TOPICS

The Agency Wake-Up Call: Why Clients Aren’t Buying and What They Won’t Tell You
Creative agencies aren’t losing business because of weak messaging, poor positioning, or outdated marketing. The truth is it’s because they haven’t kept pace with how clients actually make decisions today. Expectations have changed. Risk tolerance has changed, yet most agencies are still selling the same way they did five years ago. This talk exposes the uncomfortable truth: agencies don’t have a business development problem, they have a relevance problem. And relevance is rebuilt through understanding, not louder outreach. Walk away with a clear diagnostic for why pitches are falling flat and what high value clients really want from their next agency partner.

How to Turn an RFP that Doesn’t Make Sense into a Big Win
Every agency complains about terrible RFPs. Vague scopes, contradictory asks, unrealistic expectations. But here’s the truth: the worst RFP often signals a big opportunity. The client is confused, misaligned, and in need of guidance. This session reframes RFPs as intelligence assets, not administrative burdens. You’ll learn how to read between the lines, reshape the brief, re-architect the problem, and take control of the buying process. This isn’t about complying with requirements, it’s about leading the client to clarity and winning before the proposal is even submitted.

How Stakeholder Interviews Unlock New Business
For 25 years, I’ve taught agencies a counterintuitive truth: stakeholder interviews when done properly are a great new business generator, even though they’re not a sales tool. Why? Because clients are starving for someone who actually listens deeply, understands context, and understands the real problem. This talk teaches agency leaders a rare skill: how to create conversations so valuable that clients begin selling themselves on working with you. No pitch decks. No pushing. No persuasion. Just insight, clarity, and authority.

How to Use LinkedIn Without Being That Annoying Person
LinkedIn has become a landfill of automated outreach, fake personalization, and desperate DMs. Amid the noise, agencies who know how to build real connection stand out instantly. Over two decades, I’ve developed a network of 170K people, a connection system that has created hundreds of meaningful relationships and a pipeline of clients without using Premium, Sales Navigator, paid ads, or annoying anyone. This talk shows agency leaders how to turn LinkedIn into a live, generative conversation engine. Learn how to initiate dialogue people want to respond to.