In this episode, Raul and John discuss why hiring an agency feels risky today—cost, quality, outcomes, and commoditized “SEO/PPC shop” buying—then explore a shift toward providing open-ended marketing leadership focused on strategy, positioning, and execution using a mix of people, AI, automation, and outside resources. They argue project fees don’t fit a fast-changing landscape and consider retainers plus tool costs, while noting some work (like nailing brand positioning) can justify value-based pricing. They cover AI’s rapid acceleration, tool churn, and potential skill loss, alongside likely disruption to entry-level roles, and suggest human relationships will become more valuable in high-stakes B2B selling. John shares positioning lessons from customer interviews, a case study creating a sales/brand playbook used for onboarding, and examples of “marketing-adjacent” AI work that helps sales operations.
00:00 Do Agencies Still Matter?
01:18 What Clients Really Want
02:29 Marketing Leadership Model
04:57 Post Scope Era Pricing
06:52 AI Velocity And Tool Overload
09:00 Value Based Fees And Retainers
12:09 Skill Loss And Disruption
15:01 Meaning Work And Removing Toil
17:51 Human Connection Comes Back
22:18 Proof Points vs Positioning
22:55 Cloud Consulting Case Study
25:13 Tagline to Sales Playbook
26:52 Using AI for Messaging
28:25 Positioning Is for Buyers
29:18 When Positioning Doesn’t Land
30:49 Marketing Isn’t Just Opinion
32:39 Revenue as the Validator
33:39 AI Adjacent Opportunities
36:58 Relationships in a Tech World
39:12 Loyalty Means Real Dollars
40:59 Lifetime Value Marketing Model
Connect with John Schultz:
https://www.netstrategies.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnschultznetstrategies/
Connect with Raul:
• Work with Raul: https://dogoodwork.io/apply
• Free Growth Resources: https://dogoodwork.io/free-growth-resources
• Connect with Raul on LinkedIn (DMs open): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dogoodwork/