The Deep Specialization™️ Podcast

Are events the secret sauce to scaling your agency? If you ask SMB Team’s CEO Bill Hauser, events can take you beyond where you even dreamed of. But it’s not easy. In fact, there are only a handful of agencies that have mastered scaling their business through events. SMB Team is an 8 (soon to be 9) figure agency that offers law firms marketing, intake, CFO and business coaching services. He joins the show to break down how his agency leverages events to accelerate its growth. What’s more, the conversation’s never surface level with Bill. So, let’s dive in. He shares how he approaches leadership, spending well over half a million annually on executive coaching services for his personal growth. Sounds like a lot, but to Bill, it’s an essential investment into ensuring he can set SMB Team up for success and show up every single day. Corey and Bill touch upon what success means and why success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure; just like many entrepreneurs and founders, Bill is extremely competitive, but you need to find what motivates and drives you beyond winning deals and growing revenue. Bill breaks down exactly how he got his company to shift from being perceived as a commodity to a verticalized expert and how any entrepreneur can turn their skillset into an unfair advantage. This episode dives into topics like verticalization, executive coaching and leadership, and why you should set extreme goals without fear. Here’s what Corey and Bill cover in this episode: Why executive coaching is a non-negotiable for Bill. Why vision setting is an essential leadership task for company growth. How to differentiate yourself if you’re being commoditized in the market. What marketing tactics helped SMB Team grow; specifically, event-led growth Listening to feedback and why it matters, and other business growth best practices. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: If you lead a company, you need to be a stellar communicator to lead effectively. Verticalization requires emotional discipline but allows you to cut through clutter faster. Turn early successes into social proof and sell it. Bringing your authentic self to marketing is a powerful tool to convert people. 10x your goals to get where you want to be. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Bill on LinkedIn Here Learn About SMB Team Here Join us as we explore how to scale a successful verticalized business across offerings. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com

What’s the key to growing a healthcare niche marketing agency? If you ask today’s guest, Stewart Gandolf, the answer is quite simple. It’s all about deep domain expertise. But simple doesn’t mean easy, and in this episode, we break down just how Stewart built his expertise - and his agency. Founded in 2006, Healthcare Success is a 40-person agency that today works with multi-location healthcare providers from medical specialty to dental offices, as well as health systems providers and medical device companies. Stewart shares his story, going from working at agency giants like JWT to founding his own shop in 2006, immediately skyrocketing to the top of Google search results, and what ensued after. If you leave with one takeaway after listening to this episode, it is that winning agency leaders understand their niche at a deep level. When it comes to medical knowledge in the healthcare industry, there’s no such thing as winging it. Stewart’s success has stemmed from being able to truly act as the healthcare marketing expert his clients can trust. Aside from expertise, what makes Healthcare Success unique as an agency is that Stewart hasn’t built it to follow the same path many others are on; their philosophy isn’t about scaling the business at all costs, so they are able to offer more flexible service to their clients. This episode dives into topics like communicating expertise, evolving your agency business to serve larger clients, and why passion in any given industry makes for a great hire. Here’s what Corey and Stewart discuss in this episode: What it means to be a leader, the good and the bad. How he bootstrapped his agency by driving business with SEO. How Stewart’s team was doing content marketing before it was popular. How to communicate true expertise in a niche, and why achieving it is not easy. How to add value to your clients outside of your core offering. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Asking insightful questions can double as credentials. Everybody wants expertise but not everybody wants to pay for it. The bigger the client company, the more sophisticated service you need to deliver. Niches are small, so reputation is everything for an agency. Figure out a repeatable process to sell to not start from scratch every time. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Stewart on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Healthcare Success Here - Subscribe to Stewart’s Newsletter Here Join us as we discuss healthcare marketing and verticalized agencies as a whole. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com  

