In today’s fast-paced networked economy, professionals must work harder than ever to maintain and improve their business skills and knowledge. However, technical mastery alone is not enough. The key to professional success, argue David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford, is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients. This 20th anniversary edition enriches our understanding of today’s society and illustrates how to be effective communicators in a digital world using the 'trust equation.' The book details five distinct steps—engage, listen, frame, envision, and commit—to create a trust-based relationship, making it an invaluable roadmap for developing special relationships with clients.
Getting to Yes, written by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton, introduces the concept of principled negotiation. This approach separates the people from the problem, focuses on interests rather than positions, invents options for mutual gain, and insists on using objective criteria. The book provides strategies to manage emotions, avoid common negotiation traps, and deal with 'dirty tricks' used by other parties. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the other side's perceptions, managing misperceptions, and creating a collaborative environment to reach agreements that satisfy both parties[1][4][5].
Welcome to another can’t-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan invites negotiation expert Mike Lander to shed light on a critical, and often misunderstood, stage of growing your agency: the art of winning new business and, crucially, negotiating strong client contracts. If your agency is hustling for fresh opportunities in the midst of economic uncertainty, this discussion is perfectly timed to help you secure the deals that matter—on terms that support your profitability and long-term growth.
Mike Lander brings a unique dual perspective as both a former procurement director (the “buy side”) and current advisor to agencies navigating the “sell side.” Together with Drew, he explores why so many agencies trip up after being “awarded” new business, mistaking the proposal win for the finish line when, in reality, it’s the starting point for some of the most pivotal work ahead. Mike reveals how agencies can better qualify opportunities, avoid that painful “close second” outcome, and, above all, approach negotiation with a mindset of mutual value creation rather than desperate discounting.
The episode dives deep into actionable best practices you can deploy immediately—from building a robust qualification scorecard and prepping for negotiations, to mastering the art of trading instead of discounting. Mike and Drew also tackle the importance of agency differentiation, emphasizing why expertise and industry-specific knowledge trump generic promises of creativity or methodology. Plus, learn how to lead conversations with the kind of value, risk mitigation, and trust-building that makes your agency stand out in a crowded, competitive field.
Whether you’re tired of burning countless hours on unwinnable pitches or want to strengthen your contracts for better client and agency outcomes, you’ll find a wealth of insights in this episode. Get ready to rethink your approach to business development—and leave with concrete “homework” that will set your agency up for more wins, stronger partnerships, and greater profitability. Don’t miss it!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Rethinking the pitch process—why winning isn’t the finish line, but just the beginning
- The dangers of chasing bad-fit clients and how to develop a qualification scorecard
- Differentiation strategies beyond methodology and “our people”—the real keys to standing out
- Communicating value and risk to buyers—focusing on afters, measurable results, and case studies
- Stop discounting and start trading—how agencies should approach contract negotiations
- The art and science of being a trust builder versus a pushover in negotiations
- Why creative excellence alone won’t win the deal—and separating creative from commercial conversations
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