This interview is with Adam Whittaker, CEO at Manifest New Business Ltd.

Adam Whittaker, CEO, Manifest New Business Ltd

Can you tell us about your background in marketing agency new business development and what led you to become an expert in this field?

I started out in new business almost by accident. My first proper job was at a design agency in London, and within a few months, I found myself getting pulled into pitch prep, writing creds, and building lists of prospects. I was drawn to it because it felt like the bit of the business where there was some urgency. Winning new work was the thing that made the agency feel alive. From there, I moved into roles that were more explicitly focused on growth and new business, and I realized quickly that most agencies were making the same mistakes. They either weren't doing enough of it, or they were doing it in a way that didn't reflect the value they were capable of delivering. I became a bit obsessed with why that was.

What really pushed me into starting Manifest was noticing that even the most brilliant agencies struggled to talk about themselves in a way that made sense to clients. I'd sit in on pitches or creds meetings and think, "This isn't a reflection of the work you do at all." Agencies often fall into the trap of using the same words, the same case studies, and chasing the same brands, without a proper strategy. I knew there was a better way, and I thought if we could solve that, we could build a business that genuinely helped agencies grow on their own terms.

I wouldn't describe myself as an expert in the traditional sense. I've never written a book on new business or given a TED talk. But I have spent the last thirty years inside hundreds of agency growth challenges, from five-person creative studios to global networks. I've worked through recessions, rebrands, management changes, and agency-client breakups. That lived experience is what shaped my view of what works and what doesn't. And even now, every new client brings a new set of lessons. I think that's what keeps it interesting.

What was the pivotal moment or experience that shaped your approach to new business development for marketing agencies?

The pivotal moment for me came during a pitch process that completely unraveled, and not because the agency wasn't good enough. This was a few years before I started Manifest, and I was helping a really smart, mid-sized creative agency go after a big consumer brand. They had the credentials, the team, and the thinking. But the way they positioned themselves in the early stages just didn't land. They were too focused on showing how creative they were, not enough on the client's actual business challenge. And when the feedback came in, it was brutally clear: "You didn't show us how you'd help us sell more."

That experience stuck with me. It crystallized something I'd been seeing for a while: that most agencies don't fail at new business because they're not talented. They fail because they haven't taken the time to really understand what clients are buying. They think it's the work, but it's actually the impact of the work. That disconnect is where most pitches fall flat.

So my whole approach shifted. I started thinking less about what agencies wanted to say, and more about what prospects needed to hear. It meant getting under the skin of the agency's value proposition, tightening the narrative, and building a pipeline that made space for proper conversations. That mindset still underpins how we do things at Manifest. We're not interested in helping agencies look good. We want to help them become indispensable to the right clients. And that starts by asking better questions right at the beginning.

In your experience, what's the most common mistake marketing agencies make when trying to win new clients, and how can they avoid it?

The most common mistake I see is agencies trying to be all things to all people. It usually comes from a fear of missing out. They worry that if they narrow their positioning, they'll lose opportunities, so they end up presenting themselves in a vague, catch-all way that doesn't resonate with anyone. You'll hear things like, "We're a full-service agency that combines creativity, strategy, and innovation" — which sounds impressive at first, but doesn't actually mean anything to the client sitting across the table wondering if you can solve their specific problem.

The antidote is focus. Agencies need to get much clearer on what they're really good at, and who they're best suited to work with. That doesn't mean they can't take on work outside of that space, but their outbound and positioning should reflect a clear sense of purpose. One of the first things we do with new clients at Manifest is interrogate their existing wins — we look at where they've had the most impact and the healthiest relationships. That usually tells you more than a capabilities deck ever will.

When an agency leads with relevance, not range, everything changes. Suddenly the conversations are warmer, the pitch feels more natural, and the client can actually see how you'd fit into their world. It takes a bit of courage, because you're deliberately not appealing to everyone. But in my experience, that's exactly what makes the right clients lean in.

Can you share a specific success story where your unique approach to business development helped an agency land a significant client?

