Growth Frequently Asked Questions

If you are wondering what I do or have questions about an agency growth consultant that you can’t find answers elsewhere, this page is for you. But you know, the best way to understand whether what I do is what you need is a conversation. Schedule here.

1. What exactly does John Heenan do?

John helps ad agencies improve business development operations, build and nurture stronger relationships with prospective clients and influencers, increase lead flow and pipeline, improve market and prospect perception, and win more and better clients. With decades of industry experience, he provides practical, no-nonsense strategies tailored to your agency’s unique challenges. If you want to more about an agency growth consultant, visit his Services page, Why Me page, and this page: 5 Reasons You Need a Consultant NOW.

2. How does John work with an agency?

The most common working relationship is as a fractional business development leader for the agency. He works through his process with agency members to arrive at a GTM strategy and then executes it. He does the day-to-day work necessary to find, engage, and win new clients. Agency leadership must be involved in the process to develop a relationship quickly and build trust and confidence with the potential new client.

John can also work on specific projects, such as agency positioning and differentiation, prospecting strategy, agency market audit and recommendations, new business process audit and recommendations, ICP personas and list building, new business leader recruiting, and more. Visit his Services page.

The agency owns all work, and the engagement is strictly confidential; no promotion, press, logos, descriptions, or references are given without permission.

3. What’s this “fractional new business leader” thing?

This means that John works like your part-time superhero, operating under your agency’s name and as a staff member. As a highly experienced BD exec, he can get more done in less time, so you don’t have to carry another FTE or the cost of a BD pro with similar experience. He swoops in, does all the new business heavy lifting, and then shows you how to carry on the business development process yourself, superhero style—no cape required.

4. Why should I trust John with my agency?

John has a proven track record of helping agencies like yours navigate complex challenges and achieve real, measurable growth. He’s been in your shoes, understands your pain points, and delivers results without the fluff. Read why others have trusted him.

5. What makes John’s approach different from other consultants?

Unlike many consultants who rely on generic advice, John provides customized, actionable insights based on real-world agency and client experience, ongoing competitor, and prospect research and analysis—no jargon, no corporate buzzwords—just straightforward, common-sense strategies that work.

Most consultants will tell you how to improve your business development success and leave you with a deck of slides. Or they will charge you for monthly consults and coaching, leaving you on your own to figure out the execution. Some will send you leads, requiring you to vet and follow up with what can only be icy prospects, many of which will be a waste of your time. John actually runs your business development program for you, doing the day-to-day activities and outreach under the agency name to test, optimize, and establish benchmarks for success.

When the agency is ready, he trains and hands the process back to the agency to execute confidently. He believes agencies will benefit most if they learn how to fish for themselves.

6. Can John really help my agency grow?

Yes. Whether you’re struggling with agency awareness, defining your ICP, developing the right strategy and GTM plan, attracting and winning more and better clients, or structuring the ideal new business function, John’s strategies are designed specifically for each need and goal to help agencies of all sizes scale effectively and sustainably. Don’t take his word for it. Read what past clients, colleagues, consultants, headhunters, and thought leaders have to say.

7. What types of agencies does John work with?

John works as an agency growth consultant with ad agencies of all sizes, from boutique firms to larger agencies. The ideal agency is willing to face the challenges and embrace the changes necessary to succeed. If you’re in marketing, branding, creative services, digital advertising, or any other agency, his experience and insights can help you thrive.

8. How does the consultation process work?

It starts with a no-obligation conversation to understand your agency’s goals and challenges. From there, John develops a scope of work, laying out a customized plan of action, timeline, and cost to help you achieve your objectives. Once approved, he works through the steps necessary to develop a plan of action that the agency collaborates on, agrees on, and provides support for.

During the process, John may recommend things that will improve the agency’s appeal and competitiveness, such as agency positioning and differentiation, website enhancements, social media strategies and content, blog posts, thought leadership, service offerings, etc. His goal is to refine, shape, and sharpen the agency’s market approach using the things that made the agency a success.

