollars for agency owners.

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