Most agencies aren’t losing because of their work. They’re losing because they don’t have a system to consistently win new clients.
In 2025, more brands are keeping work internal, budgets face new pressure, and AI is changing how campaigns get built. Agencies are also navigating talent shortages that stretch teams thin. The referral well isn’t as full as it used to be, and cold outreach, when done without a plan, burns more time than it returns.
A recent survey found that 69.6% of agencies rank new business development as their most difficult challenge, outpacing both client retention and upselling.
When the pipeline slows, everything else follows. Positioning gets diluted. Sales cycles drag. Internal teams chase the wrong leads or lose confidence in the process. Growth stalls quietly until it becomes a real problem.
But there’s a different path. Growth depends on treating business development as a core capability. They’re building systems that support proactive outreach, refine how they talk about their value, and create structure around pipeline management.
This guide outlines 20 practical steps that will help you build a more strategic approach to agency growth. From sharpening your positioning to improving your follow-up process, you’ll walk away with a clearer roadmap. And a stronger pipeline.
The 2025 Landscape: Why New Business Is Tougher Than Ever
New business development has become more complex, more resource-intensive, and less predictable. The environment agencies are navigating in 2025 is shaped by long-term shifts in buying behavior, resourcing models, and market expectations.
These are the pressures that continue to slow pipeline growth and limit agency traction.
1. More brands are pulling work in-house
An increasing number of companies are hiring internal teams to handle services that agencies once owned. This includes creative, media, content, and performance marketing functions.
- Eighty-two percent of ANA member organizations now have in-house agencies, compared to 78% just a few years ago.
- Fewer briefs are going to external partners, and many scopes start smaller, limiting opportunity from the outset.
2. AI is commoditizing execution
AI platforms are transforming the speed and cost of producing creative and content. This has altered client expectations around timelines, pricing, and perceived complexity.
- Many agencies are feeling increased pressure to defend the value of strategy and creative thinking when clients believe tools can deliver “good enough” results faster and at lower cost.
3. Budgets are under scrutiny
Procurement teams are more involved in marketing decisions, and CMOs are being asked to do more with less. Approval processes are slower, and budget holders are requesting more justification before making any investment.
- Longer sales cycles, shorter contracts, and lower starting budgets are creating drag across new business efforts.
- These delays reduce momentum and make forecasting less reliable.
- Talent shortages are dragging down momentum
Agencies continue to face difficulty hiring and retaining experienced talent across strategy, media, and creative roles. Rising compensation expectations and increasing competition from brands and startups have only made the market tighter.
- Without the right team in place, business development often takes a back seat to client delivery.
- Even when there’s demand, internal bandwidth becomes a constraint.
5. Sales and marketing tools are fragmented
Most agency teams still operate across disconnected systems for CRM, outreach, and pipeline tracking. These silos make it hard to keep sales activity consistent and data accurate.
- Lead details are often scattered across spreadsheets or buried in email threads.
- Agencies without clear business development outreach triggers often miss the best timing to engage decision-makers.
6. The pressure to hit short-term KPIs creates tunnel vision
Revenue goals tied to short-term outcomes can shift focus away from long-term opportunity development. Teams prioritize what’s most urgent, not what’s most strategic.
- This creates a reactive approach to new business.
- Without structure behind outreach and conversation planning, opportunities get stuck or go cold.
7. Legacy sales tactics aren’t landing
Buyers today are more selective and harder to engage. Generic outreach, templated emails, and recycled decks are quickly filtered out or ignored.
- Decision-makers are looking for relevance, not repetition.
- Messaging that focuses only on services instead of market pressure is falling flat.
The agency landscape has shifted in lasting ways. These pressures directly influence how agencies compete for attention and sustain momentum in new business.
The 20-Step Guide to New Business Development for Ad Agencies in 2025
Ad agencies get clients by combining targeted outreach, strategic positioning, and relationship-driven marketing. The most successful agencies understand their niche, clearly articulate their value proposition, and stay relentlessly proactive in business development.
Here are some of the most effective ways ad agencies win new clients:
- Outbound prospecting: Top-performing agencies don’t wait for referrals. They build pipeline through outbound sales, including email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, and cold calling that’s personalized, persistent, and grounded in value.
- Referrals and word-of-mouth: Relationships matter. Agencies often get new clients through referrals from happy clients, industry peers, or partner networks. This is why delivering results and nurturing your network is non-negotiable.
