We don’t know what we need, but something’s not working. Can you help with that?

Yes. Having owned multiple agencies, and being in the C-suite of a couple, the issues are always, at their core, the same: inability to differentiate the agency from other agencies, lack of communication between departments, keeping people busy during down-time, staff unaware of the mission/position so they don’t deliver on the brand promise. If any of that sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place.

We can’t win new business. Can you guarantee a win if we work with you?

I have headed new business for decades. Attended 4A’s agency new business seminars and strategy symposiums. I know to to identify if prospects will be a good fit. WARNING: If you do not want to win the business, do not go after the business. Do not play to play. Only play to win.

Winning is everything. When you decide to go after a piece of business, your charge is NOT to solve the client’s problem. That is a common misconception of pitch teams without appropriate coaching. The objective is to win the business. That is a different strategy.

Many agencies say they do not respond to RFPs. Noble, but not realistic. RFPs happen even when “you have an in.” The RFP game is absolutely the worst way to choose an agency, but here we are. Still.

I can count on one hand, over decades, when the RFP response I wrote dad not make the first round of cuts. Those cuts may have been for many reasons. Nothing is a guarantee, and “past performance is not indicative of future results.”

How much do you cost?

Everything is project based and custom. No hourly rate, no timesheets. Ask yourself, what’s it worth if what she says works? We’ll start there. Do I do spec work? Yes, in that I spec to be paid. My minimum engagement for new business writing and coaching is $5,000, if that helps.

Are you available for project work?

Yes. Creative strategy, strategic market planning, copywriting.

I also am a good consigliere for agency principals who do not want to discuss their issues with their leadership team, because the issue may be their leadership team. Been there, done that, made wrong decisions, made right decisions. Experience, and speaking with someone who immediately understands context matters. It’s lonely at the top.

How small is too small and how big is too big?

I also work on retainer. Nothing is too small or too big. So you can sleep well.