The X-Factor
Blair gives David some homework to identify patterns in the principals of creative practices who are successful and have that "je ne sais quoi."
Starting...Existing...Thriving
Blair interviews David on what each of the three levels of success in running a creative firm looks like.
Replacing Presentations With Conversations
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.
Reviewing the "Surveillance Footage"
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!"
Hacking Heuristics
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.
Collaborating with Competitors
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.
Four Segments of New Business
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.
Using Assessment Instruments in Your Firm
David and Blair explore the big topic of personality assessment tools that can help firms “get the right people on the bus.”
Thoughts on Partnership
Blair and David dive into a discussion on ownership structures, looking at the results of a survey that David did recently about partnerships.
What Good Clients Are Really Looking For
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.'"
Mastering the Value Conversation
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."
Defining Success for Creatives
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.
Words That Make Us Wince
Blair and David try to wind each other up by going through a list of phrases they hear from their clients way too often.
Positioning Cheats
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.
Words We Try to Define
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.
The Business of Expertise - Part 3, Live from London
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.
Pricing Creativity
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.
Planning for the New Year
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.