The Digital Agency Growth Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sales Schema
Here’s something most gurus won’t admit: winning ideal clients for your agency is hard. But it’s a lot easier and more predictable when you learn from the right people. Every week, The Digital Agency Growth Podcast comes at you with in-the-trenches stories from agency, brand, and technology leaders to cover HOW new business is getting done, and the possible WHY’s justifying all our hard work.
Robert Patin has spent the better part of two decades inside agency finance — helping one firm grow from $1.2M to eight figures in 24 months, then taking those lessons to his consultancy, Creative Agency Success. His lens is analytical and unusually direct: most agencies have a pricing problem, and it's not the one they think it is.
In this episode, Robert breaks down why under-pricing rarely solves the objections it's meant to, how AI is quietly reshaping the conversation between agencies and enterprise clients, and what it actually means to use AI well in biz dev versus just delegating your thinking to a chatbot. He also gets into where agencies have a real window to build defensible value right now — and how long that window might be open.
What We Cover:
- The most common pricing mistakes Robert sees — and why under-pricing doesn't actually solve price objections
- Why the sale is almost always lost before the price is even mentioned
- What to ask when a prospect says "it's too expensive"
- How AI is starting to create pricing pressure — and why enterprise clients will feel it first
- The agencies winning with AI in biz dev versus the ones just delegating their thinking
- Using intent signals to reach fewer, better-fit prospects instead of blasting campaigns
- What to automate versus what to keep human in your sales process
- Distilling your expertise into if-then logic that AI can actually use
- Why data is the most valuable asset agencies are sitting on right now
- The race between software companies becoming agencies and agencies becoming software companies
- Where agencies have defensible ground over the next few years — and where they don't
Robert put together a free resource page specifically for Digital Agency Growth listeners — white paper, a free copy of his book, and a link to chat with him directly about your agency.
Go here: creativeagencysuccess.com/digitalagencygrowth
Most agency owners treat legal as a tax — a slow, expensive speed bump between the handshake and the kickoff. Sharon Toerek thinks that's exactly backwards.
Sharon is a marketing and intellectual property attorney who has spent over a decade working exclusively with independent agencies through her firm Torek Law, which operates in the agency world as Legal + Creative. In this episode, she breaks down how agencies leave real money on the table by treating contracts as admin rather than leverage — and what to do instead.
We get into payment terms buried in enterprise agreements that silently stretch 60 days into 90, exclusivity clauses that punish agencies for the specialization clients hired them for, and the IP transfer timing that gives agencies more power than they realize. Sharon also makes the case for why having your own MSA matters even when the big brands will never sign it — and why deals almost never blow up when agencies push back at the contract stage.
What We Cover:
- Why legal should be a money-generating function, not a cost drag
- The payment term language in enterprise contracts that quietly kills cash flow
- How to negotiate exclusivity without giving away more than you need to
- Why you'll never have more leverage than you do right now, at the contract stage
- The IP transfer timing that can become serious financial leverage when a client goes sideways
- Building your own MSA toolkit — and why it matters even when you'll never use it
- Who should be in the room during contract negotiations (and what the lawyer's actual job is)
- How AI is changing the ownership question in agency-client and agency-freelancer agreements
- Turning proprietary frameworks, methodologies, and systems into licensable, sellable IP
- Why deals almost never fall apart when you push back — and what it signals when they do
🎯 Referrals already work for your agency but you've never optimized them...
Get our free 30-minute video crash course - learn how to turn referrals from reactive and random to proactive and systematic.
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Most agencies lose pitches before they walk in the room. Here's why — and what to do about it.
Grant Gooding, founder of Proof Positioning, has helped agencies win high-stakes pitches using neuroscience, decision physiology, and a research process built on an FBI interrogation technique. The insights are counterintuitive and the results speak for themselves.
In this episode:
-Why 70% of agency pitches fail (and it's not your creative)
-The neuroscience behind why logic-only pitches can't be processed
-The RFP trap — and how box-checking makes you invisible
-How to de-risk a pitch for a multi-stakeholder buying group
-The FBI elicitation method that gets to the truth without asking questions
What "pre-work" looks like — and why it gives agencies an unfair advantage
Why "build me a website" almost always masks a bigger business problem
Grant's 3-step formula for winning the pitches that matter most
The threat to agencies from AI + holding company acquisitions — and how to fight back
Find Grant: proofpositioning.com
🎯 Referrals already work for your agency, but you've never optimized them.
Get our 30-minute video crash course on how to turn referrals from reactive and random to proactive and systematic:
https://go.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine/?utm_source=podcast_dag
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Buying patterns have changed - fast. If you're still pitching the same offers the same way you were two years ago, you're probably hearing "let's talk in three months" a lot.
Mandi Ellefson returns to the show to break down what's actually happening out there, and what agencies and service firms can do about it.
A few things we got into:
- Why clients are freezing, shrinking scope, and pushing timelines — and what's really behind it
- The four-level service pyramid (staff augmentation → high-quality provider → proven ROI → growth partner) and where 80% of the market is stuck generating 20% of the profits
- The "Power of One" formula: one client, one painful problem, one transformation — and why offers built around it command dramatically higher fees
- Why hiring a salesperson before your go-to-market system is built usually makes things worse, not better
- The blind spot most agency owners have when they think "I just need more sales"
- How a sales admin can own 70–80% of the referral and partnership process so the owner only shows up for the conversations
- A real example of an agency that niched into elder care, went from five-figure to seven-figure engagements, and is on a path to $10M
Resources mentioned:
Mandi's upcoming training on the Hands-Off Growth Operating System: handsoffceo.com/briefing
🎯 Referrals already work for your agency, but you've never optimized them.
Go here to get our 30-minute video crash course on how to turn referrals from reactive and random to proactive and systematic: https://go.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine/?utm_source=podcast_dag
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Adam Yaeger built Llama Lead Gen from solo freelancer to 17-person embedded growth agency over eight years. In this episode, he breaks down what actually drove that growth — and what didn't.
We get into why he put branding on the back burner early (and why that was the right call), the hiring mistake that cost him a client relationship, and why soft skills matter more in the age of AI, not less. On the biz dev side, Adam shares what's worked for Llama Lead Gen — SEO, Clutch, referrals — and why cold outreach mostly didn't. Plus a few partnership stories, including what happens when white labeling goes sideways.
We also dig into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and why Reddit has quietly become one of the more interesting paid channels for B2B.
What we cover:
-Growing from solo to 17 people over eight years
-Why branding can wait — and when it can't
-How Llama Lead Gen gets new business: SEO, Clutch, and referrals
-Partnership wins and one memorable miss
-Balancing client delivery with sales when you're the only BD
-Managing seasonality: when to push, when to pull back
Resources Mentioned
Llama Lead Gen: https://www.llamaleadgen.com/— Marketing budgeting and PPC calculators available on the site
Lead Gen in the Wild Podcast: Available on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you listen
Learn the small shift that makes referrals repeatable. Check out our new video training: https://hey.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine?utm_source=podcast
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Most agencies treat the RFP as the cost of doing business. Chris Rose has built a career out of sidestepping them entirely — landing clients like Hilton, Planet Fitness, and NBC Universal along the way.
Chris serves as Executive Director of Growth at Cylinder Studios, a design and production studio within the Cheil Agency Network. Before that, he led new business at Movers and Shakers. We got into why RFPs are almost always poorly written, how to bypass procurement with preferred vendor status, what's changing with AI and pricing, and why the best pitch teams are smaller than you'd think.
What You'll Leave With:
- Diagnose before you pitch — co-write the brief with the client
- Become a preferred vendor to bypass procurement
- Smaller pitch teams win more
- Production is the new strategy
- Stay close to the work after you win it
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rose22/
Cylinder Studios: https://www.cylinderstudios.com/
Learn the small shift that makes referrals repeatable. Check out our new video training: https://hey.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine?utm_source=podcast
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Most agency owners assume nobody can sell as well as they can. Lori Cox built an agency, sold it, and then took a BizDev leadership role — and says she's actually sharper at sales now that she's not running the whole show.
Lori brings 20+ years of B2B marketing and revenue experience. She built and sold a full-service healthcare-focused agency, then moved into VP of BizDev at Knack Collective, where she works with global tech companies on partner-led go-to-market strategies. We got into the systems that made her agency sellable, why most partnership pitches go nowhere, and how the inbound/outbound mix has shifted heading into 2026.
What You'll Leave With:
- Systems before salespeople
- Partnerships require intention and attention
- Diversify your pipeline, not just your client base
- Non-owners can be better salespeople
- AI is changing the job, not replacing it
Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-cox-mba/
Knack Collective: https://knackcollective.com/
Learn the small shift that makes referrals repeatable.
Check out our new video training.
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What happens when years of planting seeds finally meets the right market moment?
Alexis Trammel is Chief Growth Officer at Stratabeat, a B2B SaaS organic growth agency. She recently transitioned from account management into a biz dev role. But the real story is how timing and preparation collided. For years, Stratabeat was doing the unglamorous work: niching down, building LinkedIn presence, publishing original research, speaking at conferences, nurturing relationships. Then GEO (generative engine optimization) hit right as AI anxiety peaked, and suddenly the leads started flooding in. This conversation explores what it looks like when the groundwork you've been laying finally pays off, and why most agencies aren't ready when their moment arrives.
What You'll Leave With:
- Why lead flow needs to exist before you hire a salesperson—not the other way around
- How years of niching down positioned them to catch the GEO wave
- The compounding value of original research, LinkedIn presence, and conference visibility
- Why internal sales hires often outperform external ones when the foundation is there
- How to keep planting seeds even when you're not sure which one will sprout
- The seasonality reality and why "when it rains, it pours" cuts both ways
Timestamps:
- [00:00] Introduction to Alexis Trammel and Stratabeat
- [02:36] The long road of niching down and eliminating services
- [03:19] When AI panic created unexpected demand for GEO
- [05:16] Original research as a lead gen and credibility play
- [07:46] Coming back from maternity leave to a sales opportunity
- [10:00] Why the lead flow has to come before the sales hire
- [11:47] Wearing both the sales and marketing hats
- [14:10] Planning for seasonality when you're riding a wave
- [16:41] LinkedIn as long-term brand building, not cold outreach
- [22:04] GEO converting better than almost everything except referrals
- [30:12] The relationship groundwork that makes referrals possible
Mentioned Resources / Links:
- Stratabeat - B2B SaaS organic growth agency
- Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
- Alexis Trammell on LinkedIn
- Tom Shapiro on LinkedIn
When clients start asking "What am I paying you for?", most assume they have a pricing problem on their hands when they're actually facing an operations problem.
Leah Leaves is the founder and CEO of Alderaan Operations, where she embeds operations directors and part-time digital project managers directly into remote agencies. In this conversation, she reveals what's happening when clients question an agency's value - asking for more deliverables, questioning reports, or wondering why they can't just use cheap tools themselves.
A few things we covered:
- Why the same operational bottlenecks agencies have always had are now happening at 10x-100x speed
- The exact question clients are asking agencies right now (and how the best agencies are answering it)
- How agencies are reinvesting time saved by AI into client experience, productized tools, and advisory services
- The "bionic org chart" framework for documenting what AI owns versus what humans own
- A practical system for turning meeting transcripts into searchable client context that actually gets used
- Why hiring people who want to stay static in their role is a feature, not a bug
- The shift from deliverables-based positioning to strategic marketing partner (and why AI makes this more urgent)
Timestamps:
- [00:00] Introduction: Leah Leaves and the state of agency operations
- [01:26] Same issues, 10x-100x speed: What's really changing with AI
- [03:37] The question clients are asking: "What am I paying you for?"
- [06:38] How agencies are answering the value question differently
- [11:15] Moving from execution to advisory: Selling thinking, not deliverables
- [15:30] The art of productive client meetings (and why most fail)
- [20:45] Hiring strategy: Finding people who want to grow vs. stay static
- [29:47] The bionic org chart: Documenting AI's role on your team
- [32:17] Practical AI implementation: Turning meeting notes into searchable knowledge
- [34:20] Ideas that wouldn't exist without reduced latency
- [35:29] Where to find Leah and learn more about operation
Alderaan Operations - Leah's company embedding ops directors in agencies
Leah Leaves on LinkedIn - Connect with Leah
Looking to build a repeatable, referral-focus biz dev system inside of your agency?
Check out our new video training: https://hey.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine
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What if successful agency business development isn't about having the perfect system, but about showing up consistently in the right conversations?
John Caruso is the Director of Business Development at Vendilli, where he's spent the last six years navigating the messy reality of agency growth. With a decade of BD experience spanning traditional and digital agencies, John has learned that there's no magic formula, just consistent effort in the right places. In this conversation, he shares the unglamorous truth about what BD actually looks like day-to-day, why agency owners set their BD hires up to fail by expecting results too quickly, and how he learned the craft by sitting in dozens upon dozens of sales meetings with his team.
What You'll Leave With:
- The realistic timeline for a BD hire to become truly effective at an agency
- How to structure your day when client needs constantly derail your plans
- Why sitting in sales meetings with experienced agency owners builds BD skills faster than any course
- The "shortlist" dynamic that determines whether prospects even consider your agency
- How to think about the division between marketing and sales activities
- What systems need to exist before bringing on a dedicated BD person
- An education-first approach to staying top of mind without being pushy
Timestamps:
- [00:00] Introduction: John's journey from traditional to digital agency BD
- [02:30] The reality of a day in the life of agency business development
- [05:40] What activities consistently drive revenue for agencies
- [10:30] Why getting on prospect "shortlists" matters more than perfect positioning
- [15:45] Moving beyond transactional referral requests
- [20:15] How the BD landscape has shifted over the past decade
- [28:34] What needs to be in place before hiring a BD person
- [29:04] The learning curve: why it takes 6-9 months minimum to see results
- [31:10] How Vendilli divides marketing and sales responsibilities
- [33:25] Where to learn more about John and Vendilli
Vendelli: https://www.vendilli.com/
John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncaruso-vendilli/
Here's what nobody tells you about referrals: the real value isn't the introduction, it's identifying who will keep referring you for years.
In this episode, Dan breaks down why the classic "let me know if you know anyone who needs our services" approach fails almost every time, and walks through a systematic process for turning your existing network into a consistent source of warm introductions, tastefully.
What You'll Leave With:
- Why asking "know anyone who might need our services?" puts massive cognitive load on your contacts (and what to ask instead)
- The three biggest referral mistakes agency owners make and how each one sabotages your results
- How vertical vs. horizontal relationships determine whether someone will refer you
- The specific ask process: transitioning from categories of people to named individuals your connector actually knows
- A practical approach to mapping your LinkedIn network for "referral ready connectors" without spam
- Why strategic partnerships should be prototyped through referrals first, not started with commission structures
- How to think about the time investment: high-touch, high-leverage vs. volume plays that don't fit specialized agencies
Resources
Are you an upmarket-focused agency interested in setting up a referral-based new business system?
Lets talk - go here for details: https://hey.salesschema.com/referral-engine-lp
New Video Training.
Referrals already work for your agency, but you've never optimized them. Learn how in our latest video training: https://hey.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine
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This year-end review distills the most important lessons from a year of conversations with agency owners, researchers, and growth experts who've been in the trenches.
What You'll Leave With:
- Why trust has replaced awareness and differentiation as the scarce resource in agency growth
- The counterintuitive sales-to-delivery handoff that makes closing easier (even though it seems expensive)
- How to move referrals from passive hope to systematic pipeline generation
- The difference between economic headwinds as obstacles versus excuses
- Why specialization is no longer a debate but table stakes for competitive agencies
- The rise of agency perspective
- An under-discussed macro trend that could reshape entire marketing niches over the next few years
Episodes Referenced:
-Nick Petroski: https://salesschema.com/the-data-you-need-before-you-build-your-2026-biz-dev-plan-with-nick-petroski/
-Brooke MacLean: https://salesschema.com/how-brooke-maclean-built-an-80-person-agency-with-zero-debt/
-Brock Murray: https://salesschema.com/scaling-past-50-employees-how-seo-plus-built-a-global-agency/
-Spencer Gallagher:
-Stewart Gandolf: https://salesschema.com/lessons-from-building-an-eight-figure-niche-agency-stewart-gandolf/
-Erik J. Olson: https://salesschema.com/erik-j-olson-on-why-most-agencies-plateau-and-how-to-build-one-that-grows-predictably/
-Stephen Woessner: https://salesschema.com/stephen-woessner-on-the-smile-graph-ais-impact-on-agencies/
-Karl Sakas: https://salesschema.com/karl-sakas-on-scaling-smart-and-reclaiming-your-time/
-Todd Gagne: https://salesschema.com/karl-sakas-on-scaling-smart-and-reclaiming-your-time/
Chances are referrals work for your agency. Maybe they're the only thing that ever has. But you've never optimized them.
[Note: this is an encore of an episode originally aired 12/3/25].
If your agency is stuck in "the Cobbler's Children phase", where you deliver great work for clients but new business feels chaotic and reactive, this episode offers a way out. I'm sharing my referral workshop from the All In Agency Summit, condensed from 60 to 30 minutes of pure strategy. This isn't about random networking or hoping referrals happen. It's about installing a repeatable system that generates 2-5 targeted introductions weekly without cold outreach spam or burning out your team.
What You'll Leave With:
- The four-level agency maturity model and how to identify which phase you're actually in
- Why the 2020 shift made trust—not awareness—the scarce resource in B2B sales
- The high school gym versus NFL stadium test for choosing the right lead gen strategy based on your market size
- A two-pronged outreach approach that keeps your pipeline full even when you're wearing too many hats
- The simple emotional game-changer that gets introductions to actually happen instead of sitting in limbo
- The one data tool you need to get started without expensive SaaS platforms
- Why asking for referrals is actually a positive-sum game that benefits everyone involved
- How to systematize client referrals so your account team generates opportunities automatically
- The sprint-to-marathon framework that proves this approach scales beyond your immediate network
if you're using the holiday break to plan for a strong Q1, this conversation will reshape how you think about pipeline.
[this is an Encore Episode originally aired December 3, 2025]
Nick Petroski, founder of Promethean Research and the industry's go-to source for agency market data, spent years studying what actually drives growth for digital agencies. Not best practices or guru advice, but real numbers from real shops.
What he found challenges conventional wisdom. The agencies getting the most predictable growth aren't the ones with the slickest outbound machines, they're the ones who've built systems around relationships they already have. Nick breaks down the ownership gaps, comp structures, and tactical frameworks that separate random referrals from repeatable revenue. If you're heading into 2026 wondering whether your pipeline issues are a "you" problem or a market problem, this conversation will help you see which levers you actually control.
What You'll Leave With:
-The "is it me or the market?" framework for diagnosing your real pipeline problems
-Why shrinking total addressable markets make relationship-based growth less optional and more strategic
-How to structure account manager compensation to drive growth, not just retention (70-30 vs 60-40 splits explained)
-A tactical approach for asking clients for specific introductions without feeling pushy or salesy
-Why your Fortune 500 "locked down" account might actually be your biggest referral opportunity
-The consultative mindset shift that makes asking for referrals feel like service, not sales
-How to identify which accounts actually have referral potential worth pursuing
Mentioned Resources / Links:
-Video Training: How to Scale Your Agency with Systematic Referrals and Strategic Partnerships (30 min)
-From Random to Repeatable: The Digital Agency Referral Playbook - Nick's research report on systematizing referrals
What actually drives agency growth when pipelines are noisy, buyers are skeptical, and everyone sounds the same?
In this episode, Dan Englander sits down with Alex Marshall, a longtime agency growth leader with two decades of experience across holding companies and independents, to unpack what really moves the needle. They explore why trust and relevance matter more than tactics, how storytelling shows up late in the sales cycle, and why relationships compound over time even when results aren’t immediate.
This is a grounded conversation about growth as a discipline, not a hack.
🧭 What You’ll Learn
- The real differences between growth at holding companies vs independents
- Why agency specialization can both help and hurt sales
- How storytelling works after the first sales call
- Why “just checking in” emails fail
- What actually reactivates dormant or boomerang clients
- How to stay relevant to skeptical CMOs
- Why relationship-building beats short-term metrics
- How agencies should think about referrals and alliances
🕒 Timestamps
00:00 – Alex’s background and global agency experience
04:30 – Holding companies vs independents: growth tradeoffs
06:00 – Relationship-building across regions and cultures
10:20 – When specialization helps — and when it limits you
16:45 – Storytelling as a sales tool, not just marketing
20:40 – Coalition-building in complex B2B sales
23:30 – Re-engaging dormant and boomerang clients
26:40 – Why timing and relevance matter more than frequency
29:20 – Managing time across the full funnel
32:10 – Measuring progress without over-relying on metrics
35:00 – Selling to skeptical CMOs in uncertain markets
38:00 – Why referrals and trust compound over time
41:00 – Strategic partnerships and being “something to someone”
45:45 – Making referral asks easier — and more effective
What if the agencies that crush Q1 aren't working harder in January, they're making one or two critical decisions right now, in December?
In this solo episode, Dan reveals why Q1 consistently catches agencies off-guard and what separates those who stumble into the new year from those who hit the ground running. The secret isn't about working through the holidays or setting ambitious goals—it's about installing a systematic referral system during Q4's quieter moments.
What You'll Leave With:
- Why trust, not awareness, became the scarce resource after 2020 and how it changes your approach
- The four stages agencies move through and how to identify which phase you're stuck in
- The "high school gym vs. NFL stadium" test for choosing the right lead generation strategy based on market size
- How to structure connector calls to get 2-5 quality referrals from a single conversation
- The simple human emotion that makes people actually follow through on promised introductions
- A two-pronged outreach system that keeps your pipeline full even when you're buried in client work
- Why making it easier for people to help you eliminates the awkwardness of asking for referrals
- The one free data tool you need to get started without expensive SaaS platforms
Timestamps:
- [00:00] Introduction: The strange Q4 gap period and what's coming
- [02:33] The Cobbler's children phase and why most agencies get stuck there
- [05:00] The four stages of agency growth and how they're detached from revenue
- [09:15] The 2020 trust recession and why cold outreach stopped working
- [12:30] High school gym vs. NFL stadium: Choosing the right strategy for your market
- [16:45] The systematic referral framework: How to generate warm intros weekly
- [21:20] Structuring connector calls to get 2-5 referrals per conversation
- [24:10] The emotional game changer that makes introductions actually happen
- [27:17] Common objections: "This seems like too much work" and "I'm worried about asking for help"
- [29:35] How this scales beyond your initial network (sprint, jog, run phases)
- [31:54] The Referral Engine Program and Referral Network Diagnostic offer
Quotes:
"A lot of agencies end up in level two, which we call the Cobbler's children phase. They have a track record, they've produced results for clients, but new business is very reactive—it's very much catch as catch can." — Dan Englander
"After 2020, we saw a massive shift. Trust became the scarce resource, not awareness. Everyone's inbox is full, everyone's LinkedIn is saturated, and people have gotten really good at tuning out anything that feels like cold outreach." — Dan Englander
"If you're getting on a call a day—like an apple a day keeps the doctor away—or five calls a week, that is usually more than enough to hit 99% of sales goals." — Dan Englander
If you’re planning your 2026 biz dev strategy without real market data, you’re guessing. In this episode, I talk with friend of the show Nicholas Petroski, founder of Promethean Research and creator of the Digital Agency Referral Playbook, about what the numbers actually say—and how top agencies are using referrals, account growth, and GTM clarity to build next year’s plan. This is the clearest look you’ll get at what’s really moving the needle heading into 2026.
🧭 What You’ll Learn
- The referral trends shaping 2026 pipeline planning
- Why most agencies misread pipeline health
- What data actually predicts account growth
- The role of referrals in a tighter 2026 GTM
- Who should really own the referral process
- How to identify your most valuable connectors
- Why “good work” isn’t enough to drive intros
- What the best shops are fixing before January
🕒 Timestamps
00:00 – Why 2026 planning requires real data
01:02 – Nick’s new research & why referrals matter now
03:11 – From Random to Repeatable: core findings
05:45 – Why agencies still handle referrals passively
07:29 – The shrinking TAM + rising skepticism problem
09:22 – Who should own referrals (and who shouldn’t)
12:40 – Cross-sell models that actually grow accounts
14:36 – Pipeline health vs conversion vs system health
18:07 – How to operationalize intros without friction
23:59 – The risk of relying on 1–2 referral sources
27:26 – Why referrals must be part of your GTM
29:15 – The mindset shift from “salesy” to consultative
33:00 – What the data says agencies must fix for 2026
🔑 Key Quotes
“Referrals work—if you treat them like a system, not a hope.” — Nick Petroski“
Agencies don’t have a lead problem. They have a clarity problem.” — Nick Petroski
📢 Links and Resources
From Random to Repeatable: How Agencies Turn Referrals into a Reliable Growth Engine
If you want a repeatable referral system heading into 2026, grab my book 📘 Relationship Sales at Scale
Most agencies try to fix pipeline by working harder, but not by working smarter.
This conversation digs into why outbound has gotten tougher, what’s changed in the last decade, and how agencies can build a healthier, more defensible acquisition motion. We cover the shift from brute-force outreach to signal-driven, trust-based systems, why TAM size changes everything, and how sales and marketing need to operate as a single unit for mid-market deals. It’s a clear look at the mechanics behind winning in a crowded outreach landscape.
Michael Maximoff is the co-founder of Belkins and the team behind Folderly. He’s spent more than a decade solving the same problems agencies face today: building predictable pipeline in a crowded, trust-heavy market, balancing marketing and sales investment, and adapting outbound to a world that no longer responds to direct pitches.
- Why cold outreach used to work with simple tools and high volume, and why that era is over
- How inbox competition jumped from ~100 cold pitches/month per decision-maker to 800+ today
- Why small TAMs require a different playbook and more precision, not more activity
- The importance of costly signals, warm intros, and touch-point-driven credibility instead of direct pitches
- How sales and marketing must operate in tandem to create “surround sound” and increase conversion likelihood
- Why mid-market agencies should hire full-cycle AEs who can build their own book of business
- The danger of giving SDRs outdated brute-force mandates in a world where the role is now a technical, marketing-adjacent function
- How deeper integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Clay) are reshaping outreach, personalization, and data orchestration
- Why agencies must choose the channel they have a true “genetic advantage” for.
Links & Resources
- Belkins — https://belkins.io
- Folderly — https://folderly.com
- Michael on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximoff
In this episode, Dan Englander sits down with Garrett Jestice, former CMO and founder of Prelude, to unpack how to turn that randomness into a repeatable Go-To-Market (GTM) system that actually compounds.
Garrett helps B2B agencies and service businesses replace scattered marketing efforts with a focused GTM strategy built on customer proof — clarifying audience, offer, messaging, and channels so growth stops being a guessing game.
They break down why most agencies start with the wrong things (channels before clarity), how to pick the right market segment, and how to make growth repeatable without losing focus or burning resources.
What You’ll Learn
- Why most agencies get stuck after $1M — and how to fix it
- The four foundations of a real GTM system: Audience, Offer, Messaging, Channels
- How to pick one market segment and own it (without overthinking TAM)
- Why you can’t scale custom work — and what to do instead
- The “maintenance and support” offer that helped one agency grow faster
- When to productize vs. stay bespoke
- How to make referrals and warm intros systematic, not lucky
- Why every audience–offer combo needs its own GTM strategy
- How to align sales, marketing, and delivery around the same message
👉 Want to build referrals systematically instead of relying on luck? Grab my book 📘 Relationship Sales at Scale: https://salesschema.com/book
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In this episode, Dan Englander talks with Brooke MacLean, CEO of Marketwake, one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing digital agencies and a five-time Inc. 5000 honoree. Brooke shares how she bootstrapped Marketwake from a solo consulting gig into an 80-person powerhouse serving clients like Yamaha, University of Georgia, and Machete Jewelry — all through relationships, trust, and disciplined growth.
They dig into the nuances of business development, leadership, and scaling without losing your creative spark.
🧭 What You’ll Learn
- Bootstrapping an 80-person agency: how Brooke built Marketwake with no funding and no debt
- The 15% rule: why no client should ever represent more than 15% of your revenue
- Bringing your team into sales: how involving account leads early shortens cycles and builds trust
- Time as a sales lever: why real urgency beats fake scarcity every time
- Account-based marketing, redefined: how Marketwake blends data, relationships, and timing to reach dream clients
- Referrals, chemistry, and “the spark”: how authentic connection drives growth more than any funnel hack
In this solo episode, Dan Englander breaks down a truth most agency owners quietly suspect: the majority of sales and marketing advice out there was never written for firms like yours.
Most “agency growth” tactics are built for high-volume, productized services with large addressable markets—not for boutique, complex-service agencies selling trust, nuance, and strategy to a few hundred ideal clients.
Dan calls this dynamic “The Great Mismatch.”
He unpacks why the standard playbooks fail, what constraints actually define upmarket agencies, and how to replace random referrals with a systematic, high-trust growth engine.
In this episode
• The Great Mismatch: How agency sales advice got optimized for SaaS and high-volume lead-gen firms, not for complex, relationship-driven work.
• The Three Constraints Framework: Why your resources, offer, and market size determine your best-fit growth strategy.
• The Trust Recession: Why decision-makers are slower to move, and how to build credibility in smaller, skeptical markets.
• High School Gym vs. NFL Stadium: How to visualize your true total addressable market and stop over-optimizing for scale.
• The Two-Pronged Framework: How to balance direct outreach with systematic referrals and partnerships.
• The Referral Engine Playbook: Step-by-step—identifying “Referral-Ready Connectors,” mapping your market in LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and running collaborative intro calls that produce real pipeline.
• Partnerships Without the Awkwardness: Why commission-based partner pitches don’t work and how to build trust-first collaboration loops.
Key Idea
“Most of what’s being sold as ‘agency growth’ advice assumes you have a sales team, a simple offer, and a massive market. But if your service is complex, your team is lean, and your clients are few, you need a different operating system entirely.” — Dan Englander
Resources Mentioned
Relationship Sales at Scale → salesschema.com/book
Referral Network Diagnostic Workshop → salesschema.com/diagnostic
Takeaway
For boutique agencies, growth doesn’t come from chasing more leads—it comes from getting more leverage out of the relationships you already have.
The sooner you recognize The Great Mismatch, the sooner you can build a system that actually fits your market, your team, and your offer.
Every few months, I like to pause and look back at the ideas that resonated most with agency owners on LinkedIn — the ones that got people talking, DM’ing, and quietly saying yeah, that’s been my experience too.
This episode isn’t about tactics. It’s a quick tour through the lessons that seem to keep coming up again and again in our world, the stuff we all wrestle with if we’ve been selling complex services for a long time.
Stuff I cover
- The trouble with the awkward commission pitch and a better way.
- The Low-Data Agency trap — why relying on reactive referrals clouds judgement.
- Going from reactive to proactive — what happens when you finally own your pipeline.
- The real meaning of specialization — how narrowing your market opens everything up.
- Why you should ship a “crappy” campaign and the power of imperfect action.
- The limits of intent data and why trust beats timing every time.
- Planning for an exit by dead-simple milestones.
In this episode, Dan Englander welcomeed Carl Smith, community builder and leader of The Bureau, for a wide-ranging, no-BS conversation on where the agency world is headed.
🧭 What You’ll Learn
- The “Philosophical Futurist” Mindset
How to face rapid change—especially around AI—without fear or cynicism. - Inside The Bureau
The story behind one of the most influential agency communities and how it evolved from a 24-person retreat to a 1,400-member ecosystem. - The New Agency Model: Guilds & Partnerships
Why the future favors hyper-specialized micro-teams that plug into clients like “turbo packs,” collaborating through shared KPIs and accountability—not time and materials. - The Apathy Epidemic
Why so many leaders feel burned out, how “easy mode” ended, and how to reignite autonomy, mastery, and purpose. - Rethinking Retainers & Biz Dev
Why traditional retainers may be giving way to “progress-based” models and how the best BD teams are closing deals through transparency, empathy, and calm persistence.
🔑 Quotes
“We didn’t know it then, but the early 2000s were easy mode. There was so much money and mystery around what we did. Now we have to be business people—and that’s okay.” — Carl Smith
“Some are way ahead with AI, some are stuck in the messy middle, and some still have their heads in the sand.” — Carl Smith
“If you wait for things to get back to normal, you’ll miss what is normal.”
— Carl Smith
🔗 Resources & Links
- The Bureau — thebureau.community
- Follow Carl on LinkedIn
- Connect with Dan Englander
Most agencies don’t have a lead generation problem—they have a leverage problem. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander dives deep into how agencies can grow faster by amplifying what they already have: past clients, case studies, frameworks, and relationships. Forget chasing the latest marketing fad or new sales channels; sometimes the fastest path to growth is working smarter with the assets already in your hands.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What “leverage” really means for agencies and why it’s more valuable than chasing new leads.
- The three most common areas of hidden leverage: intellectual property, positioning data, and relationships.
- How to map your network to identify referral-ready connectors and multiply opportunities.
- Practical strategies to repurpose past work, frameworks, and wins to attract new business.
- The mindset shift from more to better, focusing on improving existing assets rather than constantly seeking new channels.
- Step-by-step actions to start activating leverage immediately, from client outreach to framework publishing.
Key Takeaways:
- Inventory your assets: past clients, testimonials, frameworks, partnerships, and wins.
- Prioritize small moves that have outsized impact.
- Reconnect strategically with relationships that can introduce you to your ideal prospects.
- Use your IP and insights to scale trust, not just output.
- Focus on amplification over acquisition: sometimes growth comes from refinement, not expansion.
In this episode, I sat down with @Sharon Toerek from Innovative Agency to talk about the real shifts happening in agency business development — and the constant evolution that comes with them. We unpacked why 2025 is the year agencies need to get honest about their positioning, how trust — not information — has become the key currency, and why specialization isn’t just smart, it’s essential for survival.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome and introduction: why the agency landscape feels confusing in 2025
2:10 – The “trust recession” and why agencies are more anxious than ever
5:00 – Why information is cheap but credibility is expensive
6:30 – Specialization as a core sales lever (not just a niche tactic)
9:45 – The fear that keeps most agencies from focusing
12:00 – What ruins deals when you’re not specialized
13:30 – Why the “show, don’t tell” principle beats overblown ROI claims
15:00 – Thought leadership as a frictionless entry point
17:30 – How to build thought leadership around your ICP (not your ego)
19:00 – Should the founder always be the face of the content?
21:30 – Balancing new client acquisition with organic growth
23:00 – Dan’s “Trust Matrix” for prioritizing outbound calls
24:30 – Systematizing referrals (without being weird about it)
26:00 – The three “food groups” of agency sales
28:00 – Why most agencies over-engineer outbound and underdeliver
29:30 – What’s surprised Dan about agency sales in recent years
31:00 – What smart agency owners are doing differently
32:00 – Where AI helps — and where it’s just shiny object syndrome
34:00 – Why more agencies will start to look like consultancies soon
35:00 – Where to go to learn more about Dan’s model
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why we’re in a “trust recession” — and how it’s quietly killing cold outreach
- How to develop perspective, not just thought leadership
- Why specialization isn’t optional — it’s how you earn trust
- A practical way to turn your network into a referral engine
- The three-part system Dan recommends for reliable agency growth
- Who should own sales and content when you’re a small agency (and what to do if it’s you)
- Why agencies that ignore perspective end up sounding like everyone else
- The difference between old-school hustle and smart modern outbound
In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Brock Murray, co-founder of seoplus+, a digital marketing agency he launched back in 2012 that has grown into a 50+ person team serving clients across North America and beyond.
Brock shares the arc of his journey, from launching his first web hosting business at 14, to building seoplus+ with his partner Eddie, to scaling through multiple growth stages while navigating the challenges of delegation, client specialization, and leadership layers.
If you’re running an agency, this episode is a playbook on scaling without losing touch, adapting to seismic industry shifts like AI search, and building a growth engine that lasts.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & Brock’s early start in web hosting at age 14
1:00 – Founding seoplus+ in 2012 and partnering with Eddie
2:00 – Growth stages: from the first hire to 10, 25, and 50 employees
3:30 – The challenge of scaling culture and building management layers
5:00 – Hybrid account management and the role of AMs in sales
7:00 – Upsells, long-term relationships, and winning bigger accounts
9:30 – Balancing farming existing clients vs. chasing new ones
12:00 – Building a partner program: from 20 informal partners to 80+ active ones
15:00 – Partnerships vs. web leads vs. outbound
16:00 – Scaling from meetups to AI-focused community events
18:00 – Outbound experiments: Apollo, coffee chats, and free AI brand audits
20:00 – Structuring partnerships transparently and acquiring a partner’s business
23:00 – Fractional CMOs (VCMOs) as high-value partners
24:00 – How Brock got out of the sales seat and what made it possible
27:00 – Building trust and reach through events—local vs. national scale
30:00 – Fewer clicks from Google, more searches on ChatGPT & Gemini
32:00 – Launching Generative Engine Optimization and building AI tools internally
34:00 – Why agencies can now afford to build internal products
35:00 – The future of SEO: rebrand or double down?
