The Great Migration
As agencies are trading their big city offices for working at home during the pandemic, Blair wants to know if David thinks he should get into real estate.
Nov 04, 2020•29 min•Ep. 98
2Bobs—with David C. Baker and Blair Enns
Conversations on the art of creative entrepreneurship with David C. Baker and Blair Enns
Episodes
Foibles of an Executive Leadership Team
David thinks firms have too many meetings and offers some solutions, and Blair pushes back.
Oct 21, 2020•29 min•Ep. 97
Transcending Timesheets
David torches Blair's highfalutin notions of timekeeping and offers four instances when timekeeping can actually be used without polluting your pricing.
Oct 07, 2020•33 min•Ep. 96
How Our Deepest Fears Shape Our Approach to Business
David articulates five fears that tend to shape management style and impact decisions principals make for their firms.
Sep 23, 2020•32 min•Ep. 95
Objections to Specialization
In part two of their specialization conversation, David and Blair address six arguments they have heard from certain clients who toyed with the idea of broader positioning for their firms.
Sep 09, 2020•31 min•Ep. 94
Do Generalists Really Triumph Over Specialists?
David and Blair have experienced a backlash against experts, expertise, and specialization thanks to David Epstein's book, and they disagree on whether or not it's worth reading.
Aug 26, 2020•24 min•Ep. 93
The Rungs You Can Reach on the Ladder of Lead Generation
Blair and David discuss three tiers of inbound and outbound marketing that firms should be using for new business development.
Aug 12, 2020•37 min•Ep. 92
The Journey From Generalist to Specialist
David and Blair address a listener request to go over the challenges that principals often go through once they decide to reposition their firm.
Jul 29, 2020•34 min•Ep. 91
How and When to Talk About Your Firm
Blair wonders if he's made an error in his efforts to prevent agencies from going into presentation mode during the sales process.
Jul 15, 2020•27 min•Ep. 90
Four Regrets You're About to Have
Blair predicts when we are through the COVID-19 pandemic and business is approaching normal (whatever that means), agency principals will look back with some regrets about the things they did not do, rather than the things they did. LINKS "Four Regrets You’re About to Have" by Blair Enns "Play the Game of Constraints" by Blair Enns...
Jul 01, 2020•28 min•Ep. 89
When to Shut Up and Listen and When to Speak Up
Blair and David, as two white business leaders, try talking about the traumatic and emotional yet very necessary changes happening now to end systemic racism. As they listen and allow space for the voices of diversity that need to be heard, they also struggle with when to speak up as examples, owning up to their mistakes which will hopefully help lead the way for real change. LINKS “How I’m Trying to Process Things Right Now” by David C. Baker “Speech and Systems” - episode 186 of Exponent podca...
Jun 17, 2020•26 min•Ep. 88
Critical Questions Your New Business Person Should Be Able to Answer
David is frequently surprised by how many new business people have trouble answering five particular important questions about their jobs and their firms.
Jun 03, 2020•34 min•Ep. 87
The Hate Sandwich You're About to Eat
Blair gets David to share a part of his upcoming book about how all client relationships have a cycle of love-hate-love that we have to be prepared for and push through.
May 20, 2020•33 min•Ep. 86
Will You Be My Friend
David expects to get in trouble discussing Blair's topic about the role of friendship in business—between sales people and prospects, account people and clients, and principals and employees.
May 06, 2020•38 min•Ep. 85
Changes in the Agency Client Landscape
David and Blair try to predict the future about what principals of creative firms can expect in their relationships with clients as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact business.
Apr 22, 2020•30 min•Ep. 84
Business As Unusual - Managing in a Pandemic
Blair and David address five common questions they have heard from creative entrepreneurs as they both have been helping firms navigate the economic changes being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apr 08, 2020•30 min•Ep. 83
When Rightsizing Makes Sense...And How to Do It
Given where the economy is currently heading, David offers a framework that can help principals of creative firms make those tough staffing decisions in a timely and considerate manner.
Mar 25, 2020•35 min•Ep. 82
The Power of Options
David asks Blair to clarify his advice on offering proposal options and anchoring. Is it about more than just scope and price? LINKS Implementing Value Pricing: A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms by Ronald Baker The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably by Thomas T. Nagle and Georg Müller Pricing with Confidence: 10 Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table by Reed Holden and Mark Burton Negotiating with Backbone: Eight Sales Strategies to Defend Your Pri...
