Blair sees four common behaviors when business owners are looking to get deals moving in times of economic decline, stagnation, or uncertainty that end up doing long term harm to their positioning and pricing.

LINKS

"Four Ways to Commodify Your Offering" by Blair Enns on WinWithoutPitching.com

"Phase Your Client Engagements" 2Bobs episode

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.

David’s article on Punctuation.com (subscribe to his newsletter at the bottom of the page)

“Email is the Most Consistent, Reliable Marketing Channel on the Web and I Can Prove It” by Rand Fishkin

David provides some clear examples of what is required for a firm to be successful at offering one service for many different verticals.

“Strengthening a Weak Horizontal Positioning” by David C. Baker on punctuation.com

Given these uncertain economic times we are in right now, Blair is asking if some creative firms might need to rethink the market they serve, looking at whether their positioning might be too broad, too narrow, or just wrong.

LINKS

"The Target Is Not the Market" by Blair Enns on winwithoutpitching.com

David shares his decision-making framework that will help agency principals make better decisions during chaotic times like these.

LINKS

“Leading in a Chaotic World” article by David C. Baker on Punctuation.com

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.

“Creating a Culture of Premium Pricing” by Blair Enns at WinWithoutPitching.com

“Have we Hit Peak Strategy?”

“Be the Client You Want to See in the World”

David wants agency principals to develop new business plans which delivers more new leads with less labor so their organizations can have more controllable growth, as well as increasing their likelihood for a successful exit when that time comes.

2Bobs episode: “The Rungs You Can Reach on the Ladder of Lead Generation”

NY Times article: “How a Self-Published Book Broke ‘All the Rules’ and Became a Best Seller”

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.

Blair’s “What Is Strategy?” episode of the Ditching Hourly podcast with Jonathan Stark