- Thought leadership and content marketing: Publishing smart, targeted content such as case studies, blog posts, and webinars helps agencies attract inbound interest and establish credibility with decision-makers.
- Strategic partnerships: Collaborating with complementary firms like PR shops, production companies, or consultancies gives agencies access to shared clients and warm introductions.
- Attending (and speaking at) industry events: Agencies gain visibility and credibility by showing up where their clients are: conferences, trade shows, roundtables, and panels.
- Specialization and positioning: Agencies that define a clear niche, whether by vertical such as CPG or fintech, or by service such as performance creative or programmatic, stand out and attract the right kind of clients more consistently.
Ultimately, getting new clients as an ad agency is about staying visible, credible, and relevant while maintaining a disciplined, proactive approach to outreach.
The pressures outlined aren’t going away. Business development works best when it runs like an operating system: structured, consistent, and proactive. Follow this 20-step framework to help you organize your outreach, sharpen your positioning, and bring discipline to your pipeline.
Foundation & Positioning (Steps 1–4):
1. Clarify agency differentiators
In a market of more than 7,700 U.S. marketing agencies, most sound the same. Agencies that cut through the noise define a clear niche or ownable space that prospects can remember and repeat.
- Specialize with intent: Focus on a vertical (e.g., fintech, CPG) or discipline (e.g., performance creative, influencer strategy) that plays to your strengths.
- Anchor messaging in outcomes: Replace “we’re full-service” with proof of how your work drives measurable growth or efficiency.
- Test for clarity: If a prospect can’t describe your differentiator after one conversation, it’s not sharp enough.
2. Define ideal client profiles (ICPs)
Effective ad agency new business development depends on targeting the right accounts. A precise ICP guides outreach, content, and pitching so you spend time on prospects who actually align with your value.
- Segment beyond demographics: Consider company size, budget ranges, geography, and buying committee dynamics.
- Factor in cultural fit: Define red flags, such as clients who undervalue creative or expect 24/7 availability.
- Revisit annually: Client priorities shift rapidly—refresh ICPs to stay aligned with evolving market trends.
3. Audit the current pipeline
Without visibility, it’s hard to know whether you have a lead-gen problem or a close-rate problem. Nearly 70% of agencies say new business sales are their top pipeline challenge.
- Spot the choke points: Review where deals most often stall—early outreach, proposal stage, or contract negotiation.
- Compare inbound vs. outbound: Track win rates across both channels to see which effort yields higher-value clients.
- Measure deal velocity: A longer time-to-close often signals weak qualification or unclear next steps.
4. Invest in senior-level business development
Leaving growth to founders or junior staff limits consistency. New business development requires senior-level focus and process to keep momentum in the pipeline.
- Give BD ownership: Assign responsibility to a senior leader who can dedicate focus, not leftover time.
- Move past referrals: Agencies depending on RFPs and word-of-mouth risk unpredictable revenue cycles.
- Scale with expertise: If adding headcount isn’t feasible, consider outsourced business development support for predictable activity and accountability.
Outreach & Engagement (Steps 5–8):
5. Build intelligent lead lists
Quality leads fuel a stronger pipeline. Instead of chasing anyone with a marketing title, focus on accounts that align with your ICPs and show signals of activity or change.
- Leverage trigger events: Funding rounds, leadership hires, and product launches often signal new agency needs.
- Use enrichment tools: Platforms like ZoomInfo, Winmo, or Apollo help validate contact info, industry data, and budget ranges.
- Prioritize fit over volume: Ten high-likelihood prospects beat 100 cold names every time.
6. Craft personalized outreach
The fastest way to get ignored is to sound like everyone else. Relevance makes your message worth opening and responding to.
- Lead with market pressure: Show you understand industry challenges instead of listing services.
- Reference specifics: Mention recent campaigns, financial updates, or competitive shifts that prove you’ve done your homework.
- Adapt tone by role: A CMO prioritizes revenue impact, while a marketing manager focuses on campaign execution.
7. Deploy multi-channel campaigns
Prospects rarely respond after one touchpoint. Consistency across multiple channels builds familiarity and increases the odds of breaking through.
- Mix formats for visibility: Combine email, LinkedIn, industry events, and peer introductions for surround-sound coverage.
- Create sequences, not one-offs: Build 8–10 touch cadences over several weeks, not one-and-done blasts.
- Use events strategically: Speaking or attending industry events expands reach while reinforcing credibility.
