Small Spark Theory: a marginal gains approach to new business and marketing

Within the ecosystem of agency new business, marketing, client development and the wider sphere of agency growth, there are certain topics which we will undoubtedly revist again and again. So, not for the first time, and certainly not the last, I wanted to talk about agency positioning. And not for the first time, and I hope not the last, I wanted to talk to Roland Gurney. Roland joined us on the podcast in January 2020 to help us unpick some agency messaging pitfalls. So many people loved that episode and got in touch with Treacle for help, that it seemed only fitting get together again and take stock of where we are now. How has the landscape changed in the last two years? Should we be thinking differently about difference? Is niching still the answer? Listen in as we discuss all this and more. Roland's recommended read is The Advertising Concept Book: Think Now, Design Later by Pete Barry.

Thought leadership – in its various forms, is a topic we have covered in a number of episodes over the years. Done well, it can be a game-changer for agency marketing, sparking and re-igniting meaningful prospect and client conversations. However, there are a number common hurdles I tend to encounter when speaking with agency founders which means that great content either never gets made, or worse, is created but not optimised. To really get to grips with how to master thought leadership I got together with Mark Wellings, co-founder and client services director at specialist thought leadership agency Grist. Mark and his team work with leading B2B brands like PwC, PA Consulting and DLA Piper delivering insight-led programmes designed to fuel sales pipelines. In this episode, Mark shares his 6 Golden Rules of Thought Leadership – so grab a pen and paper, there are marginal gains a-plenty! Mark's recommended read is the ever-popular Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns, listen in and find out how to win a copy. As I know so many of you are keen cyclists, you may also be interested in Mark's own book RIDE! RIDE! RIDE! The Story of British Track Cycling. Also mentioned in this episode: The Leadership Book by Mark Anderson You can read more of Grist's insights here.

I have a constant fascination with the power of agency marketing. I'm sure it's my age - having cut my new business teeth in a pre-digital era, but my enthusiasm for the growing array of channels available for anyone to share their message with an audience shows no sign of abating. So forgive me for revisiting the subject of profile building once again. Last year I dedicated three episodes to content resourcing, personal branding and LinkedIn profile building and back in episode 25 I chatted to Brandhook's Pip Stocks who shared her story of successfully building out a thought leadership campaign. For this episode, I wanted to showcase another small agency, but with a slightly different challenge - how do you balance the profile of the founder with the profile of the agency? Dr Kat Arney is a multi award-winning science writer and broadcaster, and founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media. Having started the agency in 2018 after over a decade at Cancer Research UK, Kat continues to publish books, produce numerous podcasts and, given the opportunity, take to the stage to speak about science and society. Join us as we talk about the trials of the accidental agency owner, juggling personal profile projects with billable time and much more. Kat's recommended read is Story Dash: Find, Develop, and Activate Your Most Valuable Business Stories . . . In Just a Few Hours - listen in to find out how to win a copy. Also mentioned in this episode: Rebel Cell - buy signed copies https://www.rebelcellbook.com/ or find it wherever books are sold Genetics Unzipped podcast https://geneticsunzipped.com/ Ingenious https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h0fy/episodes/player

So here we are in 2022. I'm not really one for resolutions, but there is something about a new year that makes me want to clear the decks, remove distractions and create a renewed sense of focus. A new notebook and a tidy Dropbox tend to help but I find data the most useful tool. Whether that's marketing data, new business pipeline analysis or attributing the source of new client wins, good data removes emotion and really allows us to identify marginal gains. With this in mind I wanted our first episode of the year to focus on agency performance data – and who better to talk to than The Wow Company. This year, Wow launches the 10th annual BenchPress report, the largest survey of independent agencies in the UK, so I invited Rory Spence to join me to pick through a decade of statistics and uncover the insights that can give us confidence – or caution – for the year ahead. Spoiler alert – you might need to increase your prices! Whatever your agency plans are for this year I hope you are feeling refreshed, energised and inspired. Let's make 2022 one to remember. You can find all the previous BenchPress reports here and contribute to the 2022 report here. Rory's recommended read is I'm an Agency Owner, Get Me Out of Here by Jonathan Leafe. xezoxSGVGOPwUCY6aNsH

There has been much written on the subject of agency new business, but I'm not sure there has been a book which has resonated so deeply with agency founders and new business practitioners alike, as the Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns. So as we come to the end of another extraordinary year and the final episode of 2021, I wanted to chat with Blair about his reflections on the Manifesto, over a decade from its publication and his outlook for the year ahead. Do the proclamations set out in the book still apply in these altered economic times? And can we still gain traction with the value pricing approach in Pricing Creativity? Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities ahead, and tackle a few listener questions! This episode marks the 5-year anniversary of Small Spark Theory. So a heartfelt thank you from me to all of the listeners and guests who have been along for the ride so far. We'll be back in the New Year with more guests and more marginal gains. In the meantime wishing you all a wonderful festive break. Also mentioned in this episode Icelandverse Four Regrets You're About to Have Win Without Pitching

