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?”

The more unexpected the metaphor, the more information it carries. Blair has four less-obvious metaphors to give you access to entire playbooks in just four words when selling your expertise.

LINKS

"The Power of a Metaphor" written by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Ignoring any unexpected offers to buy your business that might come your way is not in your best interest. But neither is dating all opportunities in desperation. David has four things principals should consider, whether or not you are actively looking to sell your firm.

“Should You Entertain That Offer?” by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

2Bobs London Meet-up on Thursday 8 May, 2025 at 2pm

Your clients are far more likely to talk to each other when you have vertical positioning. Blair has observed both good and bad things arising from this.

“How to Ask for Referrals” 2Bobs episode

As we are hearing about more firms that are closing during these challenging times, David offers some guidance to help cut through the confusion when our worst fears in our business become reality.

Links

"Facing an Existential Crisis" article by David for punctuation.com

Rory Sutherland's LinkedIn post

David's LinkedIn post

As Blair continues to encourage expert practice owners to price the client and not the service, he and David discuss the pros and cons of four levels of pricing authority they should be thinking about within their firm, instead of just assuming pricing responsibility automatically defaults to a specific role or job title.

“Who Should Set Prices In Your Firm?” written by Blair Enns for WinWithoutPitching.com

David thinks principals should build their firms as if they were going to sell it while Blair’s advice is to run it as if you’ll never sell it. Being aware of options as your firm matures can give you the leverage you might need in negotiations.

“Ten Reasons Firms Are Bought” by David C. Baker for punctuation.com