On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek welcomes Dan Englander, CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, to dig into what’s really ahead for agency business development in 2025 and beyond. Dan has spent years in the trenches with independent agencies, and he’s here to share why specialization and perspective are no longer “nice to haves” but are survival skills.

This conversation delves into how the current “trust recession” is reshaping the sales landscape and what it means for the way agencies show up with prospects. 

If you’re ready to rethink how your agency approaches sales, business development, and thought leadership, and you want to hear it from someone who’s been guiding agencies through the same challenges you’re facing today, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

What you will learn in this episode: 

• Why “specialization” is no longer just a differentiator, but a requirement for sustainable agency growth

• The impact of the “trust recession” on agency sales, and how to overcome credibility hurdles

• The hidden risks of resisting specialization

• How to define and demonstrate a unique agency perspective to attract your ideal clients

• Ways to turn your specialization and unique POV into effective, lead-generating thought leadership

• How to build repeatable, reliable new business systems that blend inbound and outbound approaches

Bio

Dan Englander is the CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, a training firm that helps agencies and B2B service companies implement repeatable new business systems through tasteful outreach and referrals. Since 2014, Sales Schema has supported nearly 200 agencies to drive thousands of opportunities and millions in lifetime revenue. Dan hosts The Digital Agency Growth Podcast and he's the author of Relationship Sales At Scale. He lives in New York City with his wife Sarah, son Adrian, and a dog Crackle.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.salesschema.com/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-schema/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danenglander/

• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/salesschema