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Small Spark Theory: a marginal gains approach to new business and marketing

New business is one of those subjects guaranteed to get a reaction from agency owners everywhere. Many will have a nagging feeling they should be doing a bit more, wonder how other agencies manage to land the accounts they covet, have moments of wild inspiration and energy then falter because the day job just, well gets in the way.
Gunpowder’s Lucy Mann has worked in agency new business for over 25 years and has witnessed these scenarios, and many more like them, as an outsourced new business telemarketer, a new business recruitment consultant, in house new business developer, in house head of marketing, and new business mentor across multiple disciplines and agency shapes and sizes.
Regardless of size and discipline, many agencies encounter the same new business challenges, and more and more, the solution is not necessarily an ambitious marketing plan, or expensive sales resource, but instead a forensic application of process and a marginal gains approach to performance improvement.
Gunpowder’s podcast, Small Spark Theory® explores the small changes we can make to our sales and marketing process to achieve better new business results. With contributions from a range of experts, each episode will examine a single element of the process in detail, providing manageable tips for improvement.

Find our more about Gunpowder Consulting, please visit gunpowderconsulting.com
Follow us on Twitter @gunpowdertweets and join the conversation #smallsparktheory
Music from Jukedeck - create your own at http://jukedeck.com.
Host - Lucy Mann
Producer - Isabelle Jarvis

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  2. EP92: How to scale fast | Stephen Kenwright

EP92: How to scale fast | Stephen Kenwright

Sep 9, 2024

The thing with marginal gains is that it feels small. And we could be forgiven for thinking that applying this approach to agency growth is simply about tinkering around the edges, making small improvements and seeing small incremental results.

I know it has a far bigger sales and marketing role to play, but wanted to talk to someone who has experienced rapid agency growth to understand the interplay between big strategy and marginal gains. 

And who better than Stephen Kenwright, exited co-founder of one of the last decade's the most exciting agency start-ups, Rise at Seven. 

Join us as Stephen takes us through this incredible growth story and shares his top tips for leaders who are eager to scale their agencies fast.

As always, we'll be giving away a copy of Stephen's recommended read: Why Does the Pedlar Sing by Paul Feldwick. Listen in to find out how to win.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Good advice from J Schwan

The Challenger Customer by Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner and Nick Toman.

EP51: Raising Your Profile with Ash Jones

Ride Shotgun

Rise at Seven