37:00 – Where to connect with Brock online
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How Brock scaled seoplus+ from two partners to a 50+ person global agency.
- The “resistance line” at 50 employees and how to push through.
- Why hybrid account management can be both a strength and a bottleneck.
- How to use events as a serious new business channel (without getting stuck locally).
- Why partnerships with VCMOs and boutique agencies can lead to acquisitions.
- How outbound campaigns, coffee chats, and case studies fuel growth.
- Why clicks from Google are dropping and what Generative Engine Optimization means for agencies.
- How to leverage AI tools internally to save hundreds of hours and increase ROI.
- The looming question: does SEO need a rebrand in the age of AI?
🔗 Links & Resources
- Relationship Sales at Scale™
Most agencies live and die by referrals.
But here’s the catch:
- They usually happen randomly.
- When you do ask for intros, it feels like giving people homework.
- And even if you’re consistent, it’s hard to know where the real opportunities actually are.
In this solo episode, I share my journey from the “analog networking” days of wandering trade shows… to running hundreds of cold campaigns during the trust recession… to finally cracking the code on how to make referrals systematic, scalable, and predictable.
You’ll learn:
- Why SaaS-style sales playbooks fail for agencies
- How to map your connectors against your market to uncover hidden paths into targeted accounts
- Why reducing friction, not persuasion, makes referrals stick
- The simple weekly cadence that can turn referrals from “rain dance” to irrigation system
In this episode, I talk with @Audrey Kwan in the Small But Mighty Agency, to tackle one of the most misunderstood growth levers in agency land: referrals. Together, they unpack how trust is the new currency in a cold-lead-saturated market—and how smart agencies are building systems around referrals, not just hoping they happen.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Why cold outreach is failing and trust is everything
2:10 – The rise of trust-based selling in the agency world
5:40 – Why personalization alone isn’t enough in 2025
7:30 – How to ask for referrals the right way
9:45 – Building “circles of trust” and systems around relationships
13:00 – Using LinkedIn as a referral engine
16:00 – Why referrals still require consistency and structure
18:00 – The real reason most agency sales systems break
20:00 – Direct vs. indirect control: a smarter way to plan sales activity
22:30 – Metrics and referral math: how to reverse engineer deal flow
25:00 – Specialization as a sales advantage (and trust shortcut)
27:30 – Strategic partnerships beyond client referrals
29:00 – What kind of agencies thrive with Dan’s model
31:00 – What needs to be in place before handing off sales
33:00 – Dan’s biggest mindset shift about agency growth
34:00 – Where to learn more about Dan’s process
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why cold outreach is widening the trust gap—and what to do instead
How to turn random referrals into a repeatable, systemized sales engine
Why agency founders need to own sales before they delegate it
The one sales hire mistake that can cost you six months (and how to avoid it)
How specialization accelerates trust—and shortens your sales cycle
In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Eric Baum, founder and CEO of Blue Leads—one of the top HubSpot Solutions Partners globally.
Eric shares the full arc of his journey, from accidentally starting an agency after hacking Yellow Pages spend for his plumbing business, to scaling a team of 40+, to building one of the most successful HubSpot implementations agencies in the world.
We dig into what it actually takes to get out of the sales seat, build second-layer leadership, and scale without losing your mind.
If you're running an agency, this is a masterclass in letting go, thinking bigger, and staying relevant in a fast-changing market.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & Eric’s journey from plumbing franchises to marketing
2:30 – How $25K Yellow Pages spend turned into Blue Leads
4:00 – Betting on HubSpot before anyone cared
6:00 – From accidental agency to structured growth
9:00 – Discovering EOS and transforming the business
13:00 – Cash flow traps and scaling mistakes
16:00 – Why most agencies grow like a jigsaw puzzle
18:00 – “Inbound is broken” – what’s working now
21:00 – Strategic partnerships & the Crossbeam approach
23:30 – AI hype vs. actual implementation: where to invest
26:00 – Building your second layer of leadership
30:00 – Letting go of the vine – how to replace yourself
34:00 – What tools and platforms Eric would bet on today
37:00 – If he had to start over, here’s what he’d do
39:00 – The sales team you should’ve hired
42:00 – Where to find Eric online (and why he loves war stories)
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How Eric scaled Blue Leads into a top 5 global HubSpot partner.
- Why inbound is dying—and what’s replacing it
- The leadership move that separates scaling from stalling
- The #1 mistake agency owners make when hiring their first salesperson.
- What happened when their traffic dropped from 300K to 10K/month.
- How partnerships and AI agents are generating leads faster than cold outreach.
- The secret to staying relevant when your clients.
- Why agency growth looks like a jigsaw, not a hockey stick
Proposals can make or break your agency’s Q4 pipeline. Too vague, and prospects don’t see the value. Too detailed, and they get stuck in analysis paralysis. In this episode, Dan is joined by Joe Ardeeser, founder of Smart Pricing Table, to talk about how agencies can strike the right balance, upsell strategically, and close deals faster as the year wraps up.
Whether you’re facing slow proposals, scope creep, or undercharging, this conversation gives you practical steps to turn proposals into a growth engine for your agency.
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How to avoid the two biggest proposal mistakes: being too vague or too detailed.
- A simple framework for including upsells and add-ons without overwhelming prospects.
- Why proposals should be viewed as sales tools, not just paperwork.
- How to use clarity and transparency to build trust with brand decision-makers.
- The proposal strategies agencies can use right now to finish Q4 stronger.
This framing ties the conversation directly to timely biz dev priorities (Q4 closing, pipeline health), makes Joe’s expertise clear, and positions the episode as a tactical resource for agencies.
Links & Resources:
- Smart Pricing Table
As summer winds down, many agencies face the same problem: pipelines that dried up in July and August, and a mad dash to generate momentum before year-end. In this episode, Dan lays out a practical action plan for September outreach — how to reset your business development, stand out to brands, and build the right conversations that lead to Q4 results.
This is from Dan’s conversation with Stephen Woessner on the Sell With Authority podcast.
what you’ll learn:
- Why most agencies waste energy chasing the tiny slice of prospects “ready to buy now” — and what to do instead.
- How to build trust with brands early, before they’re even in buying mode.
- Why cold outreach often fails in today’s noisy market, and how to shift your approach.
- The real scarce resource in business development
- How to open doors with brands in a way that feels natural, not forced.
Links & Resources:
- Sell With Authority Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with Roger Nairn, CEO of JAR Podcast Solutions, to talk about how he’s grown a top-tier production agency working with brands like Amazon, Lululemon, Amex, and Cirque du Soleil.
We get into the systems, sales strategies, and creative positioning that helped him go from “no name, no business plan” to building a client list most agencies dream about.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – From hobbyist to first client in four days
02:35 – Why “just starting” beats overplanning every time
04:04 – Selling the business case for podcasts
05:12 – The hire that changed everything
07:29 – Building scalable systems with “the 8 P’s”
09:49 – Why this sales hire actually worked
11:46 – Outreach, targeting, and big-brand ABM
15:47 – How the playbook changed as the market matured
17:56 – Solving business challenges, not selling “a podcast”
22:59 – JAR’s client system: job, audience, results
24:49 – Knowing when to say no (and sticking to it)
28:45 – Finding and training podcast hosts
32:49 – The current sales process (and why Roger still cold outreaches)
35:23 – Inbound, RFPs, and fixing broken shows
39:21 – Pitching ideas based on brand news
42:03 – Balancing prospecting with live opportunities
45:04 – Making sales a leadership team effort
46:47 – What’s next for JAR
- Key Takeaways
- Waiting for the “perfect” start? That mindset kills momentum.
- Sometimes the priciest hire unlocks the biggest profit.
- Systems don’t have to be boring—they can fuel momentum.
- Selling the why gets easier when your market is educated.
- Saying no to the wrong projects creates space for the right ones.
- Outreach that’s brand-specific beats any templated campaign.
Links & Resources:
- Relationship Sales at Scale™
- Website: jarpodcasts
In this episode, I sat down with the Happy Clients Podcast to talk about what’s working in agency sales right now, without the cringe, without the outdated playbooks, and without turning you into a full-time cold caller.
Most agencies can sell for their clients all day, but when it comes to their growth, things can get messy.
I’ve spent the better part of a decade helping agencies stop relying on “hope and referrals” and start building sales systems that work.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – The “spare-time sales” trap
00:29 – Why this matters for client-facing pros
01:19 – My path into agency sales
02:20 – The scaling pain you don’t see coming
04:41 – When referrals run dry
06:10 – Inbound vs outbound today
07:04 – The trust-first approach
09:23 – Making referrals predictable
11:48 – Why cold outreach is harder now
14:13 – Accountability in sales
16:32 – Quick wins with clarity and focus
18:53 – Opportunities hiding in plain sight
20:10 – Where to find me + my book
✨ Key Points
- Why loading sales onto busy account managers fails.
- How to turn your network into a steady pipeline.
- The simple way to make introductions effortless.
- Why agencies should own sales instead of outsourcing it.
- How clarity on your ideal client changes everything.
🔗 Book a strategy call with Dan: Relationship Sales at Scale™
Checked the podcast on @dotandcompany
In this episode, I sat down with Kristen Sweeney, the founder of Every Little Word — a boutique content and communications agency that’s laser-focused on helping complex B2B orgs share what they actually know in ways that actually work.
We got into the nitty-gritty of what it means to build trust with subject matter experts, why most B2B content is fundamentally broken, and how Kristen made a huge decision to walk away from a partner that was 60% of her business.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & Kristen’s background
01:03 – From Broadway to freelance writing
03:03 – Business triples during COVID
04:48 – Treating execs like peers, not titles
06:22 – Sales copy and horizontal vs vertical relationships
07:39 – Why so much outreach reads as either bragging or begging
08:09 – Creating content that matches your ICP’s level
09:47 – Executives can smell uncertainty
11:49 – Emotions in B2B aren’t optional
14:17 – Leaving a 60% revenue partnership
16:24 – Selling to enterprise life sciences
17:07 – Building trust through intros and relationships
19:33 – Owning both sides: product and sales
21:56 – The writing on the wall after 10KSB
24:45 – Kristen’s Colby profile and systems for sales
25:50 – Why process builds confidence in sales
28:07 – Trust recession and the power of a real convo
31:43 – Why life sciences felt like home
35:25 – Balancing delivery with marketing
38:18 – Doubling down on strengths with Substack
40:00 – What Kristen’s excited about next
🔑 Some Key Takeaways
Kristen Sweeney walked away from a partner driving 60% of her revenue (on purpose), “Executives can smell fear” — and Kristen shares what actually earns their respect
Links & Resources:
Website: everylittleword.co
Relationship Sales at Scale™
In this week´s episode Stewart Gandolf joins me to talk through what it actually takes to niche down, build a sustainable agency, and scale without losing your sanity or soul. Stewart’s been in the healthcare marketing game for over two decades, and his experience building Healthcare Success into one of the top firms in the space is loaded with tactical insight.
We talk about the trap of project-based work, how to structure your agency around recurring revenue, and why most agencies screw up their first few sales hires.
🕒 Timestamps & Topics
- 00:00 — How Stewart got his start and why he doubled down on healthcare
- 03:15 — Direct mail, seminars, and the early version of inbound
- 06:40 — NLP and the psychology behind language that converts
- 11:20 — What drove their early growth (hint: it wasn’t salespeople)
- 13:40 — Why project work is a trap and how to transition to retainers
- 16:00 — Right-sized clients vs. resource-sucking whales
- 18:20 — Inbound vs. outbound: nets, spears, and the bullseye metaphor
- 21:20 — Stewart’s playbook if he were starting from scratch today
- 25:00 — Authority assets: reports, seminars, and content that build trust
- 29:10 — The daisy metaphor and avoiding entrepreneurial distraction
- 31:45 — What most agencies get wrong with their first sales hire
- 37:10 — Traits of a great agency salesperson (and why most don’t have them)
- 40:00 — When to stop being your own best salesperson
- 44:15 — Strategic partnerships and the next wave of AI opportunity
- 47:45 — Final thoughts on staying relevant when the cheese moves
A few things we covered.
- Most agency salespeople fail, not because they’re bad, but because there’s no clear positioning to sell.
Links & Resources:
- 🔗 Links & Resources
- Healthcare Success — Stewart’s agency
- Relationship Sales at Scale™
This solo episode is a deep dive into the unsexy but transformative groundwork that agency owners need to lay to build a reliable new business engine. Dan breaks down what really separates enterprise-level agencies from the ones stuck in "Cobbler’s Children" limbo — not just in terms of tactics, but in mindset, strategy, people, and execution. He shares hard-won lessons from years of running Sales Schema and coaching 200+ agencies, including how to stop waiting for referrals, start building durable outbound systems, and shift from reactive selling to a process that actually compounds.
This is for the agency owner who's sick of feast-or-famine cycles and is ready to take control of their pipeline without chasing hacks or magical software.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – The Rainforest vs. The Lion Hunt: A better metaphor for agency growth
02:00 – Introduction: Why solo episodes are the hardest, but the most needed
03:15 – The 4 Agency Growth Stages: Glorified Freelancer → Enterprise
06:00 – Specialization: Why it's now table stakes, not a nice-to-have
08:30 – TAM Thinking: Apply tech startup logic to your agency niche
10:00 – Why perspective is becoming table stakes
13:20 – You don't need to "go inward" for 6 months — talk to the market now
15:30 – Mindset: The difference between Cobbler’s Children and Enterprise thinking
20:00 – Why only 3% of your market is in-market right now.
24:00 – All marketing is interruption marketing — so do it ethically
26:00 – Why you probably don’t actually know your close rate (and how to fix that)
27:45 – Getting out of the sales seat: What really needs to be true before you hire a salesperson
30:30 – Your first two strategy projects: Thought leadership & net-new relationships
33:20 – The “balance beam” metaphor for doing outreach
35:00 – Using data + context to build non-spammy outbound lists
37:00 – What our best-performing campaigns look like
39:00 – Where real lead gen lives: Manual outreach to old prospects
42:00 – My exact reconnect email — word for word
44:00 – Wrapping up: Build something buyers want, but also build for your peace of mind
Key Points
- The Four Stages of Agency Growth
- → Glorified Freelancer → Cobbler’s Children → Transitional Agency → Enterprise
- Specialization is Now Table Stakes
- → It’s harder to win without it. But specialization doesn’t always mean verticalization.
- Perspective is the New Differentiator
- → Agencies that win aren’t just executing.
- 3% Rule of Market Timing
- → Only 3% of your market is actively buying.
- Manual Outreach is Still King
- → My highest ROI activity: emailing past prospects and lapsed clients.
- Getting Out of the Sales Seat Takes More Than Hiring a Salesperson
- → You need the wave. That means systems, clarity, and enough leads to support a new closer.
Links & Resources:
💼 Book a call with me
- Digital Agency Growth Podcast
Most agencies never crack eight figures. Mark Orttung helped one grow to $130M—by breaking every "safe" rule.
In this episode, we dive into what agency owners at the $1–5M mark can actually do to punch past the common growth ceilings.
The most important shift?
He stopped selling to job titles—and started selling to buyers with something to prove.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Why agencies need a rethink
00:36 – Mark’s background: Accenture, startups, bill.com, Nexient
02:23 – Studying AI in the 90s: symbolic vs neural nets
04:30 – Stepping into Nexient at $39M—and losing $5M first
06:59 – Early differentiation struggles and customer perception
08:29 – Building product-style squads inside a services business
10:38 – The big leap: shifting from selling people to selling outcomes
11:08 – Simplifying the pitch: “life’s too short for crappy software”
13:12 – Saying no to revenue: the scary path to focus
14:14 – Selling without data: enterprise outbound as testing lab
16:26 – Creating their own conference as a positioning feedback loop
19:34 – Cross-industry client base: healthcare to gas utilities to tech
20:25 – Specializing by service vs vertical in today’s world
24:52 – Growth “walls”: from founder-led to decentralized structure
29:21 – Change agents: how to spot internal buyers who take risks
32:40 – The next wall at 150M and why he chose to exit
36:56 – Getting ghosted on a term sheet, then driving a bidding war
40:17 – The Project Works origin story: from spreadsheet to SaaS
42:28 – Why every services firm needs better resourcing visibility
47:29 – What’s next: proposal automation, AI, and growth tooling
48:49 – Where to find Mark and Project Works
Key Points
- Why scaling past the eight figures in a services firm requires breaking the founder bottleneck
- Why “life’s too short for crappy software” became a high-converting mission
- The opportunity of building or early adopters—not the mainstream
- How to identify and win over internal change agents in large enterprises
- How Project Works helps agencies resource smarter and prevent margin leaks
- Using conferences as real-time feedback loops for positioning
- Why now is the time to apply AI to services growth ops—especially proposals
Links & Resources:
- 🔗 Links & Resources
🔗 Book a strategy call with Dan: https://salesschema.com/work-with-us/
🎙 More episodes of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast: salesschema.com/podcast
- Project Works – https://www.projectworks.com
- Connect with Mark on LinkedIn – Mark Orttung
In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth podcast, I’m joined once again by agency advisor Karl Sakas. Karl breaks down the philosophy and practice behind his new book Calm the Chaos—a leadership guide for agency owners who want to scale smart, delegate more, and reclaim time. We also explore his writing process, the parallels between art collecting and running an agency, and how to think clearly when chaos hits your business.
⏱️ Timestamps
- 00:00 – Welcome back Karl Sakas + Intro to Calm the Chaos
- 01:09 – Why leadership is the key to scaling a lifestyle agency
- 02:22 – Karl’s writing process
- 05:30 – Blog posts vs. books: Why books matter for positioning
- 07:45 – AI’s role in writing and idea development
- 08:31 – Art collecting vs. agency leadership: Taste vs. discernment
- 13:32 – The tipping point: You can’t be the answer person forever
- 16:13 – The bottleneck around delegation and how to fix it
- 21:50 – What causes chaos in an agency?
- 24:50 – Strong pipeline = better client filtering
- 29:27 – How to delegate growth and not abdicate responsibility
- 34:48 – Should you build demand gen internally or hire it out?
- 37:21 – The M&A market and how to think about valuation and exit
- 41:51 – The real drivers behind agency exits: Age, tuition, and burnout
🔗 Book a strategy call with Dan: https://salesschema.com/work-with-us/
🎙 More episodes of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast: salesschema.com/podcast
🎁 Get a free chapter of Karl’s book: bit.ly/karl-dag
Today, I talk to Todd Gagne—tech founder, startup mentor, and the guy who accidentally dropped a viral bomb on Substack after a weekend rabbit hole about GLP-1 drugs. We talk about why these weight-loss medications might be as transformative as the air conditioner, what this means for advertising, and why the next few years could upend how we think about consumer behavior, even in B2B.
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:00] – Todd’s background and startup school origins
[01:20] – How a Substack detour into GLP-1 changed everything
[03:33] – What GLP-1 drugs do, how they work, and why they matter
[05:28] – The "air conditioner moment" analogy and downstream societal effects
[07:14] – Grocery, alcohol, and aviation: second-order impacts
[10:04] – What fills the lifestyle gap?
[11:46] – The hidden threat to advertising: fewer impulses, fewer clicks
[13:52] – Are your most impulsive ad converters vanishing?
[15:15] – Even B2B isn’t safe from this shift
[17:22] – Safety data, supply constraints, and the future scale of adoption
[19:25] – Could insurance companies lead the charge on GLP-1 coverage?
[21:15] – Could 50% of ad strategies go obsolete?
[22:23] – Where to follow Todd and dig deeper
📢 Key Topics:
- GLP-1’s societal and psychological impact
- Why this isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about impulse control
- Second- and third-order effects on brands, industries, and culture
- How marketing strategies may need to evolve in a post-GLP-1 world
Links & Resources:
Visit: https://salesschema.com/work-with-us/
🔗 Learn more about Todd→ https://wildfirelabs.io/
Join Dan Englander and Jared Gibson, co-founder of Outworks, as they dive into the future of B2B marketing and explain why personal branding is the most powerful growth engine for CEOs and founders.
Discover why cold outreach is no longer enough, how authentic LinkedIn content can drive long-term trust and authority, and how busy executives can make content creation part of their routine. Jared also shares hands-on tactics for leveraging video and interviews, working smarter with teams, and setting realistic goals for lead generation through personal brands.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & welcoming Jared
01:51 – Jared’s background & launching Outworks
06:43 – Why traditional outbound no longer works
12:46 – How content & algorithms have changed on LinkedIn
18:51 – The importance of knowing your Total Addressable Market
23:35 – Making content creation a lifestyle
29:49 – What ROI looks like on LinkedIn
33:50 – Getting clients comfortable on video
35:21 – Using client interviews for content
37:21 – Jared’s partner program and new service launchTags
Links & Resources:
Visit: https://salesschema.com
🔗 Learn more about Jared→ https://www.outworks.io/
In this solo episode, Dan shares an evolved perspective on outbound strategies for boutique agency owners. Reflecting on lessons from the "Right Words to the Right People" workshop and client campaigns since, this episode offers a practical, human-centered approach to outbound that respects your time and builds real pipeline—without sacrificing trust or burning bridges.
⏱️ Time-Stamped Breakdown
00:00 – Why outbound often fails for boutique agencies
02:20 – Why small wins in copy drive big results
04:39 – The unique control and feedback loop outbound provides
06:57 – Why most agency outbound tactics are broken from the jump
09:21 – Enter the "trust recession" and how to sell like a human, not a marketer
11:39 – How to define ideal client profiles (ICPs) the right way
14:01 – The six key ingredients of effective outbound copy
14:10 – Tribe-based kinship
15:12 – Deep understanding and insider language
16:21 – Show, don’t tell authority cues
18:38 – Timeliness and aligning with the calendar
21:01 – Pattern interrupts that keep it horizontal, not hokey
22:32 – De-risking the ask and giving people an easy yes
23:20 – How to scale relevance without fake personalization
25:43 – Outbound channels: why simpler may be smarter
28:04 – Systems thinking: time blocking, trust, and the ops question
30:21 – The real definition of “sales work” (hint: it’s not just calls)
32:43 – Supporting your new business person (or yourself) to succeed
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Stop chasing MQLs, start building trust. Reframe outbound as a relationship-building engine.
- Nail your ICPs. Think in cocktail-party terms: how would your ideal client introduce themselves?
- Leverage the six trust-building ingredients in every campaign for relevance, resonance, and results.
- Outbound isn’t about spray and pray—it's about proactive control. Test fast, learn faster, and grow smarter.
- Build for sustainability. Your system should run even when you’re swamped with client work.
📌 Mentioned Resources
- saleschema.com – Request a consultation and learn how to implement this system
Are your agency's services stuck in a tangle of complexity and custom work? In this episode, Dan Englander sits down with Chris DuBois—founder of Dynamic Agency OS and creator of the Snap Offer framework—to explore how agencies can simplify their offers, build authority, and grow through repetition, not reinvention.
Chris shares how he went from infantry officer to agency CEO and ultimately to coach, helping firms move away from scattered messaging and toward a productized, high-trust, high-clarity model. You’ll learn how to evaluate your market positioning, why most agencies document broken systems too early, and how to create offers that cut through the noise.
If you're a boutique agency looking to reduce churn, build repeatable value, and earn more without more complexity—this one's for you.
🔑 Topics covered:
- The one-problem, one-solution model
- The PRISM framework for evaluating a market
- Why clarity is a sales multiplier
- The Snap Offer system (and why it outperforms lead magnets)
- Why the real bottleneck is attention—not operations
Links & Resources:
- 🔗 Learn more about Chris → https://dynamicagencyos.com/
- Visit: https://salesschema.com
How do you grow a digital agency without getting stuck in feast-or-famine cycles or boxed in by a single niche?
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander sits down with Erik J. Olson, CEO of Proxa and the force behind three specialized agencies under one umbrella. Erik walks us through his unconventional journey from civil engineering to coding in bookstores to building a portfolio of agencies with one goal: a $100M private equity exit.
You’ll learn:
- Why Erik spun off agencies instead of pivoting one
- How to identify “hall of fame” clients without over-complicating the data
- What it really takes to hire (and keep) a performing salesperson
- How AI is standardizing execution and what agency leaders should focus on instead
- Why niching isn’t risky, avoiding it is
We also dig into Erik’s sales frameworks, lessons from failed hires, and what it means to evolve from entrepreneur to operator.
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH ERIK J. OLSON:
Array Digital
Rival Digital
Crush Digital
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
What separates the agencies that consistently get referrals from those that don’t? According to Audrey Kwan, it comes down to trust equity.
In this conversation, Dan Englander talks with Audrey consultant, community builder, and founder of Agency Togetherabout how agencies can get off the feast-or-famine sales rollercoaster by building strategic partnerships, clarifying their niche, and focusing on relationships that compound over time.
Topics covered:
- Why “referral-ready” relationships are built on consistency, not chance
- The ROI of niching for insight, credibility, and collaboration
- How small agencies can thrive without growing headcount
- What’s extending sales cycles and how trust shortens them
- “Growth projects” that drive visibility and long-term differentiation
- Why clarity beats diversification, and how to evaluate your niche strategy with SWOT + PESTLE
Audrey also shares her “Trust Equity Scorecard,” a free tool that helps agency leaders assess how well-positioned they are to grow through relationships.
🔗 Get the scorecard: agencytogether.com/scorecard
🎧 Subscribe to The Digital Agency Growth Podcast for more conversations like this, where we cut through gimmicks and focus on what actually drives growth in complex-service businesses.
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH AUDREY KWAN:
Agency Together
Audrey Joy Kwan
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In this episode, Dan Englander welcomes back Nick Petroski of Promethean Research for a high-signal, data-backed deep dive into the state of the digital agency industry in 2025. From agency size trends to the truth about AI integration, Nick reveals what the numbers really say.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
They cover:
- Why sub-10-person agencies are disappearing
- The true impact (and limits) of AI in agency operations
- What’s driving the contractor surge—and what it means for margins
- Why specialization isn’t optional anymore (and how to actually do it right)
- How GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could disrupt agency-adjacent markets
- What top-performing agencies are doing differently
If you're an agency founder navigating a changing market, this episode is your strategic cheat sheet.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH NICK PETROSKI:
Promethean Research
Download Nick’s latest research report here: prometheanresearch.com
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
What do you do when referrals dry up and the market gets shaky?
In this solo episode, Dan Englander breaks down the key takeaways from his recent workshop: Implementing a Business Development System That Stands Up to Uncertainty.
You’ll learn:
- Why reactive sales keeps you stuck in volatility
- How to shift to a proactive system that builds momentum
- The 3 mindset shifts every agency needs for consistent growth
- A practical KPI framework to build sales habits (not just reports)
- How to define your ICPs without overcomplicating things
- A smarter way to run referral campaigns—no awkward asks
This episode is packed with timeless strategies, no fluff—just actionable systems for growing your agency in unpredictable times.
Want the complete Workshop?
including tools and slides. Go here
We're bringing back one of our most valuable episodes a conversation that’s just as relevant today as when it first aired.
The agency world has seen plenty of change in recent years. But with that change comes opportunity — for evolution, adaptation, and leadership. In this episode, Drew McLellan joins us to talk about the current state of the agency landscape in 2024, the importance of thought leadership, and how to build real trust with clients long before the sale.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode, Dan and Drew discuss:
- Why trust starts long before the sales conversation
- What it really takes to grow your agency sustainably
- How to position your agency as a true thought leader
- Where AI adds value (and where it doesn’t)
Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for over 30 years. He runs McLellan Marketing Group and Agency Management Institute (AMI), where he helps thousands of small and mid-sized agencies grow smarter and stronger every year.
Whether you missed this episode the first time or just need a refresher, we’re excited to bring it back. If you enjoy it, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and share your biggest takeaway with us.
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DREW MCLELLAN:
Agency Management Institute
X (formerly Twitter)
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In a world of economic uncertainty, shrinking budgets, and longer sales cycles, how do smart agencies continue to grow?
Jon Tsourakis, Co-Founder of Oyova, reveals how embracing discomfort, staying authentic, and focusing on fundamentals can transform your agency’s performance even in the hardest times.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jon Tsourakis breaks down how agencies can stay competitive by embracing adaptability, simplifying operations, and focusing on what truly drives growth in uncertain times. He shares actionable insights on refining your service offering, building stronger client relationships, and creating a resilient agency model that thrives despite market challenges.
Tune in to learn:
- Why resisting comfort is key to success
- How to adapt your biz dev strategy when outbound stops working
- The balance between automation and human connection
- Lessons from rejection and how to stay in "performance mode"
Whether you're battling slow sales or looking to future-proof your agency, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.
CONNECT WITH JON TSOURAKIS
OYOVA
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are retainers the future of agency growth?
In this episode, David Brecount — CEO and co-founder of US Digital Partners — returns to share how his agency survived and thrived over 23 years by doing the opposite of what most agencies chase: consistency over chaos, long-term strategy over shiny tactics, and relationships over quick wins.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
We talk about how he shifted from project-based work to recurring revenue, what clients actually want in today’s skeptical market, and how his team is doubling down on being human in a noisy, AI-dominated landscape.
Whether you're an agency founder or a sales leader selling complex services, this is a blueprint for sustainable growth.
🔍 What we cover in this episode:
– Why they transitioned from projects to retainers
– How to sell strategy (not just deliverables)
– Navigating economic uncertainty without panicking
– The “physical therapy” mindset behind real marketing
– Why pricing transparency ≠ trust
– AI hype vs. human creativity
– And… why they ditched open office culture for private spaces
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAVID BRECOUNT
US DIGITAL PARTNERS
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In this special episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, we’re featuring Dan Englander's recent guest appearance on the Revenue Rehab podcast with Brandi Starr.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Dan, founder of Sales Schema and host of this show, dives into the challenges agencies face in today’s low-trust, high-noise landscape. He and Brandi explore why traditional outbound strategies are breaking down, how to rethink your sales approach to win trust faster, and how to build systems that scale without losing the human touch.
This conversation is packed with real examples, strategic frameworks, and practical advice to help agency leaders sell complex services more effectively in 2025 and beyond.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why response rates are dropping—and how to adapt your strategy
- How to identify “relationship triggers” and use them to book more meetings
- The downside of over-automation and what to do instead
- How agencies can de-risk outreach in low-trust environments
- The key roles your team needs to scale personalized outreach
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH BRANDI STARR:
Tegrita
Revenue Rehab
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Many agencies focus heavily on new business, chasing logos and cold leads—while the biggest growth opportunity is already in front of them. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander is joined by Matt Pensinger, founder of Accelerate Advisors and former EVP at Jack Morton, to talk about how agencies can stop leaving money on the table and start expanding inside existing accounts.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Drawing from over a decade of experience working with major brands like McDonald’s, P&G, and Diageo, Matt shares how agency leaders can build deeper relationships, navigate client-side politics, and turn trust into long-term revenue. You’ll also learn why in-housing doesn't have to mean losing the account, how to build a win-back campaign, and what separates the agencies that stay top-of-mind from the ones that don’t.
This week’s episode is all about building client trust, navigating internal change, and unlocking untapped growth within your current book of business.
In this episode, Dan and Matt discuss the following:
- Why agencies over-prioritize new business and overlook their biggest asset
- The importance of relationship mapping inside complex client organizations
- What to do when your point of contact leaves the company
- When churn is actually a good thing
- How to re-engage lapsed clients with a win-back strategy
- Why origin stories and strategic perspective matter in pitches
- How to have better conversations around in-housing and agency value
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MATT PENSINGER:
Jack Morton Worldwide
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner or marketer, keeping up with rapid changes in SEO and AI can feel like chasing a moving target. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brandon Leibowitz, founder of SEO Optimizers, joins Dan to share practical advice on evolving SEO strategies, leveraging AI without sacrificing creativity, and scaling an agency that stands the test of time.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brandon Leibowitz emphasizes the importance of combining long-term strategy with adaptability. He shares actionable steps for balancing business development and fulfillment, building effective systems, and delegating with confidence.
Brandon Leibowitz is the founder of SEO Optimizers, a digital marketing agency helping small and medium-sized businesses increase their online visibility and drive measurable results. With nearly two decades of experience, Brandon has been featured in Entrepreneur, Yahoo, and other top publications, and now helps agency owners stay competitive in an ever-evolving market.
In this episode, Dan and Brandon discuss:
- How AI is changing SEO and what agencies need to know
- Why schema remains critical for visibility in AI-powered search
- The balance between using AI and human creativity in content creation
- Strategies for business development and branding
- How to build SOPs, delegate effectively, and scale sustainably
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH BRANDON LEIBOWITZ
SEO Optimizers
Youtube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner or B2B service provider, navigating today’s rapidly shifting buyer behavior can feel challenging. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander joins Nikki Rausch on The Sales Maven Podcast for a dynamic conversation on the trust recession and how businesses can adapt to succeed in 2025 and beyond.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan shares the importance of having a clear vision and understanding long-term goals in order to make informed decisions, seek the right partnerships, and stay ahead of shifting trends.
In this episode, Dan and Nikki discuss:
- The evolution from scaling-focused goals to exit-focused planning.
- How disillusionment in the market has created a trust recession.
- Why businesses need to leverage scarcity and authentic connections.
- The role of secret languages and industry terminology in sales.
- How to future-proof your sales process and stand out.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast. Share your key takeaways with us!
Connect with Nikki Rausch:
Sales Maven
Sales Maven Podcast
Connect with Dan Englander:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner, it’s easy to focus on lead generation and ignore what happens after someone enters your funnel. But neglecting the middle of the funnel could be the biggest mistake that's costing you clients. Brandi Starr, COO at Tegrita and host of the Revenue Rehab podcast, joins us this week to share how agencies can fix this common gap and build stronger sales pipelines.
With over 20 years of experience working with B2B companies, Brandi shares how agencies can better align sales and marketing, optimize their client journey, and finally stop losing prospects in the middle of the funnel.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brandi Starr shares insights on the role of middle-of-funnel marketing, how to define “sales-ready” leads, and why so many agencies struggle to move prospects from interest to action. She also explains what CMOs are really looking for when working with agency partners.
Brandi is the COO at Tegrita, a consultancy that helps companies unlock the power of email marketing, and she’s been named one of the Top 50 Women in MarTech. She also hosts the Revenue Rehab podcast, where she explores the tough conversations marketing leaders need to have.
In This Episode, Dan and Brandi Discuss:
- The middle-of-funnel mistake that’s costing agencies clients — and how to fix it
- Why agencies struggle to move leads from interest to sale — and how to change that
- What CMOs and marketing leaders really want from agencies today
- How to align sales and marketing around a true "sales-ready" definition
- Why focusing only on lead generation isn’t enough — and how to build trust that closes deals
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast — and let me know your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH BRANDI STARR:
Tegrita
Revenue Rehab
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner, have you ever stopped doing something that used to work — even though you knew it was effective? You’re not alone. In this solo episode, Dan Englander, CEO of Sales Schema, shares hard truths about why agencies unintentionally sabotage their own growth, from drifting away from proven processes to falling into the trap of over-optimizing for “buyers” instead of building real relationships.
Dan combines some of his most popular LinkedIn insights into a single episode, giving you a frank, behind-the-scenes look at what’s working and what’s not for agency business development in 2025.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan covers:
- Why agency owners drift away from successful strategies — and how to course correct
- The dangers of relying too heavily on referrals and reactive sales
- Why specialization isn’t static — and how niches keep evolving
- How to break through “head trash” and false assumptions that block new business
- The truth about outbound KPIs and why just one conversation per day can transform your agency
- The biggest mistake agencies make with intent data — and how to fix it
- What agencies can learn from rock bands, jiu-jitsu, and even elite marathon runners
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by financial uncertainty, longer sales cycles, and unpredictable revenue. Ryan Watson, Partner at Upsourced Accounting, joins us this week to share key financial strategies agencies need to stay profitable and sustainable. With deep expertise in outsourced finance and CFO advisory, Ryan breaks down how agencies can navigate financial turbulence and position themselves for long-term success.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Ryan Watson shares insights into financial trends, revenue challenges, and the biggest profitability mistakes agencies are making today. He also highlights the key strategies that separate thriving agencies from those struggling to stay afloat.
