• In the agency world, you grow or you fade away to nothing.

    First Rule of Ad Agency Leadership: Grow or Die

    Every agency operates in a hyper-competitive environment where clients are increasingly fickle, demanding and confused. This fractured and evolving environment makes growing an agency tougher than ever. As a consultant […]

     
  • Clients come in many different flavors.

    #INBOUND Conference: FAQs About Chemistry, Client Retention and Growth

    I presented at the #INBOUND Conference on a topic that is vital for every agency leader to understand: Chemistry. New business wins most often depend on which firm the prospect […]

     
  • The Mad Men Final: The Lost Skills of Advertising

    The Mad Men Final: The Lost Skills of Advertising

    It’s the end of an era, in more ways than one. The hit AMC show Mad Men series finale wrapped up a glimpse into a lost world of advertising. At the […]

     
  • If you don't solve the client first, you can’t win the pitch.

    Solve the Client, Not the Client’s Problems

    Every agency has been there — charging into a new business pitch, and for the next hour or so, presenting great work, their unique approach, and overall capabilities. Some agencies […]

     
  • What’s The Secret New Business Tool?

    What’s The Secret New Business Tool?

    It’s always a little surprising to me when an ad agency can’t figure out what happened. They lose a pitch. Or they lose a client. And they wonder why? Every […]

     
  • Win More New Business!

    Win More New Business!

    You CAN win more new business! The books all state that the president of the agency has to do new business. The 4A’s state that you must have $10 million in billings […]

     
  • Bypass the RFP, go directly to the finals.

    How One Ad Agency Used the Tour to Bypass the RFP Phase

    We were already in this nice 30-person agency conducting a new business training session, setting up a Spark. The session was going great, when over lunch the president asked me […]

     
  • Learn how to control the energy in new business.

    How To Lose A Prospect You’ve Won

    The pitch went like clockwork, the prospect was ready to go, and the only thing standing in the way was “how much?” Then everything went south, fast. The agency president, […]

     
  • Painful Ad Agency Prospect Presentation Mistake

    Painful Ad Agency Prospect Presentation Mistake

    The head of account service (we’ll call him “Tom”) at a fast-moving regional agency was on a roll. Tom had just closed the largest account in the history of the […]

     
  • The likable ad agency is not luck-of-the-draw.

    Agency Likeability: The Hidden Side of New Business

    Your firm’s likeability, often called “chemistry,” describes the relationship between your firm and a good prospect. Most leading search consultants rate chemistry as the most critical tipping point that either […]