8. Refine messaging for relevance
Even the best campaign fails if the message doesn’t resonate. Refining by segment and role ensures your outreach lands.
- Tailor proof points: Highlight case studies or data that mirror the prospect’s sector.
- Test and iterate: Track open, click, and response rates across campaigns, then adjust copy based on performance.
- Keep calls-to-action clear: Whether it’s a 15-minute call or a roundtable invite, eliminate ambiguity.
Pipeline Management (Steps 9–12):
9. Systematize your sales process
Without structure, every conversation feels like starting from scratch. A system ensures consistency across outreach, follow-up, and pitching.
- Document every stage: Define what qualifies a lead at awareness, discovery, proposal, and close.
- Create repeatable assets: Build templates for outreach, pitch decks, and proposals so your team isn’t reinventing each time.
- Reduce dependency on individuals: A documented process means growth doesn’t stall when one person leaves.
10. Track meaningful data
Pipeline health can’t be measured by meetings booked alone. Data must show where deals are moving and where they are stuck.
- Monitor conversion rates: Compare how many leads advance from stage to stage, not just how many are contacted.
- Track deal size and velocity: Smaller budgets and longer cycles signal pipeline drag.
- Review quarterly: Spot trends across performance instead of reacting to individual deals.
11. Follow up like a pro
Most agencies stop too soon. A single unanswered email is not a closed door. Structured follow-up shows persistence and professionalism.
- Build nurture cadences: Plan 8–12 touches over weeks, mixing email, LinkedIn, and calls.
- Provide ongoing value: Share insights, case studies, or market shifts instead of repeating the same ask.
- Respect timing signals: Know when to pause, when to re-engage, and when to disqualify.
12. Accelerate closures
Too many opportunities stall because next steps are unclear. Closing faster is about alignment and decisiveness, not pressure.
- Always define the next step: End every meeting with a clear action, owner, and timeline.
- Ask for clarity: Directly confirm decision-makers, budget windows, and internal process.
- Reduce friction: Simplify proposals and approvals with streamlined formats and e-signatures.
Closing & Growth (Steps 19–20):
19. Onboard with intent
The sales-to-service handoff is where trust can either strengthen or weaken. A deliberate onboarding process keeps expectations aligned and sets the stage for long-term relationships.
- Tie delivery to sales promises: Revisit what was pitched and translate it into project scope and KPIs.
- Establish measurement early: Define metrics and reporting cadence before work begins, reducing misalignment later.
- Create a shared roadmap: Walk clients through the first 90 days so they see the plan, not just the promise.
20. Recalibrate quarterly
Pipelines are not “set and forget.” Market conditions, client budgets, and decision cycles shift constantly. A quarterly recalibration ensures your pipeline reflects today’s reality, not last year’s.
- Audit pipeline health: Review win rates, deal velocity, and source quality every quarter.
- Retire what’s not working: If a channel or message has slowed, replace it instead of forcing activity.
- Treat pipeline like a product: Test, refine, and optimize continuously for stronger new business development outcomes.
Conclusion: Building a Scalable, Predictable Growth Engine
New business development is the lifeblood of agency growth. In 2025, success depends on process and discipline. Agencies that continue to rely on referrals or sporadic outreach risk losing ground in a market defined by budget scrutiny, in-house competition, and rising client expectations.
Treating pipeline management like a product creates consistent momentum. Each quarter becomes an opportunity to test, refine, and optimize. This approach turns ad agency new business development into a growth engine that sustains long-term agency success.
Catapult puts these systems into action by building consistent pipelines, driving smarter outreach, and installing scalable new business programs. Strengthen your growth engine by booking a meeting with our team.
Ad agency new business development is the structured process of attracting, engaging, and closing new clients. It includes positioning, outbound outreach, pipeline management, relationship building, and long-term growth planning.
New business development is more difficult because of in-house teams, AI commoditization, tighter budgets, and talent shortages. These pressures create longer sales cycles, more competition, and higher expectations for measurable ROI.
Strong pipeline management keeps opportunities moving and prevents revenue stalls. Agencies that track conversion rates, deal velocity, and win/loss reasons build healthier pipelines and achieve more predictable growth.
Catapult installs scalable new business systems for agencies. Our team builds consistent pipelines, executes smarter outreach, and manages programs that deliver measurable momentum. Request a meeting to see how Catapult accelerates growth.