Which segments of our field will thrive in the near future and which ones will slowly lose relevance, and why? David wants creative entrepreneurs to continue being resilient and reinventing themselves every two years while keeping a watchful eye on constantly evolving industry practices and technologies (including AI).

"Most At-Risk Shops" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Blair sees creative entrepreneurs opening themselves up to pricing resentment from their clients when the value of their contributions diminishes over time, especially when they've created significant economic value at the beginning of a long-term engagement.

LINKS

"Is Your Pricing Creating Resentment?" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Prompted by a recent trip to Europe, David considers how the differences between worker protection laws in Europe compared to North America affect starting and running an agency in this fast-changing global economy.

"Employment Law + Economic Flexibility" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

2Bobs in Tuscany

Join David, Blair, six other business owners and their spouses for four days and nights of creative business exploration in an intimate countryside villa designed for long meals, deep conversations, and unhurried thinking.

Learn more and apply at 2Bobs.com/events

Blair identifies three recurring categories of lost sales in creative firms and offers solutions to each. Fixing two of these patterns can reap the dividends immediately, and adjusting your sales approach for all three will pay off for years.

LINKS

"Three Patterns of Lost Opportunities" article by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Brigadoon.live

"Slapping Down Your Childlike Glee" 2Bobs episode

"Debriefing After a New Business Call" 2Bobs episode

"Assume an Advantaged Player" 2Bobs episode

"The Rungs You Can Reach on the Ladder of Lead Generation" 2Bobs episode

David sees a lot of creative agencies making bad assumptions about their client relationships by not making the distinction between the reasons why clients come to them in the first place, why they choose to continue working with them as time passes, and then why they ultimately move on.

LINKS

"Distinguishing Between Why Clients Come, Stay, and Leave" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

"The Waterfall of Differentiation" 2Bobs episode

Blair is stunned that he still encounters so many advisory businesses like ad agencies, consulting firms, legal and accounting practices — large and small — that are still selling time. So he and David discuss what new revenue models should look like as we all adapt to how AI is changing our businesses.

"Time's Up, Babycakes" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Time's Up!: The Subscription Business Model for Professional Firms by Paul Dunn and Ronald J. Baker

The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry by John Warrillow

The Forever Transaction by Robbie Kellman Baxter

Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company's Future – and What to Do About It by Tien Tzuo and Gabe Weisert

Blair interviews David about a recent article he's been receiving a lot of feedback on, in which he lists all of the things he would try to incorporate into a brand new creative agency, based on what he's seen and learned from working with thousands of firms over the years.

"If I Started A New Firm, Now" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Blair differentiates between decoy pricing and price anchoring, which are two different techniques that are often confused for each other, and can increase your average proposal value in multi-option pricing when used appropriately.

"Decoy or Anchor?" article by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

"The Perils of 'Good/Better/Best' Pricing" 2Bobs episode

Despite the fact that many entrepreneurs hate people telling them what to do, they end up running their own agencies using a "central planning" model. Instead, David encourages entrepreneurial leaders to set clear standards, give staff more freedom, and institute kind accountability, for them and ourselves.

"Countering Your 'Central Planning' Tendencies" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

David interviews Blair about his recent article in which he gives us methods to cope with our own natural emotional and physiological responses that can be triggered when unforeseen events unfold within sales conversations.

LINKS

"Can Improv and Cold Plunges Improve Your Sales?" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com

Blair's interview on the Undisputed Authority podcast with Liam Curley

What Doesn't Kill Us by Scott Carney