9. What kind of results can I expect?

Clients have experienced improved traffic, inquiries, RFPs, calls, meetings, and new client engagements on projects and as AOR. Over time, clients have built a consistent pipeline of short- and long-term leads, allowing them to forecast agency performance, revenue, and staffing utilization more effectively. While every agency is unique, and market conditions vary, the focus is always on delivering tangible, bottom-line results and generating positive ROI multiples as quickly as possible. See a few examples of new clients John has helped win.

10. How much does John’s consulting service cost?

Pricing is determined based on your agency’s needs. Investing in John’s agency growth consulting expertise pays for itself through increased efficiency, transparency, and revenue growth. If you want a fractional BD superhero, John charges a monthly retainer and a small commission on net new revenue he brings to the agency for the first year of new client billing. If you have a specific project in mind, John will scope it and provide costs.

11. How do I know if my agency is the right fit for John’s services?

If you’re facing challenges in lead generation, market awareness, reputation, good fit prospect engagement, or client acquisition—and you’re ready for honest, practical know-how and experience—John will tell you if he can or can’t help. His services are ideal for agencies that don’t have a full-time business development person, don’t have the time or the expertise to do consistent, proactive prospecting, or don’t know why the leads used to flow freely but have since slowed or stopped. Agencies that can’t seem to start a conversation with a prospect, are allergic to the idea of selling, haven’t been invited to pitch, received any RFPs in a long time, or been considered for a project since forever can benefit too. The best way to find out? Reach out for a conversation.

12. What kind of agency isn’t a good fit for John?

For John to be successful, agency leaders must be involved in the process so that their new business engine is genuine and authentic with the heart and soul of the agency. If an agency expects to wind John up and send him out to bag a new client without thier input or involvement, neither John nor the agency will be happy in the end. Intimate, ongoing collaboration is essential to a good fit, no matter the challenges.

13. Does John have experience in the specific industries I target?

As an agency growth consultant John has worked with so many agencies that I bet there isn’t any industry he hasn’t targeted. But if you have one, don’t worry – He’s a quick study. He’ll be speaking the lingo faster than you can say “industry jargon.”

14. What’s the first step to working with John?

The first step is to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. This allows John to better understand your agency’s needs and goals and determine how he can provide the most value or explain why he can’t. Click to find a convenient time on his calendar.

15. Will John get me 100 leads in my inbox every month?

John knows your time is valuable and will not bury you in low-quality or off-target waste-of-time opportunities. He follows a well-honed process to define and collect the best-fit prospects and nurture them to increase the probability that your time and his will be spent on high-probability wins. This doesn’t mean your inbox will be flooded. He understands how disruptive new business Whac-A-Mole can be and only engages you when the prospect and the opportunity fit.

16. How long will it take to get a new client?

That’s impossible to predict because myriad factors are involved, many outside your control. In John’s 30+ years running new business for many agencies and facing different challenges, he’s scored a meeting in three weeks for one agency that eventually turned into a new client. For another, they did not land a new client until the eleventh month. Those are the anomalies. Most begin to see results around the three to six-month mark. Your results will vary.

17. What if I’m not satisfied with the results?

John stands by his commitment to delivering value. If you do not see the results you expect or are unhappy with the process, or for any reason, he works on a month-to-month contract or a specific project with no long-term commitment. He is motivated to deliver the value you expect daily; otherwise, the relationship will end.

18. How do I get started?

Visit this website to access John’s calendar or contact page, fill out the inquiry form, or book a time directly on his calendar. He’ll get back to you promptly to discuss your needs.

19. Is John’s newsletter really free?

As free as advice from your mother-in-law but infinitely more useful. It’s packed with insights, tips, and the occasional dad joke. No upsell. No premium membership. Nothing but pure new business gold. Yes, it’s free, but it could be worth millions in new client revenue. Subscribe now before he changes his mind!