Remember when building a great website, stuffing it with smart content, and buying your way to the top of Google meant your sales pipeline practically filled itself? That world is slipping away. Quietly. Quickly.Welcome to the zero-click era of business development in an AI world.A world where search engines answer ...
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Imagine this: Two agencies are battling for a high-stakes, lucrative client. Both bring sharp strategy, standout creativity, and proven results. On paper, it looks like a toss-up. But in reality, one agency has already won—before the pitch begins. For them, the presentation is a formality, a chance to confirm what the ...
This week, as I was working through the early stages of building one of my agency client’s business development program, she sent me a short email that shone a bright spotlight on one of the biggest business development prospecting challenges agency owners face daily: effective prospect follow-up processes.“When I talked ...
Here’s the truth that too few agencies want to hear: if your agency business development strategy is focused on selling strategy, media, digital, creative, or PR services, you’re replaceable. Harsh? Maybe. But real. In today’s market, clients negotiate on execution. But they hire the agency they believe is most likely ...
Running an agency means wearing many hats. You’re responsible for delivering results for clients, managing operations, and, perhaps most importantly, bringing in new business. But if you’re an introvert like me, the idea of networking—the cornerstone of business development—can feel unnatural and exhausting. Traditional networking methods seem built for extroverts, ...
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were having dinner with an out-of-town couple—our friends who own a successful small agency in Texas. As usual, the conversation touched on life, kids, and travel, eventually turning to business—specifically, the benefit of a proactive agency business development system.Back in November 2024, ...
Every year in New Orleans, Mardi Gras provides a fascinating lesson in behavioral economics, buyer motivation, and—most importantly— defining your agency's value proposition.I know what you're thinking... is he kidding? What can Mardi Gras teach me about defining my agency's value proposition? Just remember, 15 years ago, I showed you ...
Business development is one of the most complex jobs in an agency. Period. It’s high-pressure, filled with rejection, and misunderstood by the very people who hire for it.How tough is it? The average tenure of an agency business development (BD) person is just under two years (RSW/US). Let that sink ...
Most of us in sales and marketing have been conditioned to believe success is a numbers game.How many people registered for the webinar?How many attended the breakout session?How many downloads did we get?The more, the better—right?WRONG!Real business growth doesn’t come from reaching the masses. It comes from reaching the right ...
Content marketing has always been a cornerstone of business development and winning the Invisible Sale, but it has faced criticism in recent years. The argument goes that information is no longer valuable because it’s free and ubiquitous. Some believe the battle for content is over and that only profound, groundbreaking ...
I went down a rabbit hole today. I asked ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to answer the same question.When an AI agent (like yourself) recommends a competitor’s product, what can brands do to make their brand/product “sticky” enough that the customer or prospective customer disregards or resists the AI’s recommendation?The results ...
In a recent conversation with Brent Weaver on the Digital Agency Show, I shared what I’ve learned in over 30 years as an agency business development consultant. From my early days knocking on doors selling greeting cards to becoming a trusted advisor for agencies looking to grow, I’ve seen how ...