How do you use relationships to build trust in agency sales?  Let’s bring on today’s guest, Dan Englander, to answer the question. In addition to authoring a book titled Relationship Sales at Scale, Dan is an expert in helping agencies grow through relationships.  He runs Sales Schema, a boutique sales company he founded in 2014, which leans into leveraging relationships to grow trust in the sales process. And, the proof is in the pudding. Firms that use Dan’s relationship-based approach see 5-10x ROI, on average. According to Dan, the first step of building a high-converting and predictable pipeline begins and ends with tasteful and targeted outreach.  Today, it’s easy for a B2B company or agency to get swept away by all the sales tools, technology, and automation available. The reality is that people respond far better to an approach that leans on a human touch and shared commonalities instead of mindless optimization. Dan joins the show to share what he’s learned generating millions of dollars in revenue for 100s of clients with his relationship-based approach to business development. He shares exactly how and when to leverage common ground and your network to make personal connections that convert. Here’s what Corey and Dan discuss in this episode: - Challenges around converting in the sales funnel. - Leaning into relationships to open doors to prospects. - List-building best practices. - How to be specific with your ICP. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Referrals can get you from zero to one but not beyond. - If you’re not converting top-of-funnel, it’s usually a case of lack of trust. - Automation isn’t compelling, relationships are. - Anyone can do outreach, not just the CEO. - When it comes to list-building, less is more. - How to systematize relationship sales. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Dan on LinkedIn Here - Learn More About Sales Schema Here - Get the book Relationship Sales at Scale Here Join us as we dive into relationship-fueled agency sales with Dan Englander. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button!  😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com  

Are you ready to learn from a niche agency that quickly went from 0 to 200+ SaaS website design clients? What’s more, Rhami Aboud’s SaaS marketing agency now hits seven figures annually. Businesses flock to Aboud’s agency, Arch Web Design, to reimagine their websites into revenue machines. Typically, their clients see 2-3X growth in website sales after working with Rhami’s ten-person team. How?  A well-optimized website is a game-changer in attracting new users while helping retain existing customers. Rhami joins Corey to share the story behind his agency and how he decided to verticalize his offering to cater SaaS companies exclusively. Rhami has had an illustrious life. He transitioned from living a digital nomad life traveling the world as a freelance web developer and designer to becoming the CEO and Founder of Arch Web Design right at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fast-forward to today, Rhami’s business is thriving and growing steadily. In today’s episode, he takes us through the evolution of his web design business, shares how he is stepping out of his comfort zone, and what his approach to agency leadership is. Here’s what Corey and Rhami discuss: How Rhami started his business and eventually niched down to SaaS. Driving lead flow and tactics Rhami recommends to everyone. Successes and challenges around agency sales. Killer offers and how they tie into website design.  Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders and SaaS leaders: Sales is not a natural talent but a skill you can learn if you work hard at it. Niching down can actually increase lead flow. SEO is a foundational driver of leads for marketing services. Your website can attract traffic but if you’re not converting, the site is not representing your offering. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Rhami on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Arch Web Design  Here - Follow Rhami on Instagram @Rami_AX   Join us for a deep dive into the world of SaaS revenue growth and web design. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com    

Can you pivot a niche agency business into consulting? Let’s hear it from Joseph Hughes, an entrepreneur and founder who has successfully built a marketing training company from the legacy of a construction marketing agency he started all the way back in 2013.  After working his way up into the office of his family’s construction business (that has been around for over 100 years), he decided to carve out a path of his own while still staying in the lane his family had built by offering marketing services to construction companies.  Joseph quickly discovered a niche within the construction niche, and narrowed down his offering to serve roofing businesses. In this episode, Corey is joined by Joseph to discuss verticalization and his experience building and scaling niche coaching services through his agency-turned-consulting-business, Contractor Dynamics. The company has over 60 clients all across North America who turn to Joseph and his 12-person team to learn the ropes of digital marketing, and more specifically, a signature, year long marketing training program. As the visionary behind the company, Joseph spends his days deeply entrenched in the culture and marketing side of the business. But, he did not start out offering training services. Joseph actually found his way to coaching by initially offering marketing services as an agency from 2013 until 2018.  The turning point for the company came when they noticed that clients who were thriving were benefiting from a more consultative point-of-view, especially as social and video content was on the rise. So, Joseph and his team tested selling a training program offering in 2019 and made the full switch in 2020. They never looked back. Here’s what Corey and Joseph discuss: How a Facebook group turned into a bonafide business. How to test out new offerings before scaling them. What Contractor Dynamics’ current marketing training consists of. How niching down helps templatize offerings. What drives businesses to realize they need help with marketing. Here are some actionable key takeaways for company founders: If your business sells high-ticket services, small tweaks can make a massive impact on revenue. Find patterns in your clientele and revenue to distinguish repeatable business. Niches (like roofing) that can scale their business easily have more potential as a target vertical. Putting out more content can shift market perceptions positively. If you delegate well, you can work on the business, not in the business.  The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Joseph on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Contractor Dynamics Here   Join us as we build up a case for marketing training in a verticalized niche. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com

