Small Spark Theory: A Marginal Gains Approach To New Business And Marketing

I’ll admit it, I’m slightly obsessed about the experience that clients and prospects have when they work with (or are considering working with) an agency. Just as customer and user experience is now paramount for consumer brands, of course the the same rules apply for B2B. There will always be other agencies who can deliver […] The post EP22: Rethinking client experience | Nick Phipps | Rawnet appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Earlier this summer, Jemima Monies, Head of New Business & PR at adam&eveDDB wrote an article in Campaign about why new business leaders need to fight harder to be heard. She closed the piece with a rallying cry to the industry to “value new business people’s opinions, invite them to speak out and elevate them […] The post EP21: The new business leader | Jemima Monies | adam&eveDDB appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Finding an alternative revenue model to the billable hour, is a topic we touched on with Erica Wolfe-Murray of Lola Media, back in Episode 14, as we explored the subject of an agency’s intellectual assets, and returned to in our episode on pricing creativity with Blair Enns. And as we head into what is arguably […] The post EP20: Agency revenue models | Erica Wolfe-Murray | Lola Media appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Right at the beginning of this podcast series we talked about the importance of setting objectives for growth that in turn, guide the new business & marketing plan and activities. But what if those objectives include a sale or exit? We need a different level of planning altogether. In this episode I am joined by […] The post EP19: Planning for exit | Tony Walford | Green Square appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Small Spark Theory Live was recorded in front of a live studio audience at White City Place in May. In Part One, we were joined by agency board advisor Felix Velarde and Joanna Brassett, founder of Studio Into to discuss the challenges faced by agency leaders at various stages of growth.  In this, the second […] The post EP18: Small Spark Theory Live Part Two appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

On a balmy evening in early May, we took to the stage at White City Place to host Small Spark Theory Live along with our friends at YCN. This was an opportunity to bring together some of our previous podcast contributors, some new guests and an invited audience of agency founders, leaders, and new business […] The post EP17: Small Spark Theory Live Part One appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Following the success of the Win Without Pitching Manifesto, Blair Enns’ much anticipated book – Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour was published earlier this year. I’ll admit, I was worried how this transformative approach to pricing would fit into this series, where we explore how we can implement small changes to our […] The post EP16: Pricing Creativity | Blair Enns appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Anyone who has been to one of my talks, listened to Small Spark Theory or worked with me on increasing new business performance will know my feelings on LinkedIn by now. I stand by my well-worn edict “if you do nothing else, get to grips with LinkedIn” and will continue to do so, until such […] The post EP:15 Social media | Alex & Claire Blyth | Red Setter appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Let’s be honest. These are uncertain times. Even those agency owners who are highly proficient in keeping the new business pipeline bubbling, will probably have had a heart-stopping moment or two over the last 18 months. An unexpected decision by a client, the surprising cancellation of a new project after the green light has already […] The post EP14: Intellectual assets | Erica Wolfe-Murray | Lola Media appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

In previous episodes we’ve touched on the importance (or not) of agency positioning and over the last year it’s a subject that’s been popping up more frequently in my discussions with agencies. So I was delighted to meet David C Baker at a Design Business Association event late last year. David is an author, speaker […] The post EP13: Agency positioning | David C Baker appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

In episode 10 we gained some fantastic insight into best pitch practice from Tony Spong at AAR. Tony’s intermediary experience – seeing the process from a client and agency perspective, got us thinking how useful it would be to involve some clients in our future episodes. So, we finish the year with the first of […] The post EP12: A client perspective | Katie Pattison | Hammerson plc appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Whether going into battle with procurement to defend agency day rates, or agreeing the scope of a project for the available client budget – our ability to confidently and effectively negotiate can make a tangible difference to our bottom line. In this episode of Small Spark Theory, I’m joined by ex-corporate lawyer, author and negotiation […] The post EP11: Negotiation | Hilary Gallo appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Losing a pitch is just bad news all round. It costs an agency big; in time, money, resource, morale and confidence. So as new business performance improvement goes, there is surely no better place to make tangible impact than in the pitch itself. The good news is that the opportunities for making marginal gains in […] The post EP10: The pitch | Tony Spong | AAR appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

The people part of our business can so often get overlooked in our efforts to generate new business. Yes, we might think about chemistry once we are faced with a pitch opportunity but beyond that, our thinking tends to get muddled when we consider the power of our people to drive referrals and introductions. There […] The post EP9: Culture | Katz Kiely appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

So far in our Small Spark Theory podcast series we’ve been exploring the ways we can make marginal gains in our agency new business and marketing performance. We’ve discussed the tweaks and improvements, the tips and tricks that can help us perform better, and see a better return on our time and money. So far […] The post EP8: Productivity | Robert Kelsey appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Getting in a room together with clients and prospects is undoubtedly the best way to foster good relationships. But creating the opportunity to connect in person, outside of the cut and thrust of delivering day to day project work, or a credentials or a pitch scenario, can be a challenge. Hosting an event, which either […] The post EP7: Events | Lucy Mann appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Something interesting happens when you ask an agency leader about their website. Usually a slight shift in their seat, followed by a sigh, a pained expression and a mumble about the site being due for an overhaul. A similar thing happens when you talk to marketing or new business practitioners in an agency, there’s a sense of […] The post EP6: Agency websites | Lucy Mann appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Prospecting, cold calling, lead generation. Call it what you will, most agencies recognise the need to supplement the more reliable client and network referrals by investing in generating opportunities with new audiences. And whether this activity is managed in-house, or outsourced to a lead generation specialist, it certainly is an investment; either in salary, in […] The post EP5: Lead generation | The Future Factory appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

For agency leaders, managing the day to day business of client and staff needs whilst staying focused on a clear growth trajectory can seem an insurmountable task. Whether you are looking for a high value exit, attempting to break through the turnover ceilings of one, two five or ten million or simply want to avoid […] The post EP4: Agency growth planning | Felix Velarde appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.

Sound the new business klaxon! You’ve got an opportunity to meet the prospect of your dreams. That first meeting, the pitch, the first strategy or creative presentation with any new prospect or client is a huge opportunity to dazzle, yet this last precarious mile of securing the business can so often be derailed by nerves, […] The post EP3: Communication and presentation skills | Catherine Allison | Master The Art appeared first on Gunpowder Consulting.