Blair tells the story of recreation.gov and how its performance pay deal has been nothing but wins for every party involved, with plenty of lessons for buyers and sellers of all kinds of services.

LINKS

"Performance Pay Leads to a $500M Website" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Recreation.gov

David provides a framework for one of the most important conversations in a creative agency principal’s life.

LINKS

"When A Key Employee Wants Equity" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

"Pros + Cons of Having a Partner" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Instead of railing against AI-generated spam, Blair decides to "get in on the action" with his brand new SpamHack AI Growth System™️ in this spoof episode.

David recognizes more than a few parallels between his passion for motorcycle racing and the work being done in creative and marketing agencies.

LINKS

“What I Learned from the Race Track” by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Instead of just relying on the talent of individual sales people, Blair recommends creative agencies identify and invest in six elements as a part of their organization’s long-term sales system.

LINKS

"Critical Questions Your New Business Person Should Be Able to Answer" 2Bobs episode

"How to Ask for Referrals" 2Bobs episode

"CRM and the Mistakes to Avoid" 2Bobs episode

"Who Should Set Prices?" 2Bobs episode

"Mastering the Value Conversation" 2Bobs episode

David finds the courage to address a topic he’s been putting off for awhile, as he is seeing more agency principals struggling to maintain both healthy and productive work environments by leading the ongoing process of resolving tensions within their teams.

LINKS

"Adapting to a Modern Workforce" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Instead of beginning the relationship with a prospective client by presenting a deck on why your agency is so amazing and why you should be invited to pitch, Blair encourages us to have the “Probative Conversation” from his Four Conversations sales model.

LINKS

"There Is No Credentials Meeting" article by Blair Enns for WinWithoutPitching.com

"The Four Conversations: A New Model for Selling Expertise" 2Bobs episode

The Four Conversations: A New Model for Selling Expertise book by Blair Enns

When it comes to positioning, David is still seeing creative firms failing to answer three essential questions in the proper sequence: category, specialization, and then secondary differentiators (or qualifying characteristics).

Blair sees high price anchors everywhere—from buying a suit to ordering a burger. So what factors should creative firms keep in mind as they use anchoring in selling their service options? And when is the best time to present the anchor option within the sales conversation?

“Anchor High” by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Following up on the recent episode on whether you should be considering that offer to sell your firm, David provides four questions to get answered, two documents to sign, and a short list of materials that can help you take the lead in early conversations with a buyer.

LINKS

”Should You Entertain That Acquisition Offer?”