Ryan is the Partner at Upsourced Accounting, a firm specializing in outsourced finance and CFO advisory for agencies. With years of experience working with creative and digital businesses, he helps agencies optimize their financial strategies to achieve scalable growth.
In This Episode, Dan and Ryan Discuss:
- The balance between standardizing financial processes and preserving agency flexibility
- The biggest financial mistakes agencies make (and how to fix them)
- How longer sales cycles and economic uncertainty are impacting agency growth
- The importance of repeatable revenue streams for long-term financial stability
- How founders should approach financial decision-making and profitability optimization
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH RYAN WATSON:
Upsourced
Upsourced Youtube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
Selling isn’t just about persuasion—it’s about connection. Nikki Rausch, founder of Sales Maven and an expert in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) for sales, joins us this week to share her insights on building trust, guiding conversations effectively, and closing deals with confidence.
Nikki breaks down the psychology behind successful sales interactions, how small communication shifts can create a big impact, and why sales isn’t something you do to people—it’s something you do with them. She also walks us through her Selling Staircase framework, a step-by-step process for guiding prospects toward a confident “yes” without resorting to high-pressure tactics.
This week, episode 250 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about mastering authentic sales, building trust with NLP techniques, and selling with confidence in a competitive market!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Nikki Rausch shares why your word choice, tone, and body language matter more than you think—and how to adjust them to create stronger client relationships. Plus, she provides actionable strategies to help you recognize buying signals, lead productive sales conversations, and sell in a way that feels natural and comfortable.
Nikki Rausch is the founder of Sales Maven and the host of the Sales Maven Podcast. With over 25 years of selling experience and extensive training in NLP, she has helped countless business owners transform the way they approach sales. She’s also the author of three books and a sought-after speaker in the sales and marketing space.
In this episode, Dan and Nikki discuss the following:
- How small shifts in communication can dramatically impact sales outcomes.
- The Selling Staircase framework and how to guide prospects through the buying process.
- Why word choice, body language, and tone matter in sales conversations.
- How to recognize and act on buying signals to close deals more effectively.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH NIKKI RAUSCH
Sales Maven
Sales Maven Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
What does it take to scale, sell, and sustain a thriving agency?
As an agency owner, finding the right balance between structure and creativity can be a challenge. Spencer Gallagher, founder of Cactus and co-author of Agencynomics, joins us this week to share his insights on scaling agencies, building long-term value, and navigating the ever-changing industry landscape. Spencer dives into the importance of treating your agency as an asset, leveraging data and AI, and understanding how top agencies position themselves for acquisition.
This week, episode 249 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about scaling smarter, increasing agency value, and staying ahead in the evolving digital landscape!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode, Spencer Gallagher shares the key factors that separate agencies that successfully exit from those that don’t—and how to build a business that buyers actually want. He also breaks down the biggest shifts happening in the agency world and how owners can adapt to thrive.
Spencer Gallagher is the founder of Cactus, a consulting firm specializing in helping agencies scale and prepare for acquisition. He built and sold his own agency, Blue Halo, and now advises agency owners on growth, operations, and maximizing business value.
In this episode, Dan and Spencer discuss:
- The #1 mistake agency owners make when scaling—and how to avoid it.
- Why data and AI-driven agencies are in high demand.
- How to structure your agency for long-term growth and a successful exit.
- The future of agency business models and why adaptability is key.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH SPENCER GALLAGHER:
Cactus
Agencynomics
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
The proposal process can be one of the biggest bottlenecks for agencies, leading to lost deals, scope creep, and unnecessary stress. Joe Ardeeser, founder of Smart Pricing Table, joins us to share how agencies can streamline proposals, close deals faster, and maximize profitability.
Joe covers how agencies can eliminate inefficiencies, standardize their pricing, and leverage upsells to maximize every opportunity. This week, episode 248 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is all about optimizing your proposal process and closing deals faster!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joe Ardeeser shares insights on how agencies can improve their proposal workflows, reduce wasted time, and increase conversions by creating structured, client-friendly proposals that sell.
Joe Ardeeser is a former agency owner with over 12 years of experience working with brands like Bluetooth, Scantron, and T-Mobile. Now, as the founder of Smart Pricing Table, he’s helping agencies revolutionize their sales process with interactive proposal software designed for efficiency and profitability.
In this episode, Dan and Joe discuss the following:
- The biggest mistakes agencies make with proposals—and how to fix them
- How to create a sales catalog to speed up and standardize your pricing
- The power of upsells and add-ons to increase deal size effortlessly
- Why proposal review meetings can significantly boost your close rate
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast. Let us know your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JOE ARDEER:
Smart Pricing Table website
Free Guide
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
Are you looking for a fresh way to get ahead in a competitive market? Greg Brooks, a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in professional poker, shares game-changing insights on how to leverage strategic thinking, risk assessment, and calculated decision-making to transform your agency’s revenue.
In this illuminating conversation, Greg takes us through the key parallels between poker and agency growth—revealing how to apply a winning mindset in everything from client acquisition to team leadership. This week, The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is all about embracing the art of strategic planning and risk management!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Greg dives into the importance of mapping out a clear plan before going “all in,” helping agencies avoid costly missteps. He also outlines practical steps you can take right now to identify quality leads, streamline decision-making, and ensure that your agency’s growth efforts are rooted in both data and instinct.
Greg comes from a world where one bold move can make—or break—a game. Having successfully transitioned his poker acumen to the agency space, Greg now guides other owners on how to balance strategic creativity with calculated risk. Whether you’re looking to improve your closing rate, enhance client relationships, or simply avoid “gambling” on untested tactics, this episode offers a masterclass in stepping up to the table with confidence.
In this episode, Dan and Greg discuss the following:
- Bringing a poker mindset to business and how risk tolerance can spark innovative strategies.
- The value of data-driven decisions—why going “all in” requires both gut instinct and solid facts.
- Developing a flexible yet focused approach to client outreach, ensuring every lead is high-value.
- Empowering teams with a winning perspective so everyone plays a part in driving agency success.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast—and be sure to share your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH GREG BROOKS:
SEARCHTIDES
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
As an agency owner, transitioning from referrals to a scalable sales system can feel overwhelming. In this special episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, our host Dan Englander takes the guest seat on Agency Bites with Steve Guberman to share actionable insights and strategies for agency growth. This week, episode 246 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building trust, creating scalable sales systems, and transitioning from owner-led sales to predictable growth!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander discusses the challenges agencies face with owner-led sales and over-reliance on referrals. He shares actionable strategies to build trust, segment your market, and create scalable systems for predictable revenue growth. Steve Guberman is the Founder of Agency Outsight and host of Agency Bites, where he helps creative entrepreneurs build thriving agencies. With a focus on balancing creativity and operational efficiency, Steve empowers agency owners to overcome challenges, refine their processes, and achieve sustainable growth. Through his coaching and podcast, Steve delivers actionable insights for agency leaders navigating today’s competitive landscape.In this episode, Dan and Steve cover topics like:
- How to overcome the limitations of referral-based growth.
- Building trust through personalized outreach and clear targeting.
- Creating a scalable sales system before hiring a dedicated salesperson.
- Strategies for transitioning owner-led sales to a team-driven approach.
- The importance of clarity and segmentation in outbound sales.
If you’re an agency owner looking to streamline your sales process and grow sustainably, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you build a foundation for success.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH STEVE GUBERMAN:
Outsight
YouTube
Agency Bytes podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
As an agency owner, navigating the challenges of growth in a competitive landscape can feel overwhelming. Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI, joins us today to share his expert insights on adapting to industry changes and building a foundation for long-term success. This week, episode 245 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about transforming content creation, embracing specialization, and leveraging AI to strengthen agency-client relationships.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. In this training, you’ll learn how to secure qualified appointments consistently with highly targeted and tasteful email outreach.
In this episode, Stephen Woessner discusses the importance of treating your agency like your best client, creating cornerstone content, and fostering trust through effective team structures and metrics-driven strategies.
Stephen Woessner is the CEO of Predictive ROI, a consultancy focused on helping agencies build authority and generate consistent revenue through content-driven strategies. With a deep understanding of agency operations and the evolving market, Stephen provides actionable advice for scaling your business.
In this episode, Dan and Stephen cover:
- The benefits of building a dedicated internal team to handle your agency’s content.
- Why specialization is key to standing out in a crowded market.
- How AI is reshaping agency operations and client expectations.
- The journey from being a vendor to a trusted strategic partner.
- Practical steps to measure ROI and ensure your content efforts generate revenue.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast share your key takeaways with us!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH STEPHEN WOESSNER:
PREDICTIVE ROI
Sell with Authority Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander chats with Marketing Max, a former Wall Streeter turned 7-figure agency founder, about the challenges of building a marketing agency, the power of niching down, and how clarity can unlock scalable growth.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Max shares his journey from bombing his Series 7 exam to building and eventually selling an award-winning agency. Along the way, he tackled the common struggles of agency owners: juggling too many services, inconsistent cash flow, and the fear of saying no to clients. By embracing specialization and focusing on high-impact services, Max was able to double his revenue and achieve sustainable growth.
If you’ve ever wondered how to simplify your business, find your niche, and scale on your own terms, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you move forward.
Key Takeaways
- The Risks of Being a Jack-of-All-Trades: How offering too many services can dilute your value and make scaling nearly impossible.
- The Power of Niching Down: Why focusing on one or two high-impact services not only simplifies operations but also accelerates revenue growth.
- The Role of ROI in Decision-Making: Learn how Max used impact and profit margin to identify the most valuable services for his agency.
- Building Systems for Predictable Growth: How treating your agency like a business (not a glorified job) unlocks new opportunities.
- Staying Top of Mind with Newsletters: Why newsletters are a powerful tool for nurturing leads and building trust in a cost-effective way.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MARKETING MAX
Marketing Max
Marketing Max Podcast YT
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.
As an agency owner, it can be easy to feel stuck in the mid-six-figure range, unsure how to intentionally grow your business. Melissa Lohrer, CEO and founder of Waverly Ave Consulting, is here today to share her insights on rethinking the traditional agency model and building a solid foundation for growth. Melissa emphasizes the importance of niching down and specializing, understanding your financial goals, and more. This week, episode 243 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about rethinking the traditional agency model and founder-led sales!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Melissa Lohrer shares the importance of having a clear vision and financial goals to make informed decisions about client fit and actionable steps you can take right now to seek partnerships and opportunities for collaboration.
Melissa Lohrer is the CEO & Founder of Waverly Ave. Consulting, an independent consulting business built for modern agencies, rethinking the traditional agency model and giving agency owners a runway for growth. After spending 13 years working inside agencies, Melissa decided to start her own business to redefine what success means in the creative world.
In this episode, Dan and Melissa discuss the following:
- The balance between standardizing processes in agencies and preserving creativity.
- Specialization and how it can lead to increased pricing and simplified operations.
- The importance of partnerships and collaboration in the agency space, rather than viewing competitors as threats.
- How founders should continue to drive the vision and be involved in the sales process, even with a dedicated salesperson.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MELISSA LOHRER:
Waverly Ave. Consulting
Agency Darlings podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Ever wondered how a SaaS company successfully pivots to a full-service agency model? In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast, we sit down with Kevin Lee, the marketing mad scientist and CEO of Didit, a digital agency with a fascinating 25-year history. Kevin shares the inside scoop on Didit's evolution from a SaaS platform to a full-service agency, the strategic thinking behind their 11 acquisitions, and the challenges of balancing sales growth with maintaining service quality. This week, episode 242 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about balancing innovation, agency operations, and growth!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Kevin Lee shares the importance of understanding your client roster so that you can make better long-term decisions and actionable steps you can take today to find a balance between your number of clients and staff size.
Kevin Lee Co-Founded Didit, a leading digital-first marketing firm, in 1996. He also founded GivingForward.org, a cause-marketing nonprofit focused on generating revenues for other nonprofits. Previously to Giving Forward, Kevin founded We-Care, a cause marketing platform that generated over $8 million for nonprofits, becoming the “inspiration” for Amazon SMILE ($350 million in donations). Kevin is also the CEO of the eMarketing Association. Kevin invents marketing technology solutions for Didit clients and has written 4 books, spoken at more than 500 events, and published 700+ articles on marketing.
In this episode, Dan and Kevin Lee discuss the following:
- The evolution of an agency from SaaS to full service.
- Challenges and wins from multiple business acquisitions.
- The importance of diversifying your client base to your comfort level.
- Balancing your passions with your business responsibilities.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH KEVIN LEE:
Didit
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you struggling to stand out in what feels like a saturated market? Brent Weaver, the founder and CEO of UGURUS, has the answers you need. In this insightful episode, Brent dives deep into the power of specialization for digital agencies, sharing how his team has navigated 13 different niches to find unparalleled success. He also offers a glimpse into the future, exploring how agencies can harness the power of AI to drive capacity, revenue, and profit gains. This week, episode 241 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about embracing specialization and the power of niche focus!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brent Weaver shares the importance of specialization for digital agencies to improve performance and actionable steps you can take right now to educate prospects and help them understand their challenges in sales calls.
Brent Weaver is on a mission to help 10,000 digital agency owners achieve freedom in business and life by helping them own their market. Brent is the founder and CEO of UGURUS, a business training and education company dedicated to this mission. He also hosts one of the leading podcasts in the business niche—The Digital Agency Show. Brent is in partnership with UnlimitedWP—a scalable white label WordPress development team to help digital agencies grow without all the headaches of hiring and managing people. He is also a Brand Ambassador for Cloudways, a WordPress hosting company, helping them evangelize their platform.
In this episode, Dan and Brent discuss the following:
- The challenges of changing specialization, including changing your landing pages and copy.
- Focusing on where your leads and traffic are coming from, not just your website copy.
- Providing value to clients through flexibility and reducing the number of hops in communication.
- The evolving role of sales and helping prospective clients make informed decisions, rather than using persuasion.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH BRENT WEAVER:
UGURUS
The Digital Agency Show
YouTube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Even if selling your agency is not first on your priority list, you should plan for it long before ever setting the wheels in motion. Karl Sakas is here today to share critical advice for agency owners considering an exit. From planning your post-deal activities to differentiating your agency in a crowded market, Karl provides a roadmap for maximizing the value of your business and ensuring a smooth transition.
He also covers the three A's framework for managing your team, the power of vertical specialization, and the existential questions you must address before handing over the reins. This week, episode 240 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about navigating agency growth and exits and calming the chaos.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Karl Sakas shares the importance of planning for an exit well before initiating it and actionable steps you can take right now to communicate and problem-solve with your employees effectively.
Karl Sakas helps digital agency owners ‘Work Less’ and ‘Earn More’... while rewarding their best employees. Drawing on his background in agency operations, Karl has personally advised hundreds of agencies on every inhabited continent. An international speaker, he is the author of three books—including "Work Less, Earn More"—and more than 450 articles on agency management. When he’s not helping clients, Karl volunteers as a bartender on an antique train.
In this episode, Dan and Karl discuss the following:
- Current trends in the agency business, including slower growth.
- Emphasizing the marketing efforts you can sustain rather than trying to do everything.
- Planning for an exit early to avoid difficulties down the road.
- The three A’s framework for navigating team communication.
Don’t forget to sign up to follow the release of Karl’s new book, Calm The Chaos! Also, head to Karl’s website to access his Control (And Maximize) Your Agency Exit training, and use the code SALESSCHEMA for a discount.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH KARL SAKAS:
Website
X (formerly Twitter)
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In the past few years, we’ve seen significant changes in the agency world, from the rise of AI impacting our businesses to seeing the marketing strategies pushed by big firms no longer producing results for many agencies. In this insightful episode, Max Traylor, an ex-agency owner and industry expert, shares his valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of the agency world.
Max covers the critical importance of gaining access to strategic conversations with clients, the challenges of doubling versus 10x-ing a business, the impact of AI on commoditized services, and more. This week, episode 239 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about leveraging productization and maintaining strategic relationships!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Max Traylor shares the importance of including people with industry experience in strategic conversations to gain access to board meetings and high-level discussions, and actionable steps you can take right now to gain a clear perspective on what growth means to you and your agency.
Max Traylor is an ex-agency owner and professional paintballer turned scratch golfer & father of two who writes an Agency Survival Guide book series and helps dozens of agencies expand their client relationships using productized consulting services.
In this episode, Dan and Max discuss the following:
- Parallels between paintball and business, including that different levels of success require different skills and mindsets.
- Why doubling a business requires significantly more effort than achieving 10x growth.
- Challenges and opportunities in the current market, including the skills gap and the need for education and mentorship.
- The importance of treating services like products to achieve operational efficiency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MAX TRAYLOR:
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you struggling to cut through the noise and connect with your ideal clients? You’re not the only one. In the ever-changing world of outbound sales, it can be difficult to know the best ways to niche down and connect with your ideal clients. Adam Robinson is here this week to share his unique perspective on the changing landscape of sales and marketing, emphasizing the power of organic social media content and the importance of building trust with prospects.
From his unconventional branding approach to his transparent, storytelling-driven content strategy, Adam offers a refreshing take on how agencies and B2B service providers can adapt to the evolving demands of today's buyers. This week, episode 238 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about navigating the evolving landscape of outbound sales!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Adam Robinson shares the importance of building trust and personalized outreach and actionable steps you can take right now to stand out in your market.
Adam Robinson is the Founder/CEO of Retention.com and RB2B. Adam bootstrapped Retention.com to $22m ARR in 4 years by helping ecommerce stores identify their anonymous website visitors and send them triggered emails. He launched RB2B in March of 2024 to help SaaS companies identify anonymous website visitors and see their LinkedIn profiles in Slack for free! Adam lives in Austin, TX with his wife Helen and daughter Emma.
In this episode, Dan and Adam discuss the following:
- The benefits of identifying anonymous site visitors and sending LinkedIn profiles to Slack.
- The concept of humanizing data and the impact of seeing a face on a site visit.
- The decline of cold outreach and the increasing importance of inbound and organic social media content.
- Adam’s perspective on LinkedIn evolving into an edutainment platform and its impact on content creation.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH ADAM ROBINSON:
Retention.com
RB2B
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As an agency owner, you know the challenges of standing out in a crowded market and driving consistent growth. From navigating changing client demands to optimizing your operations, the path to success can feel elusive. Nick Petroski, founder of Promethean Research, shares the data-driven insights that are helping leading agencies overcome these obstacles and achieve remarkable growth. This week, episode 237 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building resilient agencies in a rapidly changing market!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Nick Petroski shares the foundational elements agencies should have, strategies that generate revenue for their clients and the operational shifts that fuel an agency’s success.
Nicholas Petroski is the founder of Promethean Research. Since 2015, he has helped over 100 digital agency owners better understand their industry and chart more effective paths to success. Before co-founding Promethean, Nick worked as an equity analyst at a Wall Street firm covering the enterprise software and semiconductor industries.
In this episode, Dan and Nick Petroski discuss the following:
- How the level of sophistication in the agency industry has evolved over the past decade.
- Characteristics of successful "boutique" agencies today.
- The benefits of specialization and deep industry expertise.
- The shift towards a consultative, relationship-based approach to revenue generation.
- The value of using data and research to inform strategic decision-making.
Whether you're looking to specialize your offerings, improve your sales process, or build a more efficient delivery model, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to take your agency to the next level.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH NICK PETROSKI:
Promethean Research
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
One of the biggest challenges agency owners and their teams face when it comes to business development is how to open doors efficiently, build meaningful relationships, and fill your sales pipeline without getting bogged down by a slow, one-by-one approach.
Dan recently had the opportunity to guest on the Sell with Authority podcast hosted by Stephen Woessner to talk about Sales Schema’s strategies to find commonalities between you and your potential clients, our approach to effective testing with smaller B2B sample sizes, and more. We’re happy to present that episode for you today. This week, episode 236 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to balance personalization and scale.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Stephen Woessner share the importance of building trust with potential clients through relationship-building and actionable steps you can take right now to identify commonalities you share with your potential clients.
Stephen Woessner is the CEO and President of Predictive ROI, a company that offers community, coaching, and turnkey services to help you lead and grow your business strategically. Stephen is also the co-author of Sell With Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency's Authority Position. For over 25 years, Stephen has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business.
In this episode, Dan and Stephen discuss the following:
- How outbound marketing can fine-tune your overall marketing efforts.
- Why agency owners should offload tasks to build an effective outreach system.
- The ideal team setup for outbound marketing.
- The role of testing in outbound marketing and the importance of running campaigns over a period of time.
Don’t forget to get your hand on a copy of Stephen’s book, Sell With Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency's Authority Positiontoday!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH STEPHEN WOESSNER:
Predictive ROI
Sell with Authority podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Hourly billing is incredibly common throughout the agency space. We’ve all seen it, paid for it, and probably have priced our work that way at one point as well. But hourly billing is not great for anyone involved in the transaction: those providing the service find themselves hitting a ceiling and unable to scale, while clients worry about how many hours a project will take and whether or not the quoted price is actually what they’ll pay. Jonathan Stark is here today to present the full case against hourly billing and guide us in what our pricing models should be instead. This week, episode 235 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about ditching hourly billing and embracing value-based pricing!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jonathan Stark shares the importance of understanding the value clients get from your contributions and how to package that value for sale. and actionable steps you can take right now to start targeting specific industries to get more leads.
Jonathan Stark is a former software developer who is on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. He is the author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts, the host of Ditching Hourly, and writes a daily newsletter on pricing for independent professionals.
In this episode, Dan and Jonathan discuss the following:
- How hourly pricing can lead to a ceiling on income and limits the ability to scale.
- The benefits of specialization and how it can lead to more productization.
- The importance of positioning yourself as the one and only expert in your niche.
- Ways to start shifting to project or performance-based pricing.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JONATHAN STARK:
Value Pricing Bootcamp
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you struggling to cut through the noise and get your outreach messages noticed by the right prospects? Many businesses, especially agencies and B2B service providers, find it challenging to craft effective outreach copy that actually leads to meaningful conversations and new opportunities.
In episode 234 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast this week, Dan shares a sneak peek into his upcoming workshop, "The Right Words to the Right People." He dives deep into the strategies and tactics you can use to elevate your outreach game and connect with your ideal clients.
In our The Right Words to the Right People Workshop, learn how we craft email copy that secures meetings with skeptical decision-makers without spam or burnout.
In this episode, Dan discusses these key takeaways:
- The importance of building a solid foundation for your outreach by mapping your total addressable market and segmenting your target audience
- How to leverage personalization and commonalities to build trust and kinship with your prospects
- Techniques for demonstrating a deep understanding of your target market through your outreach copy
- The power of "showing, not telling" to provide inarguable evidence of your expertise
- Strategies for creating a sense of timeliness and using pattern interrupts to make your outreach stand out
- Tips for de-risking your outreach and reducing the perceived barriers to engagement
Whether you're looking to scale your agency's new business efforts or boost the effectiveness of your B2B prospecting, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you craft outreach copy that resonates with the right people and drives meaningful results.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Building a strong client base is a significant goal for any agency to continue to scale. However, acquiring new business is not a one-size-fits-all situation in the agency space. Business development comes in many shapes and sizes, and what works for a ten-person team likely won’t be as effective for a 100-person company. A friend of the show, Jody Sutter, is here this week to talk about her experiences in business development, the four business personalities, overcoming the fear of sales, and more! This week, episode 233 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about unlocking the secrets to building a thriving new business culture for your agency.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jody Sutter shares the importance of efining the agency's new business ecosystem, including its promise to clients and actionable steps you can take right now to break down the hesitancy in embracing sales, particularly the fear of rejection.
Jody Sutter is the owner of The Sutter Company, a business development coaching and advisory firm, and the inventor of the BUILD WIN SCALE™ system, a step-by-step process designed to help leaders of small marketing agencies identify and activate their natural talents for sales and marketing, leading to a sustainable approach to winning new business. She started The Sutter Company after more than two decades of running business development teams for agencies, large and small and spanning a diverse list of disciplines. They’ve included R/GA, OMD, Havas Media and The VIA Agency. Equal parts storyteller and problem-solver, she knows how to prescribe the tools and techniques that are right for your agency to get your prospects to say “yes”.
In this episode, Dan and Jody discuss the following:
- The importance of taking consistent action and being willing to try different approaches.
- Jody’s four business personality roles and how they approach business development.
- Moving past rejection and onto the next business opportunity without deterring the agency.
- Building systems for long-term sales success.
Don’t forget to check out Jody’s book, A Small Agency’s Guide to Winning New Business: 8 Steps to Winning More of the Right Kinds of Clients on Amazon.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digital Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JODY SUTTER:
X (formerly Twitter)
The Sutter Company
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
With a current economic downturn affecting agencies with slowed growth and uncertainty, many owners likely feel less than stellar about their businesses. But rather than get discouraged, now is the time to focus on strategic positioning, client retention, and, most importantly, your self-esteem and confidence in yourself and your agency. Steve Guberman is with us today, using his over 25 years in the creative, marketing, advertising, and PR industry, including a decade spent running and eventually selling his successful agency, to share insights into avoiding low self-esteem, avoiding burnout, defining your agency’s unique goals, and more. This week, episode 232 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about overcoming burnout and building successful agencies!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Steve Guberman shares the importance of setting boundaries and honoring personal values to avoid burnout and actionable steps you can take right now to document your sales process to get the agency owner out of the sales seat.
With over 25 years in the creative, marketing, advertising, and public relations industry, including a decade spent running and eventually selling his own successful agency, Steve Guberman now channels his expertise into coaching agency owners. As the founder of Agency Outsight, Steve helps owners unearth their challenges, define their goals, and conquer them all, enabling them to build and run the agency of their dreams.
In this episode, Dan and Steve discuss the following:
- Recognizing past successes to combat low self-esteem and imposter syndrome as an agency owner.
- Focusing on showing more value and relevance to clients in a mature market.
- Time blocking and documenting sales processes as essential tools for managing workload and reducing stress.
- The importance of systematizing sales processes to free up the owner's time and grow the agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH STEVE GUBERMAN:
Outsight
YouTube
Agency Bytes podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
It’s common for merging and acquisition to be on an agency owner’s mind from the very beginning, even if it is not part of their original goals. Even if you find yourself still wanting to scale your business before selling, it’s never too early to start taking steps that will make the M&A process easier down the road. Jonathan Baker is here today to share how the M&A landscape looks right now, what factors into valuation decisions, the importance of patience in the process, and more. This week, episode 231 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about preparing your agency for a successful acquisition!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jonathan Baker shares the importance of patience in the M&A process and actionable steps you can take right now to start preparing your agency for acquisition, well before valuation.
Jonathan Baker is the Practice Lead of the M&A practice at Punctuation, a small consultancy focused exclusively on servicing creative, digital, and marketing services firms. After starting his carrer in marketing strategy and positioning, Jonathan left in 2011 to pursue his own business, Monday Night Brewing. Along with two business partners,he has grown the craft brewery to five locations and nto one of the largest craft breweries in the nation by volume. My focus has been on marketing, sales, and taprooms. Jonathan recently stepped out of the day-to-day at Monday Night to work with his father David to grow Punctuation.
In this episode, Dan and Jonathan discuss the following:
- COVID’s impact on agency goals due to vulnerability.
- Focusing on a few key lead generation activities instead of spreading yourself thin.
- The importance of patience in the M&A process.
- Challenges that can ruin a deal last minute.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JONATHAN BAKER:
Punctuation
Monday Night Brewing
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Every agency owner wants to make sure that their business is as profitable as possible. But as an agency grows and there are more clients and employees to take care of and line items to consider, how do we peel back the layers to discover what’s holding us back from being more profitable? Marcel Petitpas is back again this week to share his insights into improving your profitability, positioning your agency, and more. This week, episode 230 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about strategies for improving delivery margin and agency profitability!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Marcel Petitpas shares the importance of positioning and niching down and actionable steps you can take right now to ensure you’re managing costs effectively in order to improve your profit margins.
Marcel Petitpas is the CEO & Co-Founder of Parakeeto, a company dedicated to helping agencies improve their profitability by streamlining their operations and reporting systems. He is also the head strategic coach at SaaS Academy by Dan Martell, the #1 coaching program for B2B SaaS businesses in the world. In his work as a speaker, podcast host and consultant, specializing in Agency Profitability Optimization, Marcel has helped hundreds of agencies around the world improve profitability and cash flow in their business.
In this episode, Dan and Marcel discuss the following:
- The need for human intervention in data quality.
- Different ways to make agencies more profitable.
- Shortening the cash conversion cycle to maintain growth without cash flow issues.
- How being overstaffed is likely an agency’s biggest problem.
If you’re looking to start increasing your agency’s profitability, you can start by checking out Parakeeto’s free Agency Profitability Toolkit! If you’re looking to dive deeping into mastering the art of modeling, forecasting, measuring, and improving the profitability of your agency, check out Parakeeto's Foundations Course!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MARCEL PETITPAS:
Website
Parakeeto
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Last week on the show, we talked about taking a proactive approach with outbound by reaching out to their prospective clients and building authentic relationships. This week, Dan talks about Sales Schema’s actual methodology for doing so, the Targeted Outreach System, and focuses on giving you practical tips for optimization and a peek into the program. This week, episode 229 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about optimizing agency-to-brand outreach!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of understanding the reasons behind low open rates and addressing them systematically and actionable steps you can take right now to build successful relationships that lead to meetings and interested prospective clients.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- The current trust recession and how building relationships can help.
- Four common hazards in outbound sales to avoid for success.
- The order of operations in optimization, from open rates to meeting rates.
- The need for a systematic approach to converting replies and agreements into meetings.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
The role of outbound marketing has changed as marketing has developed over the years. The original playbook of reaching out thinking potential clients don’t know what they need no longer works. Knowledge isn’t what’s missing in the business equation anymore. It’s trust. Dan is here this week with Sales Schema’s revamped training to teach you the ins and outs of building trust in your business relationships for scaling your agency. This week, episode 228 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building agency pipelines using commonality-driven email outreach!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of not hiring too early for your business and actionable steps you can take right now to get your agency’s owner out of the sales seat.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- The healthy way to think about outbound for long term growth.
- The four siren song mistakes that go along with agencies hiring for business development.
- Why the outbound lead generation playbook is broken and what to do instead.
- Understanding the ins and outs of relationship sales at scale.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
We’ve seen a big shift in employment and the workforce over the last few years, and it can be hard to know what to expect going forward and what decisions are best for your agency. Danny Markstein is a seasoned professional when it comes to workforce solutions, and he’s here today to talk about the demographic shift in the workforce, the Great Recession and Pandemic’s effect on employment, and more. This week, episode 227 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the workforce crisis and the power of specialization!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Danny Markstein shares the importance of being scrappy and adaptable in the early stages of business development and actionable steps you can take right now to be competitive in your market.
Danny Markstein is an experienced communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Danny founded Markstein in 2003 as a strategic consulting agency. Today, Markstein is a full-service creative communications agency. Visit markstein.co to unlock additional workforce solutions.
In this episode, Dan and Danny discuss the following:
- The initial challenges of starting a consulting firm.
- Challenges of workforce participation and the impact of the pandemic on employment rates.
- The importance of accurate and clear communication in recruiting and retaining employees.
- The decision to specialize and the continued flow of creative work through the agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DANNY MARKSTEIN:
X (formerly Twitter)
Markstein
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Whether or not to niche down is an age-old agency question and comes with lots of things to consider. But have you considered your team’s dynamic in preferences when taking on clients and forming relationships? Friend of the show Jon Tsourakis is back again this week to talk about how his team helps focus the niches the company focuses on, insights on sales strategies, the challenges of M&A, and more! This week, episode 226 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about leveraging team dynamics and client relationships for agency success!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jon Tsourakis shares the importance of team alignment and cultural fit in making strategic decisions and actionable steps you can take right now to check the efficacy of your sales process.
Jon Tsourakis is a seasoned leader, marketer and sales expert. He’s the co-owner and President of Oyova, a national marketing and application development agency where he helps the firm identify and capitalize on new opportunities. He's a huge proponent of helping others, whether that's through one-on-one mentoring or collaborating with top digital agency owners in the Digital Mastermind where he hosts his podcast The Climb.
In this episode, Dan and Jon discuss the following:
- The search for more fulfilling client relationships and the role of clear scopes and satisfactory results in building these relationships.
- The ability to share knowledge without compromising client relationships.
- The challenges of creating engaging content on LinkedIn and the evolving nature of content platforms.
- Navigating mergers and acquisitions, whether one-on-one or with a broker.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JON TSOURAKIS:
Digital Mastermind
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
When scaling an agency, the CEO is usually deeply ingrained. But CEOs are supposed to work on the business rather than in the business, right? So how can a CEO make their agency scalable and run smoothly without them being present in the company's day-to-day operations? Mandi Ellefson of the Hands-Off CEO is here to offer her insights and guidance on doing just that! This week, episode 225 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about becoming a hands-off CEO!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Mandi Ellefson shares the importance of specialization in growing an agency and actionable steps you can take right now to make your business run without you.
Mandi Ellefson went from $175k debt to multimillionaire status by revolutionizing consulting agencies. Through Hands-Off CEO, she rescues agency owners from the daily grind, transforming million-dollar agencies into self-sustaining enterprises. With her expertise, she's boosted hundreds of agencies to millions in revenue, attracting premium clients willing to pay 50-600% fees. As a former business exit advisor, she crafts exit strategies, adding up to five figures to clients’ monthly net profit so they can focus on growth. She shares her wisdom as a published author and host of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, helping consulting agencies triple fees and scale without less reliance on the CEO.
In this episode, Dan and Mandi discuss the following:
- How agencies limit themselves by focusing on custom solutions.
- How to increase value and decrease risk for clients.
- Creating an irresistible offer to attract ideal clients that’s also exciting to the agency.
- The importance of delivering on promises and scaling with aligning with integrity.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MANDI ELLEFSON:
X (formerly Twitter)
Hands-Off CEO Podcast
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
We all know that trends in everything, especially marketing, come and go quickly. But just because a certain style or type of marketing isn’t in vogue in 2024 doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. With the marketing landscape moving at a fast pace, it can be helpful to look at past techniques to see what worked in the past and how you can apply it to your business today.
Mike Brevik, Owner and Chief Marketing Officer at Cyberdogz is here today to share what he’s learned in his 20+ years in the industry about branding your business at any stage, using nostalgia as a marketing tactic, and more. This week, episode 224 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about guerrilla marketing, nostalgia, and building a unique agency culture!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Mike Brevik shares the importance of carrying your branding through all of your marketing efforts and actionable steps you can take right now to successfully utilize guerrilla marketing for your business.
Mike Brevik is a Brand and Marketing Strategist who partners with startups and well established companies to grow their professional brands. With 20+ years in the print, creative, and marketing industry, Mike spent over a decade of that time leading and building eCommerce solutions, Social Media strategies, and everything in between for two of the Midwest's largest retailers. Building relationships is key to Mike's approach and has enabled him to work with several premier brands from Nike, to Jordan, to Under Armour, to Harley Davidson, and many more along the way.
In this episode, Dan and Mike discuss the following:
- Why branding is not the be all, end all of your marketing practices.
- The 80/20 rule of conventional versus unconventional marketing.
- The importance of hiring flexible people willing to try the unusual.
- Leveraging nostalgia in your modern marketing efforts.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MIKE BREVIK:
Cyberdogz
Brand Retro with Cyberdogz podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Almost all businesses start getting clients based on referrals. And while that might feel less necessary as your business grows, referral marketing offers you a lot of options to make yourself stand out among your competitors, grow your email lists, and so much more. Josh Ledgard, founder of KickoffLabs, is here today to talk about how to take advantage of referral marketing for your business every step of the way! This week, episode 223 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about unlocking the power of word-of-mouth and effective referral marketing!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Josh Ledgard shares the importance of focusing on the marketing fundamentals and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your referral marketing strategy.
Josh Ledgard, founder of KickoffLabs, brings a powerful tool for businesses focused on audience growth. With experience ranging from Big Tech to Social Media companies, he developed KickoffLabs, along with his co-founder, to simplify the process of generating word of mouth referrals, launching a new product, and running giveaways designed to promote your business. Outside of work he enjoys playing recreational baseball and spending time with his family.
In this episode, Dan and Josh discuss the following:
- The trust recession and how companies are scrutinizing their marketing budgets.
- Different types of referral programs and their pros and cons.
- Getting a grasp on the basics before building a robust referral system for your business.
