Like many of you, when I started my agency, I was confident that our work would sell itself. And it did, to an extent. We had a steady stream of new business from referrals and happy clients. But sales were inconsistent, some clients outgrew us, and others simply disappeared.
I quickly realised that without a proper sales focus, I was rowing a boat without knowing which direction to head. We were leaving our business to chance, and while that might have worked, there was a greater chance it would fail – or worse, that we wouldn’t realise its fullest potential.
When we became a sales-first agency, our business matured and scaled significantly. Going from nothing to £220k months, required a systematic and efficient approach to sales.
That’s why I’ve created Selling Creative Services – a comprehensive sales training program built specifically for creative agencies, design studios, and technical founders who want to grow their businesses with purpose and direction.
Make no mistake, this is the exact process I used to grow our agency. It’s the process I share with my clients, and it’s the process I use today within Move at Pace to ensure I meet my new business goals. And starting from nothing a second time around.
Why Creative Agencies Need a Sales System
Most creative people didn’t start their agency to become salespeople. You’re passionate about design, development, or marketing. Sales was probably the furthest thing from your mind.
The truth is that being busy doesn’t always equate to being profitable or growing a sustainable business. I’ve seen too many agency owners working themselves to the bone without actually knowing if they’re moving towards their objectives. They get to the end of the financial year and realise their effective hourly rate or retained profit is considerably less than they thought or hoped for.
Many business owners know how much money they want to make, but they often fail to plan exactly how they’ll reach that amount. Without a systematic approach to sales, you’re essentially leaving your future to chance.
This programme isn’t about turning you into a slick-talking salesperson. It’s about implementing processes that make selling as painless as possible while maximising your agency’s growth potential.
What Makes This Program Different
This isn’t theoretical advice from someone who’s never run an agency. I’ve built, scaled, and exited my own creative business, and now work with agency owners worldwide. The strategies I share are the exact ones I used to grow my own agency and help my clients grow theirs.
The program consists of five comprehensive modules that take you through the entire sales process from setting targets to getting paid. Each lesson includes practical worksheets, templates, and real-world examples you can implement immediately.
Let me break down what you’ll learn:
Lesson 1: Setting Targets
This is arguably the most important of all the modules because, as the saying goes, if we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail.
You’ll learn how to:
- Calculate your breakeven point with precision
- Create a cash flow forecast that gives you clarity on your numbers
- Set realistic but ambitious revenue targets
- Break these down into monthly and weekly goals
- Define your ideal client persona
- Use your targets to drive every sales decision
Having visibility into your figures ensures you’re focused on making enough to cover costs and then make a profit at the level you choose. This foundation makes everything else in the sales process more effective.
Lesson 2: Prospecting
From a sales perspective, prospecting is the most important part of the process. It’s often given the least attention because it’s far removed from the creative work that built your business.
In this module, you’ll discover:
- The difference between hunting (proactive outreach) and farming (nurturing relationships)
- How to build a prospecting system that plays to your strengths
- Creating a multi-channel approach to maximise opportunities
- Building and managing your sales pipeline effectively
- Setting activity targets that ensure consistent results
I’ll show you how to make prospecting a natural part of your business activities and commit to it consistently, in good times and in bad.
Lesson 3: Pitching Your Services
Most creative people make the classic mistake in pitches – they talk about themselves and never once ask about the client. Your prospective client will use your service if it delivers the desired result for them.
I’ll share:
- The mindset reset that transforms your pitches
- A proven pitch structure that consistently wins business
- The power of “Problem-Process-Payoff” storytelling
- How to handle objections confidently
- The follow-up process that closes deals
Remember, the best pitch isn’t a pitch at all – it’s a conversation about how you can help solve their problems.
Lesson 4: Communication
Great work may sell itself to a certain extent, but even the best agencies need effective communication to convert prospects into clients and keep them engaged.
This module covers:
- The three stages of sales communication
- Creating template libraries that save time and ensure consistency
- Building momentum through project communication
- Nurturing relationships for retention and upsell
- Setting up systems and tools to enhance communication
- Avoiding common communication pitfalls
I’ll even share my Essential Emails templates that you can customise and implement immediately in your business.
Lesson 5: Getting Paid
A sale isn’t a sale until the money is in your account. To grow our business, we need our cash flow management to be as robust as every other business function.
In this final module, you’ll learn:
- How to create payment terms that work for your business
- Setting up efficient systems for invoicing and payment
- Managing client expectations around payment
- The accounts process for following up on late payments
- Taking your profits efficiently
I have two rules in business: 1. Do great work and 2. Expect to be paid. This module ensures the second rule is always followed.
Who This Programme Is For
This training is specifically designed for:
- Creative and technical founders who want to grow their business
- Agency owners looking to implement systematic sales approaches
- Sales and business development teams within creative agencies
- Marketing agencies wanting to increase retained business
- Freelancers looking to scale to agency level
If you’re looking to move beyond the feast and famine cycle, want to create predictable revenue, or simply want to make your agency more profitable, this programme is for you.
Take Control of Your Agency’s Growth
The difference between agencies that struggle and those that thrive often comes down to one thing: a systematic approach to sales.
I’ve seen firsthand how implementing these processes can transform a creative business. One of my clients recently doubled their monthly revenue in just six months by following these exact strategies. Another finally moved to a retainer model that now covers all their fixed costs before they even start the month.
Selling Creative Services gives you the tools, templates, and confidence to make sales a strength in your agency, not a weakness.
Ready to transform your agency through sales? Click here to join the program or book a discovery call to see if it’s right for you.
Remember, great work doesn’t sell itself – but with the right system, you can ensure it sells consistently and profitably.