One that stands out was with a PR and social agency that had been punching below its weight for years. They had the talent and some great case studies, but they'd fallen into the habit of relying on referrals and repeat business, which meant growth had plateaued. When they approached us, they didn't need help with credentials or creative. They needed a proper new business engine — something predictable and repeatable that would open up new doors.

The first thing we did was strip everything back. We looked at what types of clients they'd done their best work for and which ones had stayed the longest. That gave us a really clear picture of their sweet spot. From there, we repositioned the agency around a specific set of challenges that those types of clients were facing — rather than leading with a list of services. We built messaging that was direct, grounded in outcomes, and focused on how they could shift the needle commercially.

Within six months, they'd secured a pitch with a high-growth consumer brand they'd never have got in front of before. And this wasn't a massive, scattergun outbound campaign. It came from a well-targeted, well-timed piece of outreach that spoke to a specific problem the brand had. They won the work, and that client quickly became one of their largest accounts. That was a big turning point for them, because it proved that new business didn't have to be this exhausting, numbers game. It could be smart, precise, and actually enjoyable if done right.

It reminded me how powerful it is when agencies stop trying to appeal to everyone and start talking in a way that feels familiar to the clients they want most. That's where the real traction comes from.

How do you recommend marketing agencies balance the need for consistent outreach with maintaining the quality and personalization of their communications?

It's one of the biggest tensions in agency new business: scale versus substance. Most teams either go all in on highly personalized outreach but can't do it consistently, or they default to volume and end up sending generic emails that get ignored. The key is building a system that lets you do both without burning out. That starts with clarity on who you're targeting and why.

If you're clear on the types of clients you want, you can create a framework that gives you room for quality without starting from scratch every time. We help agencies set up what we call 'structured personalization'. It means you've done the upfront work — your sector insight, your messaging, your proof points — so that when you write to someone, you're adding relevant detail without reinventing the wheel. The outreach still feels fresh and thoughtful, but it doesn't take an hour per email.

It also helps to separate prospecting from selling. The job of your outreach isn't to close the deal; it's to earn a response. So instead of cramming in everything you do, focus on one problem you can help with and keep it conversational. That alone lifts the quality of communication and makes it more human.

The agencies that do this well tend to block out time each week for outbound activity and treat it like a non-negotiable part of their growth. They don't wait for it to become urgent. They treat it like a habit — not a sprint — and that's what keeps the quality high even when they're doing it at scale.

What role does thought leadership play in new business development for marketing agencies, and how can agencies effectively leverage it?

Thought leadership can be a huge asset in agency new business, but only if it's done with the right intent. Too often, it becomes a vanity exercise — agencies publish content that's more about sounding clever than being useful. The best thought leadership isn't about proving how smart you are. It's about helping your ideal client solve a problem they're already thinking about. When it's done well, it builds trust long before you have a sales conversation.

One of the most effective ways agencies can leverage thought leadership is by tying it directly to the challenges they're prospecting around. If you're going after DTC brands struggling with retention, write something that helps them reframe how they think about loyalty. If you're targeting B2B marketers in legacy industries, offer them a new way to approach digital transformation. The content should give them a reason to see you as someone who understands their world.

What we've seen work well is when thought leadership is integrated into outreach — not just posted and hoped for. For example, a short piece on LinkedIn might warm up a conversation before an email lands in someone's inbox. Or it might be used to follow up after an intro call to reinforce your thinking. It becomes a bridge between your expertise and their pain points.

Most importantly, agencies need to avoid over-polishing. The best content is timely, punchy, and clear. Clients aren't looking for white papers. They're looking for clarity. If you can offer that, consistently, your new business efforts will go a lot further with a lot less friction.

In your opinion, how has the landscape of new business development for marketing agencies changed in recent years, and what strategies have you found most effective in adapting to these changes?

It's changed in quite a fundamental way. A few years ago, you could get away with volume — send out enough cold emails, attend enough networking events, and something would stick. But clients are much more discerning now. They're doing their own research, they've seen all the same agency decks before, and they're less likely to respond to generic outreach. The decision-making process has shifted, and agencies need to meet clients where they are — not where they were.