- Crafting personalized emails and content to show the people behind the brand.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH JOSH LEDGARD:
Website
X (formerly Twitter)
KickoffLabs
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
There is so much information out there on growing and scaling your agency that it can be easy to lose sight of the strategies that matter most: offering your clients stellar results and making your services stand out in the market so you can find the clients that are the best match for you. Friend of the show Raul Hernandez Ochoa is here today with lots of practical advice and food for thought on taking your agency to the next level, better serving your clients, and more. This week, episode 222 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about finding your unique value proposition and positioning your agency for maximum growth!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Raul Hernandez Ochoa shares the importance of communication and value delivery in branding and actionable steps you can take right now to identify what sets you apart from competitors.
Raul Hernandez Ochoa is a Digital Growth Operator and Strategist that helps digital bootstrapped business owners reach their impact & revenue goals. His frameworks have helped 2-5x companies. Raul has led strategy for multiple digital teams across the globe in 12+ different time zones helping generate millions in revenue online. He has also overseen over $25M (and counting) in digital marketing ad spend and has trained hundreds of entrepreneurs through live seminars, online programs, and private masterminds.
In this episode, Dan and Raul discuss the following:
- Raul’s rule of 21 for gathering quality data and making decisions.
- How to determine the best clients for your agency.
- Leaning into your strengths to differentiate yourself in the market.
- Why clients want to work with professionals who have skin in the game.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH RAUL HERNANDEZ OCHOA:
Do Good Work
X (formerly Twitter)
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Sustainable agency growth is possible for an agency of any size. The keys to success? Generating qualified leads and structuring sales teams who understand your business, want to see themselves and your company succeed, and have the capacity to rise to the challenge. Chelsea Olsen is here today to talk about her work as a Fractional Chief Growth Officer, what she’s learned with over 20 years of sales experience, and more. This week, episode 221 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building sustainable agency growth with email and LinkedIn!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Chelsea Olsen shares the importance of understanding your target audience and actionable steps you can take right now to automate and organize your personalized outreach to your target audiences.
Chelsea Olsen is a fractional leader who knows exactly how to get your business more leads and new customers. She has spent nearly 20 years honing her skills in selling efficiently, leading her to master the art of closing deals and driving revenue growth. Chelsea works with companies that value continuous growth, openness to innovation, and a commitment to introspection and accountability.
In this episode, Dan and Chelsea discuss the following:
- What good sales training and exceptional hires look like for agencies.
- Getting clear on your target audience so you can solve their specific problems.
- The concept of GWC in hiring - get it, want it, have the capacity for it.
- Utilizing automation to speed up and organize your outreach efforts.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH CHELSEA OLSEN:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
So many of our conversations here on the Digital Agency Growth podcast are about the businesses and clients we serve. But one important group often overlooked is the employees, both those of our clients and of our own. Ethan McCarty makes employee experience and excellence his priority at Integral, creating award-winning programs that inspire and motivate employees to do their best work. Ethan is here today to discuss employee experience, trends in employment, and more. This week, episode 220 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the evolving employee experience in the agency world and the importance of curiosity in the workplace.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Ethan McCarty shares the importance of values and transparency in the company's culture and actionable steps you can take right now to build trust and stronger relationships with potential clients.
Ethan is the founder and CEO of Integral, an award-winning employee experience agency serving leaders of Communications, HR, Marketing, and Technology at global and local organizations. Formerly the global head of Employee and Innovation Communications for Bloomberg LP and Global Director of Social Strategy for IBM, Ethan has more than 20 years experience leading digital communications, engagement, and marketing initiatives at scale. Ethan has led large, globally and culturally diverse teams by innovating and humanizing the practice and advising senior leaders from the CEO to first-line managers among his clients on how to do the same.
In this episode, Dan and Ethan discuss the following:
- The benefits of both in-person collaboration and remote work.
- Expecting long sales cycles while working with large companies.
- Building trust and establishing credibility through networking, volunteering, and mentorship.
- The shift in management philosophy from enforcing rules to removing blockers.
To read the Third Edition of the Integral Index, check out Integral’s website!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH ETHAN MCCARTY:
Integral
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Page.org
Institute for Public Relations
Diversity Action Alliance
Full Sequence Coaching
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Here at Sales Schema, we know our podcast listeners are all at different stages of growth with their agency. And after hundreds of interviews with professionals across the agency space, one key takeaway stands out: to grow an agency, you have to build a system that keeps your sales funnel full without the owner having their hand in the process. Dan is here today to talk about the different stages of an agency’s growth, how lack of clarity stalls your growth, and how outbound marketing could be the system you need to reach the next level with your agency. This week, episode 219 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to build a repeatable new business process for your agency without spam or burnout!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of building strong business relationships amidst the trust recession and actionable steps you can take right now to optimize outbound marketing for your agency’s needs.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- The four levels of sophistication in sales for agencies – from glorified freelancer to cruisers.
- The pros and cons of outbound marketing and why it could drastically change your business.
- Identifying prospects by leveraging commonalities with existing clients and networks.
- How lack of clarity and follow-through kill outbound strategies and how to fix it.
If you think the Targeted Outreach System is a fit for your organization and want to learn more, please visit salesschema.com/enrollment!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
The Targeted Outreach System
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
The game that is sales outreach is always changing, and with so many schools of thought, it can be hard to keep up with best practices to keep your pipeline full. Matt Lincoln with Apollo.io is here this week to offer insight into how sales outreach has changed, what data is important for targeting your best leads, tips for making a cold outreach feel like a warm inbound and much more! This week, episode 218 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the broken predictable revenue model and how Apollo.io approaches cold outreach in 2024.
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Matt Lincoln shares the importance of personalization in sales outreach strategies and actionable steps you can take right now to narrow down your search to the leads that are right for your business.
Matt Lincoln is the Principal Product Manager at Apollo.io, the leading go-to-market (GTM) solution for sales and marketing teams. Apollo.io is one of the fastest-growing companies in SaaS, with 9x ARR growth since 2021. The company currently serves over 500,000 companies like Qualtrics, Customer.io, and Census, as well as millions of GTM professionals globally. Matt is a seasoned product leader who joined Apollo in July 2023 to help navigate the mysteries of deliverability through self-serve tools that deliver the right message, to the right customer, at the right time. He has over a decade of experience creating product roadmaps, aligning stakeholders, and setting the product vision at global organizations like Shopify, United Airlines, and Staples.
In this episode, Dan and Matt discuss the following:
- The past, present, and future of sales engagement.
- Why the Predictable Revenue Model is broken.
- Google and Yahoo’s big changes that affect email deliverability.
- The uses of AI in sales and outreach efforts.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH MATT LINCOLN:
Apollo.io
X (formerly Twitter)
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
The agency space has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past several years. However, as the industry landscape has changed, agencies have also adapted to meet their clients' needs and what they need to stay afloat. Drew McLellan is no stranger to the changes in the industry and is here today to talk about the state of the agency industry in 2024, shifting your agency model to emphasize thought leadership and much more. This week, episode 217 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building trust and scaling through thought leadership!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Drew McLellan discusses the importance of building trust with prospective clients long before a sale and actionable steps you can take right now to establish your agency as a thought leader in your space.
Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 30+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R and still actively runs the agency. He spends the lion’s share of his time running Agency Management Institute (AMI), which he also owns. AMI serves thousands of agencies small to mid-sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media and PR) every year, so they can increase their AGI, attract better clients and employees, mitigate the risks of being self-employed in a such volatile business and best of all — let the agency owner actually enjoy the perks of agency ownership.
In this episode, Dan and Drew discuss the following:
- Finding the advantages of being an agency owner.
- The importance of scalability and balance in agency growth.
- Building trust with potential clients long before making the sale.
- AI’s usefulness for data analysis in agencies, but not for strategy.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DREW MCLELLAN:
Agency Management Institute
X (formerly Twitter)
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Sell With Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency’s Authority Position
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
If you missed last week's episode, I'm releasing the audio version of my book Relationship Sales At Scale, and giving each section away to our loyal listeners over the next few weeks. Each chapter will be available on the podcast/YouTube feed for a limited time.
Part 5 of 5: The Perfect Day Sales Process.
Part 5 is the blocking and tackling section on closing deals.
I argue that “bottom-of-funnel” sales, or in other words, the process of selling to prospects once they are interested and a fit, has not changed a ton over the years. Success is more about optimization and timeless best practices combined with a few digital age upgrades.
To get the full book right now, in any format, go here to get it on Amazon.
Relationship Sales at Scale™is the new selling philosophy for our age. It marries the timeless power of tribe-based trust with digitally enabled scale so you can open doors tastefully and convert prospects consistently, all without spamming anyone.
Written by Dan Englander, CEO and founder of Sales Schema, the book’s stories, strategies, and hands-on resources are grounded in thousands of outreach campaigns conducted since 2014 to secure opportunities between clients and hard-to-reach prospects, including the leaders of the largest companies on earth.
Learn how to:
- Balance personalization and scale to keep your pipeline full and achieve reliable and predictable growth
- Condense five years of networking into a single weeklong campaign so you can batch up warm referrals into specific ideal accounts
- De-risk conversations with highly skeptical prospects by leveraging strong personal commonalities instead of boring publicly available information
- Divide specific prospecting and sales duties so you can avoid burnout, even if your team is small
- Leverage dozens of actual copy examples, campaign strategies, and online resources so you can launch and close deals in a matter of weeks
- And much more
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Go back and listen to Part 1
Go back and listen to Part 2
Go back and listen to Part 3
Go back and listen to Part 4
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Quick recap: I'm releasing the audio version of my book Relationship Sales At Scale, and giving each section away for free. Each chapter is available on the podcast and YouTube feed for a limited time.
Part 4 of 5: The Twenty-First Century Sales Team.
Part 4 is the “who” chapter, and it covers the right division of duties and team structure for implementing Relationship Sales at Scale™ and maintaining consistency long-term, even if you’re small or solo.
Stay tuned next week for the final chapter!
To get the full book right now, in any format, go here to get it on Amazon.
Relationship Sales at Scale™is the new selling philosophy for our age. It marries the timeless power of tribe-based trust with digitally enabled scale so you can open doors tastefully and convert prospects consistently, all without spamming anyone.
Written by Dan Englander, CEO and founder of Sales Schema, the book’s stories, strategies, and hands-on resources are grounded in thousands of outreach campaigns conducted since 2014 to secure opportunities between clients and hard-to-reach prospects, including the leaders of the largest companies on earth.
Learn how to:
- Balance personalization and scale to keep your pipeline full and achieve reliable and predictable growth
- Condense five years of networking into a single weeklong campaign so you can batch up warm referrals into specific ideal accounts
- De-risk conversations with highly skeptical prospects by leveraging strong personal commonalities instead of boring publicly available information
- Divide specific prospecting and sales duties so you can avoid burnout, even if your team is small
- Leverage dozens of actual copy examples, campaign strategies, and online resources so you can launch and close deals in a matter of weeks
- And much more
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Go back and listen to Part 1
Go back and listen to Part 2
Go back and listen to Part 3
If you missed the previous episodes, I'm releasing the audio version of my book Relationship Sales At Scale and giving free access to our subscribers for a limited time.
This week's chapter:
Part 3 of 5: How to Build Effective Campaigns
Part 3 is the “how” chapter, and this is where the rubber meets the road. You will get list-building strategies, campaign and copy examples, case studies, and other hands-on resources.
Stay tuned next week for Part 4 of 5, which is all about setting up the right sales team for B2B consultative selling.
To get the full book right now, in any format, go here to get it on Amazon.
Relationship Sales at Scale™is the new selling philosophy for our age. It marries the timeless power of tribe-based trust with digitally enabled scale so you can open doors tastefully and convert prospects consistently, all without spamming anyone.
Written by Dan Englander, CEO and founder of Sales Schema, the book’s stories, strategies, and hands-on resources are grounded in thousands of outreach campaigns conducted since 2014 to secure opportunities between clients and hard-to-reach prospects, including the leaders of the largest companies on earth.
Learn how to:
- Balance personalization and scale to keep your pipeline full and achieve reliable and predictable growth
- Condense five years of networking into a single weeklong campaign so you can batch up warm referrals into specific ideal accounts
- De-risk conversations with highly skeptical prospects by leveraging strong personal commonalities instead of boring publicly available information
- Divide specific prospecting and sales duties so you can avoid burnout, even if your team is small
- Leverage dozens of actual copy examples, campaign strategies, and online resources so you can launch and close deals in a matter of weeks
- And much more
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Go back and listen to Part 1
Go back and listen to Part 2
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
If you missed last week's episode, I'm releasing the audio version of my book Relationship Sales At Scale, and giving each section away to our loyal listeners over the next few weeks. Each chapter will be available on the podcast/YouTube feed for a limited time.
Part 2. How to Keep Your Pipeline Full by Balancing Personalization and Scale.
Part 2 covers our methodology from a high level, and talks about how we help agencies and B2B service companies balance personalization and scale to de-risk conversations, keep the pipeline full, and scale reliably.
To get the full book right now, in any format, go here to get it on Amazon.
Relationship Sales at Scale™is the new selling philosophy for our age. It marries the timeless power of tribe-based trust with digitally enabled scale so you can open doors tastefully and convert prospects consistently, all without spamming anyone.
Written by Dan Englander, CEO and founder of Sales Schema, the book’s stories, strategies, and hands-on resources are grounded in thousands of outreach campaigns conducted since 2014 to secure opportunities between clients and hard-to-reach prospects, including the leaders of the largest companies on earth.
Learn how to:
- Balance personalization and scale to keep your pipeline full and achieve reliable and predictable growth
- Condense five years of networking into a single weeklong campaign so you can batch up warm referrals into specific ideal accounts
- De-risk conversations with highly skeptical prospects by leveraging strong personal commonalities instead of boring publicly available information
- Divide specific prospecting and sales duties so you can avoid burnout, even if your team is small
- Leverage dozens of actual copy examples, campaign strategies, and online resources so you can launch and close deals in a matter of weeks
- And much more
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Go back and listen to Part 1
Today we're doing something a little different. I'm launching the audio version of my book Relationship Sales At Scale, and since you're a loyal subscriber, I'm giving you each chapter for free via the podcast.
Each chapter of the book will be dripped out on Wednesday over the next five weeks, after which time we will remove the content from the stream.
In Part 1, I lay out the few big shifts and changes that should cause you to fundamentally rethink how you open doors and sell to prospects, especially at the top of the funnel.
To get the full book right now, in any format, go here to get it on Amazon.
Relationship Sales at Scale™is the new selling philosophy for our age. It marries the timeless power of tribe-based trust with digitally enabled scale so you can open doors tastefully and convert prospects consistently, all without spamming anyone.
Written by Dan Englander, CEO and founder of Sales Schema, the book’s stories, strategies, and hands-on resources are grounded in thousands of outreach campaigns conducted since 2014 to secure opportunities between clients and hard-to-reach prospects, including the leaders of the largest companies on earth.
Learn how to:
- Balance personalization and scale to keep your pipeline full and achieve reliable and predictable growth
- Condense five years of networking into a single weeklong campaign so you can batch up warm referrals into specific ideal accounts
- De-risk conversations with highly skeptical prospects by leveraging strong personal commonalities instead of boring publicly available information
- Divide specific prospecting and sales duties so you can avoid burnout, even if your team is small
- Leverage dozens of actual copy examples, campaign strategies, and online resources so you can launch and close deals in a matter of weeks
- And much more
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
No matter what industry you work in, you will learn lessons and gain valuable skills that will carry over into other industries. Transferring to the agency space from the restaurant industry was easier than expected for Mark Scrivner due to the lessons and skills he learned about sales, marketing, and quality of service in his restaurant career. Today, Mark is here to share those transferable skills and other valuable insights about entrepreneurship and agency ownership. This week, episode 211 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about entrepreneurship insights and restaurant industry lessons for agencies!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Mark Scrivner is the Founder of Snapshot Interactive,a strategic marketing agency with a vision to create impactful stories and measurable marketing solutions for clients across various industries. With a passion for client service, he's had the privilege of leading the most talented team of storytellers, data lovers, and artists who specialize in the finance, healthcare, and industrial spaces. As an entrepreneur, Mark also co-founded Ecos, a sales and marketing presentation platform, and served as a moderator and board member at Entrepreneurs' Organization - Nashville, a global network of like-minded leaders.
In this episode, Dan and Mark discuss the following:
- Lessons Mark learned in the restaurant industry that have carried over into the agency space.
- The importance of speed of delivery in agency work.
- Pivoting from project to retainer-based work, and when each type is right for you.
- What new entrepreneurs are thinking and feeling, and advice from Mark on where to start.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH MARK SCRIVNER:
Snapshot Interactive
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Operations are the unsung heroes in the agency space. Though not talked about as often as sales and marketing, having robust operations through efficient procedures and documentation keeps an agency running smoothly and profitably. But what are the right tools and techniques for your agency? Melissa Morris is here today to help you identify what will work best for you, tell us why SOPs are overrated, and more! This week, episode 210 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about streamlining your agency’s operations and why SOPs are overrated!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Melissa Morris shares the importance of getting clear on your offerings before documenting SOPs and actionable steps you can take right now to set distinct boundaries with clients for clear communication.
As the founder of Agency Authority, a project management and operations consultancy for agency owners, Melissa Morris uses her 10 years agency experience to help business owners maximize their team, increase their productivity, and grow their profits. Firmly committed to breaking the ‘long hours and bad pay’ stigma that plagues the agency world, Melissa and her team help business owners and their team members do the work they love without sacrificing client satisfaction, the bottom line, or their own sanity.
In this episode, Dan and Melissa discuss the following:
- Melissa’s DISCO method of streamlining processes.
- The common mistakes agency owners make when building their tool stacks.
- The benefits and challenges of time tracking for agencies.
- Setting clear expectations and boundaries with clients from the beginning of the contract.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH MELISSA MORRIS:
Agency Authority
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Specializing and niching down are topics we talk about a lot on the show simply because of their importance and effectiveness in scaling your agency. Hand-in-hand with specializing is scaling based on expertise in your niche instead of relying on founder-driven sales to keep the pipeline full. Friend of the show Corey Quinn is back this week to talk about his upcoming book, Anyone, Not Everyone, in which he teaches you his approach to escape founder-led sales and much more! This week, episode 209 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to build your agency’s vertical go-to market strategy!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Corey Quinn shares the importance of specialization for your agency and actionable steps you can take right now to build new sales strategies that don’t involve founder-driven sales.
Corey has a 25-year record of extraordinary success as an entrepreneur, sales leader, and marketing executive. His most recent in-house role was Scorpion's Chief Marketing Officer. While there, the SMB-focused agency grew from $20M to $150M in recurring revenue in under seven years. Today, he's a coach and the author of Anyone, Not Everyone, a book that helps agency founders escape founder-led sales by specializing in a vertical market.
In this episode, Dan and Corey discuss the following:
- The difference between niching and deep specialization.
- Why specialization is even more critical in a down economy.
- Gifting as a unique outbound sales strategy.
- Seeking growth through specialized expertise, not founder-driven sales.
Don’t forget to check out Corey’s daily newsletter, Deep Specialization Daily, and sign up for information on when his new book, Anyone, Not Everyone: A Proven System to Escape Founder-Led Salesis released!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH COREY QUINN:
Website
The Vertical Go-To-Market Podcast
YouTube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Risk assessment, setting an example of leadership for your employees, and looking to the future are all part of an agency owner’s daily schedule. But how often do we take the time to slow down, take a breath, and reflect on what leadership means to us and our company, now and going forward?
Matt Phillips thinks we don’t do this as often as we should. He’s here today to discuss why taking time to reflect and develop as leaders will help our agencies, why finding the truth amidst limiting beliefs will help us grow, and much more. This week, episode 208 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about developing leadership skills, overcoming limiting beliefs, and assessing risk!
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Matt Phillips shares the importance of setting aside time to contemplate your leadership and actionable steps you can take right now to hire the best possible person in every scenario.
As a leadership coach and host of The Matt Phillips Podcast, Matt Phillips helps sales leaders achieve pro-level performance by developing and harnessing their mental toughness. Having worked with companies including Western Union, Marsh, and Robert Half, Matt knows that the status quo of promoting rockstar salespeople to sales leaders often leaves the new leader with significant gaps in their own leadership philosophy, confidence, and resilience. By combining his background as a professional baseball player with his global experience in sales, operations, and accounting, Matt supports business leaders and teams as they break through the mental roadblocks that arise in their daily grind to help them realize their potential in their personal and professional lives.
In this episode, Dan and Matt discuss the following:
- What mental resilience means in everyday practice for your business.
- Matt’s four archetypes that give insight into how people think and work.
- The importance of asking tough questions to uncover the truth and overcome fear-based limitations.
- How carving out time for thoughtful reflection on leadership, even with a busy schedule, will positively impact your business.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH MATT PHILLIPS:
Website
The Matt Phillips Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Setting a strong foundation for your agency’s operations is key to its success and growth. While operations feels like the last department a new small agency needs to consider, it becomes incredibly important once you have several employees. Outsourcing to operations professionals can be an excellent choice, especially those like Leah Leaves and her team at Alderaan, who embed themselves into the agencies they work with so they become team members, not just hired help.
Leah is here this week to share what she’s learned about fractional operations for digital marketing agencies and how you can set an operational foundation for yourself. This week, episode 207 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building stellar SOPs and growing your agency through fractional operations!
Watch our Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale video training to learn how we secure 5-20 weekly brand/agency relationships using a tasteful email outreach centered on commonalities.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Leah Leaves shares the importance of having a solid operations foundation for smaller agencies and actionable steps you can take right now to keep your agency from being brittle.
Leah Leaves is the Founder of Alderaan Business Solutions, which offers outsourced operations professionals for remote digital marketing agencies. We help small digital marketing agency owners avoid burnout, enjoy crazy-good profits, and get back to spending time with their kids by building their business foundation and getting them out of their company's daily business operations.
In this episode, Dan and Leah discuss the following:
- Finding an integrator for your big ideas is crucial to the success of a small agency.
- EOS, Scaling Up, and other ‘business religions’.
- The importance of fractional operations taking a hands-on, personalized approach.
- Creating robust SOPs to strengthen your agency from the ground up.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH LEAH LEAVES:
Alderaan Business Solutions
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
PR agencies have seen tremendous changes over the last few decades, just like many industries. Kim Sample, President of the PR Council, has spent her whole career in the PR space and has her finger on the pulse of the PR space. Today she’s here to talk with us about current trends, future predictions in the space, and more! This week, episode 206 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about Kim’s experience advising 140 PR agencies and growing a communications firm to $35M!
Watch our Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale video training to learn how we secure 5-20 weekly brand/agency relationships using a tasteful email outreach centered on commonalities.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Kim Sample shares the importance of adopting value-based pricing in agencies and actionable steps you can take right now to embrace technology and hybrid work models.
As president of the PR Council, Kim Sample helps the leaders of 140 member agencies work smarter to grow talent, revenue and profits and elevate the PR profession overall. Prior to joining the PRC in August 2018, Kim was the founder/CEO of Emanate, a $35 million, 100+ person international marketing communications agency. During her tenure Emanate was named PR WEEK Agency of the Year and CRAIN’S Best Places to Work in NYC, and the team’s work for clients was recognized with numerous industry awards.
In this episode, Dan and Kim discuss the following:
- Technology’s impact on the PR industry.
- The pros and cons of asking agencies to complete spec work before working together.
- Niching and alternative delivery methods as popular agency strategies.
- The future of remote and hybrid work in the agency space.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH KIM SAMPLE:
PR Council
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Silicon Valley is the heart of the tech industry. And since tech is a growing sector, it is often used as a gauge for the rest of the economy. Times have been tough for tech startups lately, but the agencies that work with them have also seen changes.
Morgan McLintic of Firebrand Marketing works in the heart of the Valley, working with startups at all stages to improve their marketing and increase demand. He’s here today to discuss marketing startups, agency valuation, and more. This week, episode 205 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about startup marketing and the state of Silicon Valley!
Watch our Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale video training to learn how we secure 5-20 weekly brand/agency relationships using a tasteful email outreach centered on commonalities.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Morgan McLintic shares the importance of saying no to the clients that are not right for your agency and actionable steps you can take right now to showcase your team’s expertise.
Morgan McLintic is the CEO of startup marketing agency, Firebrand. Firebrand works with early and late-stage startups to help raise awareness and drive demand. It does this through integrated programs involving PR, content marketing and digital marketing. The firm was recently recognized as the Boutique Agency of the Year by the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America). Prior to Firebrand, Morgan founded the US presence of a global communications firm, growing it to $35m in revenues and over 250 staff. Based in San Francisco, where he lives with his wife and two kids, he enjoys extreme gardening and long-distance running.
In this episode, Dan and Morgan discuss the following:
- How an early adoption of AI in digital agencies can provide a distinct advantage.
- The challenges many tech startups are facing in fundraising and valuations.
- The importance of hiring experts in various fields and integrating them into an agency.
- Discussing the integration of teams and clients at the beginning of acquisition conversations.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at https://salesschema.com/relationships
CONNECT WITH MORGAN MCLINTIC:
FiredUp! Podcast
Firebrand
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Agencies vary greatly, so finding helpful advice can feel daunting. With so many different agencies and approaches to running them, where do you turn to find reliable advice that has been tested thoroughly? Someone like Jason Swenk, who has worked with over 10,000 agencies in the last decade, fits that perfectly. This week, episode 204 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about lessons learned from working with 10,000 agencies!
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In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jason Swenk shares the importance of having a plan in place before selling an agency and actionable steps you can take right now to get clear on your business goals.
Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach who guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster. Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually led to selling his agency.
In this episode, Dan and Jason discuss the following:
- The importance of trust with clients and employees.
- AI isn’t replacing agencies, it’s helping them be more effective.
- Jason’s ‘offer ladder’ approach which de-risks the commitment of working with your agency.
- Agencies should focus on solving clients' biggest challenges the fastest.
Don’t forget to visit Jason’s website to learn more about his upcoming book!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH JASON SWENK:
Website
X (formerly Twitter)
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
The agency world has two predominant models: the traditional agency and the new school agency that emphasizes productized services. No matter which model you work in, scaling an agency is never easy. But there are ways to make it easier, like monetizing your expertise and prioritizing having good quality clients in fewer numbers rather than a large amount of small-ticket clients.
Greg Hickman has worked in both the traditional and new-school models and has a lot to teach us about scaling agencies. This week, episode 203 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about going from labor to leverage!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Greg Hickman share the importance of bringing in quality clients and actionable steps you can take right now to grow your business without running out of energy.
Greg is the Founder and CEO of AltAgency™. Over the last 4 years, Greg and his team have transformed AltAgency™ from an automation consultancy serving many well-known entrepreneurs and growth experts into one of the top coaching and training companies for agencies looking to grow and scale by packaging their expertise, installing systems for growth and leveraging automation to save time. They have worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs ranging from Jay Baer, John Lee Dumas, Dan Martell, Betty Rocker, Nerd Fitness, and Chris Ducker among many other up and coming business leaders.
In this episode, Dan and Greg discuss the following:
- Greg’s career pivot from a traditional agency model to an alternative model.
- Monetizing your expertise to make more money while actively working less.
- Prioritizing quality clients over a large number of clients for work-life balance.
- A hybrid agency model of DIY and done-for-you services.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH GREG HICKMAN:
YouTube
AltAgency
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Selling an agency can be a time-consuming, lengthy process full of large decisions. Now imagine going through that three times. David Rodnitzky has done just that, selling his agency 3Q Digital (now part of DEPT) multiple times, to several different types of owners until finding the right fit. He’s here to talk about what he’s learned from this journey and how he’s helping other business owners prepare to sell their businesses. This week, episode 202 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about David’s journey of scaling his agency to 500 people, selling the agency three times, and finding meaning as a founder!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Rodnitzly shares the importance of hiring the right people to help you sell your business and actionable steps you can take right now to prepare yourself for the emotions that come along with selling your business.
David Rodnitzky is the founder of 3Q Digital (now DEPT). David founded 3Q Digital out of a coffee shop in Pacifica, California and scaled the business to more than 500 employees managing more than $2 billion of ad spend annually. David is now the founder of Agentic Shift, a coaching company that helps agency founders successfully sell their businesses.
In this episode, Dan and David discuss the following:
- Sometimes being lucky is better than being good.
- The unique challenges of selling your agency to a holding company.
- The difference between a Visionary and an Integrator and how their roles change as the size of a company changes.
- Strategies for CEOs to stay in sales meetings, even when it is no longer required.
Don’t forget to check out David’s latest book, ‘Selling Your Marketing Agency: Making the Most of Your Most Important Deal’!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH DAVID RODNITZKY:
Agentic Shift
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
All too often, agencies rely too heavily on referrals to scale their business. Without spending time defining your brand and creating a sales process built on stories and relatability, growing your agency will be more complicated than it needs to be. My old friend Kalle Mobeck is here today to talk about how you can improve your sales process, scale your agency more quickly, and more. This week, episode 201 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about scaling an agency to $10M in four years, a storytelling-based sales process, and the AI-marketing revolution!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Kalle Mobeck shares the importance of leveraging existing networks when hiring for an agency and actionable steps you can take right now to build rapport with perspective clients using storytelling.
Kalle Mobeck is the Sales Director at one of the most impactful performance marketing agencies called Twigeo. Before that, he was the CEO of the agency Relatable which grew from 0 to 10M dollars in revenue in 4 years (bootstrapped). Today he shares his knowledge as a commercial advisor for agencies & martech companies.
In this episode, Dan and Kalle discuss the following:
- Hiring great people with a shared vision is key to success, especially when bootstrapping.
- The room for innovation in the influencer space, particularly in the measurement and use of AI.
- AI in marketing and its potential for profitability.
- The importance of storytelling in pitches, rather than relying solely on slides and data.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH KALLE MOBECK:
X (formerly Twitter)
Twigeo
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
There’s a stark difference between a top-performing salesperson and an elite salesperson. The difference? Thorough, professional preparation to separate your sales pitch and discovery call from the others your prospective client is likely hearing. Paul M. Caffrey, the Sales Preparation Expert, is here to talk about how you can position yourself as an elite salesperson. This week, episode 200 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about sales preparation and improving your close rate!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Paul M. Caffrey shares the importance of preparation before sales calls and actionable steps you can take right now to get ready for your next sales call.
The Sales Preparation Expert, Paul M. Caffrey helps salespeople use the hidden habits elite sales professionals use to outperform the competition - they prospect better, sell more and get promoted faster. Paul is also the Author of "The Work Before the Work", he also works with founders & sales team leaders to improve the performance of their sales & business development teams.
In this episode, Dan and Paul discuss the following:
- Telling a compelling story that resonates with the client and demonstrates the value of your service.
- The importance of showing your client that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in working with them.
- Paul’s framework of 6 questions to prepare for meetings.
- Differentiating between prospects based on the language they use to describe their challenges.
For the chance to get a FREE copy of Paul's book, head over to https://www.paulcaffrey.com/sales-schema today!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH PAUL M. CAFFREY:
X (formerly Twitter)
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Cold outreach sucks. I know it, you know it. And while this is true, there are ways to make it suck less. We recently did a training titled “Take Charge of Your Agency's Future Revenue” and wanted to share the replay with you today so you can get a taste of what we do here at Sales Schema and how we improve the lead generation process for our clients and ourselves. This week, episode 199 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about keeping your agency’s pipeline full using targeted outreach!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of using commonalities to make connections and actionable steps you can take right now to better personalize your outreach emails in a way that doesn’t seem like spam.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- How to secure consistent opportunities through referrals and other approaches.
- Common obstacles holding agencies back from implementing better outbound strategy.
- Three reasons why agencies struggle to grow their business.
- Offering a third path beyond ignoring your email or entering a sales process.
Head to the Sales Schema website to see the training video with visuals!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.
Operations is often an overlooked part of an agency’s framework. But having the correct operations in place can not only make your business run more smoothly on the day-to-day, but it can also allow you to take time away for rest, which is essential to growing your business. Alyson Caffrey is here to talk about her Sabbatical method, and how having your operations in check is one of the strongest business decisions you can make. This week, episode 198 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about agency ops and the power of sabbaticals!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Alyson Caffrey shares the importance of building rest into your workflow and actionable steps you can take right now to strengthen your business through operations to allow yourself to take time off.
Alyson Caffrey is the ‘Wolf’ that helps streamline the back-end operations for digital and creative agencies. She is the founder of Operations Agency, the co-creator of the Operations Simplified™ Framework, and the best-selling author of The Sabbatical Method: Create a business that can function without you. She is also the host of the celebrated Growing Pains Podcast. She and the team at Operations Agency are determined to help businesses thrive profitably, serve more clients, and create high-performing teams.
In this episode, Dan and Alyson discuss the following:
- Ops is the unsung hero of your agency, but it’s not as attention-grabbing as sales.
- Treating your ops as a system for repairs.
- Hiring unicorns at the leadership level, not the fulfillment level.
- The importance of taking time off to rest and how that will actually grow your business.
Check out Alyson’s Book “The Sabbatical Method” today!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH ALYSON CAFFREY:
Operations Agency
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Growing and scaling an agency comes in different steps, from hiring your first employee to hiring managers so you can take a step back from your business. David Reske has grown several agencies since the late 1990s and is here to talk about what those different growth stages looked like to him, the lessons he’s learned about hiring the right employees, and more! This week, episode 197 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about packaging agency services, scaling, and growing to 30 FTEs!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Reske shares the importance of letting go of control of the hiring process and actionable steps you can take right now to package your agency’s services how your clients really want them.
David Reske is the CEO of Nowspeed, a Boston-based digital agency focused on SEO, design, social media, lead, nurture, and marketing analytics, among other services. David is a marketing veteran with significant experience in SEO, PPC, Social Media, and Web Analytics.
In this episode, Dan and David discuss the following:
- Building and selling a web design agency in the late 1990s.
- Scaling to 30 full-time employees.
- The optimal way to form packages of services.
- Lessons David has learned about hiring and training salespeople over the years.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH DAVID RESKE:
Nowspeed
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint today.
In today’s world, marketing and advertisements are cluttered and busy. With so much information being thrown at us every day, how are you supposed to put out strong marketing strategies that actually catch people's attention?
According to Ben Guttmann, author of the forthcoming book Simply Put, the answer is simple, clear messaging that doesn’t try too hard. Ben is here to talk about his start in marketing, his five-part framework for simplicity, and more. This week, episode 196 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about simplicity!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Ben Guttmann shares the importance of using clear messages in your marketing and actionable steps you can take right now to land on the right marketing strategy.
Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them. He’s an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, Hachette Book Group, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands.
In this episode, Dan and Ben discuss the following:
- Why you should ban the word ‘help’ from your copy and message.
- How the industry is changing and how it influenced Ben’s decision to sell when he did.
- Why we trend to complexity and how we can avoid it.
- Ben’s five-part framework for simplicity.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH BEN GUTTMANN:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint today.
Agencies come in many different forms, and featuring new perspectives is something we love to do here on the Digital Agency Growth Podcast. Today we’re bringing you Seth Price from Price Benowitz law firm and BluShark Digital marketing agency to offer his advice and perspective on growing your agency from the lens of the legal world. This week, episode 195 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building an eight-figure legal agency!
FREE Webinar From Our Sponsor
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Smart Pricing Table is hosting a free webinar: "5 Secrets to Profitable Agency Proposals".
Register today and learn how to:
- Increase your budgets with powerful upsells
- Mitigate scope creep and surprises
- Build proposals lightning fast ⚡
Click here to register.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Seth Price shares the importance of taking a holistic approach to marketing and actionable steps you can take right now to deal with difficult clients.
An accomplished attorney and transformational thought leader, Seth Price is a founding partner and the business backbone of Price Benowitz LLP and the founder and CEO of BluShark Digital. Seth took a two-person law firm and scaled it to 40 lawyers in less than a decade. Now Seth has taken the same digital power that built the firm to create a best-in-class digital agency focused on the legal sector in BluShark Digital. Seth has been a frequent lecturer and moderator at some of the largest and most influential law conferences in the United States, speaking on the tools and strategies law firms can use to align their business development with changing consumer habits. He has spoken on topics including but not limited to, how to build a firm, ethics, best practices for firm operations, search engine optimization (SEO), and digital marketing as a whole.
In this episode, Dan and Seth discuss the following:
- The power of domain expertise and how it might be undervalued.
- Milestones along the way of building the agency to 80 people.
- Blueshark’s operational structure and how many direct reports each manager should have to be effective.