Mar 11, 2020•35 min•Ep. 81
How Digital Firms Are Different
Blair and David record a live episode at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans for Bureau of Digital’s Owner Summit. Thank you to Carl Smith and Lori Averitt at Bureau of Digital for hosting the live recording at the Owner Summit on February 7, 2020 in New Orleans. And thank you to the amazing staff at the Orpheum Theater for helping us with the production and staging!
Feb 26, 2020•36 min•Ep. 80
The Impact of Agile in the Real World
David does all the heavy lifting for Blair in his recent article so they can finally discuss the overlap between Agile as a management method and pricing policy. LINKS “Pros and Cons of Agile…in the Real World” by David C. Baker 2Bobs episode 78: “Phase Your Client Engagements” Manifesto for Agile Software Development “Agile is Dead (Long Live Agility)” by Dave Thomas...
Feb 12, 2020•36 min•Ep. 79
Phase Your Client Engagements
Blair wants firms to get paid to write their proposals, which is the first of his four phases of client engagement. LINKS “Different Pricing Models” - 2Bobs episode 61 “A Beginner’s Guide to Negotiating” - 2Bobs episode 53 “Alternative Forms of Reassurance” - 2Bobs episode 46 Transcript...
Jan 29, 2020•39 min•Ep. 78
Understanding Account People
David keeps encountering clients who don’t appreciate how their account people actually contribute to their overall business, and Blair totally identifies with the traits that David describes. 2Bobs episode 44: “The Best Ways to Disrespect Account People” WHAT ACCOUNT PEOPLE DO, IN BROAD STROKES: Pull necessary data from the client, even when it’s tough to get their cooperation. Sell recommendations back to them that are in their best interest. Lead the client. (Interesting fact: “strategy” is l...
Jan 15, 2020•32 min•Ep. 77
What Leverage Do You Have With Client Contracts and MSAs?
Blair and David share their frustrations around some contracts that they have been asked to sign, making it clear why they are not attorneys. This episode does not contain legal advice. Get a lawyer for that: Sharon Toerek Candice Kersh Jeffrey Dermer Michael Lasky...
Jan 01, 2020•32 min•Ep. 76
When You Put Someone Else In Charge of Your Firm
David keeps seeing principals who get someone else to run their firm, which is not a good idea. Then he gets Blair's thoughts on why he thinks it happens. Links David C. Baker Seminar Win Without Pitching Workshops with Blair Enns Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow Entrepreneurial Operating System Traction Library The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike...
Dec 18, 2019•30 min•Ep. 75
Productized Vs Customized Services and Monthly Recurring Revenue
David and Blair lay out some of the reasons why they think, in most cases, agencies pursuing recurring revenue models are making a mistake. Links “Why Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) Arrangements May Not Be Ideal” by David C. Baker The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness by Todd Rose Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour by Blair Enns The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō “Unbundli...
Dec 04, 2019•35 min•Ep. 74
Which RFPs Should You Respond To?
David brings up one of Blair's favorite topics: how they keep themselves and their clients from being trapped by requests for proposal. LINKS 2Bobs episode 70, “The Only New Business Indicator That Matters”
Nov 20, 2019•31 min•Ep. 73
A Podcast After-Action Review
Blair and David share what they have learned as they have recorded 2Bobs podcast episodes for almost 4 years - what has worked well, what has been challenging, and what they would recommend to those agency principals who might be considering their own podcast. LINKS The Soul of Enterprise Episode 15: “The Best Learning Method Ever Devised: After Action Reviews” with Ron Baker and Ed Kless Build a Better Agency with Drew McClellan EconTalk with Russell Roberts Marcus dePaula, podcast producer and...
Nov 06, 2019•32 min•Ep. 72
Common Traits of Success
Blair and David consider the hundreds of firms they have each worked with over the years to identify the characteristics of highest performing firms and what they have seen agency principals do to succeed.
Oct 23, 2019•26 min•Ep. 71
The Only New Business Indicator That Matters
Blair shares some new data (at the time he and David recorded this discussion in January of 2016) that points to the one variable that can predict the likelihood of a prospect hiring your firm.
Oct 09, 2019•28 min•Ep. 70
Taking the Team Seriously
David wants to know if Blair thinks it's harder for creative firms to find great prospective clients, or great employees, as they unpack how to attract the right candidates using a “lead generation” plan. Ideas for “Lead Generation” of candidates: Social media presence Guest teach a single class at a known school that typically turns out a best student every semester Offer your facility as a meeting place for trade/association meetings Put a rotating art gallery with an open house when the displ...
Sep 25, 2019•35 min•Ep. 69
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