Across the Pond: How to grow your Insight Agency

In this opening episode of Season 3, Paul Griffiths and Steve Hankey explore what insight agency owners should be doing in the final quarter of the year to set themselves up for commercial success in 2027.

They discuss the importance of reviewing what has worked in sales and marketing, maintaining momentum through consistent business development activity, reconnecting with existing and former clients, improving proposal win rates, and building strong key account growth plans.

The episode is packed with practical advice on finishing the year strongly while laying the foundations for a healthy pipeline and sustained growth in the year ahead. Keywords:

insight agency, Q4 strategy, client relationships, proposal tips, business growth, marketing planning, sales pipeline, client retention, agency success

Key topics

• Reviewing 2026 sales and marketing metrics
• Maintaining momentum in Q4
• Building relationships with existing clients
• Expanding opportunities within client organizations
• Effective proposal strategies and calls to action
• Planning for 2027 revenue and growth
• Key account management and retention tactics
• Leveraging past successes for new business
• Aligning agency planning with client budgets

In this last episode of Season 2, hosts Steve Henke and Paul Griffiths answer audience questions on sales tips, client management, the value of websites and CRMs, differentiating from competitors, and the role of podcasts in marketing. They share practical insights and strategies for insights agencies looking to grow and improve their client relationships.

Keywords

sales tips, client management, website importance, CRM value, competitive differentiation, podcast marketing, agency growth, client relationships, key account planning, marketing strategies

Key topics

Sales tips for agencies

Client key account planning

Role of websites and LinkedIn in credibility

CRM systems for sales efficiency

Differentiating in competitive markets

Podcasting as a marketing tool

Sound bites

"Use transcripts and AI to summarize calls."

"Never talk bad about competitors."

"Prove what you say with evidence."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Season Finale Overview

01:10 Top Sales Tips for Sellers

03:52 Key Account Planning Process

07:51 The Importance of Company Websites

10:14 Value of CRM Systems in Sales

15:00 Differentiating from Competitors

17:56 Role of Podcasts in Marketing

In the episode Steve (Harpeth Marketing) and Paul (Client Advocates) give ideas and inspiration for how market research and insight leaders can improve and finesse their proposals, so that they increase their win-rates.

Paul and Steve talk about how to most effectively structure a proposal, what can be done with the way you communicate with clients to make them more likely to commission you, what pricing strategies can be used, and how to follow up and close the deals.

In this episode, Steve and Paul explore how commercial leaders and their teams in market research and insight agencies can leverage AI tools to enhance their marketing and sales processes and workflows. From content creation to client engagement, to proposal writing.

We share practical tips, real-world examples, and easily applied ways to integrate AI into everyday commercial activities your agency will be doing, to boost efficiency and effectiveness.

Key topics

• Using AI for content repurposing and creation
• AI for sales process enhancement and proposal critique
• AI for prospect research and account management
• Integrating AI tools into existing workflows
• Practical tips for leveraging AI in marketing and sales

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI in Sales and Marketing

02:57 Using AI for Marketing Content Creation

05:41 AI as a Brainstorming Tool

08:22 Enhancing Sales Processes with AI

10:54 AI in Proposal Writing and Critique

13:34 AI for Account Management and Client Engagement

16:22 Exploring AI Tools for Sales

18:54 Conclusion: Embracing AI in Business

In this episode, Steve and Paul explore the importance of re-engaging with lapsed clients, talk about strategies to reconnect, and give their advice on how to leverage ongoing relationships for business growth, if you have commercial responsibility in an insight agency.

They give practical tips on maintaining contact, sharing value, and turning past clients into future opportunities.

Topics include:

• The true value of lapsed clients
• Common reasons for client disengagement
• Strategies for reconnecting with past clients
• The importance of ongoing communication and value sharing
• Building a purposeful and strategic re-engagement plan

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and episode overview

01:01 Why businesses hesitate to re-engage with lapsed clients

02:09 The importance of ongoing communication and visibility

03:02 Reframing the term 'lapsed clients' and maintaining relationships

04:02 The role of sales and marketing systems in client retention

05:21 Identifying and targeting lapsed clients using data

06:40 Purposeful outreach and relationship ownership

08:22 The power of revisiting past clients' new opportunities

09:25 Effective ways to reconnect: conferences, social media, and direct outreach

11:22 Authentic and transparent communication strategies

13:11 Sharing new insights and value-added content

15:54 Leveraging content and thought leadership for re-engagement

17:53 The importance of persistent, non-intrusive follow-up

19:15 Final thoughts: take action and try reconnecting

In this episode, Steve Henke and Paul Griffiths discuss their experiences and key takeaways from the recent CEO Summit in Miami. They explore the importance of networking, the impact of AI on business decision-making, the role of synthetic data in the insights industry, and the value of in-person events for building relationships. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of insights agencies and the need for transformation in response to technological advancements.