- Seth’s hot take on AI and its effect on the agency space, especially if you work with local search.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH SETH PRICE:
Price Benowitz
BluShark Digital
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
15Five
What words do you think of when you hear ‘Michelin star’? Likely, it’s words like quality, mastery, and consistency. We also want to achieve these qualities in our agencies, and thinking about applying Michelin-star standards to our businesses can completely change the game.
Jon Lenz at Br8kthru Consulting is doing just that and is here today to talk about what he’s learned through the process. This week, episode 194 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building a Michelin-star agency!
FREE Webinar From Our Sponsor
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Smart Pricing Table is hosting a free webinar: "5 Secrets to Profitable Agency Proposals".
Register today and learn how to:
- Increase your budgets with powerful upsells
- Mitigate scope creep and surprises
- Build proposals lightning fast ⚡
Click here to register.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jon Lenz shares the importance of honing in on your agency’s principles and values and actionable steps you can take right now to make the most of your client check-ins.
Jon Lenz is the CEO of Br8kthru Consulting, a Minneapolis-based marketing and technology firm specializing in complex customer journeys, with a diverse team of data-driven marketers, talented creatives, and seasoned strategists.
In this episode, Dan and Jon discuss the following:
- How to stay top of mind with prospects and get people over the starting line to work with you.
- A cadence for client check-ins that works and doesn’t take up more time than necessary.
- Company values should not come from the top down, they should come from the whole company.
- How agencies should approach their values to be as specific as possible.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH JON LENZ:
Br8kthru
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
While we talk a lot about agencies here on the show, founders of productized service businesses share a lot of the same challenges that agency owners do. One of the largest challenges is knowing when your role as owner/founder is not the same as when you started the company and what you can do to change it and bring more value to your agency. This week, episode 193 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about scaling and removing yourself from a productized service business!
FREE Webinar From Our Sponsor
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Smart Pricing Table is hosting a free webinar: "5 Secrets to Profitable Agency Proposals".
Register today and learn how to:
- Increase your budgets with powerful upsells
- Mitigate scope creep and surprises
- Build proposals lightning fast ⚡
Click here to register.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Justin Tan shares the importance of understanding your leadership style versus your type of business and actionable steps you can take right now to add value to your company.
Justin Tan is the founder of Video Husky, a video editing platform and productized service. After building Video Husky to a seven-figure business, Justin hired a General Manager and stepped away from the business. He now offers consulting services and guides agency owners looking to grow their businesses.
In this episode, Dan and Justin discuss the following:
- The difference in mind between an agency and a productized service, and how it is different for every person.
- Lessons Justin learned about knowing what your clients want and expect from you.
- The complexity of maintaining a productized structure.
- Justin’s experience hiring a general manager and what you can expect when looking to hire one for your agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH JUSTIN TAN:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
The current financial uncertainty has been on everyone’s mind lately, especially agency owners. It looms in the back of our minds while we’re trying to keep up with the changing agency landscape and focus on growing our projects.
Tom Sullivan is here today to talk about his 30 years of experience in the marketing agency space and the changes it’s seen. He also talks about getting through tough financial times, having had his company survive the 2008 recession. This week, episode 192 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about agency growth, acquisition, and thriving in a recession!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
Tom Sullivan is CEO and senior partner of Princeton Partners and Princeton Partners FSG (Financial Services Group), where they help community banks and other financial, health and consumer-focused organizations to accelerate their growth and increase their mission impact. Princeton Partners creates value, ROI and higher success rates by combining the marketing, creative and digital media expertise of agency pros with client-side experts and consultants from the banking, financial services, health and consumer sectors. Tom has had the privilege of working with over 30 financial institutions and healthcare and wellness-focused organizations, creating a positive impact for people through innovative national programs.
In this episode, Dan and Tom discuss the following:
- Tom’s experience transitioning from a ‘Mad Man’ era agency into a modern agency over the last 30 years.
- What it was like to run an agency through the 2008 financial crisis, and what Tom and his team learned and are employing now.
- Becoming a pro-social impact agency and how it affects company culture.
- Developing acquisition as part of your growth strategy.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH TOM SULLIVAN:
Princeton Partners
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Agency acquisition is not something all agency owners consider when starting their business. But there’s nothing more valuable than keeping acquisition in mind throughout your time with the agency, even if selling is not in your plan for a long time, if at all. Today, David Tobin of TobinLeff joins us again to discuss the trends and patterns in the agency acquisition space amidst economic uncertainty and post-Covid shifts. This week, episode 191 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the agency acquisition market in 2023!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Tobin shares the importance of being a specialist in your market and actionable steps you can take right now to prepare your agency for acquisition in the future.
Founder and Managing Partner of TobinLeff, David is passionate about crafting and implementing plans for clients to convert business value into family wealth. He strives to help clients expand their view of possibilities, develop creative and sound solutions, and get deals closed. David is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, grown, and crafted exit strategies for four companies of his own. He began his first successful venture while still a full-time university student.
In this episode, Dan and David discuss the following:
- Trends in both buyers and sellers in 2023.
- What level of growth or potential buyers are looking for.
- How to get above 7X as a professional services firm.
- How the sales function of your agency affects outcomes when selling the agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH DAVID TOBIN:
TobinLeff
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
TobinLeff White Papers
With all the buzz about Web3 and technological advancements, marketing and agency life is poised to change rapidly. One agency model that works well in the Web3 world is a DAO, or Decentralized Autonomous Organization.
Today, Matthew Mozzocchi is here to talk about Myosin, a DAO agency, and how this model allows them to have a leg up the Web3 world. This week, episode 190 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about Web 3, the DAO team model, and profitable agency partnerships!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Matthew Mozzocchi shares the importance of partnering with agencies in a mutually beneficial way and actionable steps you can take right now to understand the underlying tech of Web3.
Matthew Mozzocchi is the Head of Revenue Operations at Myosin, a product studio and agency leveraging the collective wisdom of our member base to inform the tools, processes and playbooks that drive user acquisition into web3. Matthew also helps agencies and Fortune 100 businesses solve their complex staffing needs with flexible talent solutions.
In this episode, Dan and Matthew discuss the following:
- What a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) is and how it works.
- The value of partnership models that actually benefit both parties.
- How Web3 and Web2 differ and how we can expect to see Web3 grow in the next few years.
- The importance of getting in front of different audiences when partnering.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH MATTHEW MOZZOCCHI:
Mozz.co
Myosin.xyz
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Entrepreneurship has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Even with so many different types of businesses out there, from SaaS to E-Commerce, many still keep coming back to the service-based agency as the bread-and-butter of their ventures.
Taylor Pearson is here today to talk about why agencies reign supreme in his opinion, his book The End of Jobs, and how Toyota can set an excellent example for us all. This week, episode 189 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about operations, kaizen, and why the agency model is underrated!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Taylor Pearson shares the importance of looking to the future of entrepreneurship and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your service-based business.
Taylor Pearson is the author of The End of Jobs, regarded as one of ‘The 7 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read’ but the Entrepreneur Times. Taylor’s writing has been featured in dozens of media outlets including NBC, Inc, Coindesk, and The Financial Times. Taylor also works with small business startup founders and executives as a consultant, coach and advisor for nearly a decade to ensure their businesses work better – for them, their teammates, their customers, and their communities.
In this episode, Dan and Taylor discuss the following:
- Entrepreneurship and how it’s changed since the early 2000s.
- The benefits of agencies compared to SaaS and E-commerce models.
- Toyota’s concept of Kaizen and how we can apply that to our businesses.
- Challenges in service businesses, especially B2B service businesses.
- The three things needed for a great service business.
- One of the most undervalued things about agencies.
- Taylor’s latest book recommendations.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH TAYLOR PEARSON:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Taylor’s book, The End of Jobs
How The Leopard Changed Its Spots by Brian Goodwin
Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan
Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production by Taiichi Ohno
Dead in the Water: A True Story of Hijacking, Murder, and a Global Maritime Conspiracy by Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel
Selling creative to a client can be more difficult than selling SaaS, lead generation, or any other service in the B2B space. It takes a deep understanding of the client’s needs, wants, and risk tolerance to deliver them a great product that they’ll be eager to utilize in their business. Today, Joey Tackett is here to talk about understanding your verticals and what it looks like to sell creative successfully. This week, episode 188 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about selling creative!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joey Tackett shares the importance of knowing your client's needs and conveying that to them and actionable steps you can take right now to set up your next creative sales pitch for success.
Joey Tackett is an award-winning creative director, career coach, and speaker, who helps agency leaders and consultants become highly effective, confident, and persuasive communicators and presenters. During his 23-year creative agency career, he has led creative at various size agencies, working with leading consumer and non-profit brands to enhance their brand experiences. These experiences helped him define and perfect his framework for agency presentations and client experiences, which he teaches through live trainings and courses for other agencies.
In this episode, Dan and Joey discuss the following:
- What does it actually mean to pitch well?
- When your team is happy, your clients are more likely to be happy.
- How to structure a creative pitch call.
- The best preliminary steps to take before your next big pitch.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH JOEY TACKETT:
https://www.joeytackett.com/agencygrowth
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint today.
Marketing, as we all know, is a fast-paced world that is changing all the time. And if the tech industry has taught us anything, it's that innovation in fast-paced environments is essential to keeping a company afloat. Marketing innovations that think outside the box can set an agency up for success. Today, Alyson Griffin is here to talk about all that and more. This week, episode 187 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about Alyson Griffin’s 25 years of marketing innovation at State Farm, Intel, and HP!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Alyson Griffin shares the importance of understanding the agency’s perspective when you’re on the client side of the equation and actionable steps you can take right now to stand out as an agency to large brands looking for new talent to work with.
Alyson Griffin has over 25 years of experience leading Marketing and Global Brand & Thought leadership teams for top technology brands, HP and Intel. During her tenure, she was credited for curating “first-of-their-kind” immersive experiences that traversed technology with art, influencers, gaming, and music. Now, as the Head of Marketing at State Farm, Griffin has been entrusted with the critical charter of revolutionizing the 100-year-old brand through the lens of future-forward marketing initiatives, such as designing the brand’s inaugural metaverse footprint.
In this episode, Dan and Alyson discuss the following:
- How Alyson got started in the agency world and transitioned out.
- Agencies make a great “training ground” for those newly out of school and in junior roles.
- The importance of creating a user experience and getting your brand out in an interactive way.
- The origin of “Jake from State Farm” and its excellence as a marketing tool.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dag
CONNECT WITH ALYSON GRIFFIN:
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint today.
Proposals can be a big reason your sales funnel slows down. Especially right now, as we’re seeing recession tendencies, the trend is that leads are still coming in, but closing deals takes a LOT longer. So what can you do to speed up the process and sign more clients?
Today, Jore Ardeeser is here to talk about his passion for proposals and how you can create them more quickly and easily than ever before. This week, episode 186 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to build agency proposals lightning-fast and let prospects upsell themselves!
Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor’s free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today.
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joe Ardeeser shares the importance of knowing when your prospects open and reviewing your proposals and actionable steps you can take right now to upsell your clients on larger packages quickly and easily!
Joe Ardeeser is a former digital agency owner of 12 years who has worked with notable brands such as T-mobile, Bluetooth, and Scantron. His newest venture is Smart Pricing Table: interactive proposal software for agencies and professional service providers.
In this episode, Dan and Joe discuss the following:
- Why you should think about proposals like a brochure.
- The power of not making assumptions about your client’s needs.
- How to slice and dice a current offer so the base items are more affordable, but you still make your upselling items appealing.
- Tactics for managing scope creep in your contracts.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH JOE ARDEESER:
Smart Pricing Table website
Free Guide
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Marketing is one of the biggest factors in whether or not an agency is successful. But for the new agency, with limited time and resources, marketing takes up the valuable time in which you should be making discovery calls and signing contracts. Automation can help you find qualified leads without adding an additional 40 hours to your work week. This week, episode 185 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about growing a boutique agency with marketing automation!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brenton Thomas shares the importance of creating a low barrier of entry for your clients and actionable steps you can take right now to automate your marketing to whatever level your agency requires.
Brenton Thomas has 7+ years of paid search, paid social, organic social media, and SEO experience in both corporate and agency roles. He is the founder of Twibi, a digital marketing agency that has worked with businesses valued at over $1 billion dollars to bootstrapped startups. He also has an MBA in International Marketing from Saint Mary's College of California. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family.
In this episode, Dan and Brenton discuss the following:
- Brenton’s journey that led him to create Twibi.
- Specializing and niching down in a crowded market.
- Effective upselling strategies for both new and existing clients.
- How to automate your marketing to save time and energy that can be put back into your business.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH BRENTON THOMAS:
Twibi
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In this wide business world, there are many ways to build a high-profit agency. Different strategies and tactics will work for different people, and there are consultants everywhere that are trying to sell you on their proprietary “secrets”. So how DO you build a high-profit agency in a sustainable way? And how do the concerns vary as you increase your revenue? Raul Hernandez-Ochoa is here today to talk about all that and more. This week, episode 184 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building a high-profit agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Raul Hernandez-Ochoa shares the importance of creating ‘stickiness’ to keep your clients from leaving and actionable steps you can take right now to position your agency for exponential growth.
Raul Hernandez-Ochoa is the founder of Do Good Work, a digital growth consulting practice that helps bootstrapped digital marketing agencies design profitable growth & operations to scale their impact. He has also helped design marketing and sales teams that have produced millions in revenue, designed revenue teams that produced $50M in sales, and been responsible for over $25M in direct response ad spend and led teams across 12+ time zones.
In this episode, Dan and Raul discuss the following:
- J-curve growth versus staircase growth.
- The steps of scaling sustainably as your agency grows.
- What is productizing and how it can help you streamline your sales funnel.
- Predictions on how AI can help the agency leader as a co-pilot consultant.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH RAUL HERNANDEZ-OCHOA:
Do Good Work
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you're in sales, you know that building strong relationships is key to success. But there are lots of other factors to consider as well, including whether to acquire a business or start it from scratch and how much AI to incorporate into your process. This week, episode 183 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about sales, acquisition, and relationship building!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Ron Story Jr. shares the importance of crafting your message for your specific audience and actionable steps you can take right now to turn your list of email addresses into relationships to avoid cold-emailing people.
Ron Story Jr. helps entrepreneurs get booked on podcasts and speaking gigs with PitchDB.com and book sales appointments at FiveContacts.com. A speaker, writer, and mentor, Ron has over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in Print/Digital Media Publishing, Real Estate Property Management, OTR Trucking, Income Tax Preparation, Financial Services, and more.
In this episode, Dan and Ron discuss the following:
- The value of podcasting for business owners and entrepreneurs.
- What AI looks like right now as a sales tool.
- The current state of the tech industry.
- Buying a business versus starting one from scratch.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH RON STORY JR.
PitchDB.com
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
The tech world is constantly changing, and sales executives often feel the brunt of the changes. Finding a community of others in the same position as you can be all the more helpful when navigating job searches, personnel shifts, and more.
Today, Sam Jacobs is here to discuss how his peer group Pavilion connects people in the sales world. This week, episode 182 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about reciprocity, recession, and building Pavilion!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Sam Jacobs shares the importance of knowing your professional strengths and actionable steps you can take right now to find new professionals in your field to add to your network.
Sam Jacobs is the Founder & CEO of Pavilion and the author of Wall Street Journal Best Seller Kind Folks Finish First. He launched Pavilion as Revenue Collective in 2016 and bootstrapped the company to $10M in ARR before taking on a $25M growth financing round in early 2021, led by Elephant Ventures and GTM Fund.
In this episode, Dan and Sam discuss the following:
- What it’s like to grow and scale a massive peer group like Pavilion.
- The importance of personal values and what they mean for your career.
- The unbalanced structure of the tech industry and what it means for the workforce.
- What AI will do to change the workforce and technology landscape.
To check out Sam’s book Kind Folks Finish First, head to the Amazon page!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH SAM JACOBS:
Pavilion
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Working remotely, though common now, was not well received or often considered in the past decade or so. With the rise of remote work, hiring anyone from anywhere around the world is easier now. But what was the process like back when the idea started to emerge? Today, Dan Andrews is here to talk about all that and more. This week, episode 181 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about remote hiring, podcasting, and creating a community of entrepreneurs!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Andrews shares the importance of podcasting for agency owners and actionable steps you can take right now to find networking opportunities when abroad.
Dan Andrews started the Tropical MBA blog as a job advertisement for a paid intern to join him as he traveled the world building his business with his business partner, Ian Schoen. It has since evolved into a place that location-independent entrepreneurs and folks starting their own businesses turn to for frank disclosures on the inner workings of their own million-dollar eCommerce company, tips and hacks for ex-pat living and travel, and witty commentary on the realities of building your own business to create personal freedom and opportunities.
In this episode, Dan Andrews and Dan Englander discuss the following:
- What being a digital nomad entrepreneur was like circa 2016.
- The big trends Dan is seeing in remote hiring given the last few months.
- Comparing being an agency owner to being a track and field athlete.
- How AI and technological developments will shape life 10 years from now.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH DAN ANDREWS:
Tropical MBA
The Dynamite Circle
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Proposals are the heart of making sales and attracting new clients to your agency. But many agencies are approaching creating, sharing, and closing proposals in a way that hurts business: copying and pasting, chucking it over the fence in hopes that it sticks and sending too many follow-up emails.
Joe Ardeeser is here to tell us the right, more productive way to create proposals and sign deals. This week, episode 180 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about optimizing your agency’s proposals and upsells!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joe Ardeeser shares the importance of proposal review meetings and actionable steps you can take right now to streamline your proposal creation.
Joe Ardeeser is a former digital agency owner of 12 years who has worked with notable brands such as T-mobile, Bluetooth, and Scantron. His newest venture is Smart Pricing Table: interactive proposal software for agencies and professional service providers.
Free giveaway from Joe at Smart Pricing Table: Wish Your Projects Were More Profitable? Download the Free Guide: The Profitable Proposal Blueprint -Learn the 5 powerful principles that can take your proposals to the next level.
In this episode, Dan and Joe discuss the following:
- Google Docs and Microsoft Word aren’t built for proposals.
- How most agencies get pricing tables and proposals wrong.
- The value of interactive proposals and proposal review meetings.
- Asking the right questions will keep prospective clients engaged in the sale - and bring them back if they’ve gone silent.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH JOE ARDEESER:
Smart Pricing Table website
Free Guide
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Sales cycles, especially in the B2B space, are often long and arduous. Building trust takes time, and finding the perfect balance of engagement with potential clients takes time to master. Simon Severino is here this week to talk about his tried-and-true methods for shortening your sales cycles and scaling your agency with sprints. This week, episode 179 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about doubling your agency’s sales through sprints!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Simon Severino shares the importance of mentally preparing to niche down and actionable steps you can take right now to close your sales with any type of buyer.
Simon Severino is the author of the book Strategy Sprints and the CEO and founder of the consulting firm of the same name. He has helped thousands of entrepreneurs reach financial freedom by scaling their firms to run without being dependent on the owners. Simon is an established speaker, having spoken with TEDX and the highly-acclaimed podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire.
In this episode, Dan and Simon discuss the following:
- Shortening your sales cycle with a 90-day sprint.
- How to emotionally prepare to niche down your agency.
- Allowing early successes before asking an agency to niche down builds confidence.
- The four different types of buyers you will encounter and how to sell each one.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH SIMON SEVERINO:
Strategy Sprints website
YouTube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Sales cycles are getting shorter, and with that comes more strain to get more leads in the pipeline. Referrals and professional introductions are one of the best ways to do this, and can make the difference between closing the deal and an unread email.
Today’s guest, David Rush, is here to talk about his referral engine SmallWorld and how nurturing your professional relationships makes all the difference. This week, episode 178 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building a software-empowered referral engine!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Rush shares the importance of building trust in business relationships and actionable steps you can take right now to start making introductions and connections for stronger lead generation.
David Rush is the founder and CEO of SmallWorld, a relationship activation platform that fuels the entire relationship life cycle to unlock more successful introductions and referrals. An experienced entrepreneur and SaaS go-to-market leader, David has built and led growth teams to successful exits multiple times throughout his career. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of Earshot, a social media listening platform for major enterprise brands. David also served as CRO of DialogTech where he led a team of 80+ sales, customer success, channel, and service professionals to drive commercial growth and retention.
In this episode, Dan and David discuss the following:
- The compression of the sales cycle and what that means for an agency’s selling approach.
- Streamlining and organizing the referrals and relationships in a company’s network.
- How SmallWorld adapts to your comfort level of sharing professional contacts.
- What you should prepare when asking someone else to make an introduction for you.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH DAVID RUSH
SmallWorld.ai
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Selling an agency doesn’t happen overnight. Neither does figuring out what happens after the sale. Today, Kelly Campbell takes us through their journey of selling their agency and helping many other agencies scale their own.This week, episode 177 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the journey from selling an agency to scaling dozens of them!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Kelly Campbell shares the importance of positioning your agency and actionable steps you can take right now to sustainably scale your agency.
Kelly Campbell is an inspiring speaker on trauma, leadership and consciousness. She is a Conscious Leadership Coach to high-impact leaders. Their holistic approach draws on two decades of experience as the empathetic founder of a cause marketing agency, as an ICF certified trauma-informed coach, and studies in Buddhist psychology, contemplative science, and inner child / shadow work. They are a wise curator, deep connector, and the founder of Consciousness Leaders.
In this episode, Dan and Kelly discuss the following:
- Doing your due diligence, even during a quick acquisition process.
- Selling your agency might not bring you immediate happiness.
- When to hire in-house versus when to work with a partner for certain services.
- Kelly’s insight on when to scale your agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH KELLY CAMPBELL:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
IT services are often an afterthought for agency owners, especially small to medium organizations. But having reliable, professional IT is for more than just fixing a broken laptop or resetting a password. Good IT can also keep your organization running smoothly and looking professional to clients and potential employees. This week, episode 176 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how IT can optimize your organization!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Georg Dauterman shares the importance of reliable IT services and actionable steps you can take right now to protect your agency’s data from cyber attacks.
Georg Dauterman is the founder and president of Valiant Technology in New York City. Georg has been working in IT for over 20 years, emphasizing creative organizations such as PR firms and ad agencies. He aims to assist organizations in leveraging technology to accomplish their mission while providing guidance on cybersecurity and technology risk management.
In this episode, Dan and Georg discuss the following:
- ChatGPT and its role as a tool after the hype has dissipated.
- The importance of critical thinking and how creative people often make the best technologists.
- How optimized IT and technology make your agency run more efficiently and appeal to clients and employees alike.
- Minimizing the risk of a cyber attack with good IT support and protocols.
As Georg mentions in the episode, cyber security is as important to your agency as an attorney or an accountant. Investing in IT is investing in the future of your business!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH GEORG DAUTERMAN:
Valiant Technology
YouTube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
ChatGPT recently took the world by storm, and it seems to be popping up everywhere. With so many tools now available, how is the wide availability of AI generated content going to change the agency space? This week, episode 175 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about content, ChatGPT, and what it means for your agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Konrad Sanders shares the importance of having a unified brand voice through all of your agency’s copy, and actionable steps you can take right now to start learning about AI tools.
Konrad Sanders runs a charming team of strategic word-slingers, known as The Creative Copywriter. They’re a fast-growing content strategy and copywriting agency that blend art with science to help bold brands sell more stuff. His mission? To break the boundaries of corporate dullness. And help companies pierce through the noise with ‘real talk’, ‘word science’ and calculated creativity.
In this episode, Dan and Konrad discuss the following:
- Building an agency based on keyword research.
- The Creative Copywriter’s 13 Lenses framework.
- How copywriting has changed over time, and what elements have stayed the same.
- ChatGPT isn’t going to take over copywriting, but could make a good companion tool
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH KONRAD SANDERS:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Wordtune Spices
Writer
Outbound marketing strategies change more quickly than we can keep track of. Here at Sales Schema, we have found that a commonality-based, personalized outreach repeatedly works across our whole client base. Dan recently spoke about this strategy (and his book), Relationship Sales at Scale, and the use of compelling commonalities to reach out to prospects in a Quickmail webinar that we’re sharing with you now. This week, episode 174 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about relationship sales at scale!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of keeping consistent in your outreach.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- A framework for keeping your agency’s pipeline full without burning through your addressable market.
- Use compelling commonalities to contact prospects likely to build a relationship with you.
- The ‘third path’ for de-risking conversations and generating long-term opportunities
- The scale to personalization Goldilocks Zone for staying consistent and avoiding an empty pipeline.
To apply for our Targeted Outreach Training, head over to salesschema.com/training!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
QuickMail Webinars
Watch the Replay of Dan’s Webinar
Amazon is a massive success in part because of its principle of ‘working backwards’. Starting with the customer and working backwards to the technology has been Amazon’s core belief since the beginning, and is key to how the company operates.This week, episode 173 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about working backwards: both the methodology and the book written by Colin and his co-author Bill Carr.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Colin Bryar shares the importance of not being afraid to fail to innovate and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your hiring process based on your leadership principles.
Colin Bryar co-authored Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, a first-person account of how Amazon created and implemented the principles and processes that have made it successful. Colin spent 12 years at Amazon where he earned the moniker “Jeff’s Shadow”, after working alongside Bezos attending meetings, traveling with, and discussing work and life as his Technical Advisor. Colin has served as COO of IMDb and RedMart, and is co-founder of Working Backwards, LLC where we help companies learn how to work backwards.
In this episode, Dan and Colin discuss the following:
- Single-threaded leadership and what that means.
- The bar-raiser process for hiring, how it worked at Amazon, and how it can work for your agency.
- The importance of measuring inputs, not outputs.
- What really makes Jeff Bezos different than anyone who has worked alongside him.
Don’t forget to check out Working Backward: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon and let us know your thoughts on the book.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH COLIN:
Working Backwards
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
There's no doubt that having a strong brand is essential for any agency. But what's often overlooked is the importance of having a well-thought-out brand architecture. In this episode, we'll explore what brand architecture is and why it's so important. We'll also provide some tips on how to create an effective brand architecture for your agency.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Lindsay Shearer shares the importance of niching down to be noticed and actionable steps you can take right now to utilize Pinterest to the fullest extent for your business.
Lindsay Shearer is the CEO of Pins 4 Profit + BrandRanx Media + Bankable Digital Agency. Lindsay’s team focus is on running large volume of Pinterest Ads + Organic & mixed with a cross channel SEO strategy for ecom brands. With a background in using digital marketing for mergers & acquisitions & private equity, Lindsay’s team has helped hundreds of brands reach massive growth & scale. Each year she is spending over $35M+ profitably for clients and addicted to the results!
In this episode, Dan and Lindsay discuss the following:
- Building the brand architecture of your agency.
- How Pinterest is still a mostly untapped market for brand advertising.
- Defining recurring revenue and how recurring revenue looks different for every agency.
- Looking at client retention for the ecommerce brand.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/
CONNECT WITH LINDSAY:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Becoming a sales-driven agency is about so much more than just client- or customer-centric. It’s about continually looking for all the different things that can be sold within a company and organizing your team for success. This week, episode 171 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about AI, the recession, and becoming a sales-driven agency.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jon Tsourakis cover various topics, from the importance of introducing your team to your clients early in the process to actionable steps you can take right now to elevate your sales hiring practices.
Jon Tsourakis is the President of Oyova, a web app and digital marketing agency, recently featured on INC 5000's fastest-growing companies list. He also hosts a podcast, The Climb, produced by the Digital Mastermind, a mastermind group of digital agencies from around the world.
In this episode, Dan Jon discuss the following:
- The recession and what it means for agencies and B2B sales companies.
- The future of sales in regards to developing technologies like AI.
- Shifting to a sales-driven agency model: what it is, what that looks like, and how Jon has done it.
- Critical thinking tests and other tactics for hiring the best salespeople you can find.
Let us know what you think about today’s episode format! Did you like the more relaxed setup? And thanks again to Jon for being a longtime friend of the show and coming on to talk with us again!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JON:
Digital Mastermind
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
There’s no questioning that Amazon is a rapidly growing force to be reckoned with, and today’s guest shares insight on the past, present, and future of the company and how her experience working there shaped her to advance in her current role. This week, episode 170 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the early days at Amazon, building and selling an agency, and the murky world of Amazon CRO.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, guest Rachel Johnson Greer shares her experience being part of Amazon during a phase of massive growth for the company and how she used this experience and earned skills to grow and sell her next venture ultimately ending up working in her zone of genius.
Rachel Johnson Greer is a global Amazon Marketplace strategist specializing in conversion rate optimization and brand awareness. Rachel has founded companies that reached both multi-six-figure and multi-seven-figure growth in under three years. Cascadia Seller Solutions, the Amazon full-service agency Rachel founded in 2015, was acquired by Avenue7Media in 2022. Rachel is frequently sought out by the media and has appeared on the Today Show, CNBC, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg.
In this episode, Dan and Rachel discuss the following:
- How taking the leap into challenging roles shaped how Rachel approached every problem in her life.
- The two factors that set Amazon apart from similar companies.
- Using your network to make your next career pivot.
- How Rachel managed to grow (& sell) her next venture quickly.
- Amazon’s fast-paced environment proves to be both a benefit and a hindrance to its employees.
- How Amazon is changing the marketing game for brands selling on their platform.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH RACHEL JOHNSON GREER:
Website
Stay tuned for the release of her book!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
A proactive approach to sales makes a world of difference in keeping your sales pipeline full of leads and prospective clients. And the good news: we have a training course for that! This week, episode 169 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about target outreach for agencies and B2B service companies!!
For more information and to sign up to receive updates and be notified when enrollment opens, go to sales-schema.teachable.com/p/targeted-outreach
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander shares the importance of having a consistent sales system that goes outside of organic referrals and actionable steps you can take right now to implement relationship sales at scale.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- The 3 types of proactive approaches to sales.
- Why outbound marketing should be part of your sales system.
- The principles that make outreach highly effective.
- Example campaigns you can take and run with right away.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
A unique point of view is essential to hooking your audience and getting new clients. This week, episode 168 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about B2B Demand Generation.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Deanna Shimota shares the importance of finding your definitive point of view and actionable steps you can take right now to develop a demand generation strategy tailored to your B2B business.
Deanna Shimota is the CEO of GrowthMode Marketing. Deanna has made it her mission to know everything about B2B marketing. She’s on top of every tech trend and social media modulation. And while she skates on the cutting edge of marketing innovation, Deanna stays grounded in a foundation of solid marketing principles. She’s used her skills and expertise to catapult multiple technology companies into high growth mode.
In this episode, Dan Deanna discuss the following:
- The benefit of an agency leader with both the corporate AND agency perspective.
- The definition of demand generation and how it differs from lead generation.
- Where to focus your marketing time and money in demand generation.
- How developing technologies may change the marketing game – and what to be skeptical about.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DEANNA:
The Demand Gen Fix podcast
GrowthMode Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
It takes intention to grow your agency into a specialized business. Our guest has spent the last 15 years tweaking and shifting his agency to be the powerhouse that it is today.This week, episode 167 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the journey to becoming a specialized agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Phillip McMillan shares the importance of building the identity of a business and actionable steps you can take right now to build and grow your business around the people in it.
Phillip McMillan is the Managing Director at CS Brand Group. With over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing strategy development, Phillip has spent the last 15 years focused on building valuable brands for private equity funds and their portfolio companies. Phillip's processes and experience help clients through platform development, acquisition integration, growth marketing, and exit communications — maximizing value and providing scalable execution through the hold. He is frequently called upon by CEOs and operating partners to evaluate and recommend branding plans for complex buy-and-build strategies. His experience spans B2B and B2C audiences in multiple verticals, including software, industrial, retail, technology, and multisite healthcare.
In this episode, Dan and Phillip discuss the following:
- The advantages of work experience before starting your own business.
- What it means to build a business around the people.
- Honing in on one or two key services and why it’s worth it.
- What it’s like to balance the idiosyncrasies of a niche with the timeless strategies that work for everyone.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH PHILLIP:
Work with CS Brand Group!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
CS Brand Group Website
Usually, we chat with agencies that have been around for a decade or more. Still, today’s guest has some really insightful information about how he’s been able to create a business that works for him and can provide the services his clients are looking for. This week, episode 166 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building a B2B Content Subscription Model!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and John Azoni share the importance of creating an offer that takes more off the client’s plate rather than adding more for them to manage.
John Azoni is a content creator and video producer working specifically with colleges and universities to automate their video storytelling through student testimonial subscriptions. He believes that staying in front of your audience regularly, if not daily, is crucial to getting results from your digital marketing efforts. And yet, it’s something that so few colleges do well because they’re short on time, staff, and resources to create a steady flow of engaging video content throughout the year. His company, UNVEILD, solves this problem and helps higher ed marketing leaders fill their content calendars with compelling stories and engaging video content - every month, on autopilot, anywhere in the world, for a flat monthly fee.
In this episode, Dan and John Azoni discuss the following:
- Deconstructing a large-scale video project into a subscription model.
- Lessons learned growing an agency in the pandemic.
- The benefits of a subscription model over a retainer model.
- How to find the right talent to grow your business.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JOHN AZONI:
Website
Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
This week, episode 165 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast reviews the lessons we learned on the podcast this year!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New BusinessAt-Scale
The major lessons learned:
- The power of going from reactive to proactive new business practices
- Your agency as a launch pad for almost anything
- The challenges and opportunities of a remote world
- Ordinary things are done well produce extraordinary results
- Gaining a sober outlook on technology
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Building rapport with someone is the most important thing you can do to grow your agency in 2023. Ultimately, people buy from those that they trust. There’s no substitute for trust. This week, episode 164 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Mike Sullivan is about building a challenger brand agency over 22 years!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Mike Sullivan share the importance of having what you need to land an RFP effectively and efficiently. They also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to create a narrative that potential clients can hold on to during a pitch.
Mike began his career with formal training in strategic planning while at J. Walter Thompson, before going on to amass considerable experience guiding strategic efforts for a wide variety of clients across a broad spectrum of industries. Before coming to LOOMIS in 2001, Mike led successful agencies, one earning ADWEEK Magazine recognition as “The Hottest Shop in the Southwest” for two consecutive years. Today, he oversees all agency disciplines at LOOMIS, which was honored in 2016 as “Small Agency of the Year” by Crain’s ADVERTISING AGE Magazine. As a leader, Mike focuses on building the kind of company that delivers peak career experiences for his talented team. LOOMIS has earned a spot on The Dallas Morning News and Dallas Business Journal “Best Places to Work” lists for multiple years.
In this episode, Dan and Mike Sullivan discuss the following:
- Starting an agency by partnering with someone who recorded music and starting with a sound studio.
- The benefits of starting with a foundation in sales and how that guided the business.
- The exact checklist Mike and his team use to determine the viability of an RFP.
- How capabilities are not a sustainable advantage and what to do instead.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MIKE SULLIVAN:
Loomis
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Our guest this week has built his marketing firm by acquiring other agencies so that his firm can be a one-stop shop for serving their clients. This approach is different from most of our guests, but with almost 30 years under their belt, it’s working for them! This week, episode 163 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Kevin Lee is about acquiring eleven agencies and being a marketing mad scientist!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Kevin Lee shares the importance of understanding your client roster so that you can make better long-term decisions.
Kevin Lee Co-Founded Didit, a leading digital-first marketing firm, in 1996. He also founded GivingForward.org, a cause-marketing nonprofit focused on generating revenues for other nonprofits. Previously to Giving Forward, Kevin founded We-Care, a cause marketing platform that generated over $8 million for nonprofits, becoming the “inspiration” for Amazon SMILE ($350 million in donations). Kevin is also the CEO of the eMarketing Association. Kevin invents marketing technology solutions for Didit clients and has written 4 books, spoken at more than 500 events, and published 700+ articles on marketing.
In this episode, Dan and Kevin Lee discuss the following:
- What someone looks for in an acquisition and things that make for a great one.
- Big mistakes Kevin has made and how you can learn from them.
- The importance of diversifying your client base and getting beyond big client problems.
- The process of having fun and finding your superpower.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH KEVIN LEE:
Didit
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
It can be challenging to determine if niching down and building a more specialized practice in your agency is the right move. Today, Brent is sharing why you should niche down and get specialized. Episode 162 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the importance of specializing and getting rich in the deep end!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brent Weaver is sharing the importance of specialization and actionable steps you can take right now to niche down.
