Agency New Business Thought Leadership

Welcome to the RSW/US blog, focused on a variety of new business insights and thought leadership, from getting a program off the ground all the way to the final pitch, it’s the place for experienced new business pros and owners/principals alike. Catch our posts based on 18 years of experience working with professional services firms.

Agency Outbound Prospecting: Stop Ignoring the 3 Easiest Methods Right in Front of You
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AI Transparency Requirements: What Agencies Need to Know
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Agencies Know AI Search Is Coming. Are They Ready for It Themselves?
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Featured, Outsourced Business Development, Processes

Agency Outbound Prospecting: Stop Ignoring the 3 Easiest Methods Right in Front of You

Man in glass elevator contemplating prospecting methods

Why New Business Always Comes Last at Agencies The easiest agency outbound prospecting starts with people who already know you: your 1st-level LinkedIn connections, past clients, and brands where you came in second. When it comes to driving new business, small and mid-sized ad agencies, marketing services, and PR firms all share these traits: Clients come […]

October 1, 2026/by Lee McKnight Jr

GEO Explained: What It Means for Your Business Development Strategy

Featured, Outsourced Business Development

GEO Explained: What It Means for Your Business Development Strategy

undefined Optimizing for AI search is one part of a broader new business strategy. For the full picture, our agency business development playbook outlines the complete set of tactics agencies need to grow in 2025.

Hiring a Rainmaker? Bring an Umbrella.

Featured, Outsourced Business Development

Hiring a Rainmaker? Bring an Umbrella.

We hear it from agency leaders all the time: “We thought we found the right person, but a year in, we were back to square one.” According to our latest survey report (RSW/US 2025 Professional Services New Business Survey Report), nearly…

Outsourced Business Development, Uncategorized

We All Built It This Way

Virtually every marketing agency or other professional services firm we speak to here at RSW/US tells us that their firm started and was built on a solid referral base. In our most recent professional service new business survey, we found…

Featured, Outsourced Business Development

Extinction. Preventable.

In a recent article published in Inc. Magazine by Arthur Fleischmann, the former group CEO of Ogilvy/country lead of WPP Canada, Arthur talks about all the panic about AI and it being the root cause of the demise of agencies is like blaming…

Sales Cycles Are Longer - You Need a Follow Up Plan

Featured, Outsourced Business Development

Sales Cycles Are Longer – You Need a Follow Up Plan

You finally get the meeting. It goes well. Good energy. Smart questions. Maybe even a personal connection. And then… silence. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According to our 2025 Professional Services New Business Survey, 78%…

When Outreach Falls Flat: What 58% of Firms Are Struggling With

Featured, Outsourced Business Development

When Outreach Falls Flat: What 58% of Firms Are Struggling With

When outreach falls flat: If getting in the door with prospects feels more difficult this year, that's because it is—but it's not insurmountable. From our 2025 Professional Services New Business Survey Report, 58% of professional services…