Takeaways

The CEO Summit fosters authentic connections among business leaders.

Networking is a key component of the event's success.

AI was a major topic of discussion, emphasizing its role in decision-making.

Presentations highlighted the transformative power of insights in organizations.

Synthetic data is becoming an accepted part of the insights landscape.

In-person events provide unparalleled opportunities for relationship building.

The insights industry is rapidly evolving due to technological advancements.

Agencies must adapt to remain relevant in a changing market.

The importance of transparency and openness in discussions was emphasized.

Future episodes may explore AI's impact on agency operations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the CEO Summit Insights

02:39 Networking and Authentic Connections

05:23 Key Presentations and AI Discussions

07:56 The Role of Synthetic Data in Insights

10:35 The Future of Insights and AI Integration

13:07 The Value of In-Person Events

15:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Keywords

CEO Summit, insights agency, networking, AI, synthetic data, in-person events, business transformation, insights industry, growth strategies, market research

In the second of our HOTSEAT 🔥episodes, it is Steve Henke's turn to be grilled by Paul Griffiths.

Steve talks about the advantages and disadvantages of the seller-doer model that many insight agencies employ. He goes on to give advice, tips and tricks that will mean you get your seller-doers to be as effective as possible in the way they approach sales and client engagement.

Key Takeaways:

• There's a balance in managing seller-doers between activity and results.
• A fully flushed out sales pipeline is crucial for effective management.
• Understanding each stage of the sales process is key.
• Knowing the next steps and probability of close is essential.
• Sales goals can be tracked through a clear sales pipeline.

In this special HOTSEAT 🔥 episode, Steve Henke puts Paul Griffiths through his paces!

Paul is grilled about the often overlooked importance of internal feedback within agencies. He highlights the irony that while agencies focus heavily on client feedback, they neglect to apply the same principles to their own operations.

Paul emphasizes that feedback is a valuable and cost-effective tool for agency growth and development.

Key Takeaways

• We're so busy thinking and talking about our clients, we just don't do it to ourselves.
• Feedback is a really easy way of getting input - it is almost free!
• Agencies need to harness feedback for growth.
• Neglecting internal feedback can hinder agency development.
• Understanding feedback can lead to better agency practices as well as growth.

Steve Henke and Paul Griffiths discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing sales and marketing functions for market research and insight agencies.

When is it beneficial to outsource, and when it is better to keep functions in-house?

They also discuss the importance of understanding the disadvantages of outsourcing, including costs and communication challenges, and the need for agencies to build their own capabilities over time.

Key Takeaways

• Outsourcing can provide immediate access to expertise.
• It's essential to evaluate the size and scale of your agency before outsourcing.
• SEO is a good candidate for outsourcing.
• Account management should not be outsourced to freelancers.
• Building internal capabilities for lead generation is crucial.
• Outsourcing can be expensive but may be efficient for specific tasks.
• Communication challenges can arise with outsourced teams.
• Outsourcing marketing can be beneficial if internal skills are lacking.
• Hiring agencies with industry knowledge is vital for effective outsourcing.
• Agencies should consider their long-term strategy when deciding to outsource.

In this episode, Steve Henke and Paul Griffiths discuss the critical aspects of key account management for insights agencies.

We explore the importance of building strong relationships with key clients, the challenges posed by relying on a few large clients, and the necessity of diversifying client bases.

Our conversation emphasizes the need for active account management strategies, accountability within agencies, and the significance of setting revenue targets for key accounts.

We also highlight effective strategies for maintaining client engagement and ensuring that agencies remain top of mind with their clients.

Takeaways

• Big clients are crucial for agency survival.
• Diversifying client bases is essential to mitigate risks.
• Key account management should focus on building multiple relationships within a client organization.
• Key account plans often end up unused; activation is key.
• Accountability in account management is vital for success.
• Revenue targets should be set for key accounts to drive growth.
• Cross-selling and upselling are effective strategies for account growth.
• Referral opportunities can significantly enhance client relationships.
• Regular engagement with clients is necessary to maintain relationships.
• CRM systems can help manage account activation processes effectively.