2Bobs—with David C. Baker and Blair Enns

David disagrees with Blair (sort of) on his model for growing existing accounts in the post-AOR era, and then offers his list of 6 ideas on the topic.   Links The Peter principle The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson Tony Mikes   Transcript DAVID C. BAKER:  Today Blair, we are coming to you live from the ReCourses Woodworking Shop, where so far I have done no woodworking, but a wh...

Blair remembers what it was like when he was an account person himself, and David shares five ways firms can treat their account people better.   LINKS "How to Drive Your Employees Bat Sh*t Crazy" 2Bobs episode   TRANSCRIPT BLAIR ENNS:  David, we're talking today about how to disrespect people. This is your topic idea. DAVID C. BAKER:  Yeah, I get so many requests from people that want help with t...

Blair offers seven mindsets that any seller of expertise needs to master so that they can behave like the expert in the sales cycle.   Links "The Jedi Mindset" by Blair Enns McClelland's Human Motivation Theory, also known as Three Needs Theory, Acquired Needs Theory, Motivational Needs Theory, and Learned Needs Theory   Transcript DAVID C. BAKER: Good morning, Blair. You are in London. I'm in Nas...

LINKS "The Great Convergence Is Upon Us" by Blair Enns "CRM: The Train Coming At You" by Blair Enns AltGroup.net website "Eight Gauges on Your Agency Dashboard" by David C. Baker The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike "Rising From the Ashes: A New Agency Model" by Blair Enns   TRANSCRIPTION DAVID C. BAKER:  Blair today we're...

Blair gives David some homework to identify patterns in the principals of creative practices who are successful and have that "je ne sais quoi."   LINKS 2Bobs Episode 28 - "Positioning Cheats" Start With Why  by Simon Sinek "Top 10 Podcasts Agency Owners Listen To" by Daniel de la Cruz Crucial Conversations - Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, a...

Blair interviews David on what each of the three levels of success in running a creative firm looks like.   Links 2Bobs Episode 39 - "Replacing Presentations With Conversations" The Win Without Pitching Manifesto ,  by Blair Enns The Business of Expertise: How Entrepreneurial Experts Convert Insight to Impact + Wealth ,  by David C. Baker Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without...

David re-reads the 2nd chapter of Blair's first book , leading to a discussion about how sales people have to choose between either presenting to clients or being present to them.   TRANSCRIPT DAVID C. BAKER:  Blair, we are going to talk today about replacing presentations with conversations.  BLAIR ENNS:  The second proclamation. DAVID:  Yeah, it's actually the second chapter in your book, which...

There are seven patterns that almost all principals are guilty of. When David and Blair point them out, it leads their clients to say, "you must have hidden cameras in my office!"

  Blair leads a discussion on how clients tend to take mental shortcuts in making business decisions, and how we can nudge clients without manipulating them to make a decision that is in their best interest.   Links Rory Sutherland Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion and Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealt...

David and Blair compare each other's competitiveness, and then offer some specific ways principals can actually collaborate with their competitors as a part of building beneficial business relationships.   TRANSCRIPT BLAIR: David, today we're going to talk about how to crush your competition, is that right? DAVID: Instantly I got very excited about the concept, that's really not what we're going t...

Blair and David come up with descriptive words that help clarify each of the four parts of what David calls the "pantheon" for new business: positioning, lead generation, sales, and pricing. Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour Mastering the Value Conversation podcast episode

David and Blair explore the big topic of personality assessment tools that can help firms "get the right people on the bus." Not Your Typical Personality Types →

Blair and David dive into a discussion on ownership structures, looking at the results of a survey that David did recently about partnerships.

Listeners on Twitter wanted to know what clients actually want from creative firms, so David makes a list based on his experience of what good clients want, while Blair's reaction is "who cares what clients want... all they wanted was a 'faster horse.'"

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."

David and Blair take a stab at answering the complicated question of what success looks like for each of them personally, as well as what it means for their clients.

Blair and David try to wind each other up by going through a list of phrases they hear from their clients way too often.

David is bothered by the notion of helping people cheat, especially at positioning. So Blair discusses 10 ways firms could succeed even if they either aren't ready or don't believe in the idea of tight positioning. You'll feel dirty.

Expertise, selling, marketing, entrepreneurship, branding, positioning, and consultant. Blair and David do their best to come up with definitions for terms that they use regularly with clients.

Blair revisits David's new book, " The Business of Expertise: How Entrepreneurial Experts Convert Insight to Impact + Wealth " in front of a live audience in London, who get to ask their own questions.

Blair talks about his new book, "Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour," and the process it took to write it. David gets him to share three of the main rules laid out in the book that firms should apply in order to see significant increases in profit.

David and Blair each share some goals that they have for their clients and themselves for the upcoming year, which turns into somewhat of a therapy session.

Blair and David discuss why, when, and how principals sell their firms, and Blair reveals he is skeptical about selling his own firm.

David picks Blair's brain about new business compensation, and what principals need to consider in finding their firm's place on the spectrum between full commission and salary with no incentives.

Blair has some questions this week and David has answers. The topic is profit - what it is and the targets firms should be setting.