In my work with agencies I witness a great deal of discomfort about the new business process. Of course there are brilliant, natural new business professionals out there who thrive on networking and relationship building, but for many, the possibility of rejection looms large and the process of prospecting or, shudder, 'selling', feels wholly unnatural. This realisation was the basis for starting Gunpowder as a consulting business almost a decade ago and latterly, the understanding that taking a marginal gains approach could ease the some of that discomfort, the premise for launching this podcast. Hot off the press, Catalyst: Using Personal Chemistry to Convert Contacts into Contracts is a wonderful new book by Louisa Clarke and David Kean which gets to the very heart of new business. Exploring how our human interactions determine how we succeed and jam packed with actionable tips, this must read manual confirms that being a catalyst isn't just the preserve of the new business professional, but a set of skills can (and should) be learned by anyone, one marginal gain at a time. Louisa and David join me in this episode to share their own 'catalytic' experiences and pass on their advice. This is an energising listen for anyone who has lost their new biz mojo or simply wants to feel more confident starting, maintaining and growing a professional network. As always we'll be giving away of copy of Catalyst, listen in to find out how to win. Also mentioned in this episode: How to Win Friends and Influence Profits Pitching to Win The Caffeine Partnership Forthwrite A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

We've talked a lot about leadership on this podcast, and rightly so. Sustainable new business performance starts with a growth mindset and that has to come from the very top of an agency. No matter how many people I speak with on the topic of agency leadership, every conversation brings a fresh perspective. And none more so than this conversation with Steve Parks of Convivio. Earlier this year Steve and I were both named as "Inspiring People" in the BenchPress report from The Wow Company, something we were both so chuffed about that we reached out across the internet for a for a virtual high five. Our resulting conversation was so interesting that I knew I wanted to get Steve to chat on here. In this episode we explore the wider role of agencies, high altitude leadership, the many hats of an agency leader and a window into the world of a private investigator! Of course, we are giving away a copy of Steve's recommended read: Organize for Complexity: How to Get Life Back Into Work to Build the High-Performance Organization by Niels Pflaeging, simply join in the conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram using #smallsparktheory and we'll pick a winner. Further reading and listening: What are agencies for? https://www.convivio.com/blog/what-are-agencies-for/ Too many hats: https://www.convivio.com/blog/too-many-hats/ Your day at the top: https://www.convivio.com/blog/your-day-at-the-top/ The Agency Radar Report: https://www.agencyradar.io/radar/ The Convivio Agency Leaders podcast: https://www.convivio.com/podcast/ Bench Press Agency Inspiration Report

Earlier this year, Claire Humphris was named CEO at Iris, the agency she co-founded with five other colleagues in 1999. Iris now numbers over 1000 people across 17 offices worldwide. As agency breakaways go, it is a perfect case study. But of course, what interests me is the new business story. Claire has spent the past 7 years leading the agency's global new business operations, driving growth across the network and winning some of the agency's biggest integrated pitches. In this episode we get together to discuss new business leadership and culture, the importance of the marketing calendar, marginal gains and making your own luck. As we shape up for the final marketing and new business push of the year and begin planning for 2022, this is just the inspiration you need. As always we'll be giving away a copy of Claire's recommended read, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k by Sarah Knight listen in to find out how to win.

In 2017 I interviewed Felix Velarde for this podcast to discuss agency growth planning. It was our 4th episode. Lots of people got in touch to talk about that episode and the way Felix delivered such a calm, pragmatic approach to a subject that frustrates so many agency owners. How do you grow, and just as importantly, how do you sustain that growth? Later that year, Felix mentioned over lunch that he'd been approached by an agent who had heard the podcast, and suggested he write a book about the process. Fast forward to 2021 and I'm delighted that Felix is back to discuss that very book: Scale at Speed: How to Triple the Size of Your Business and Build a Superstar Team. This book is such an invigorating read, whether or not you are in a position to take on the full 2Y3X programme that Felix and his team deliver, it is full to the brim of practical tools and advice to motivate anyone to switch up their growth plans. We always do a book giveaway with each episode but Felix has kindly agreed to donate 10 signed copies to listeners. Simply listen in to find out how to win.

I've said many times that the people in business I admire the most are independent agency leaders. And over the past 18 months, as our industry, largely populated by small businesses has rallied against such unforeseen challenges, my admiration and respect has deepened. Through all of the conversations I had with agencies during this time I was aware that it was surely those in the events sector who had been dealt the most difficult hand. In this episode, I speak to Sarah Yeats, Managing Director of events agency Sledge, to understand what happens when your projects are cancelled and your pipeline disappears. I've called this episode 'overcoming adversity' but it's so much more than that. It's about leadership, resilience, communication, but most importantly, the power of relationships. Listen in to find out how to win a copy of Sarah's recommended read: Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff Allende.