Brent Weaver is on a mission to help 10,000 digital agency owners achieve freedom in business and life by helping them own their market. Brent is the founder and CEO of UGURUS, a business training and education company dedicated to this mission. He also hosts one of the leading podcasts in the business niche—The Digital Agency Show. Brent is in partnership with UnlimitedWP—a scalable white-label WordPress development team to help digital agencies grow without all the headaches of hiring and managing people. He is also a Brand Ambassador for Cloudways, a WordPress hosting company, helping them evangelize their platform.
In this episode, Brent Weaver and Dan Englander discuss the following:
- How much easier Brent believes it would be to have agency success now vs. back when he started his agency in High School to pay for his hobby of building websites.
- Why Brent believes niching down could save your agency or business in the long run
- How to know when and what to niche down to as times change through looking at your existing clientele and marketing channels.
- Brent’s suggestions around launching multiple business models at a time, or trying to diversify your agency through multiple business models at a time, and though it worked for him, why he doesn’t recommend it for others.
Niching down is far better, and far more lucrative, than remaining a generalist in your business model practices, and even pandemic statistics will prove that to be true.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Brent Weaver:
Website
Email: brent@ugurus.com for field guide and additional resources for listeners
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
With over 30 years of experience in branding, our guest today has seen it all, and this episode covers all the reasons a company might need a rebrand and how to get all parties to buy into a rebrand. Even if you are not involved in the branding space, you can still get something from this episode that you can use with your own clients. This week, episode 161 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about rebranding the largest companies on earth!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jim Heininger share the importance of upfront education with potential clients so they become stakeholders in the full process. They also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to navigate how much information to share during the initial assessment and what to save for the consulting period.
Jim Heininger is the Rebrand Man. He leads the efforts of The Rebranding Experts, which he founded in 2017 after 30 years of business and brand strategy experience for P&G, McDonald’s, Anheuser-Busch and others. Jim has designed the methodology used by the firm and merged the many disciplines necessary for successful rebranding. Jim coaches CEOs through the rebranding process, aligning their executive team, and helping to execute complete name changes and new customer promises.
In this episode, Dan and Jim Heininger discuss the following:
- What actually encompasses a rebrand during planning, implementation, and launch
- How to effectively communicate the many moving parts to clients who think what you do is “easy”.
- Reasons why a company might need a rebrand or why it should be focusing its efforts elsewhere.
- Strategically placing your agency in a box and how that can actually boost your credibility.
- Using thought leadership content to draw in potential clients who are searching for your services.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JIM HEININGER:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
People are looking for more from brands than interruptions and superficial messages. They are looking for brands to move people’s lives forward, one small step at a time. Everybody wakes up in the morning wanting one thing: they want to be better than they were the day before. It’s at the heart of the human experience. So when brands seek to empower people, they are drafting off of millions of years of evolution. This week, episode 160 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Jeff Rosenblum is about agency growth and culture over 20 years!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jeff Rosenblum share the importance of redefining advertising. We also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to find leverage all along the customer journey to connect and convert with your marketing beyond paid advertising.
Jeff Rosenblum is a Co-founder of Questus, a digital advertising agency that has worked with many of the world’s most influential brands, including Apple, Capital One, Disney, The NFL, Samsung, Starbucks, Universal, Wyndham, and Verizon. Jeff is the author of Exponential, which discusses how to transform brands through empowerment over interruptions. He is also the creator of a documentary about the advertising revolution called The Naked Brand and the groundbreaking book Friction, which explained how passion brands are built. Jeff has lectured at some of the top universities in the world, including Yale, Cornell, Columbia, and London Business School. He has won some of the ad world’s most prestigious awards and presented at many of the industry’s largest conferences.
In this episode, Dan and Jeff Rosenblum discuss the following:
- Building an agency over the course of 20 years.
- Why everything revolves around culture and how that can serve your agency
- The importance of risk in building an agency.
- Using empowerment instead of an interruption to transform brands.
Figure out what people are looking for. Identify their unmet needs both emotionally and functionally. Then create content that moves them down the funnel.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JEFF ROSENBLUM:
Questus
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Who by Geoff Smart (Amazon)
Friction by Jeff Rosenblum (Amazon)
Exponential by Jeff Rosenblum (Amazon)
Once you hit a certain revenue level, things tend to plateau. What worked to get you to this point won’t necessarily get you to the next level. If your goal is to get to that next level, you’ll need to shift the way you view your business and start stepping into the CEO role of your company. This week, episode 159 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Hunter Lowder is about how what got you here won’t get you there!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
Hunter Lowder is co-owner of Tortoise & The Bear, a business strategy, operations, and mindset coaching company that supports visionaries in bringing their wild and crazy dreams to life. Coupling her past business experience as CEO of a multi-million dollar company with mindful coaching approaches, Hunter helps service-based business owners create and prioritize a strategic plan to grow their impact and move their business forward in a sustainable way.
After suffering severe burnout as a CEO, Hunter is passionate about building a business in alignment with her values. When she’s not helping clients fine-tune their operations, she’s likely dancing and singing karaoke with her husband, feeding her son’s football team, or hanging out at the beach with her fur babies.
In this episode, Dan and Hunter discuss the following:
- Balancing the extremes of either being too tactical or too woo when it comes to changing yourself as a leader.
- What it takes to step into the CEO leadership role and the different factors that have to be considered.
- The number one area in the client journey that people tend to forget about and how to understand cues that a prospect is ready to buy.
- Signals that you might be on the brink of burnout and how to avoid burning out as business owners.
Hunter would love to share her FREE customer journey audit with your audience. She’ll review listeners' current customer journey and record a personalized video in 3-5 business days to get them on the right path to creating a customer journey for consistent leads and sales. The link for that customer audit will be https://www.tortoiseandthebear.com/podcast
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH HUNTER LOWDER:
Website
Free Gift
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Living in a world run by content marketing, it is time we start looking at more diversified, different, and arguably better ways to solve the problem at hand than just offering a service. This week, episode 158 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about diversified content marketing!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joe Pulizzi shares the importance of diversifying your product portfolio and actionable steps you can take right now to build a roadmap towards these launches that are in alignment with where your business is.
Joe Pulizzi is the founder of multiple startups, including content creator education site, The Tilt, and is the best-selling author of seven books, including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. Joe is best known for his work in content marketing, first using the term in 2001, then launching Content Marketing Institute and the Content Marketing World event. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. He successfully exited CMI in 2016 and consequently wrote an award-winning mystery novel, The Will to Die.
In this episode, Joe and Dan discuss the following:
- Deconstructing what it takes to run an agency and exploring more diversified ways to solve problems with the new technology at hand.
- Goal setting and getting into the routine of reviewing them on a daily basis to keep them in alignment.
- Becoming the best at one thing vs. diversifying your offering.
- How you can still have a diverse offering while also being the leading expert in a specific niche.
- Starting with one thing and building upon it as you learn, launching as you go.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JOE PULIZZI:
Thetilt.com
JoePulizzi.com
Content Inc. Book
The Will to Die Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
rally.io
How can you stand out from the competition in your industry? This is a question we’re all trying to answer through our marketing. We want a dedicated following of people who love our products and services, but how can we achieve that? This week, episode 157 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Michael F. Schein is about the power of creating hype for your business!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Michael F. Schein share the importance of understanding the mass psychology principle and then playing with it. They also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to stand out in your industry using hype.
Michael F. Schein is the Head Hype Artist at MicroFame Media, a company that specializes in idea-driven businesses famous. Some of his clients have included eBay, Magento, The Medici Group, University of Pennsylvania, Gordon College, University of California Irvine, United Methodist Publishing House, PopUp, Pugpig, LinkedIn, and Citrix. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post, and he is a speaker for international audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. His book The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers, published by McGraw Hill, appears where books are sold.
In this episode, Dan and Michael discuss the following:
- Attracting attention from the people that matter on a macro level.
- Ethically harnessing the power of human emotion to create hype and cause people to take action.
- Powerful ideas on how to make war, not love so that you build up the right attention.
- Creating useful content that gets attention and can be replicated to get results.
- How ad fatigue and industry evolution can impact how we use hype.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL F. SCHEIN:
Michael Schein
MicroFame Media
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Most people have an issue with thinking of themselves as a salesperson. Yet, every one of us is a salesperson. We are always marketing and selling ourselves. You make friendships, you network with people. You sell your passion and personage through conversation. That is you. But if you are someone who now has to sell a product or service, you need to come to terms that you are a salesperson, and that’s not a bad thing. This week, episode 156 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about sales training and entrepreneurship over decades!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Michael share the importance of practicing different methods of selling to become an expert in the science of selling.
Michael Gansl is a hands-on entrepreneur and "The Seasoned Voice of Reason℠" specializing in working with “The Accidental Business Owner ℠” and with teams of individual contributors to implement business development and revenue growth opportunities. With over 30 years of experience, Michael is an expert in growing companies, problem-solving across marketing, sales, and operations, and understanding what business owners need to do to achieve success.
In this episode, Dan and Michael Gansl discuss the following:
- The most important quality to look for in sales talent.
- What building a sales team looked like historically, and what can be learned from that experience.
- How to think about sales KPIs and quotas that inspire the team to move in the right direction.
- Effectively communicating with the individuals you sell to and being confident in that.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL GANSL:
Voice of Reason Consulting
Mind Your Own Business Video Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
The Lean Methodology (book)
In a world where social and search are dominated by platforms that don’t always make our lives easy, our guest has looked for a way to bring those marketing tools into a more analog channel like direct mail. This week, episode 155 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about digitizing direct mail and the power of being mission-driven!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Dave Fink share the importance of storytelling, brand development, quality product and services, and understanding your customers when you are marketing, no matter if it’s using Facebook ads or sending direct mail.
Dave Fink thinks the best-kept secret in marketing is hiding where you least expect it — your mailbox. Over a 20-year career, he’s generated hundreds of millions of dollars in ad revenue, powered viral sensations like Dollar Shave Club, and helped launch celebrity startups for Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Kate Bosworth. Now, as founder and CEO of Postie, he’s out to reinvent direct mail marketing for a digital world.
In this episode, Dan and Dave Fink discuss the following:
- The pros of using direct mail over running ads on platforms that underperform.
- Being an early-stage partner with Dollar Shave Club.
- The value and meaning of building a mission-based business.
- Virality and what it meant 10+ years ago, what it means now, and what it can mean for your clients.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAVE FINK:
Postie
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Working Backwards
Vetting, interviewing, and hiring new employees is a ton of work. It’s important that you find someone who not only fits your company culture but also works well with the tasks and working environment you’ll be placing them in. Finding the right people to fill open roles is the key. This week, episode 154 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building an employee pipeline!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Andrea MacKenzie share the importance of having a pipeline of potential employees and actionable steps you can take right now to make sure future employees align with your company and values.
Andrea MacKenzie helps companies to hire, build, and lead teams so they can improve their business growth and workplace well-being through her company Lead With Harmony. She works with growth-oriented small business owners along with executives to achieve higher performance and stronger leadership while lowering stress. She combines her 20+ years experience in corporate roles and consulting with her unique approach to serve her clients, which span from small businesses to Fortune 500s across almost every business function.
In this episode, Dan and Andrea discuss the following:
- The Kolby process to understand a new employee’s working personality.
- Common mistakes business owners make during the hiring process.
- The value of gut feeling and where it should live
- What to do to build a candidate pipeline and get rid of the urgency bias that tanks effective hiring.
Don’t forget to check the show notes for access to your FREE Delegation Visualization Guided Audio to help you unlock what’s possible when you stop managing and start delegating! Use this guided audio and the companion worksheets to tap into your desire to let go, get back your time, and grow... through delegation!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ANDREA MACKENZIE:
Lead With Harmony
Team Success Bi-Monthy Blog
FREE with Special Code ($37 Value) Delegation Visualization Guided Audio - use promo code SALESSCHEMA
FREE Job Advertisement Checklist
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Working Backwards Book
Project management ties into many different parts of running a business, such as sales, operations, pricing, capacity, and more. If a project is not clearly outlined or systematized, it can be problematic for everyone involved. It ends up taking more time than anticipated and costing revenue. This week, episode 153 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to train effective project managers!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Rachel Gertz share the importance of project management in managing expectations for different teams. They also discuss actionable steps you can take right now toward democratic project management.
Rachel Gertz is CEO and Digital PM Trainer at Louder Than Ten. She trains tech workers how to transform their companies through democratic project management. Rachel helps companies track project numbers that really matter and how to turn blocks into opportunities to build strong relationships with their teams, customers, and clients. Her mission at Louder Than Ten is to give back power to the people leading their projects so they can end hustle culture.
In this episode, Dan and Rachel discuss the following:
- The human element of project management that tends to be overlooked.
- How to incentivize the best performance and retain employees longer.
- The evolution of digital project management and what the future will hold.
- Over-optimizing for one metric at the expense of another and how that can hurt us.
- Bridging the gap to understanding the necessity of a project manager.
Don’t forget to listen in for Rachel’s live reactions and strategies for current project management issues Dan’s seeing right now.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH RACHEL GERTZ:
Website
Louder Than Ten
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Episode with Nancy Lyons
Generally, the value of someone’s network ends up being around $2-3 Million. Once they get to that point, they’ve typically tapped out everyone they know and who those people might know. They’ve reached the point where their revenue isn’t going any further unless they build a commercialized sales team. Of course, there are exceptions, but that’s what our guest this week has generally seen. This week, episode 152 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about scale, sales process, and growing during a recession!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Dan Morris share the importance of knowing when you are the bottleneck of your business and how to visualize what it would look like with you not involved every day. They also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to gather data to ensure you are making the best decisions for your business.
Dan Morris is an investor, advisor, and B2B growth expert with a mission to leverage his experience to impact 1000 businesses positively by 2025. Helping companies to succeed in volatile markets, increasing profitability from existing strategies, and helping CEOs take positive steps forward to grow their business is where Dan’s expertise is focused.
Following his early agency experiences, he built and ran a second content marketing agency serving SMBs, and grew it to 60+ team members and multi-million dollar top-line revenue as CEO, before starting Mindracer Consulting. As Managing Partner at Mindracer Consulting. He and his team of collective partners work with B2B CEOs in services and SaaS companies to help with their Go To Market, Making Processes Repeatable, and Growth strategies.
In this episode, Dan and Dan Morris discuss the following:
- Building a sales team and the importance of effective sales training.
- A prioritization matrix for determining the vertices and areas you want to go after.
- How you can succeed during a recession and how that can affect your positioning (if it does at all).
- Understanding where your business fits in the lifecycle of another business.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAN MORRIS:
Mindracer Consulting
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Lead nurturing can be anything from creating a podcast to writing blog articles. In the case of our guest today, there’s more of a constraint on lead nurturing using software, which results in sales. This week, episode 151 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about lead nurturing that actually works!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jason Kramer share the importance of finding a process for effectively nurturing prospective buyers into customers. They also discuss some actionable steps you can take right now to connect the dots between marketing and sales.
Jason Kramer is formally trained as a brand strategist and holds a communication design degree from Syracuse University. He started his career as a graphic designer at NYC ad agencies working with global clients in the travel, food, and liquor industries. Seeing an opportunity to help startups and small businesses with an alternative option in lieu of hiring several freelancers, Jason started his first company in 2002, a pioneering virtual agency long before that concept even existed. For over 15 years, Jason’s agency, JLK Creative, worked with a wide variety of service-based companies in the Metro NY area, helping them with branding, web development, print, and email marketing.
In 2018, Jason founded his 2nd company, Cultivize, and leveraged his existing partnership with SHSP. Today, Cultivize is one of only a handful of Platinum Certified partners in the world and 100% focused on coaching, empowering, and implementing lead nurturing strategies for its clients.
In this episode, Dan and Jason discuss the following:
- Connecting the dots between marketing and sales.
- The process of planning and strategizing the use of automation on the sales and marketing sides of the business.
- What SharpSpring is and the pros and cons of the tool.
- Ways for you to improve your lead nurture, so you don’t miss out on the sale.
- How lead nurturing takes the lead generating a step further in getting results for your clients as marketing agencies.
- The importance of human interaction when nurturing your leads.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JASON KRAMER:
Cultivize
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
The old way of selling just doesn’t cut it anymore. People are more skeptical, and it can be harder to determine what to say to move the sale forward. This week’s guest has a unique perspective that shakes up what you know about sales. Episode 150 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about selling to skeptical buyers!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jeremy Miner share the importance of setting up sales calls correctly and actionable steps you can take right now to disarm the skeptical buyer.
Jeremy Miner is the Chairman of 7th Level, a Global Sales Training company that was ranked #1,232 of the fastest growing companies in the United States by INC magazine’s list of the top 5000 companies in 2021. He is also a contributor for INC magazine and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur magazine, and a host of other publications.
For Jeremy Miner, the embodiment of this philosophy has made him one of the wealthiest sales professionals on the planet. During his 17-year sales career, Jeremy was recognized by the Direct Selling Association as the 45th highest earning producer out of more than 100 million salespeople - selling anything worldwide! His earnings as a commission-only salesperson were in the multiple 7-figures EVERY year.
Jeremy’s unique brand of sales training pioneers the use of behavioral science and human psychology, reflective of his deep studies in the subject from Utah Valley University. Jeremy is the host of the podcast, Closers are Losers, and his new book, The New Model of Selling Selling to an Unsellable Generation— co-authored by Jerry Acuff —CEO of Delta Point, is being published Fall of 2022.
In this episode, Dan and Jeremy Miner discuss the following:
- Learning to work with human behavior rather than triggering sales resistance.
- The three forms of persuasion and how they can impact your sales ability.
- The ABD’s of Selling and why that works best in B2B sales
- When you have a tried and true sales process, you’re more likely to land the sale.
- Resistance to sales training at large and why it tends to happen.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JEREMY MINER:
YouTube
Website
Podcast
Sales Revolution Pro
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
As agency owners, it’s easy to attribute our personality traits to how we grew up and the decisions we made along our career paths. Those things influence how we show up as leaders for our team and the work our companies do. This week’s guest attributes a lot of his success as an agency owner to his childhood and a deep desire to have flexibility and freedom in his life. This week, episode 149 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how Andrew Morgans built a 37-person Amazon agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Andrew Morgans share the evolution of eCommerce on platforms like Amazon and eBay.
Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Marknology, Landlocked Clothing, AKCO Properties, and Co-owns waggedy®. Marknology is a full-service Amazon Brand Accelerator with a proven selling system for launching products on all eCommerce platforms with remarkable results. Marknology has managed over 200 Million in sales on Amazon alone.
In this episode, Dan and Drew discuss the following:
- How growing up with missionary parents prepared Drew for becoming an entrepreneur.
- The past, present, and future of eCommerce.
- Why finding an Amazon specialist isn’t the best course of action and what to do instead.
- The shift in dropshipping and why brands have moved away from that.
- What it takes to train your team from scratch when they don’t have prior experience.
- Where the Amazon space is headed and where agencies fit into that.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ANDREW MORGANS:
Marknology
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
The Body Keeps the Score
Extreme Ownership
It seems like there’s a missed alignment of the level of sophistication needed at the top of the sales funnel, especially when you are talking about complex and competitive industries. Your sales team is there to support that, but hiring and training the right person can feel daunting. This week, episode 148 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about ramping up new salespeople!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Merrick Calmer share the importance of hiring and training your sales team intentionally. We also chat about how you can very practically set up the members of your sales team for succes s.
Merrick is the Co-Founder of HireTraining, a Sales & Recruiting Bootcamp. The mission is to find and train people seeking an entry-level sales or recruiting position. While they are learning the skills they need to succeed in their career, HireTraining will be finding their first opportunity for them. Merrick is also the Chief Revenue Officer for NBGS USA, which operates an FDA Registered Facility and is a contract manufacturer, labeler, and supplier of medical products and personal care products.
In this episode, Dan and discuss the following:
- The foundational viability of sales as a long-term career.
- Why things are getting more difficult at the top of the sales funnel and why SDRs should be paid more
- The reason why most sales training doesn’t focus enough on the ideal customer profiles (ICP).
- What metrics we should be looking at as agency leaders and holding our team to them.
Even if you are training a mid-career salesperson or you yourself are the closer, there’s still a lot of value you can get from this conversation.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MERRICK CALMER:
HireTraining
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Podcasts are just a really great way for someone who wants to get more earned media but maybe cannot get into a Forbes or Fast Company. It's lower pressure and conversational. This week's episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about landing B2B podcast placements!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Shelby Janner share the importance of getting visible through podcast guesting and actionable steps you can take right now to pitch to be on B2B podcasts that make sense for your goals and brand.
Shelby Janner is a public relations expert and strategic communicator recently stepping into an executive role at Zilker Media, an Austin-based agency focused on building people-driven brands. Shelby supervises all client activities in the publicity department to ensure delivery and success for the desired business objectives and ROI. Utilizing her expertise in strategy and vision, Shelby is passionate about ensuring clients understand the importance and value of publicity as it pertains to their current and future marketing goals.
In this episode, Dan and Shelby Janner discuss the following:
- Harnessing the power of podcasts to boost your influence and raise the visibility of your organization.
- Podcasting as a bigger place to get media placements
- How podcasting is networking, content, and helpful in creating strategic partnerships.
- Practical steps on how to DIY your own publicity through pitching yourself to be a guest on podcasts.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH SHELBY JANNER:
Zilker Media
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
You are probably at a point where you’re thinking about leveraging technology and scaling your agency. Usually, it starts with those small vertical jumps that help you grow with inbound, but we know that there’s going to be a natural progression where inbounds dry up. That’s where outbound marketing is so important. This week, episode 146 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building an agency from $20-150M!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Corey Quinn shares the importance of having clarity around the market you serve so that you can speak directly to their problems. They also give actionable steps you can take right now to land more outbound deals.
Corey Quinn is the ex-CMO of Scorpion, where in 6 years, he helped grow the agency from $20-$150. Today he helps $2M+ SaaS and Agency B2B Founder CEOs identify, grow and scale profitable niches and customer segments.
In this episode, Dan and Corey discuss the following:
- First developing a streaming media business right before the dot com crash
- The value of having an MBA
- Stepping into a $20 Million agency that had capped out on inbound
- The three key lesson learned in building an agency from $20 to $150 Million
- How you can identify your top three most profitable niches that you can focus on even if your agency might feel all over the place.
Remember to look at both the qualitative and quantitative data to make those decisions when scaling you agency.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH COREY QUINN:
Website
Join Corey’s Newsletter
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
On one hand, we hear a lot about technology and the leverage it can give us and the things that it can do for our businesses. Still, as today's guests will talk about, the talent shortage in the technology space is a gap that's been widening and is perhaps wider than it's been in decades. Finding affordable tech talent is really, really hard. To get a seasoned developer, you might very well be going to India, Eastern Europe, the Philippines, et cetera, to find talent. There are a lot of people that would argue that the United States has dropped the ball. We don't have the infrastructure. We don't have the planning, leadership, or forethought to train technological talent.
As today's guest will talk about, it's not necessarily just developers. This is the bleeding edge. This is the trenches of the labor shortage. This is where things can potentially get turned around. And today's guest is at the forefront of that, and we really enjoyed our conversation with him. This week, episode 145 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to fill the tech labor gap!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
Linc Kroeger is a social innovator with 35 years of experience in innovation and enterprise technology. He served three years on the Technology Association of Iowa board; was assigned by Governor Kim Reynolds to her Empower Rural Iowa Task Force; identified as “the most innovative leader on bringing tech jobs to rural in the nation” by U.S. Congressmember Ro Khanna representing Silicon Valley; recognized as “Top National Rural Influencer” by The Ruralist.
In this episode, Dan and Linc Kroeger discuss the following:
- Why there’s a drop-off of interest in a career in tech if someone doesn’t start by the time they are about 18.
- What goes into training the next generation of tech talent.
- How a national strategy in filling tech infrastructure puts other nations ahead due to the gap in the United States.
- Why the labor shortage is happening, and how Linc’s organization is working to shift that in the tech space.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH LINC KROEGER:
Knight Moves
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Even within the B2B space, it can feel like we are all driving around blind. Relationships are extremely important in the B2B industry, so when you focus on providing value for your ideal customers. The barrier to creating those meaningful relationships is trust. So how do we break through and create that trust with our B2B customers?
Relationships are about offering true educational value to your audience, not just plummeting them with sales messages. There are tons of marketing sources out there right now, but they’re not all good. You have to be able to navigate through that. This week, episode 144 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about over 30 years of B2B marketing insights!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Donna Peterson share the importance of using commonalities as leverage when connecting with others and the most timeless strategy that has worked in building relationships.
As a CEO, Marketing Consultant, and Leadership Strategist, Donna Anne Peterson has a personalized approach to helping individuals and businesses reach the next level. Each individual and company is unique and must be treated uniquely. Donna dives deep into understanding the mission, why, and goals to ensure everything goes down the right path. Bombarding people with promotions or asking employees to do more is not a sustainable way to grow a business. Instead, show people that you understand their situation and honestly care to increase productivity and sales.
In this episode, Donna Peterson discusses the following:
- What are quality client relationships and how to effectively build them.
- The first lesson Donna had to learn when it came to working in a diverse industry.
- Hidden tips for learning the language of your ideal customers.
- How to stand out and show people that you truly know what you’re doing.
- Using relationships and commonalities as leverage when creating campaigns.
- Industry changes in the B2B marketing space over the last 30+ years.
- Tools that are actually helpful in B2B marketing.
Don't forget that when searching for the right marketing tools, it’s important that you consider your business needs and the tool as a whole in your decision.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DONNA PETERSON:
World Innovators
B2B Excellency Podcast
YouTube
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Dan’s episode on B2B Marketing Excellency
Have you ever wondered what it would look like to exit your agency and start a SAS product? That’s exactly what Joe Toyer did…three times! And if you’re considering building, scaling, or exiting an agency in 2022, this episode is going to give you clear ideas on how to do all of that and more. This week, episode 143 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about three agency exits, three software products, and the big lessons that were learned throughout that process!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Joe Troyer share the importance of planning in your business and how that has made a difference in long-term agency growth. They also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to hire the right people in your agency and what those first hires should look like.
Joe Troyer is an internet entrepreneur who's been helping businesses grow their online presence and succeed in the digital world since 2005. He is a leading expert in all things digital marketing, having founded successful businesses in the SaaS, marketing services, and agency spaces.
Joe is the co-founder of PPC Adlab, a tool that provides Google advertisers with unprecedented market visibility. Review Grower, his most recent venture, is a SaaS company that helps businesses obtain reviews and grow their online reputation. As the former owner of a 7-figure agency, Joe also does some coaching to help others start and grow their agencies and achieve the same level of success.
In this episode, Dan and Joe Troyer discuss the following:
- What inspired the creation, build, and market of a call-tracking platform.
- The payoff in building, scaling and exiting three agencies.
- How to determine if a business is no longer a good fit for you as a person.
- Unique stages of scaling an agency and how Joe decided where it made the most sense for him to exit.
- What it looks to build and scale an agency in 2022 when the market is more competitive.
- The power in transitioning from agency to SAS
As we’ve seen from this conversation, there are many different ways to build, scale and exit an agency. You are the one who ultimately gets to decide what is going to work best for you.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JOE TROYER:
Show Me the Nuggets Podcast
Digital Triggers
PPC Ad Lab
PPC Predict
Review Grower
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Dan’s Episode on Show Met the Nuggets Podcast
The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham
Hiring sales team members can be overwhelming, especially when you’re new to hiring. However, as we will learn in this episode from Chris O’Riordan, even if you’re the chief expert on the floor or the industry expert on anything, you may not be the perfect candidate or sales member. This week, episode 142 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building sales teams over decades!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Chris O’Riordan share the importance of knowing your customer’s pain points and actionable steps you can take right now to create a course of action that works for your customers.
Chris O’Riordan is the managing director of sales strategy, training and implementation company, Firestarter Business Solutions.
In this episode, Dan and Chris O’Riordan discuss the following:
- The concept of the phrase, “I’m not young enough to know everything yet,” and how to circumnavigate the idea that we’ll never know it all, and yet there’s a limit at the same time.
- Why your business cannot survive solely on the passion and energy you bring to it if you plan to scale.
- Why the foundations of clarity around why your product sells and why your customers buy is the first and most important question to solve before growth can happen.
- Easy exercises you can do to better understand your ideal client and help you stick to a plan of action for your customers.
- The hiring process; the questions you should be asking your new potential hires, what to do with references, and more.
Creating sustainable success is about more than just having a good service, but rather it’s knowing your customers so well that you know that your product or service is sustainably needed.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Chris O’Riordan:
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Almost all business owners are drawn to the idea that there are little tweaks, or system changes you can make that will magically make your business so much more profitable or make growth exponential. While it would be nice to have these magical little tweaks, it doesn’t really work that way. What I have found is that if you go through the reps enough, you do kind of land on these little nuggets of changes that will improve our systems, and with that in mind, I am excited to welcome back Marquis Murray. This week, episode 141 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about Agency Tools, Systems, and the Most Profitable Operational Tweaks!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Marquis Murray share the importance of efficiency for team and company growth and actionable steps you can take right now to have the most profitable operational system possible.
Marquis Murray is the CEO and Founder of Ditto — a systems and processes consultancy for organizations who need help creating clarity around the work done inside their companies. He found that the need to create order in the chaos was a common trend that he saw with his clients, and this discovery helped him to realize his true passion (operations) and eventually led him into a career creating SOPs, process workflows, and automation to make work easier.
In this episode, Dan and Marquis discuss the following:
- What Marquis believes makes a good operator in terms of skill sets to have or learn in order to establish trust within your team.
- How he has established a feedback and ideas box in his office, and what that looks like in terms of determining ideas as opportunities for growth.
- What Marquis’ meeting cadence looks like, and how it has shifted over time to be more efficient and the best use of time for all team members.
- How they build culture in an efficient business setting, and where that can be found and implemented in your own business.
If you’ve been looking for ways to be more efficient, get your production costs lower, or even build culture in a tight ship, this episode is for you.
CONNECT WITH Marquis Murray:
Youtube
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you’ve spent any amount of time in the agency world, you’ve probably heard of directory-based marketing opportunities and search consultant niche. Today’s guest sits in an interesting space right in the middle of these two. John Doherty has 11 years of SEO and digital experience and lots of experience with lead generation. John’s perspective is very interesting, especially if you’re in that growth stage in your own agency. This week, episode 140 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about qualifying leads from the beginning!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and John Doherty are sharing the importance of qualifying your leads and actionable steps you can take right now to stop wasting time with directories that aren’t providing top leads.
John Doherty is a Denver, Colorado-based entrepreneur and marketing consultant. He's the founder of Credo, which helps companies find the best digital marketing agency for their needs. He has 11 years of SEO and digital experience across agencies and in-house and has worked with some of the largest websites on the internet to drive growth. Living in Denver, CO, with his wife and dog, John is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer, skier, and mountain biker and plans to visit every continent on Earth.
In this episode, Dan and John Doherty discuss the following:
- Spending too much time on the leads that aren’t a good fit and why that drains your energy and profit margins.
- Why the most difficult part of the lead generation process is getting a potential client in the door and what you have that’s special after that happens.
- Why it’s important to qualify your potential clients before starting work with them, and how to qualify leads.
- How the cost per lead has increased over the last 18 months or so exponentially, and why John believes this is happening.
John’s perspective on entrepreneurship and growth as an agency is a unique one that will leave you itching to jump in and take a second look at your current lead generation strategy.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH John Doherty:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you are going after a niched B2B audience and have limited bandwidth, then you probably struggle with trying to figure out where to focus your time. There are so many content and marketing strategies to choose from, and that can feel overwhelming. This week, episode 139 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about effective B2B marketing systems for those who have small teams!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Sarah Noel Block shares the importance of batching your content to ensure that you have a plan and strategy going in. She also shares actionable steps you can take right now to get your marketing in front of the right people.
Sarah Noel Block is the founder of Tiny Marketing, where she offers content marketing strategies to support tiny teams. During her time as a marketing team of one for five different companies simultaneously, she was able to build a system that allowed her to expand their bandwidth without expanding the budget. Now, she partners with tiny marketing departments to help them get noticed and close more sales without adding to their headcount.
In this episode, Dan and Sarah discuss the following:
- How Sarah learned to make content marketing the core strategy for all marketing to ensure it could be distributed in a way that kept them in front of their audience.
- Ways to create bigger pieces of content and then break them down further into 10+ pieces of content that can be used across multiple platforms.
- How to connect with ideal clients–no matter how niche–while creating content that they actually see and can take action on.
- Using partnerships with other companies to create content that can be marketed effectively to your ideal client.
- The power in asking for referrals and getting connected with more people who can support your content and marketing.
- A few different ways that you can create the content without having a weekly podcast.
- The importance in surveying your audience, so you know the type of content they like to consume.
It all comes back to how you can effectively pull your ideal clients into your content and marketing to ensure brand awareness and conversions.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH SARAH NOEL BLOCK:
Tiny Marketing
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
SuperPath
Erik Huberman knows what it means to buckle down and work hard for an agency’s growth. Through the many years that he’s worked in the space, Erik has focused on the values of the business and tasks at hand to make huge growth opportunities and put the businesses first in order to become as successful as his is today. This week, episode 138 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about client retention and why Erik chose not to niche down in the growth of his business!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Erik Huberman shares the importance of communication with your clients and actionable steps you can take right now to take a step back in your own business to allow it to grow.
Erik is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the highly successful marketing agency known as Your Outsourced CMO® that’s helped grow over 3,000 brands worldwide, and is valued at more than $150 million. Erik is a lauded recipient of a number of honors and awards, including: Forbes 30 Under 30, CSQ’s 40 Under 40, Inc. Magazine’s Top 25 Marketing Influencers, The International Business Awards’ Entrepreneur of the Year, and a Telly Award for the Hawke Media commercial he co-wrote and starred in.
In this episode, Dan and Erik Huberman discuss the following:
- Why Erik chose to focus on accessibility instead of niching down when it came to expanding and marketing his start-ups.
- How communication, along with a few other smart techniques, helps Erik keep up retention in a market where one bad week can ruin 2 years of work.
- Mistakes Erik has made in the early stages of hiring for sales that he learned from quickly, and ways to avoid the same mistakes in your own agency.
- What drove Erik to step back from being the main closer in his agency, even though it meant losing half his new client revenue, in order to buy back time elsewhere in the business.
Stay around to the end of the interview to hear why you shouldn’t worry about the recession looming amongst us and how to be optimistic about it instead of frightened.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ERIK HUBERMAN:
The Hawke Method: Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Dan is returning from vacation, and instead of a guest episode, he was featured on the Digital Agency Show podcast. So today, we are sharing that episode with you. On the Digital Agency Show, Brent Weaver interviews successful agency owners and leaders on the best practices for agency growth and success. This week, episode 137 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is an episode Dan was on over on the Digital Agency Show podcast!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander chats with Brent to share the importance of breaking down barriers in cold messaging strategies, which are covered in his book. He also shares actionable steps you can take right now to build deeper connections with your audience.
In this episode, Dan discusses with Brett the following:
- The timeless power of de-risking conversations with commonalities instead of boring, publicly available information.
- Tips for messaging copy that truly converts instead of being left unread or sounding like a bot, even if that copy is created in advance.
- How to balance personalization and scale without being bogged down with too many tasks or feeling like a robot and impersonal.
This fun podcast episode was shared graciously with us by the Digital Agency Show Podcast, and we are very thankful to have been on the show to share about the new book and share some wisdom with their audience.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH The Digital Agency Show podcast:
Website
Podcast
Original Episode
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Ever been curious about which books on your to-be-read list need to be bumped to the top? Experiencing a struggle in your agency and need a good read that will help you without overwhelming you?
In this week’s episode, Dan sits down with Jon Tsourakis again to dissect their favorite books and discuss which ones should be on your TBR list, and which aren’t that entertaining for the agency owner. This week, episode 136 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about our favorite business books lately and how we apply the teachings in these books to our businesses!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jon Tsourakis share the importance of reading to shake up your thinking and take you to the next level in your business and actionable steps you can take right now to gain insight and value from reading.
Jon Tsourakis is the President of Oyova, a web app and digital marketing agency, recently featured on INC 5000's fastest-growing companies list. He also hosts a podcast, The Climb, produced by the Digital Mastermind, a mastermind group of digital agencies from around the world.
In this episode, Dan and Jon discuss the following:
- Hiring and work culture styles based on popular books, like Rework or The Smart Bear blog, and how we apply the teachings of these cultures and dynamic shifts to our own agencies.
- The power Jon finds in doing Sunday work and scheduling Monday emails to his team and employees.
- How we both took away the power of certainty through a book that was not a business professional development book, and how we can learn from different perspectives.
- The book(s) that shook our thinking up, that we revisit, and that we recommend to our team to read.
