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Winmo. The best tool for agency new business
Winmo. Best tool for agency new business Full transparency: I’m a big Winmo fan and a daily user, going way back to when they were the List. I blog about it, speak about it, use…
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Agency Core™ 2026 Is Live
Agency Core™ exists to help agencies make better decisions by giving them clearer context. It is the passion project of Susan Baier, Co-Founder, Agency Core, and CEO, Audience Audit, and Brian Gerstner, Co-Founder, Agency Core,…
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The Next Agency Inflection: 2026’s Blueprint for Growth
The Next Agency Inflection: 2026’s Blueprint for Growth Forget “business as usual.” The world agencies once dominated is breaking. The Forrester “Predictions 2026“ already gives us a structural map: agencies must become resellers, product‐builders, embedded…
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The Art of the List: Win More and Better Clients
The Art of the List: Win More and Better Clients For many ad agencies, new business often feels like an endless hustle. Pitches, proposals, referrals, and the occasional inbound lead that leads nowhere. But here’s…
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Is AI Coming For You
Is AI Coming For You As an ad agency owner, you face tremendous competition. Google the term “Ad Agency” and you get 4,570,000 results. Google will likely show you only 40 pages of results. I…
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10 BD Problems and How to Bury Them
10 BD Problems and How to Bury Them If you’re running an agency in 2025 and your new business pipeline feels thin, inconsistent, frustratingly quiet, or deceased, you’re not alone. I talk to agency owners every…
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Some Agencies Are Winning Now: How About You
Some Agencies Are Winning Now: How About You Let’s not sugarcoat it. 2025 tested every agency leader’s grit. Margins are under pressure. Marketers are in triage mode. Headcounts are leaner. Budgets are delayed. And the…
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Your Ad Agency Prospecting Platform
Your Ad Agency Prospecting Platform Reach more prospects. Guide the journey. Make decisions with data. Track your progress. Convert more clients. Affordable. Easy to use. Powerful. Backed by 20 years of new business experience. All…
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AI-powered New Business Strategy for Ad Agencies
AI-powered New Business Strategy for Ad Agencies Ad agency new business strategy development is always exciting when we reimagine what our agency can do to attract and win more and better clients. This year, that…
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The Secret to Agency Growth–Differentiation
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 supporting successful business development. Agency differentiation and positioning is…
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Best of Times or Worst of Times
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…
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Is Ad Agency BD Harder Today
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…
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2nd Half Agency Growth Playbook
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…
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10 Agency Growth Tactics
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…
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From Chasing Anything to Strategic Business Development
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…
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Find Your Agency’s “Aha!”
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…
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Winning the battle for new clients
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…
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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.…
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Perfect is the Enemy of Good
Perfect is the Enemy of Good No truer words for ad agencies this time of year. “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” Gen. George Patton. The clock…
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The Allure of a Silver Bullet
The Allure of a Silver Bullet In the fast-paced, ever-evolving advertising world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for survival. New trends and techniques emerge daily, promising to revolutionize how we reach potential audiences.…