Seasoned agency leaders Barbara Yolles and Leslie Bradshaw share a few of their successful frameworks to grow an agency through strategic business development. Originally taught as a two-day course at the Society of Digital Agencies "Academy" in October 2015. Some slides redacted.

1. GROW.
Leslie Bradshaw
@lesliebradshaw
leslie@madebymany.com
Barbara Yolles
@barbarayolles
byolles@unitedshore.com
agency biz dev
frameworks & tips

2. TODAY
2
Conversations
Fun & Games
Rules
Build Your Own Toolkit

3. WHY ARE WE HERE?
Agency Marketing
Role of a Chief Growth Officer
Agency Positioning
Pipeline Building
Reputation Management
Organic Growth
Lead Generation
Search Consultant Reviews
Pitch Checklist
Hunter vs Farmer
Pitch Dos and Don’ts
Client Profiling
Pitch Strategy

4. KNOW THYSELF
The Agency Paradox

5. HOW DO OTHERS
DESCRIBE THEMSELVES?

6. A full-service digital agency at the intersection of
creativity, media and technology. We create experiences
that build businesses. Learn more here.
An ideas and innovation company. We exist to create the
future for our clients
Develops strategies, advertising and creative content for
some of the world's most iconic brands. Through our
Disruption process and Media Arts
We are a full-service, creatively driven advertising agency
based in Portland, Oregon
Truth well told.
We create ideas people can belong to.
The agency for the digital age
MATCH

7. Razorfish is a full-service digital agency at the
intersection of creativity, media and technology. We
create experiences that build businesses. Learn more
here.
AKQA is an ideas and innovation company.
We exist to create the future for our clients
TBWACHIATDAY develops strategies, advertising and
creative content for some of the world's most iconic
brands. Through our Disruption process and Media Arts
Wieden Kennedy We are a full-service, creatively
driven advertising agency based in Portland, Oregon
McCann Worldgroup is truth well told.
Profero we create ideas people can belong to.
R/GA The agency for the digital age.

8. TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

9. WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

10.
What does your agency stand for?
What is your differentiating benefit?
What cause are you championing?
STAND FOR SOMETHING
STEP 1

11. STAND FOR SOMETHING
STEP 2
Prove it.

12. STAND FOR SOMETHING
STEP 3
Become your own evangelist.
And recruit others to be evangelists.

13. STAND FOR SOMETHING
STEP 4
Relentlessly pursue this as your
reason for being.

14. STAND FOR SOMETHING
STEP 5
Create your own destiny because you will
become your clients.
Big or small…they will have an impact on your
culture.
Agencies get the clients they deserve.

15. WHERE WILL THE GROWTH
COME FROM?

16. YOUR GOAL
Monitor Weekly
- Confirmed Revenue
- Pipeline
- Blue Sky

17. PROACTIVE
WORD OF MOUTH
ORGANIC
REACTIVE

18. PROACTIVE
PROSPECTING
REACTIVE
PROSPECTING
ORGANIC
GROWTH
50%
30%
20%

19. NEW BUSINESS
TEMPLATE TOOLS

20. 2016 GROWTH GOAL
CLIENT
REVENUE
Insert Client
Insert Client
Insert Client
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

21. 2016 GROWTH GOAL
PIPELINE REVENUE
Insert Client
Insert Client
Insert Client
EXPECTED
ANNUALIZED
REVENUE
PRORATED
REVENUE
PROBABILITY
WEIGHTING
BLUE SKY
Insert Client
Insert Client
Insert Client

22. 2016 GROWTH GOAL
CLIENT WINS
Insert Client
Insert Client
Insert Client
CLIENT LOSSES
Insert Client
Insert Client
Insert Client

23. CREATE A CULTURE OF GROWTH
Establish an “A” team
Make new business everyone’s business
Leverage your eco-system
Build your tool kit

24. NEW BUSINESS =
95% EFFORT

25. PART HUNTING
PART FARMING
RFP
PITCH
BRIEF
NEED
LONG GAME
BE HELPFUL IN OTHER WAYS
WATER, NURTURE, SUNSHINE

26. ORGANIC GROWTH
GRASSROOTS + GRASSTOPS

27. LEAD GENERATION

28. ADDING VALUE
GRASSROOTS + GRASSTOPS

29. Our Client’s Journey
Turning Leads into Clients
1. Lead is unaware of Agency
BLOG
MEDIA
COVERAGE
IN PERSON
MEETING
CONTENT
MARKETING
NEWSLETTER
EVENTS
EMPLOYEE
CONNECTION
CLIENT
CONNECTION
WE NEED TO
RESEARCH AND
CREATE
SOMETHING
WE NEED TO
ESTABLISH A
POINT OF VIEW