When it comes to the agency world, there are many niches to cater to - but who would have thought fabric and yarn could net close to a seven-figure business? Leanne Pressly, that’s who.  The agency founder and CEO of Stitchcraft has, according to her own words, spent a small mortgage on sewing equipment, so offering marketing services to fabric, yarn, and craft companies was a no-brainer. Since 2009, this Colorado-based, full-service marketing agency has been serving crafting companies all over the US. While the team is nimble, comprising six employees and a few contractors, Stitchcraft serves over 40 retainer clients in the craft industry, and is growing. Leanne joins the show to share how her agency, which impressively owns 2% of its market share, came to be, and how she gets things done. Leanne is a prolific speaker and has leveraged this skill to build domain authority in her space, a strategy that has netted her awareness and new business alike. What’s more, Leanne has built a bespoke consulting program to attract clients that aren’t ready to buy retainer services just yet. Impressively, that program ultimately converts 100% of its participants into clients. She joins the show to share her learnings in thought leadership, and how to lean into original research to produce compelling outbound messaging that converts. Here’s what Corey and Leanne talk about in this episode: Transitioning a side hustle into a full-time business. How Leanne initially grew her agency through her network and through trade shows. How sales and prospecting evolved from the early years to today. How investing in thought leadership drives speaking opportunities, and ultimately, sales. Tips and tricks to creating original thought leadership. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Name your ICP and persona to really understand who you are serving. Sometimes, offering a trial for free can help bring in new clients. As a founder, be ready to do a lot of the prospecting yourself starting out. Establishing yourself as a thought leader opens doors to more industry visibility. Original research is the best way to build domain authority. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Stitchcraft Marketing Here - Listen to Leanne’s Podcast, Business of Craft, Here   Join us as we dissect what it takes to thrive in a business niche. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com  

When should agency owners consider selling their business? What are buyers looking for? What’s the market like in 2023? Buckle up, because today’s guest, Jonathan Baker has the answers. As the Practice Lead for Mergers and Acquisitions at Punctuation (formerly, David C. Baker), Jonathan knows a thing (or ten!) about what it takes to successfully close a deal in this market, and in the agency landscape overall. Interestingly, Jonathan has experience in selling his own business, having gone through the process with his brewery company that today boasts multiple locations and close to 200 employees. So, what’s brewing with M&A? While it’s been a challenging year for many agency owners and deal flow has slowed down massively, there will always be buyers on the market looking to complement their offering with specialized services. This episode dives into topics like positioning and specialization, the emotional side of selling your darling, and why you should continue to act as if you weren’t selling even if you were in the process. Here’s what Corey and Jonathan cover in this episode: The state of agency M&A this year. When agency owners should consider selling. How agency valuations are formed. What buyers are looking for and who’s buying. Who should be involved from your team in M&A talks. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: If you don’t have it in you to grow your business further, perhaps it’s time for M&A. M&A can be a growth lever to get access to systems and perks of a larger firm. Strong positioning, client focus, and solid processes make you more attractive for M&A. A specific expertise can help get you acquired by generalist agencies. Don’t share too much too early internally because things can change dramatically. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Punctuation Here - Check out the MYOB Conference Here   Join us as we explore the ropes of agency M&A. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com  

