Most marketing agencies are experts at managing their clients’ brands, but they often neglect their own. It is the classic “cobbler’s children” scenario where client work always takes priority, and internal business development falls by the wayside. In a recent episode of the Knoodle Founder’s Hour, RSW/US President Mark Sneider sat down with Rosaria Cain […]
I get a fair amount of agency LinkedIn newsletter invitations, which is great because it means these agencies are working to stay visible, but are these newsletters succeeding as business development tools? For agencies, LinkedIn newsletters should function as a long-term business development and prospect nurturing tool, not just another content channel. However, from conversations […]
Seeing some decision fatigue with prospects lately. Not across the board, the activity and interest is still there, but that air of general uncertainty kind of hangs over everything, And that’s making some small and mid-sized agencies stand still. Standing still won’t service your business in the long run. As an agency CEO told me just this week, if you want to compete, you have to move. And we’re moving. Decision Fatigue or not, you still have to stay in front […]
Let’s get rid of a persistent myth in the industry: hiring a New Business Director (NBD) is not a silver bullet that will change things overnight. It’s a cycle: leadership brings in someone and expects them to reverse years of stagnant outreach or weak positioning through sheer willpower. The Illusion of the Agency Savior Too […]
We recently got great news from a client who won a piece of business from a door we opened and helped nurture. Before I get into what made the difference, a quick public service announcement: your agency new business process requires patience. That may seem obvious, but I’d argue it isn’t. Too many agencies set […]
10 Takeaways from Our 2026 Agency New Business Conference If you attended our virtual new business conference for small and mid-sized agencies, you know there was no shortage of practical, hard-won advice for agency owners and new business teams. And if you missed it, we put together an initial 10 takeaways from the conference; specific […]
Some agencies, in regards to their new business program, have a mindset that first meetings with a prospect should be solid gold and close fairly quickly. Those agencies tend to have three things in common, they’re: erratic in new business strategy hire and fire new business personnel fairly often, and are generally not pleased with […]
Reality Check #4: If Prospects Can’t Find You, They Can’t Hire You Agencies have always been better at doing great work than at promoting themselves. That’s not me being obnoxious, it’s just reality. For years, most small and mid-sized agencies have relied on referrals, relationships, and reputation to drive new business, which works until it […]
AI Capabilities vs Client Outcomes Reality Check #3: Clients Aren’t Asking for AI. They’re Asking for Clarity. This is the third post in our 5-part series based on our 2026 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report. The first two Reality Checks focused on control. Reality Check #1 (When “The Market” Becomes a Crutch) stressed that growth […]
Reality Check #1: Growth Isn’t Tied to the Economy. It’s Tied to What Firms Do. This is the first in our 5-part series around our 2026 New Year Outlook Report. (Download it here.) Let me get this out of the way first. Yes, growth is influenced by the economy. So is uncertainty, inflation, political volatility, […]