This episode will fill your kindle or bookshelf with powerful reads that you’ll want your whole team to read.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JON TSOURAKIS:
Digital Mastermind
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Jon Tsourakis – A Battle-Tested Sales Process for Complex Marketing Services
Agency New Business Year in Review with Special Guest Jon Tsourakis
A few years ago Dan self-published a few books and then years went by. At Sales Schema, they started getting really busy with clients and outreach, and Dan learned a whole lot throughout that process. He decided a while ago that he wanted to write a new book, but he wanted this one to be different. This week, episode 135 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is a sneak peek at Dan’s new book, Relationship Sales and Scale; How to find your virtual tribe and reliably grow your professional service business!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan is sharing the importance of personalized relationship sales and actionable steps you can take right now to change your sales process to improve conversions and cold-messaging tactics.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- How older styles of sales are outdated, and why it’s so important to understand that a change must happen in order to succeed in sales nowadays.
- Relationship-focus messaging to conversions, and how shifting our model with our own clients has increased our conversations on open and response rates by over 40%.
- The importance of trust, both in the sense that it’s a scarce resource, but also how best to establish it quickly to build your client list.
This is just the first part of Dan’s new book, which will be released soon. We will keep you updated on how to gain access to the link to buy your copy soon.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
You may think you have your contracts for clients and you think you have all your boxes ticked - but you are probably missing something very important. Do you have all the client contracts and other legal bits for your toolkit? You’ll find out in this episode! It’s always helpful to have Sharon Toerek on to talk about the changing landscape of legal, and especially today to discuss why you need more than a contract or your boxes have been ticked. This week, episode 134 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about your business legal toolkit!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Sharon Toerek share the importance of being legally prepared for potential clients asking for exclusivity and actionable steps you can take right now to protect your legal ideas and formulas while also providing more one to many opportunities for growth in your service options.
Sharon Toerek is a marketing law and intellectual property lawyer dedicated to serving agencies. She's also the host of the Innovative Agency Podcast. Sharon is a former President of the American Ad Federation (AAF) Cleveland and serves on the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) Legal Consultant panel. In the advertising and communications industry, Sharon writes and frequently lectures on the topics of intellectual property protection, marketing agency relationships, and the legal implications of social media.
In this episode, Dan and Sharon discuss the following:
- What Sharon and her clients are really focusing on in terms of IP as things shift and change in the landscape of legal.
- When to know when it’s time to legally protect an idea, project or product, and when you should expect it to pay off.
- How you can protect yourself legally and what you need to have in your business legal tool kit.
- How negotiating with brands and potential clients is changing to the clients asking for exclusivity, and how to navigate that to keep your niche and protect both you and your client's best interests.
After this episode, you’ll feel more prepared for both negotiations with future clients and your own agency's legal toolkit.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH SHARON TOEREK:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
When it comes to hiring, there’s a lot in the mix nowadays that impacts the available market of potential employees, as well as work conditions and negotiations, that can limit an agency on their pickings for an open position. Someone who truly understands this is Noel Andrews, CEO of JobRack. With 15+ years in recruiting, Noel understands the great resignation, as well as the hiring squeeze, in a way that you’ll find enlightening and refreshing. This week, episode 133 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the hiring squeeze!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Noel Andrews share the importance of maintaining the value of your business through high quality and over-delivery and actionable steps you can take right now to hire through this current climate.
Following 15 years of recruiting and leading teams within large corporate technology functions, Noel bought JobRack to help bring the wonders of Eastern European remote workers to business owners all over the world. JobRack has been helping business owners get access to Eastern European remote workers since 2015 and over 500 businesses have hired successfully, many of them returning again and again, as they build their teams with great hires from JobRack.
In this episode, Dan and Noel discuss the following:
- How to get quality employees and where to find them for your open agency positions.
- How to maintain the value of your services without compromising quality and making it sustainable.
- The hiring squeeze; what it is, why it’s happening, and what you can do about it.
- How to make outreach and gaining referrals casual and personal, building relationships and thus your agency.
If you’ve recently had a conversation with a fresh out of college, wet behind the ears college grad applying for their first job and little experience, yet demanding a 6 figure paycheck, you’ll find this episode refreshing.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH NOEL ANDREWS:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Bonjoro Video
All About Numbers
The Art of Gathering
Key Person of Influence
If you’ve ever said “Holy cow, we’re so busy, and yet we don’t have any money in our bank account,” this is the episode you don’t want to skip over. There is a difference between profit efficiencies that you need to know, and Marcel Petitpas is here to help deliver that information to us today. This week, episode 132 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about outsourcing to profitability!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Marcel Petitpas share the importance of outsourcing the work that you’re not good at and actionable steps you can take right now to have more realistic expectations around your agency metrics.
Marcel Petitpas is the CEO & Co-Founder of Parakeeto, a company dedicated to helping agencies improve their profitability by streamlining their operations and reporting systems. He’s also the fractional COO at Gold Front, an award-winning creative agency in San Francisco working with brands like Uber, Slack, Keap and more. As well as the head strategic coach at SaaS Academy by Dan Martell, the #1 coaching program for B2B SaaS businesses in the world. In his work as a speaker, podcast host and consultant, specializing in Agency Profitability Optimization, he's helped hundreds of agencies around the world improve profitability and cash flow in their business. When he’s not helping agencies make more money, he’s probably watching “The Office” or “Parks and Rec” on a never-ending loop and eating breakfast foods for every meal of the day.
In this episode, Dan and Marcel discuss the following:
- The trend from software on its own to this new SWAS model, and why things may be heading in that direction of agency profitability
- How to approach your margins, and understanding what that looks like now, vs how it used to look in the agency space as far as goal setting and what numbers are considered “normal”.
- How to identify and outsource the riskiest work of your agency to increase your profitability and give you more time in your day to scale your agency.
- What to aim for in churn and how to set goals around churn for your agency and product-market fit.
Whether you’re here to learn more about agency profitability or here to learn about SWAS, you’re in the right spot and this episode is going to help you.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MARCEL PETITPAS:
Blog
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Are you feeling frustrated working long hours on your agency but never feeling like you’re getting what you want out of it? Not feeling like your agency growth or success is actually accomplishing anything? This episode is for you!
Chip has been on the podcast a few times now, and Dan always loves hearing the emotional journey that Chip helps agency owners through towards this goal of loving your business. This week, episode 131 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to build an agency that you actually love to own!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Chip Griffin share the importance of loving the agency you are building and actionable steps you can take right now to go from frustration to passion and get what you want from your business so you love it.
Chip Griffin helps small PR and marketing agency owners build agencies they want to own. He shares the wisdom of his successes and the lessons of his failures from more than two decades of entrepreneurship and agency leadership.
In this episode, Dan and Chip discuss the following:
- Examples of agency owners who do love their business, and what that looks like both from an insider’s standpoint as well as what that looks like from the outside looking at the agency as a whole.
- How to go about figuring out what you want out of your business, especially after you hit frustration or even burnout.
- Why Chip recommends block scheduling, and what he suggests you do for a half-day or even a full day each week to better grow and build your agency for success.
- Why you may be holding yourself back by either being too cautious or being in a rush to accomplish all the things you believe will help your agency and why finding a middle ground is best for agency growth and that feeling of success.
Chip Griffin always brings a sense of reason to the rollercoaster of success and mindset with agency owners.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH CHIP GRIFFIN:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Do your marketing ads and digital performance actually have an impact on your sales, or would the consumer buy anyway? That’s exactly what Lewis Rothkopf, President of Martin, uncovers in today’s episode in relation to measuring your marketing efforts to maximize your time, money and energy. This week, episode 130 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about DSP: Demand Side Platform!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Lewis Rothkopf share the importance of testing assumptions and actionable steps you can take right now to rethink the way we measure things through technology.
Having led global businesses and revenue lines at the world's foremost marketing, ad tech and media companies, Lewis joins Martin as its president with more than 20 years experience in digital media. Prior to joining Martin, he was responsible for managing a leading demand-side platform's global inventory supply chain, as well as that company's mobile, video and advanced TV, streaming audio, digital out of home (DOOH), social and emerging channels businesses.
In this episode, Dan and Lewis Rothkopf discuss the following:
- The power of incrementality measurement and why measuring ads is best done in the same way that pharmaceuticals measure the effectiveness of drugs.
- The three cornerstones: advertisers, publishers, and consumers, and third-party cookies, and why these are creating a world where consumers are in charge of their shared data.
- Does the algorithm truly run things, and if so, is it also simultaneously ruining digital marketing as we know it? Lewis provides his two cents on the algorithms of today.
- How to take charge and understand your marketing strategies and measure them for effectiveness.
Lewis Rothkopf provides a refreshingly optimistic take on the otherwise scary possibilities of technology and digital marketing today that will leave you feeling ready to start measuring your marketing output with more sincerity.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT with Lewis Rothkopf:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you’ve been an agency owner for a while now you may or may not have meandered into partnerships, but by the end of this episode, you’re really going to understand why it’s such a natural fit to scale partnerships to bring in much of your income. Today Lucas Capestany joins us to talk about partnerships. He is the CEO and co-founder of AgencyGo, a company currently creating a datapoint digital marketing engine that will replace the conventional digital agency model. This week, episode 129 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to make partnerships a key part of growing your agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Lucas Capestany share the importance of partnerships for agency growth and actionable steps you can take right now to build partnerships that build your business.
Lucas is the CEO and founder of Twizz, which is a digital marketing agency focusing on driving leads for b2b service companies, and generating e-commerce sales for online stores. And more relevant to the partnership angle. He is the CEO and co-founder of AgencyGo, which is basically a company that is in the process of building a data point digital marketing engine that will replace the conventional digital agency model. And their main focus is on partnerships, which is basically helping agencies to do business with one another.
In this episode, Dan and Lucas discuss the following:
- The demand for quick cash growth amongst agency owners that helped fuel the design and current makeup of AgencyGo, and how Lucas hopes the platform allows for extra data entry and usefulness later on for agency owners.
- What the hustling companies who are making partnerships are doing that others should learn from to grow and scale their agencies quickly.
- The major pain points agency owners, and other business owners, face when it comes to creating partnerships and maintaining positive relationships with them.
- The things you need to figure out in order to create a promising trustworthy partnership with others.
The long-term benefits of partnerships, as well as how they create a business model that is self-sustaining, will encourage you to look towards not only who is referring you clients, but also who you are referring clients to.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Lucas Capestany:
AgencyGo Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
We’ve talked a lot about technology and why you should use technology to power your agency, but we haven’t had many practical applications on how to do that on the show. Shaun Clark, CEO of HighLevel, is a great example of utilizing technology to increase client retention and increase the value of your agency with the power of tech. This week, episode 128 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about software-powered agency services!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Shaun Clark shares the importance of being the full solution, not just part of the solution, for small business clients and actionable steps you can take right now to stay on top of the b2b connection and local trends that sell.
Shaun Clark is a serial entrepreneur, multi-millionaire, and a co-founder and the CEO of HighLevel, the #1 white-label marketing platform for agencies. He helps 20k+ agency owners decrease churn and stabilize revenue through adding a SaaS arm to their business.
In this episode, Dan and Shaun discuss the following:
- The limitations on small businesses to utilize agencies, and why agencies don’t fare as well as software for companies of smaller scales.
- The benefits of being both an agency and a software company to offer your clients a new dynamic that makes them stay for the long haul.
- How an agency can provide the services and the software in such a way to encourage the right habits on the small business clients to be successful and see results.
- What Saun sees from the most successful agencies, and what they are leveraging to be that success pillar for themselves and the industry,
This episode will help you find new, practical ways to increase client retention and understand the power of software and technology powered agencies.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Shaun Clark:
Website
Youtube Channel
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
A few years back I read the book Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact by Phil M Jones, and within 6 months I had nearly doubled my conversion rate in my own agency. So when the opportunity arose to have Phil come on the podcast to share with you the power of your words in sales, I was more than eager to get this out to you. This week, episode 127 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the efficiency of word choice in sales with Phil M Jones!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Phil M Jones are sharing the importance of being innately curious and actionable steps you can take right now to crowdsource brilliance. Phil M Jones thinks and acts differently. His precise insights around communication added to a proven personal pedigree of peak performance and a richness of real-world experience mean that Phil is the kind of thought leader whose counsel is sought by other thought leaders.
He passionately believes that the answer to increased success, in every area of life, is to ask better questions, focus on QUALITY of conversation as well as quantity and that quite often, the difference between you, and all the others, is knowing exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make more of your conversations count.
Best known for his international best-selling book, Exactly What to Say – The Magic Words for Influence and Impact and his vast experience as a professional speaker at conferences and events, what is often overlooked is the strategic intellect he provides behind the scenes for some of the world’s biggest brands to understand their critical conversations and the success language required to maximize their effectiveness.
To date, more than 800 different industries, across 59 countries and 5 continents have benefitted from his input. Trusted by dynamic and aspiring leaders in Healthcare, Real Estate, Automotive, Financial Services, SaaS, Home Improvement, Retail and many more – Phil is the kind of expert that achieves his success through the people he supports and adores seeing other people shine.
In this episode, Dan and Phil discuss the following:
- Why Phil believes it’s not about being born a natural salesperson, but rather being innately curious as a person that leads to success in sales industries.
- The magic words in sales that you probably use incorrectly and are breaking your own sales opportunities.
- Getting in through the side door, rather than trying to reach out to the gatekeepers, to the decision-makers and how to break through the noise.
- The power in understanding the examples, rather than the principals, and how you’ll learn to approach conversations with potential clients differently.
The conversation truly encompasses all areas of compassionate and integral sales, all from a high-level sales perspective. This episode will also help you create better conversions tomorrow, so make sure you tune in!
CONNECT WITH Phil M Jones:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you’ve been curious about how to attract the right freelancers and talent while keeping them engaged, this podcast episode is one you won’t want to skip over! While we’ve talked about talent acquisition before on the podcast, this one is going to be a very powerful and interesting conversation on attracting and holding positive relationships with contracted freelancers in your business.
This episode will be especially helpful for those who work with multiple freelancers or plan on doing so soon. This week, episode 126 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about freelancer acquisition!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Shahar Erez shares the importance of respecting your freelancers in the right way and actionable steps you can take right now to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to higher freelancers in your agency.
Shahar Erez is the Co-founder & CEO of Stoke, an on-demand talent platform empowering companies to adopt a hybrid workforce model that scales as quickly and efficiently as needed. The platform provides a streamlined interface to make sure all your “non-employees” are operating according to policies, legal constraints and workforce classification.
In this episode, Dan and Shahar discuss the following:
- How the requests to corporate positions of both Millennials and GenZers asking for flexible remote work led to the creation of Stoke, and how that led to a 9 figure deal with Fiverr.
- How freelancers were the first to be let go in the beginning of the furlough period during the pandemic of 2020, and yet the most capable group to rebound and get on their feet the fastest, compared to their corporate 9-5er counterparts.
- How agency owners have been going about hiring freelancers in the wrong ways, and ways to find and keep talented freelancers coming back to your agency.
- The potential for freelance hire and what tasks are best to hire a freelancer, as opposed to other tasks that would be best for an internal position and full-time employee.
Whether you’re already hiring freelancers but retention is low, or you plan on hiring 20 freelancers over the next few years, this platform as well as this conversation is perfect to help you learn from the best and experience the reality of freelance retention.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Shahar Erez:
Stoke Website
Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
If you’re looking for a no-BS kind of conversation about marketing, sales, and client growth then this is the perfect episode for you today. Ken Marshall, chief growth officer of RevenueZen, is a leading growth marketing strategist and creative mind, and there is no doubt you’ll learn a lot from this episode. This week, episode 125 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about B2B inbound marketing growth strategies you can implement as soon as this episode is done playing through your earbuds.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Ken Marshall shares the importance of social proof and actionable steps you can take right now to identify your target market and solidify who you’re talking to in order to perfect your marketing strategy.
Ken “Magma” Marshall is the Chief growth officer and managing partner at RevenueZen, a b2b focused inbound marketing agency. Beyond that, he's been professionally internetting for the past seven years, and has shifted his focus to all things SEO and inbound for the last five. Ken is an endlessly curious person with a cliche of coffee addiction and a burning desire to encourage and empower others to pursue meaningful lives.
In this episode, Dan and Ken Marshall discuss the following:
- What a growth officer does as well as what that title should mean for an agency curious about adding this role to their lineup.
- The concept of putting your pricing front and center on your website, and why you may want to consider doing that, even if it’s controversial.
- The best way to reduce risk when hiring new employees, letting them fail on purpose to allow them to grow, and giving up a lot of time and control to allow a new employee to build your agency.
- Where to start when it comes to gaining clarity around buyer journeys and how best to tackle this as an agency owner.
Whether you are looking for out-of-the-box ideas on growth strategy or just looking for inspiration to keep going with lead generation, this episode is sure to help you expand your view and grow your business in a positive way.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH KEN MARSHALL:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Have you ever wondered if the people running agencies, advertisement companies, and the like had it easier back in the day? Martin Bihl, the third generation of advertisement and creative direction work in his family, states that the past had its own unique challenges that today’s agency owners just don’t consider.
Today we are going back in time and returning to the present to discuss not only how things have changed and stayed the same, but also to dive into relationships amongst your team and clients, and even potential future clients. This week, episode 124 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about his lifetime in creative direction with Martin Bihl.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Martin Bihl shares the importance of advertising and actionable steps you can take right now to create and hold symbiotic relationships with your clients.
Martin Bihl has created campaigns and creative across a staggering number of client categories – from banks to beers to B2B and beyond – and marketing channels – from traditional print/tv/radio to guerilla to digital to sales promotion to event to things-that-don’t-have-a-name-yet. He’s worked at agencies in New York, St. Louis, Dallas, and Chicago, and with agencies all across the planet. He’s taught marketing, advertising and branding to undergrads, international master’s students and MBAs at a variety of universities in the Philadelphia area, and speaks regularly at schools around the country.
Martin’s writing has appeared in such diverse publications as McSweeney’s, Advertising Age, New York Magazine, Eephus, More, and more, and he runs The-Agency-Review.com where he has interviewed such industry luminaries as Sir John Hegarty, George Lois and Luke Sullivan. Despite these things, he has no distinguishing characteristics, hobbies or interests and is utterly devoid of personality altogether.
In this episode, Dan and Martin discuss the following:
- Bad advertising; where Martin has seen bad advertising work well, or at least better than expected, and how bad advertising works better than no advertising.
- The reason that in the long-term, the brand implications must be thought out before launching an advertising campaign, and how different campaigns may not pass legal.
- Examples of how clients can totally change the agency and ways in which to allow that collaboration to continue through a positive agency-client relationship, and ways it could fall apart.
- How to get the upside of “tribe” without the downside of “tribalism”, and if that’s even possible, in advertising.
This episode is perfect to jog creative ideas and sit down with some bigger thinking here.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Martin Bihl:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Really curious people usually have a way of telling incredible stories, having experiences and life lessons worth discussing, and genuinely caring about others. Matthew Stibbe is just that, and today you can go back in history or stay right where you are as we dive into his entrepreneurship journey. That’s why episode 123 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the interrelationships you can create within your agency, with Matthew Stibbe!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Matthew shares the importance of understanding your worth, as well as that of your employees, in relation to work and time in the office and actionable steps you can take right now to get curious and make opportunities through experiences.
Matthew Stibbe is an entrepreneur, manager, marketer, writer, pilot, wine lover and geek. He is also a history professor at Sheffield Hallam University's Humanities Research Centre.
In this episode, Dan and Matthew discuss the following:
- How Matthew went from being a private pilot and journalist to an agency owner, and why he decided to pivot in that fashion to a B-corp business.
- The interrelationships between how we handle our internal projects and how we communicate project management to clients.
- Why Matthew thinks that time tracking for employee wages isn’t the answer, and how you can either pay for the thought in the shower or the years of experience that created that thought; it’s up to you.
- How Matthew utilized opportunities in everything he did to gain experience, connections, and how he created a unique lifestyle and agency just by being a very curious person.
Matthew Stibbe is a serial entrepreneur, marketing maven, writer, pilot, and wine enthusiast. But not necessarily in that order. He created marketing strategies, content, and campaigns for clients including Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn, and HP and contributed to Wired, Forbes, and Popular Science. Currently, he is CEO at Articulate Marketing, a UK marketing agency specializing in the technology sector. Also, his geek credentials are strong. Previously, he was founder and CEO at Intelligent Games, a 70-person computer games company where he designed games for LEGO and produced two games based online. Matthew also has his commercial pilots license and an advanced wine diploma. At some point in the previous millennium, he studied history at Oxford University. These days, he blogs about modern management atwww.geekboss.com, about marketing at www.articulatemarketing.com and wine at www.vincarta.com
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH MATTHEW STIBBE:
Read his blog
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Double Digit Growth Book
Charlotte Ellis Maldari has worked with clients from all over the globe, with a strong focus on inbound client conversions, she’ll tell you that what’s in your portfolio matters. So when clients have a lot of potential clients looking at their portfolio but not converting, she can almost immediately tell you that you’re not putting in the data that shows you are successful, which is what potential clients want to know. She has a lot of great insight into credentials; where they matter and which awards she doesn’t bother with. This week, episode 122 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about increasing the weight of your credentials for higher conversions!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Charlotte Ellis Maldari shares the importance of sharing your client testimonials and ROI results and actionable steps you can take right now to increase your portfolio conversion with new clients.
Charlotte Ellis Maldari is the CEO and Founder of Kaffeen, which helps design agencies to create and implement marketing activities that generate new business. She served as marketing director at a leading London brand design agency by the name of brand Opus, she helped them scale going from a boutique agency of 30 people up to 100, directing all marketing across Europe, the US and Asian areas and supporting the launch of new global offices to successfully win new business. Now through Kaffeen, Charlotte services over 370 businesses.
In this episode, Dan and Charlotte discuss the following:
- The many challenges that come with selling design, or any other market that is highly commoditized, and what you can do to charge the highest prices.
- The importance of credentials, and not just any awards or titles, but the reality of sharing ROI statistics and the proof behind your success, as well as how to get or find credentials if you need them.
- Charlotte’s unique perspective on who you should hire, how to best support them, and who to look for at various stages of your agency growth.
- The discussion around solving a bigger, more lucrative program, and why mixing AI and real person services might be your solution.
Through this episode, you’ll get a better understanding of where to focus your attention, from office to employees to awards to apply for, in order to grow your success statistics and really shine on paper and with your clients.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Charlotte Ellis Maldari:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
A few years ago Dan self-published a few books and then years went by. At Sales Schema, they started getting really busy with clients and outreach, and Dan learned a whole lot throughout that process. He decided a while ago that he wanted to write a new book, but he wanted this one to be different. This week, episode 121 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is a sneak peek at Dan’s new book, Relationship Sales and Scale; How to find your virtual tribe and reliably grow your professional service business!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan is sharing the importance of personalized relationship sales and actionable steps you can take right now to change your sales process to improve conversions and cold-messaging tactics.
In this episode, Dan discusses the following:
- How older styles of sales are outdated, and why it’s so important to understand that a change must happen in order to succeed in sales nowadays.
- Relationship-focus messaging to conversions, and how shifting our model with our own clients has increased our conversations on open and response rates by over 40%.
- The importance of trust, both in the sense that it’s a scarce resource, but also how best to establish it quickly to build your client list.
This is just the first part of Dan’s new book, which will be released soon. We will keep you updated on how to gain access to the link to buy your copy soon.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
It’s not too often I get to interview another grappler, but today is extra special because Cristina Rodriguez not only has multiple black belts, but she also has over ten years of experience in internet marketing, and she’s the founder of Grow Pro Agency. So she understands what it means to expand your niche and find new audiences. That’s why episode 120 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about scaling your agency through relationships!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Cristina is sharing the importance of expanding and discovering new niches and actionable steps you can take right now to help your clients give you better material to increase your success with their business.
With 27 years of Martial Arts Experience and 20 years of Teaching Experience, Professor Cris Rodriguez is a 1st Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, 3rd Degree TKD Black Belt, and Co-Owns Gracie PAC MMA, a BJJ & MMA School in Tampa, Florida, with her wife, Stephanie. In addition, she has studied Internet Marketing for the past ten years and is the Founder of Grow Pro Agency, a Digital Marketing Agency for Martial Arts Academies.
Cristina and I discuss the following:
- How Cris decided to start an agency around online marketing after opening her own martial arts studio.
- How Cris handles the done for you versus the done with you models of her agency, and how best to help your clients give you better results.
- How Cris found her answers from her definition of success and why you shouldn't change the recipe of your mentors’ to succeed.
- Ways Cristina’s agency has scaled to 250+ clients in a year and a half in a specific niche.
It’s all about relationships– relationships with other businesses and the relationships with your clients. Cristina understands that, and it’s helped her scale over 100% in one year.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Cristina Rodriguez:
Work with Cris
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
7 Figure Agency Roadmap Book
Trent Dyrsmid went from agency owner to a software company co-owner and his unique story offers a perspective we can all learn from. We know the importance of delegating out work within our agencies and SOPs and templates are the best ways to do that.
An SOP is a set of instructions, like a checklist, that lists out the step-by-step actions needed to complete a task. They are great for tasks that are routine with little deviation from that. This week, episode 119 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about setting up your processes for success!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Trent is sharing the importance of creating SOPs for his agency which allowed him to step out of the business after just 12 months. We also cover actionable steps you can take right now to figure out what can be templated for you and how to create those.
Trent Dyrsmid is a serial entrepreneur, husband, and father. Originally from Vancouver, BC, he and his family now reside in Boise, ID. He is the founder of BrightIdeas.co, Flowster.app and a 7 figure eCommerce business.
In this episode, Trent and I discuss the following:
- The start of Trent’s entrepreneurial journey.
- Trent’s desire to own a business that would allow him to have freedom and flexibility in his life.
- The mindset issue that most new entrepreneurs struggle with can keep them from having the success they desire.
- The key differences between a project management system and a process management system, and why Flowster is unique and necessary.
If you can create and implement processes and systems within your business, you will be able to allow yourself to focus on things that are a better use of your skills and time.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Trent Dyrsmid:
Youtube
Website: Bright Ideas
Website: Flowster
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
Have you ever been curious if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence of your agency? Taylor Trusty did. Turns out for him that grass was a software company, the fence was selling his agency, and the grass was greener on the other side. Taylor Trusty sold his agency a while after he’d already checked out of it mentally, and he walks us through some of the things he sees in hindsight that could have swung the buyout process more in his favor. Episode 118 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about a vulnerable look at growing and selling an agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Taylor Trusty is sharing the importance of keeping your ego in check and actionable steps you can take right now to make the buyout process easier and more profitable as the seller.
Taylor Trusty is co-founder at Signal Insights, a better way of tracking competitors used by Crayola, Nasdaq, Logitech, and Toyota Material Handling. Previously, he co-founded Blackstone Media, a digital marketing agency acquired in 2018.
In this episode, Taylor Trusty and I discuss the following:
- How Taylor’s ego stood in the way of his first company’s collapse, and what he wishes he’d done differently when he ran out of money.
- Taylor’s original thought process around price, and the magic he learned from a mentor that completely changed the game for his sales processes.
- Why Taylor disagrees with the idea that you can separate yourself from your service-based agency and it’ll naturally grow on it’s own.
- Things your agency can get beat down in price for during selling, such as the profitability of the current engagements.
This is a very vulnerable and enlightening episode, as we dive deep into some of Taylor Trusty’s learned mistakes and reflections on how things could be different.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Taylor Trusty:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
When we think of artificial intelligence, we either think of the Hollywood stuff, or we think it’s not relevant to me so I don’t have an application for it - I think this episode will change your mind. Episode 117 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about artificial intelligence with Paul Roetzer!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Paul Roetzer is sharing the importance of Artificial Intelligence in future business efficiency and actionable steps you can take right now to start implementing AI in your business.
Paul Roetzer is the founder and CEO of PR 20/20 and Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute; author of The Marketing Performance Blueprint (Wiley, 2014) and The Marketing Agency Blueprint (Wiley, 2012); and creator of the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON) and the AI Academy for Marketers. As a speaker, Roetzer is focused on making artificial intelligence approachable and actionable, and helping change agents drive transformation through marketing talent, technology and strategy.
In this episode, Paul Roetzer and I discuss the following:
- How Paul naturally fell into the AI space, and why he’s so passionate about implementing it and utilizing it to make his business more efficient.
- What AI is and how we are already using AI every day in such mundane things like Facial Recognition technology in phones and Netflix algorithms.
- Ways AI is programmed to understand both the positive and potential negative implications of the technology, as well as how AI learns through humans.
- How to get started implementing AI in your business today.
Did this episode change your mind or confirm some ideas around AI for you? Let us know by sending us a message.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Paul Roetzer:
website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
I first heard Robert Rose speak at a conference I attended a few months ago and I liked his concept around the buyer as an attribute instead of a singular person, as well as his idea about how you can create scarcity in a world that seems to lack true scarcity at all. I knew after I heard him speak that I had to have him on the show. That’s why episode 116 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about Trust, Disruption, and Agency Transformation with Robert Rose.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Robert Rose is sharing the importance of trust and disruption through your marketing strategy and actionable steps you can take right now to be a thought leader in your industry.
Robert Rose is a sought-after consultant, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and one of the world’s most recognized experts in digital content strategy and marketing. Over the last ten years, Robert and his firm The Content Advisory have worked with more than 500 companies, including 15 of the Fortune 100. Robert is the author of three best-selling books on marketing and content strategy, and the co-host of the popular marketing podcast PNR’s This Old Marketing, which has been downloaded more than two million times in 150 countries.
In this episode, Robert Rose and I discuss the following:
- How to best position your agency to avoid the commodity trap
- The importance of first-party data in content creation to strengthen your relationship with potential buys.
- The term “buyer”; why it’s an attribute instead of a person and what that means for your sales efforts.
- How you can develop real genuine scarcity these days without being spammy.
- The myth of the empowered buyer.
I know through this episode you were inspired to look deeper at what’s been missing in your market and how best to start something worth building a community around, as well as how best to become the thought leader in your space.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ROBERT ROSE:
Website
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Jordan Scheltgen has witnessed many agency team members be inadequate in communication, which he believes creates misguided ideas on the value of the service being provided, decreasing retention. He’s learned how best to prevent that issue and today he’s going to share with us how he’s used communication strategies to start a podcast, get over 70% guest pitch agreement, keep his client retention, and more. That’s why episode 115 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the power of communication with Jordan Scheltgen!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jordan Scheltgen is sharing the importance of communication within and beyond your team and actionable steps you can take right now to increase retention of clients as well as find new clients through communicative actions.
Jordan is the founder of Cave, a social media first agency based out of Los Angeles. He also hosts the podcast, Mind Your Marketing.
In this episode, Jordan and I discuss the following:
- How Jordan has crafted a successful podcast show based on what he would have wanted to listen to when he was 25, and how that’s shaped the success of the show.
- How to position yourself as a profit center to assure your value is articulated correctly for the clients you work for.
- Why Jordan believes communication is the key to retention within your agency and how to strengthen that connection with your clients even when you hear crickets.
- How Jordan’s focus on scaling the team has helped scale the company, and why he finds it rewarding to look at it from the income-driven perspective rather than nitpicking the system of communication with clients.
Jordan Scheltgen has a fantastic perspective on communication and growth within the dynamic of your team, and his powerful strategies for meeting people where they are at has helped him scale his agency - and could help you too!
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Jordan:
Cave Social
Mind Your Marketing Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
It can be challenging to determine if niching down and building a more specialized practice in your agency is the right move. Today, Brent is sharing why you should niche down and get specialized. Episode 114 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the importance of specializing and getting rich in the deep end!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brent Weaver is sharing the importance of specialization and actionable steps you can take right now to niche down.
Brent Weaver is on a mission to help 10,000 digital agency owners achieve freedom in business and life by helping them own their market. Brent is the founder and CEO of UGURUS, a business training and education company dedicated to this mission. He also hosts one of the leading podcasts in the business niche—The Digital Agency Show. Brent is in partnership with UnlimitedWP—a scalable white label WordPress development team to help digital agencies grow without all the headaches of hiring and managing people. He is also a Brand Ambassador for Cloudways, a WordPress hosting company, helping them evangelize their platform.
In this episode, Brent Weaver and I discuss the following:
- How much easier Brent believes it would be to have agency success now vs. back when he started his agency in High School to pay for his hobby of building websites.
- Why Brent believes niching down could save your agency or business in the long run
- How to know when and what to niche down to as times change through looking at your existing clientele and marketing channels.
- Brent’s suggestions around launching multiple business models at a time, or trying to diversify your agency through multiple business models at a time, and though it worked for him, why he doesn’t recommend it for others.
Niching down is far better, and far more lucrative, than remaining generalistic in your business model practices, and even pandemic statistics will prove that to be true.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Brent Weaver:
Website
Email: brent@ugurus.com for field guide and additional resources for listeners
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
You all really enjoyed our previous episode with Jon Tsourakis last year; you can listen to his episode here. We decided to bring him back and discuss the different ways our businesses have grown this year, adapted to the trends, hired team members and more. That’s why episode 113 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the agency's new business year in review with Special Guest Job Tsourakis!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jon Tsourakis and I are sharing the importance of learning valuable lessons, even if they are more expensive processes to learn, and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your team dynamic to increase profit and happiness in the workplace.
Jon Tsourakis is the President of Oyova, a web app and digital marketing agency, recently featured on INC 5000's fastest-growing companies list. He also hosts a podcast, The Climb, produced by the Digital Mastermind, a mastermind group of digital agencies from around the world.
In this episode, Jon and I discuss the following:
- Each of our year-in-reviews and how we feel we’ve succeeded in 2021.
- Our hiring processes, how we went about hiring new team members, and where we felt like we learned a few lessons on agency team membership growth.
- The power of strategic partnerships for referral sources and business acquisition.
- What Jon has planned for 2022 and how his agency plans on utilizing the lessons learned in 2021 to accomplish that.
The more team you have involved in the sales process, the better the return on said project, and the more involved team members are, the better the situation is for everyone. So embrace that collaboration and design element in the team dynamic.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JON TSOURAKIS:
Digital Mastermind community group: send an email to jon@digitalmastermind.com
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Hard-Hitting Interview Questions
We interview a lot of inbound marketing agencies and it’s funny how few of them actually do it themselves. Today we are talking to someone who’s implemented really advanced inbound marketing processes. Episode 112 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about inbound marketing services that build community and relationships!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jay Hunt is sharing the importance of connecting to community and actionable steps you can take right now to grow relationships with potential clients so you can focus on inbound vs outbound sales.
Jason is one of the co-founders at Merged Media. In a former life, Jason was ‘big in Japan’ as the frontman of a rock n roll band. Fast forward to 2016 and Jason founded Fresh Crowd, a local social media agency. Jason merged Fresh Crowd with CASEO in 2019 to form Merged Media. When not speaking at marketing conferences around the globe he is spending time with his wife and three kids.
In this episode, Jay Hunt and I discuss the following:
- How Jay Hunt got the passion for digital marketing through his band touring Japan with his Rock n Roll band, and why he started in social media marketing but soon merged with an SEO company.
- The importance of a lead magnet to build a know-like-trust relationship with the business to attract your ideal customer, even before they know they have a problem that you can solve.
- The power in collaborations in community and even client relations to build SEO, traction, lead generations, and more, through the lens of Jay Hunt’s new collaboration with a digital real estate magazine.
- How and when to invest in equity in your client’s companies to not only help them succeed but utilize relationships between clients and who they know to build and scale as well.
Jay Hunt has been through all the sales tiers; from selling social media strategy door to door before social media was a tapped market, to now utilizing relationships between clients and communities to grow and scale not only them, but his own companies as well.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH Jay Hunt:
Website
Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
I attended the Build a Better Agency Summit in Chicago and had the privilege of hearing David speak. David has a very interesting background and his experience really helps craft an insightful conversation for this episode. That’s why episode 111 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about answering the question: How can you sell your agency from a position of strength?
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Tobin is sharing the importance of knowing your agency value and actionable steps you can take right now to sell your agency from a position of strength.
David Tobin is the founder and managing partner of Tobin Leff; an M&A advisory firm that specializes in helping owners of marketing services and digital agencies build and monetize business value. Over the past decade, Tobin Leff has helped more than 140 agency owners craft exit plans and complete M&A transactions with strategic buyers and private equity groups.
In this episode, David and I discuss the following:
- The unrealistic expectations agencies have around their business and their exit strategy.
- How David recommends agencies structure these deals in different situations.