When it comes to sales, “Founders aren’t important.” Provocative, yes. But hear today’s guest out. Rory Clark is a sales expert who has trained over 15,000 executives across 30 countries and has a revolutionary system in place to transform sales organizations. What’s more, Rory has actually trained Corey back at Scorpion. Now, the duo gets back together to discuss Rory’s proprietary Focus Selling system. You’ll need to listen for the full scoop but in short, Focus Selling is a groundbreaking customer development methodology that leans into human psychology spiced up with a rigorous system of approaching the sales process. In other words, this episode will unpack what salespeople need to master to open new opportunities, understand their prospects, and draft winning proposals consistently. This episode is a must-listen for any agency owner (or seller) struggling to drive growth from outbound sales. With engaging examples, anecdotes, and stories, Rory shares golden nuggets of wisdom from his career spanning over three decades. Here’s what Corey and Rory cover in this episode: Rory’s Focus Selling System and the five key areas salespeople need to master. The different social styles of people and how to appeal to them. How to connect with prospects and make them feel heard. Shift to discuss the prospect’s ideal future state and how to remove obstacles. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:  You need a system and a process for sales engagement. Founders are technicians but to manage teams, you have to be entrepreneurial. If a salesperson can’t start a sale, they can’t finish it, either. Make people feel heard and understood in the sales process. Proposals need to communicate both the ROI and the cost of inaction.  The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Rory on LinkedIn Here - Email Rory at roryjclark@aol.com - Learn More About Focus Selling Here   Join us as we dive into the sprawling journey of a successful law firm marketing agency.  👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com   More content from Corey:   Corey’s Website: https://www.coreyquinn.com Corey’s Daily Tips: https://www.coreyquinn.com/blog  Podcast Website: https://www.coreyquinn.com/podcasts/the-vertical-go-to-market-podcast/  Podcast YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@coreyquinninc?sub_confirmation=1    This episode was produced and brought to you by Reignite Media.#gotomarket #businessniche #advertising #marketingpodcast #agencylife

Can a verticalized agency get referral business from its competitors? Believe it or not, today's guest Mike Perez made it happen. We'll get to just how he did it, but first: introductions. The founder of iLawyerMarketing has several decades of experience in law firm marketing and SEO.  Mike sits down with Corey to recount the story of his business from the early days working at one of the largest law firm marketing shops to founding his own agency all the way to getting successfully acquired. With some employees boasting impressive tenures of 10-15 years, Mike also delves into how he’s built that stickiness as an employer. He takes us back to the late 90s, when he began his career, initially working on client SEO on the side, before venturing into the legal marketing space.  The episode topics cover company culture, verticalization, and typical milestones of an eight figure agency business. And, as promised, Mike shares how he’s built relationships with competitors that send business his way. Here’s what Corey and Mike touch on in this episode: Early days of shaping a verticalized business. How the agency grew even during recessions. Getting referrals from the competition (yes, really). How to get acquired as an agency. Hiring and what Mike is currently recruiting for. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Due diligence is a beast and can take time, get your books in order! If you’re branching out on your own, find a new territory to own and sell to. Don’t be shy to ask your clients to refer you to their network.  Content writers need to have deep vertical knowledge. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Mike on LinkedIn Here  - Learn More About iLawyerMarketing Here   Join us as we dive into the sprawling journey of a successful law firm marketing agency. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com  

Should founders always remain hands-on with their clients, even as they scale? Today’s guest Bobby Steinbach would give you a resounding “Absolutely!” The founder of MeanPug Digital prides in running a successful legal marketing agency where partners are closely involved with client work to ensure quality, consistency, and the highest level of service. Tune in for a conversation on sales mishaps and successes, driving word-of-mouth, expert perspectives on client success, and what processes founders should look out for to be successful. And, as an owner of a seven figure agency business with close to 30 employees, this guest truly knows what he’s talking about. Bobby joins Corey Quinn on The Vertical Go-to-Market Podcast for a lively debate on the merits of verticalization. You’ll hear from Corey’s time at Scorpion as well as Bobby’s experiences in running his business. Here’s what Corey and Bobby cover in this episode: Why having unique founder backgrounds is a strength to leverage. How to create a strong inbound funnel (cue: word-of-mouth!) Why doing everything at once is not the best way forward. How to balance if you have to decide between sales and client success. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: You’ll need to keep trying sales tactics to see what sticks for your niche. Don’t try to tackle all marketing and sales projects at once: prioritize and scale what works. Lifetime value of a customer is the ultimate Trojan horse as a competitive advantage. If you do gifting, be prepared to vet every lead manually. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Bobby on LinkedIn Here  - Learn More About MeanPug Digital Here   Join us as we get real about agency revenue growth and outbound sales. 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😩 Feeling stuck trying to stand out in a noisy market? I’d love to give you my free crash course that will help you go from “just another generalist” to a go-to expert people seek out. In just a few short days, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, authority, and focus. ➡️ Sign up here: deepspecializationcourse.com