30. Our Client’s Journey
2. Lead is aware of Agency
THEY KNOW
ABOUT US,
WE DON’T KNOW
ABOUT THEM
LEAD MIGHT
HAVE A BRIEF
THEY KNOW
ABOUT US, WE
KNOW ABOUT
THEM
WE NEED MORE
INFO FROM LEAD
WE HAVE A
PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP
WE NEED TO
RESEARCH AND
CREATE
SOMETHING
WE NED TO
ESTABLISH A
POINT OF VIEW
LEADS WE’RE
NURTURING
DORMANT
LEADS
NEWSLETTERS PERSONAL
EMAILS
CATCH UPS
SOCIAL
FLATTERY
EVENT
INVITATIONS
CAPTURE
CONTACT INFO

31. WE VET
THE BRIEF
WE HELP SHAPE
THE BRIEF
WE CREATE A
RESPONSE
TO THE BRIEF
Our Client’s Journey
3. Lead might want to work with us
LEAD GIVES
AGENCY
THE PROJECT

32. Our Client’s Journey
4. Lead becomes a Client
WE ONBOARD
THE CLIENT
CLIENT
EXPERIENCES
WORKING
WITH US
THE PROJECT
ENDS
WE
CONTINUALLY
EVOLVE
PRODUCT
WE HAND BACK
PRODUCT
WE INCUBATE A
PRODUCT TEAM

33. Our Client’s Journey
5. Client becomes a Agency Advocate
CLIENT
MENTIONS US
IN PRESS
CLIENT GIVES AN
AMAZING QUOTE
CLIENT
VOUCHES
FOR US
CLIENT
RECOMMENDS
US
CLIENT
REHIRES US
CLIENT MOVES
COMPANY AND
REHIRES US

34. GUERRILLA + LABS
GRASSROOTS + GRASSTOPS

35. 35
Zeitgeist

36. 36
Zeitgeist
What You
Do Well

37. 37
The Right
Medium & Timing
Zeitgeist
What You
Do Well
Magic

38. 38
Recurring Developments

39. 39
New
Offering

40. 40
New
Offering
Exciting
Take

41. 41
The Right
Medium & Timing
Magic
New
Offering
Exciting
Take

42. 42
http://www.hackaball.com/

43. 43
Advice to agencies

44. 44
The State of the Internet

45. AMBITION PLANNING EXERCISE

46. AMBITION SCORECARD
Client
:
Status
(A+
to
E-­‐) Key
Point/Issues
State of Business
Creative/Idea
Results and Learning's
Relationship and Staffing
Vulnerability
Profitability
Growth Opportunities

47. PROACTIVE GROWTH
GRASSROOTS + GRASSTOPS

48. REACTIVE GROWTH
GRASSROOTS + GRASSTOPS

49. Get on the radar
of search consultants

50. WHAT SEARCH
CONSULTANTS
CARE ABOUT
“I want to know the leadership…”
“Make me look good …
and connected.”
“I need to be viewed as an insider.”

51. THE PITCH

52. PITCH CRITERIA
IMPACT
CLIENT
PROCESS
PEOPLE
MONEY
ODDS
FAME

53. THE PITCH PROCESS

54. Know Thy Client

55. “This is a generation of Nascent Digital
Marketing realizing their customers are
digitally native and they aren’t connecting to
build relationships.”
“CMO’s are younger, less experienced.”

56. “Procurement is playing a more
important role in decision making.”

57. CLIENT PROFILING
Personality type
Background
Challenge
Fever/passion
Decision makers
How do you map to the client

58. “In the beginning and end…it’s people”

59. BUILDING THE PITCH TEAM
Architect the team
Identify Partners
Cultivate team camaraderie
Free them up
Celebrate them

60. THE PITCHTATOR

61. THE POSER

62. THE CATCHER

63. WHAT IS
THE BIG IDEA?

64. “Most pitches are won
in the first meeting
and lost in the finals.”

65. LOCK AND LOAD EARLY

66. POST-MORTEM

67. IT’S NOT OVER WHEN IT’S OVER
1. Debrief and learn
2. Follow-up communication/mailing to client and/or
consultant
3. Determine how to package for re-pitch to new/other
prospects or share with clients
4. Maintain communications with clients…
you never know where they’ll end up!

68. PITCH MUSTS

69. Stand for something.
People matter – you win or lose on people
Show a business case/hypothesis
Lock and load on strategy early
Spend your time advancing one big idea
PITCH MUSTS