The other big shift is that clients are no longer just buying capabilities; they're buying confidence. They want to know that you understand their category, their pressures, and their audiences. That's where the real edge is now. So instead of focusing on selling services, we've been helping agencies build strategies that lead with insight. Sector-specific messaging, tighter targeting, and outreach that actually says something meaningful — that's what's cutting through.

We've also leaned more into multi-touch, multi-channel strategies. It's not just about email anymore. The best-performing campaigns we run involve a mix of LinkedIn engagement, content, referrals, warm introductions, and follow-up that's actually relevant. It takes more effort up front, but it builds relationships that are far more likely to convert. One-size-fits-all is dead.

Agencies that have adapted well tend to be the ones that have accepted that new business is now an ongoing function — not a quick fix when things go quiet. They've built internal habits and systems around it, even if it's just half a day a week. That consistency, paired with smarter targeting and messaging, is what's working now.

Can you describe a challenging situation you've faced in new business development and how you overcame it? What lessons can other agencies learn from this experience?

A few years back, we were working with a brilliant creative agency that had just gone through a rebrand. They'd invested heavily in the new positioning, but after six months, they hadn't won a single new client. The messaging was sharp, the creds looked fantastic, and they were doing regular outreach — but nothing was landing. It became clear pretty quickly that the problem wasn't the effort; it was the way they were showing up in the market.

The challenge was that they were talking about themselves far too much. The emails were all "we've done this" and "we've worked with these brands," but none of it was rooted in what the prospect might be facing. So we completely reframed their approach. Instead of leading with credentials, we focused on making each communication about a specific tension in the client's world. Not problems in the general sense, but really targeted, relevant points that made the prospect feel seen.

The turnaround was noticeable. Within a couple of months, they had secured meetings with three of the brands they'd been chasing for over a year. One of them turned into a retained piece of work that's still running now. It taught me — and them — that the quality of insight matters more than the volume of activity. If you're not getting traction, it's not always because you're not doing enough. It's often because what you're saying isn't landing.

The main lesson for other agencies is to take a hard look at your outreach from the client's perspective. If it reads like a sales pitch or a self-congratulatory update, it's not going to work. But if it feels like the start of a useful conversation, you've got a shot. It's a shift from "Here's what we do" to "Here's something we've noticed, and we think it matters to you." That simple change in tone and focus makes all the difference.

Looking ahead, what do you believe will be the most crucial skill or attribute for marketing agencies to cultivate in order to excel at new business development in the coming years?

I think the most crucial attribute agencies will need is commercial empathy. It's the ability to really understand what clients are under pressure to deliver — not just in terms of marketing outputs, but business outcomes. Agencies that can show they get the commercial context, not just the creative brief, are going to be the ones that stand out. That's where trust starts to build, and that's what clients are going to be looking for more and more.

It also means agencies need to get better at asking the right questions. Not just "What's your objective?" but "What happens if you don't hit it?" The best new-business people I know are naturally curious and know how to join the dots between what an agency does and what a client is really trying to achieve. That's going to matter even more as budgets tighten and clients become more accountable internally.

And on a more practical level, I think agility is key. The old playbooks are being rewritten. What worked in 2019 doesn't necessarily work now. Channels are changing, buyer behavior is shifting, and agencies need to be comfortable testing, adapting, and rethinking how they approach growth. Rigid strategies won't survive it. The agencies that build a habit of learning — from every pitch, every rejection, every campaign — will be the ones that keep moving forward.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Only that agencies sometimes underestimate just how valuable their perspective is. When you spend all day solving problems for clients, it can be easy to overlook the insight and experience you're building along the way. That's the stuff that clients want to hear in a new business conversation — not polished decks or jargon-filled creds, but real opinions, honest takes, and clear thinking.

I'd also say that persistence counts for more than people realize. Most of the success we see at Manifest isn't from flashy campaigns or one big moment. It's from agencies showing up consistently, being thoughtful in how they communicate, and building relationships over time. New business isn't a tap you turn on when you need work. It's a rhythm you build into the business. And once it becomes part of your culture, that's when you start to see it compound.