- How agency owners can prepare and what they can do for these types of deals later on, through a series of questions you should be prepared to answer.
- Key components to your vision that you may think are special but are actually not uniquely yours for the purpose of selling your agency.
- Good plan B’s David has witnessed, and the importance of Plan B’s in this type of scenario to remain emotionally grounded.
No matter how far off or near you think the conversation around selling your agency is, it’s important to understand these topics and what will come up when the time is right.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH David Tobin:
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Living in a world run by content marketing, it is time we start looking at more diversified, different, and arguably better ways to solve the problem at hand than just offering a service. That’s why episode 110 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about content marketing!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, my guest Joe Pulizzi shares the importance of diversifying your product portfolio and actionable steps you can take right now to build a roadmap towards these launches that are in alignment with where your business is.
Joe Pulizzi is founder of multiple startups including content creator education site, The Tilt, and is the best selling author of seven books including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. Joe is best known for his work in content marketing, first using the term in 2001, then launching Content Marketing Institute and the Content Marketing World event. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. He successfully exited CMI in 2016 and consequently wrote an award-winning mystery novel, The Will to Die.
In this episode, Joe and I discuss the following:
- Deconstructing what it takes to run an agency and exploring more diversified ways to solve problems with the new technology at hand.
- Goal setting and getting into the routine of reviewing them on a daily basis to keep them in alignment.
- Becoming the best at one thing vs. diversifying your offering.
- How you can still have a diverse offering while also being the leading expert in a specific niche.
- Starting with one thing and building upon it as you learn, launching as you go.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JOE PULIZZI:
Thetilt.com
JoePulizzi.com
Content Inc. Book
The Will to Die Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
rally.io
We utilize podcasting as an audio content strategy for our own business growth. It’s something of a trend where more and more agencies are utilizing audio and video platforms and content strategies to market to their ideal clients. That’s why episode 109 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the benefits of repurposing content with Lindsay Tjepkema!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Lindsay Tjepkema is sharing the importance of leveraging audio and video components to your marketing strategy and actionable steps you can take right now to utilize video content and repurpose it to drive sales and traffic to your business.
Lindsay is the CEO and co-founder of Casted; the first amplified marketing platform and the only audio and video podcast solution designed for enterprise marketers. With over 15 years of experience in B2B marketing, including running her own agency, she’s a dynamic leader who’s had tremendous success building and growing marketing teams on a global level.
In this episode, Lindsay Tjepkema and I discuss the following:
- What content material consumers enjoy the most, and why audio and video convert better than stagnant posts.
- How we innately set audio and video boundaries for ourselves, and how we all have those rhythms and patterns, though we are all different in how we set those boundaries within ourselves.
- What types of guests are useful for your audience, how to know which conversations to prioritize online, and common mistakes people make.
- The benefits of podcasting as a marketing funnel strategy, and why Lindsey believes it may be expected by your audience at some point.
Utilizing audio and video conversations to further your reach, your impact, and your marketing efforts can be very beneficial for any business.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH LINDSAY TJEPKEMA:
Casted
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
In business, products, workplaces, and even universities, we tend to see this backward. We tend to talk about biases in consumer behavior, but business-to-business decision-making is riddled with biases. It is how we use and change these biases that will change the way we market products and services. That’s why this week on The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, we are featuring the throwback episode: Irrational Problem Solving with Rory Sutherland!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, my guest Rory Sutherland shares the importance of positioning a product differently based on the story we tell about it instead of changing the product altogether and the value we hold on different levels of experience of the same product or service.
Rory is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy in the UK, an attractively vague job title that has allowed him to co-found a behavioral science practice within the agency. He works with a consulting practice of psychology graduates who look for ‘unseen opportunities’ in consumer behavior – these are the very small contextual changes that can have enormous effects on the decisions people make. Rory is the author of Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life (my favorite book on marketing and behavioral psychology of the last few years).
In this episode, Rory and I discuss the following:
- Talent and perspective gaps in the advertising business.
- Hacking Harvard, how to unbundle the university experience as an alternative option.
- Irrational police brutality and groupthink in protest demonstrations.
- Why product cannibalization fears are often over-exaggerated.
It is time we start pivoting our marketing and business strategies around the true problems at hand and not the media budget sitting in front of us.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH RORY SUTHERLAND:
Behavorial Economics Masterclass
Alchemy Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Albians Seed by David Hackett Fischer
The Economic Naturalist by Robert H. Frank
There is a loyalty gap between customers who are loyal in the transaction but become less and less loyal as time elapses simply because your business is out of sight, out of mind. That’s why episode 108 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about touchpoint marketing with Reminder Media.
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, my guest Luke Acree shares the importance of staying top of mind with your customers and actionable steps you can take right now to close more deals and retain more business with this type of marketing.
Luke Acree, President of ReminderMedia, is a lead generation specialist, and referral expert that is passionate about teaching entrepreneurs how to grow their business through the power of relationship marketing. On his journey of growing ReminderMedia, Luke has built a sales team of over 150 sales professionals, doing over 250 million in sales; his company earned a place on Inc. 5000’s Fasting Growing Companies in America four years in a row and on Philadelphia’s Top 100 Places to Work.
In this episode, Luke and I discuss the following:
- Luke’s background as a musician played a part in his successful sales career later in life.
- How ReminderMedia solves the “out of sight, out of mind” problem that is costing businesses sales by helping them create their touchpoint plan.
- Staying on top using print marketing in a space where some argue that print is dying out.
- Using the elements in the F.I.T. acronym to have a successful marketing campaign.
- Training and maintaining over 150 sales reps and the value in knowing which personality types tend to excel in sales over others.
- Successfully and tastefully selling to salespeople.
CONNECT WITH LUKE ACREE:
ReminderMedia
Instagram- ReminderMedia
Instagram- Luke Acree
Stay Paid Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
The FORD Method
Ed Mylett
Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson
Story Brand
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Good to Great by Jim Collins
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Traction by Gino Wickman
Telling a story behind data visualization will allow practitioners and agencies to stay competitive in their industry as their audience will extract the true value and understanding behind the data. That’s why episode 107 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the power of data visualization!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, my guest Lea Pica shares the importance of data visualization and actionable steps you can take right now to use a story-telling message to engage your audience in the data set you are presenting.
Lea Pica is a seasoned digital analytics practitioner, social media marketer, and blogger with over 11 years of experience building search marketing and digital analytics practices for companies like Scholastic, Victoria’s Secret, and Prudential. Her platform empowers digital practitioners and analytics consultants to present information in a way that gets remembered and inspires action.
In this episode, Lea Pica and I discuss the following:
- Using data visualization in a way that brings your charts and graphs to life and tells the story behind the data set.
- This story-telling technique is the missing piece of a majority of business presentations and how adding this in can increase engagement and understanding.
- Putting humanization back into the perception of stakeholders.
- The magic behind learning to present data with a captivating and engaging story that propels the individual further in their career path.
- A planning framework for creating data-informed, story-driven presentations that sell insights and recommendations.
It doesn’t matter how well things are going in your business because if no one can understand the data you are presenting, the data itself doesn’t matter.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH LEA PICA:
Website
Take the FREE Assessment
Join the Waitlist for Lea’s Book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Mentimeter: Interactive Presentation Software
It is no secret that ads are not a one size fits all structure, but with YouTube, you can follow a core foundation and build upon it with your own unique spin of uniqueness and creativity. That’s why episode 106 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about effective video marketing and YouTube ads!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, my guest Shash Singh shares the importance of using YouTube ads to increase your visibility and actionable steps you can take right now to create a unique and engaging ad that will perform well on YouTube.
Shash Singh has been in the online marketing space for 8 years and runs a 7-figure YouTube ads agency where he has been running YouTube ads at scale for the last 5 years. He has worked with clients and industry leaders in several niches in the digital space and continues to do so while also coaching clients to learn YouTube ads themselves.
In this episode, Shash and I discuss the following:
- What the process of a YouTube ad management service looks like.
- Successfully growing your business by growing your team with specialized skills.
- Streamlining your business by niching down and focusing on 1-2 services in 1-2 industries.
- The pros that outweigh the cons of being a remote business owner in an increasingly virtual world.
- Statistically, what ads perform best on YouTube, and how you can use Shash’s core structure to work for you.
- How both the structure and call to action of YouTube ads differ than other platforms such as Facebook
- Incorporating the “do with you” business framework in conjunction with the “do it for you” framework.
Although YouTube ads take more time, effort, and tweaking upfront, the payoff is well worth the wait.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH SASH SINGH:
YouTube
Website
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
When most agencies start out, they tend to work with any business they can get their hands on. By not specializing, they are actually leaving money on the table and not serving their clients to the best of their ability. That’s why episode 105 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with David Koves is about the importance of niching down your agency, hiring for sales, and scaling an E-Commerce agency!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, David Koves and I are sharing the importance of pursuing your dreams and giving them your all. We also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to prioritize your task list so that you are making the most of your time.
David Koves is a former Googler who decided to follow his passion and make digital growth easily accessible to online businesses. As the CEO of R2G Digital, he built the company with his co-founder Gabor, which provides all the flexibility and communication of an agency combined with the scale and accountability of a global firm. His background prior to R2G Digital includes studying his Bachelor’s in International Marketing and Management as well as working at Google and leading successful teams responsible for the success of the company's multi-million dollar projects. Together with his remarkable team, they work daily to bring to the table all the experience required to analyze data, gain business insights and formulate strategies for every client in order to exceed their goals.
In this episode, David Koves and I discuss the following:
- The clear distinction in the USA is that it is still important who you know, but even more important how you portray yourself and show up.
- Expectations and realities of working for Google
- Ways that agencies miss out on opportunities for more clients and better work because they don’t niche down.
- How to position yourself in a way that sets you apart from the competition.
- The opportunity for eCommerce brands to advertise on Amazon along with other platforms.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH DAVID KOVES:
R2G Digital
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Roy Sutherland on Why Great Marketers Run into the Fire
Sales Executive Job Post
If you are thinking about building out credibility for your business and brand, you’ll want to hear Andy’s story today. This week, episode 104 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about using books, courses, and credibility to keep leads coming in the door!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Andy Splichal and I are sharing the importance of building credibility so you can grow your agency and get leads from around the world.
Andy Splichal is the founder and managing partner of True Online Presence, author of the Make Each Click Count book series, host of the Make Each Click Count podcast, founder of Make Each Click Count University, and a certified online marketing strategist with twenty plus years of experience and counting of helping eCommerce companies increase their online presence and profitable revenues. He was named to Best of Los Angeles Awards’ Most Fascinating 100 List in both 2020 and 2021.
In this episode, Andy Splichal and I discuss the following:
- If you are an agency involved in eCommerce marketing, this episode goes into what is working for clients and what Andy has learned through working with growth-stage eCommerce brands.
- Early lessons on starting an agency and how Andy decided to launch courses.
- What a book does for your business, from increasing your reach to creating more credibility for you as a business owner.
- The importance of specialization for the growth and health of your business.
As we saw in this episode, there are several ways to grow your credibility; but it’s essential to keep in mind your goals for your business as you make these decisions.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ANDY SPLICHAL:
Make Each Click Count
True Online Presence
Amazon Author Page
Make Each Click Count Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED:
Frank Kern
As agency owners, it’s important to have an understanding of markets that you could potentially sell to but are outside of your local market. That’s why episode 103 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Falak Jalil is about marketing to the developing world!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Falak Jalil and I are sharing how marketers work with a global brand in a local market to ensure the product will be attractive to their local market and outperform their competitors.
In a word, Falak Jalil is a storyteller. She loves brands and data. And she uses both to weave her stories through brand communication to Consumers. Falak has 13 years of marketing and innovation management experience with Nestle, Unilever & Reckitt. She’s worked across multiple geographies, building $1Bn brands like Sunsilk & Lifebuoy, while also having the privilege of working on brand development on brands like Dettol & Nesquik. She’s won multiple awards from In-Market execution to Marketing Excellence for launching a brand from scratch, but the most fun part of her job is speaking to Consumers; understanding their lifestyles, their habits and attitudes, what makes them tick.
In this episode, Falak Jalil and I discuss the following:
- Why the biggest markets for marketing to millennials are not in the US or Europe. They're actually China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Indonesia; and what that might mean for you and your agency.
- What consumer behavior data is meaningful right now and what has surprised her most from looking at the data
- The importance of data and how her team is using that to make key decisions across the board.
- Where marketers are going wrong when launching a product; and some examples of mistakes Falak has made and what she would do differently now.
Market research so you can have a better understanding of your customers doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be as simple as consumer, shopper, or market visits.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH FALAK JALIL:
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
An agency business model is a great, scalable business model, but what if you can franchise that agency? This week, episode 102 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about franchising, marketing, and running a global agency with JC Hite of Hite Digital!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, JC Hite and I share the importance of understanding the pillars of scalability in an agency model and some scaling myths that agency owners should know when they are planning to scale.
JC Hite is the CEO and founder of Hite Digital, a white label digital marketing agency. With a passion for business and people, he’s successfully scaled his agency in just two years and counting. Now his companies help other agencies to do the same.
In this episode, JC Hite and I discuss the following:
- What it’s like running a more than 100 person agency
- The current process of franchising an agency’s procedures to then apply to other agency franchises
- The pillars of scalability: quality product, good sales, operations & systems, and business intelligence
- The importance of business culture and how JC is working to improve the culture at his company
This franchise model could be a possibility for your agency and what you are doing day-to-day.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH JC HITE:
Hite Digital
The Digital Agency Hacker Podcast
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
Good branding creates emotion whether that be laughter, curiosity, inspiration, anger, etc. but a strong brand is polarizing. That’s why episode 101 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about branding for your business!
Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale
In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Re Perez shares the importance of owning your brand authentically and unapologetically and actionable steps you can take right now to use your book to build value and successfully market your brand.
Re (pronounced “Ree” ) is a former Fortune 500 Brand Consultant turned Entrepreneur, Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author, and CEO of Branding For The People, an award-winning branding agency that creates world-class brands that accelerate business growth.
In this episode, Re and I discuss the following:
- Re’s experience with hitting a “grey ceiling” gave him the opportunity and motivation to start his own agency.
- Taking your business from a practice to an agency by bringing in the right people at the right time.
- The first people hired or contracted into his business and the number one thing he would do differently.
- The ROI on speaking engagements and how these opportunities can benefit your business years into the future.
- Helpful reminders for anyone considering writing a book and tips to market it in front of the right people.
Whether you’re a personal brand or a business brand, own who you are and show up unapologetically in your space.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH RE PEREZ:
Website
Your Brand Should Be Gay book
CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:
Sales Schema
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE
Traction by Gino Wickman
Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Seb Bardin is an e-commerce marketing lead at Unilever. His previous role was Global Head of Acquisition for Cleanipedia.com, where […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Dave Bunce is a partner and the CEO at Morphio, a mar-tech platform focused on protecting and optimizing digital […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Chris is a pioneer in the wireless communication industry with over 20 years dedicated to the adoption of wireless […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Amy has a 28 year marketing career having worked at huge brands like Seventeen, Calvin Klein, and The New […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: On today’s episode, we’re providing you with insights from someone who is extremely well-versed when it comes to leveraging […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: This week we’re going to switch things up again and put the spotlight on another one of our clients. In this episode […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: On today’s episode, we are delving into a company that has propelled some of the biggest changes that we’ve […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: In this episode we’re excited to welcome Jen Sey, Global Brand President at Levi Strauss & Co. Building and maintaining […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: This week we’re going to switch things up a bit and put the spotlight on our clients, and with today’s […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Lily is the Head of Paid Media at Captivate Group, a group of marketing agencies. She started her career […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Jason is the Co-Founder and CEO of DNA (Digital Niche Agency) Marketing, and has worked with over 400 Brands […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Omar is an entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience in tech who successfully co-founded and exited a startup that […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Seiler Tucker Incorporated. She holds the M&AMI (Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary) […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Babar Khan Javed is an industry analyst for Profit, a business-focused, English-language international weekly magazine. An affiliate of the […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: In the lead up to Nudgestock 2021, it was pleasure having Rory Sutherland on the show for the second […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Sean is the CEO and Founder of Cascade Insights, which empowers B2B technology companies with customized market research and […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Joseph founded the ProCreative Studios almost 20 years, which produced infomercials, TV commercials and corporate videos. Since that time […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Jon is a seasoned leader, marketer and sales expert. He’s the co-owner and President of Oyova, a national marketing and […]
Watch our new recorded video training:Relationship-Driven New Business At-Scale The two giant new business shifts. Commonalities we use to build relationships between our clients and decision-makers. Actual copy examples so you can get inspired. Today’s Guest: Marquis Murray is the Founder of Ditto, an Asana Solutions Partner. In his role, he helps agencies create clarity […]
Bryan Cush is the President and Co-Founder of Tidal Health Group, which is a specialized agency working within the medical and healthcare marketing field. Tidal Health Group focuses on the digital representation of quality doctors and the care they provide. By showcasing a doctor’s expertise and patient experience online they are able to better connect […]
Tyler Lindley is the founder of The Sales Lift, a podcast & agency specializing in sales enablement. The Sales Lift was started in 2019 by Tyler to bring the ideas and value of sales enablement widely used by large enterprises to smaller organizations interested in scaling revenue quickly, helping companies align and refine their marketing, […]
Chris Fryburger is the founder of nReach, which is a network of resources that matches a seller’s needs with a vetted Amazon services provider. nReach helps Amazon Marketplace sellers find trusted agencies, firms, and consultants in marketing, legal, logistics, financial, international, training and they are considered the experts and leaders when it comes to navigating the Amazon landscape. nReach Chris […]
Tracey Fudge is the founder of The Thrive Agency where she developed The LinkedAuthority™ Method, a social media-based marketing system designed to help leaders of tech businesses develop an accelerated growth plan. After her 30-year career in technology sales, Tracey was diagnosed with breast cancer and her diagnosis pushed her to stop waiting; it was […]
Martijn Reintjes is the founder and creator of Otira, a chatbot that makes it easier for virtual teams to interact and communicate with each other. The primary goals of Otira are to improve team happiness and culture, and to enable the management of a distributed team to be much less stressful and more enjoyable and […]
Dennis Yu is the CEO of BlitzMetrics, a digital marketing company which partners with schools to train young adults. Prior to BlitzMetrics, Dennis held leadership positions at Yahoo! and American Airlines. Dennis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Times, National Public Radio, TechCrunch, Fox News, CNN, CBS Evening News […]
Duane has been called an international man of mystery and digital nomad by friends. He has lived in 6 cities across 3 continents and visited 40 countries around the world. Over the last 5 years Duane has had the opportunity to work with brands including ASOS, Birdies, Walmart, Jack Wills, Rose & Rex and FTD/ProFlowers. […]
Tyler Sullivan is the founder of BombTech Golf, an eCommerce store with over $20 million sold online since 2012. Tyler also runs EcomGrowers where he and his team have helped countless Shopify owners add 6-7 figures in additional sales to their eCommerce stores by optimizing email systems and ad campaigns to find hidden revenue streams. […]
AJ Wilcox is the founder of B2Linked, an agency specializing in advertising with LinkedIn ads. Globally recognized as one of the top LinkedIn ads experts, AJ manages advertising campaigns for executives and teams around the world. His agency, B2Linked, is a certified LinkedIn Partner and manages some of the largest and most sophisticated accounts worldwide. […]
Ty Crandall is an internationally known speaker, author, and business credit expert. With over 17 years of financial experience, Ty is recognized as an authority in business credit building, business credit scoring and business financing. He currently serves as the CEO at Credit Suite. With Credit Suite, Ty consults with and advises companies on business […]
Ben Aston is a digital project manager and online entrepreneur. To date, Ben has founded two companies: Black + White Zebra, an indie media company on a mission to help people and organizations succeed, and The Digital Project Manager, the largest and fastest growing community for digital project managers with 500k+ visits/month, 30k subscribers and 4k […]
Stephen is the President and CEO of GrowthForce, one of the nation’s largest providers of outsourced bookkeeping and controller services. Stephen also founded Virtual Growth in 1995, the nation’s first cloud-based accounting service, which was eventually acquired by Insperity. He also spent seven years working at Amnesty International USA, serving first as their CFO and […]
Sara Nay is the COO at Duct Tape Marketing, an agency that offers small and mid-size businesses access to marketing resources that enable them to approach marketing in a systemic way. In this role, Sara oversees the day-to-day operations to support the growth of Duct Tape Marketing and the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network. Some […]
With more than 20 years of political and marketing experience, Phillip has worked with multiple Fortune 200 companies, has over two decades of experience working on campaigns with billions of dollars in political ad spend, and contributed to 1,273 election victories, including hundreds of U.S. House campaigns, dozens of U.S. Senate campaigns, and even three […]
Matt Gillis is the CEO of clean.io, a company that leads in the prevention of cross-platform malvertising. Matt and his team help website publishers and online businesses take control of their sites and preserve their brands by protecting them from malicious ads. Prior to joining clean.io, Matt was the President of Millennial Media, which he […]
A serial entrepreneur, David Wachs’ latest venture, Handwrytten, is bringing back the lost art of letter writing through scalable, robot-based solutions that write your notes in pen. Developed as a platform, Handwrytten lets you send notes from your CRM system, such as Salesforce, the web site, apps, or through custom integration. Used by major meal […]
Jason Swenk is the host of The Smart Agency Masterclass, the #1 Digital Agency Podcast. He has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies, and is one of the most renowned and sought out advisors to agencies worldwide. Previously he founded and sold his own agency after […]
Andy Cabasso is the Co-Founder of Postaga, a software platform that helps users get backlinks and build traffic with its free all-in-one AI-assisted outreach tool. Previously he was Co-Founder at JurisPage, a law-firm focused website design, internet marketing, and SEO firm, which was acquired by a strategic partner in 2016. Some things we covered: How […]
Niel Robertson is an accomplished executive with over 20 years experience in the technology industry. He is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of influence.co, the largest online community of influencers, businesses, and the people who work with them. Niel has founded eight companies, raised over $75M in funding, and exited four companies selling to Cisco, […]
Steve Pockross is the CEO of Verblio, a multimedia content creation platform that powers modern content marketers and SEO agencies, built on a curated network of 1,000 U.S.-based writers. Some things we covered: How to make content production into a reliable profit center. Thoughts on the value of subject matter expertise. Ferrari vs. Toyota content. […]
Jason Cutter is the CEO of Cutter Consulting Group, author of Selling With Authentic Persuasion: Transform from Order Taker to Quota Breaker, and host of The Sales Experience Podcast. He sees himself as a Sales Success Architect for companies and individuals, providing coaching, training, and consulting for companies around the world who want to dramatically […]
Holly Spaeth is the Director of Corporate Branding and Partnerships at Polaris Inc., a publicly-traded leader in powersports offering products including boats, off-road vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and more. Previously, Holly comes from the boutique agency space, where she served in leadership roles at several organizations. Some things we covered: A day in the life […]
Justin Brown is Co-Founder of Motion, an agency that helps technology companies get noticed, engage prospects and become thought leaders. Motion also runs Tech Qualified – a B2B Tech Marketing podcast that delivers interviews with the best and brightest in the space. Some things we covered: The “hub and spoke” service model (my term not […]
Marcel Petitpas is the CEO and Co-Founder of Parakeeto, a software solution that helps agencies and consultancies automatically create accurate, data-driven estimates for their projects using their historic Harvest data. Some things we covered: The top agency time tracking blindspots. Marcel’s Four Step Flywheel Framework. The right cadence for looking at time tracking data. How […]
The new year is right around the corner — have you hashed out your agency’s 2021 new business plan yet? Whether your answer is ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘sorta’, this episode will set you on the right path. Just like most areas of marketing and sales, what worked last year may not work for much longer. […]
This is first in a continuing series of posts and podcast episodes referencing concepts from our new comprehensive online course – The Agency Lead Generation Course. If you’d like to get updates on the next open enrollment period, sign-up here. If there is a silver lining to quarantines, lockdowns, and so on, it’s that all […]
Garrett Sussman is the Head of Content at Traject, a software company that delivers a suite of flexible marketing tools focused on the agency space. Garrett serves as the host of The Agency Ahead Podcast. Some things we covered: The latest big bold trends in e-commerce. How to think about attribution more broadly and accurately. […]
Sharon Toerek is the Principal of Toerek Law. She is an intellectual property and marketing law attorney, with a national firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. She devotes her legal practice to helping creative professionals protect, enforce and monetize their creative assets. Sharon also hosts her own show, The Innovative Agency Podcast. Some things we covered: […]
Jimmy Rose is the Co-Founder of Content Snare, a software product that allows agencies and clients to collect documents from clients. In addition to that role he’s also a consultant, helping busy professionals and business owners create more free time through systems, productivity & automation. Some things we covered: The cross-section of process, automation, and […]
I wanted to unveil a skunkworks project we’ve been working on for a while. But first, why it matters… If you’re here, you are probably leading an agency that’s been around for at least a few years. You built a compelling portfolio across different industries, and you constructed a team on whom you can rely. […]
A sought-after speaker and best-selling author, Rob Jolles draws on more than thirty years of experience to teach people how to change minds. Rob’s keynotes and workshops attract many diverse audiences, from Global 100 companies to growing entrepreneurial enterprises, from parents to professional negotiators. His best-selling books, including Customer Centered Selling and How to Run […]
Based in Ireland, Clodagh Higgins is a consultant and coach for digital marketing agencies across the world. She was part of the team involved in the first four country agency merger – weareavidly.com, and she’s a powerlifting world champion! Some things we covered: European vs. American agency work/life models. The nitty gritty of a merger […]
We use sports metaphors all the time in business. We constantly refer to our employees and colleagues as our “team”. But what happens when you’re physically detached from your team? Would the Patriots, the Warriors, or the collegiate wrestlers who have been coached by today’s guest be successful had they practiced via Zoom? Probably not. […]
In a month like this, it’s weirdly fitting to host Rory Sutherland, the Dark Knight of irrational problem solving, on the podcast. Per his official bio: Rory is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy in the UK, an attractively vague job title that has allowed him to co-found a behavioral science practice within the agency. He […]
A few weeks ago, at the outset of this pandemic, Shelly Latimore called up her agency partners and pulled their ads. Shelly is the Marketing Director of Domestic Brands at Nestle Waters, and before that, she led marketing departments at General Mills for over 15 years. The product is water after all, and since the […]
Just like the Yogi Berra line, “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future”, scenario planning is difficult. It’s supposed to be. The good news is that when it comes to financial planning, there is latitude for creativity and out-of-the-box ideas, which is often underappreciated. Today’s guest will help you avoid knee-jerk decisions and […]
Liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning “a threshold”) is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. source: Wikipedia. […]
At this point you’re probably inundated with resources about PPP and the other stimulus packages; not to mention that by the time we go live with this one, the well might be dry. What’s less-covered is what happens at the end of 2020 – tax-wise, we’re in relatively uncharted territory. One thing is for sure; […]
One of the bigger concepts I talked about in our recent Crisis Prospecting Video Training is cross-pollination. This is the idea of getting outside perspective and banding together to become stronger. I figured now would be a good time to practice what I preach 🙂 Today on the show we have Lee Gladish, a cold […]
When is the right time to hire for big pivotal roles? If only there was a snappy answer. There are many variables: your growth level, team skillsets, market, the complexity of your offering… While there is no step-by-step blueprint for the sticky issues of scaling, there are useful guidelines developed in the trenches by the […]
Unlike being a lawyer, doctor, or engineer, there are few if any qualifications to run a marketing agency. As an agency owner, this means that while you can forge your own path, there a ton of low-grade competition creating a lot of noise (although perhaps less so in the coming months). As a brand marketer, […]
Last Thursday, April 2nd, we hosted a live webinar on the topic of effective prospecting during this crisis, and today’s episode is a standalone audio companion to that presentation. (Click here to access the video recording). At 80-90 attendees, the turnout was great and we covered a lot of ground. A huge thanks to our […]
Hope you’re going strong in these interesting times. I’m writing this from the Northern Virginia/DC area where I’m self-quarantining with family after a somewhat harrowing escape from Buenos Aires; I managed to get out just before the city went on enforced-quarantine after an ahead-of-schedule midnight decree from the Argentine president. Before my exodus from […]
It’s Friday at 4:35pm. You’re working tirelessly for your client’s big Monday morning presentation, wrangling documents and data into a PowerPoint that MUST win the day. You’re racking your brain – is this draft too text-heavy or does there need to be more meat on the bone? How many slides should it be? Will the […]
Walking through the apocalyptic ruins of a burnt-out city… That’s how today’s guest described the emotional aftermath of selling her agency. At first glance, it might sound dramatic, but I’ve heard this feeling echoed over and over again by business owners after acquisition. When your agency filled a huge part of your life for years […]
Richards and Jagger. Sergey and Larry. Coffee and donuts… When we talk about successful duos, passionate infighting and creative frenzies get most of the coverage, but I think the magic spawns from a different, more-sober source: The demarcation of roles, be they spoken or unspoken. Demarcation is what makes one partner say to the […]
Imagine this. Right now the CEO of an established brand is stressed and angry. One of the brand’s several specialist agencies is dropping the ball big time. The last straw should have been six months ago, and the agency has been radio silent since the “Come to Jesus” call the team held two weeks ago. […]
As agency owners, we have to stay ahead of the rapid introduction of new technology, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s the people who make everything possible. Today’s guest underscored two big ideas: relationships and reputation still reign supreme and it’s the CEO’s job to get prospects excited about what’s […]
Fractional is a business buzzword that gets tossed around a lot – we’ve certainly leaned into it. The definition that matters for our purposes comes from chemistry: Fractional – relating to or denoting the separation of components of a mixture by making use of their differing physical properties. I see this as a technical way […]
Agency coaches and thought leaders often make success seem easy, or at least straightforward. If you’ve run an agency for more than a few weeks, you know the road is bumpy… Marketers with the CIA and Navy Seals, on the other hand, sell the job as difficult and meaningful, and they are never short on […]
You’re planning out 2020, and you probably have a bunch of irons in the fire. As an owner or a sales executive, how do you decide which brand relationships are worth your time and energy? It’s not an easy question to answer, but today’s guest offers a seasoned perspective on how to better manage your […]
The new year is right around the corner — have you hashed out your agency’s 2020 new business plan yet?
Imagine you’ve been given the opportunity to take part in America’s 19th century Gold Rush. Would you head off on the dusty trail? Or would you stay put?
People line up around the block to buy the latest iPhone, but you might have noticed your agency isn’t getting that same kind of enthusiasm. The difference between Apple and your agency is that with one, people know exactly what they’re getting.
A truly creative leader has enough ideas to make anything happen, but dumping endless ideas into your agency without structure creates chaos. And that chaos does not foster the kind of work that keeps clients happy. Today’s guest knows how to minimize creative chaos, starting with the structure and leadership that attracts clients who are […]
There are so many content creation possibilities for your agency, and the bottleneck is usually your team’s time and bandwidth.
Influencer marketing is all the hotness these days, so there's a lot of chaff that must be separated from the wheat.Today's guest cuts through the noise, and he will show you exactly how to use influencer marketing strategies to win your next big pitch.
There’s nothing worse than hiring a salesperson that doesn’t work out, and on the other hand, the right sales hire can bring your agency to heights you never thought possible.
How confident did you feel about your last proposal ? How can you make them more powerful ? Today we’re talking all things proposals – from links, to pages you should focus on, to when to use (and avoid) automation. Today’s guest is Kyle Racki, the CEO and co-founder of Proposify, a SaaS company that […]
What specific consumer data points will help you win your next big pitch? More importantly, how do you help your clients better understand their markets so they will stick with you for decades? Data can be a powerful tool or it can confuse, deceive, and frustrate. Today’s guest has the resume and in-the-trenches experiences to […]
How do you market your clients to extremely skeptical buyers? And who could be more skeptical than doctors and scientists? It’s in their job description after all, so there is a lot to be learned from successful agencies focusing on life science and healthcare. Today’s guest is Erik Clausen. Erik is managing partner of CG […]
One thing I’ve learned from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that when you spar with a black belt, you may know EXACTLY what he is trying to do to you, but it doesn’t matter, he will do it anyway, and you will be submitted. Same goes for great copywriting. When the writer can hit you where you […]
I have a BIG question for you: How can you think less like a service-performer and more like an innovator so you can keep your clients for the long-haul, no matter what changes we might see in the world? There’s not one answer, but you can learn a lot from a seasoned perspective, one that […]
You know that you should be working on your business instead of in it, but what does that really look like? Today’s podcast guest offers one straightforward, high-leverage activity that every agency leader should prioritize: Making big decisions based on solid financials. But how do you hone in on the numbers that matter? How do […]
As an agency person, your role generally falls into one specific category, like sales or marketing. But what if the company’s problem is bigger than just one category? What if what the company really needs is a reinvention on many or all fronts? Enter the realm of the consultancy. Today’s guest is Joe Princz, Founder […]
You hear this a lot in the internet age: “If you’re not winning national, or even global clients, your agency is backward and hopeless…” What if that wasn’t always right? Might it still be possible to run a profitable, highly-regarded agency without planes or long distance conference calls? There are pros and cons to focusing […]
Scope creep, finger-pointing, and angry emails… these things happen when expectations are misaligned between agencies and clients. If you’ve been there more than once, you probably asked yourself, “How did this happen again?” In today’s wide-ranging interview with Bryce Bladon, we attempt to answer this question, and we meander to other topics like hiring, sales, […]
In the advertising world, honesty is not always easy to come by, which makes it a valuable commodity: the agencies that can master it can expect to have a major advantage. Today we are talking with Peter Kozodoy: author of the book Honest to Greatness, speaker, and founder of GEM Advertising, a full-service international agency with […]
The age-old question: how do you ensure that your buyers are getting the right message, at the right time, in the right place? The answer is contextual, but when it comes to selling your agency services to brands, one discipline to understand is Account-Based Marketing, or ABM, and today’s guest is a master at helping […]
How should you handle delegating tasks and communicating with your team in a large agency? How do you decide what clients to pursue, and which ‘at-bats’ are worth a swing? These are some challenges covered in today’s wide-ranging conversation with Danny Fell. Danny served as President of the NDP Agency, a major leader in the […]
What should you keep in mind when it comes time to sell your agency? You’ll find out on today’s episode. Today we have video as well! Michael Young comes to us with a wealth of experience on every level of the agency spectrum. After building and selling a boutique PR shop to one of the […]
Is there a magic formula for growing your agency? Today’s guest, Drew McLellan, who comes with nearly 30 years of experience, seems to suggest so. But a formula is NOT a magic bullet. Drew, more than anyone else I know, stays relevant and practices what he preaches by simultaneously running an agency while consulting with […]
Jonathan Soares joins us today to discuss the growing trend of brands bringing services in-house and what agencies can do to continue to lend value and remain relevant. Jonathan started Agency Labs as the behind-the-scenes development dream partner to a multitude of agencies, and they help clients plan and launch their websites, microsites, campaigns, and […]
Today’s guest Juliana Marulanda is the founder of Scaletime, an operations-focused consultancy dedicated to helping agencies run like well-oiled machines so owners can build a valuable asset. Juliana delves into the when and how of scaling and the challenges agencies must stay ahead of during growth periods. From delivering relevant reports, hiring, project management, and […]
Today’s guest Will Barron is the host of the largest B2B sales podcast in the world, The Salesman Podcast. Will’s goal is to help sales professionals better understand their space, and close more deals. He covers what the traditional sales training model gets wrong and how to improve performance within complex business development situations, especially […]
Nick Cavarra dives into the real meat and potatoes of the sales challenge of providing a viable business reason to maintain a relationship with future clients. Today’s episode is full of fantastic insights on how digital agencies are helping brands reach the customer effectively using the latest trends in digital technology. Nick is the Head […]
Are you hesitating to make that pitch to a fortune 500 CMO out of fear? John Logar’s advice is to pick up the phone and ask the right questions. As our inaugural guest on the podcast, John explains that the fundamentals of the marketing and consulting industries have not changed but the way we go […]
Today’s guest, Jeff Boedges, is the owner of Soho Experiential in New York. Jeff talked about specific steps boutique independent agencies can make to be a safe bet with large brands, the evolution of experiential marketing, and Soho’s journey to becoming the award-winning agency it is today. What You Will Learn: How he determines when a company […]
Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, where we help boutique agencies take a proactive approach to new business so they can plan effectively, stay ahead of turmoil, and ultimately thrive. What You Will Learn: Why getting proactive is hard but worth it. The three mindset differences between proactive and reactive agencies. […]