Your Power in the Pitch

In a new business pitch, there’s the perception that the marketer holds all power. After all, they’re the ones writing the check. But agencies have more power over the pitch than they may realize. Stepping into that power depends on demonstrating to a prospective client how you will maximize their gains and minimize their losses.

Read More
3 Mental Blocks That Get in the Way of New Business Success

Agency leaders are sometimes better at planning for all the great stuff they could do to generate new business and not so good at doing it. What holds them back? There are myriad priorities that get in the way of agency business development goals. But there are also some powerful mental blocks. Here are three that might be standing between you and your goals for growing your agency next year.

Read More
Found Money: Why Your Contact Database is a Valuable Asset (and How to Get More Value Out of It)

Your agency's list of clients and prospects is a valuable business asset. And like any asset, the more you invest in it, the more valuable it becomes. Here are four ways to get more new business value from your agency’s list of contacts.

Read More
Your Story, Your Narrative and Their Impact on Agency New Business

There’s a difference between your agency’s story and your agency’s narrative. Many agencies overlook this – and it can have catastrophic consequences on agency business development. Here’s how to ensure your marketing message is having the right impact.

Read More
5 Ways You’re Not Controlling the Pitch (and How to Change That)

When a marketer shops for agency services, it’s embarking on a journey. And at each step you have the opportunity, perhaps more than you realize, to exert some control over the journey and affect the outcome (ideally in your favor to win the business). 

Each buyer’s journey is unique but here are five common situations in which I see agencies relinquishing control when they should be asserting it.

Read More
Three Ways to Turn Your Agency’s Pitch into a Winning Pitch

Good ideas badly presented put you at risk of losing the pitch but a good story can make your agency’s pitch irresistible. Here are 3 essential storylines to win agency new business.

Read More
Measuring Agency Business Development Effectiveness

Agency business development success is often measured by revenue. And of course that’s a good qualitative measure—did you make your numbers or didn’t you?


But a lot goes into a successful new business operation, both quantitative and qualitative. Wouldn’t it be great to have a scorecard that objectively measures where you are today and keeps you accountable for the improvement you want to see? Here’s one way to start:

Read More
How to Win New Business by Playing to Your Strengths

I help my clients design agency business development strategies built around their strengths, not in conflict with them. You can too. The 1st step: discover your strengths profile. Are you a Hunter, Communicator, Thinker or Promoter?

Read More
“Dos and Don’ts” of Writing the Perfect Pitch for Your Agency

Whether proactive outreach plays a large role in your agency’s new business strategy or a minor one, you will undoubtedly be called on at some point to make a short, compelling pitch to someone who’s busy and not predisposed to interruption. Here are some dos and don’ts to put you on the right track towards making it worthy of their attention.

Read More