When a Key Employee Wants Equity — 2Bobs
David provides a framework for one of the most important conversations in a creative agency principal’s life.| 2Bobs
David provides a framework for one of the most important conversations in a creative agency principal’s life.| 2Bobs
Instead of railing against AI-generated spam, Blair decides to "get in on the action" with his brand new SpamHack AI Growth System ™️ in this spoof episode.| 2Bobs
David recognizes more than a few parallels between his passion for motorcycle racing and the work being done in creative and marketing agencies.| 2Bobs
Every few years we’re told that we need to move on from using email newsletters as a part of our marketing platform. And David says that advice has always been wrong.| 2Bobs
David gets Blair to expound on his statement that “the value conversation is where value pricing theory goes to die,” and how crucial that conversation is within the sales framework he lays out in his new book, "Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour."| 2Bobs
A lot has changed since Blair wrote his article about seven mistakes he sees creative firms make with CRM years ago, and David wants to know why Excel isn’t a good tool for managing sales leads.| 2Bobs
David is frequently surprised by how many new business people have trouble answering five particular important questions about their jobs and their firms.| 2Bobs
Instead of just relying on the talent of individual sales people, Blair recommends creative agencies identify and invest in six elements as a part of their organization’s long-term sales system.| 2Bobs
David finds the courage to address a topic he’s been putting off for awhile, as he is seeing more agency principals struggling to maintain both healthy and productive work environments by leading the ongoing process of resolving tensions within their teams.| 2Bobs
Instead of beginning the relationship with a prospective client by presenting a deck on why your agency is so amazing and should be invited to pitch, Blair encourages us to have the “Probative Conversation” from his Four Conversations sales model.| 2Bobs
As a follow-up to the discussion in the previous episode, Blair has some criteria for firms that would beneift from prioritizing and codifying an effective referral strategy as a way to gain new business.| 2Bobs
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).| 2Bobs
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?| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
Conversations on the art of creative entrepreneurship with David C. Baker and Blair Enns| 2Bobs
Conversations on the art of creative entrepreneurship with David C. Baker and Blair Enns| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
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 spec| 2Bobs
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.| 2Bobs
In Blair's experience, the most common reason a lead generation plan doesn’t get executed is it doesn’t recognize and leverage the strengths or motivations of the individuals executing.| 2Bobs
David describes the differences in what kind of people principals should hire during the early stage of their creative firm’s development when it’s all about “what we can afford,” the middle stage when it’s about “what we need,” and then the later days of an agency when it’s about “what we can learn| 2Bobs
Blair borrows a concept from finance and fitness to help creative agencies find the balance between low risk and high risk pricing strategies.| 2Bobs
Blair interviews David about his new book, Selling Your Professional Services Firm: A Primer .| 2Bobs
Blair interviews David on his recent article about the idea that expertise does involve supplying answers, eventually, but mainly expertise is about asking the right questions, first, and then offering a few answers after the truth surfaces.| 2Bobs
Blair shares how to determine whether or not we are the advantaged player the “polite battle for control” within the game of sales, and how we can get the odds of winning the sale to be more in our favor.| 2Bobs
David interviews Blair about his new book , which lays out his proven framework B2B service providers can use to increase closing ratios and average proposal values.| 2Bobs
Blair and David reminisce about their podcasting journey since Blair first pitched the 2Bobs idea to David back in 2016, sharing what they've learned along the way, and what they might like to try with the podcast in the future.| 2Bobs
David shares his decision-making framework that will help agency principals make better decisions during chaotic times like these.| 2Bobs
Pricing is a prison cell of our own making. And it’s cultural. Blair has come up with a series of prompts as a creative exercise to help us all move into a realm of higher pricing.| 2Bobs
Blair thinks too many design firms and other service providers are trying too hard to raise prices by presenting themselves as more “strategic.” Both he and David see these agencies losing more and more work to competitors moving to off-shore teams and AI centered services.| 2Bobs
Through the process of writing his latest book, Blair's thinking has evolved on whether or not firms should resist the urge to productize their services as they work to creatively meet the unique needs of each client.| 2Bobs
