It’s not 1960, and You’re Not Don Draper: Why Your Firm Is on the Brink of Irrelevance

If your firm still relies on Mad Men-era tactics to win clients—referrals, golf club networking, or reputation—you will be irrelevant.

No, it’s actually 2025, and we’re living in an unrecognizable business landscape from the days of three-martini lunches and handshake deals.

Today, there’s AI-driven everything, hyper-competitive markets, longer and more complex sales cycles, and data-driven decision-making. The numbers prove just how much harder business development has become:

• 48% of agencies say winning new business is harder than last year (RSW/US).
• 65% of agencies report longer sales cycles (Agency Hackers x Wix Studio).
• 35% of consulting firms report stagnant or declining revenue (Consultancy Growth Network).
• 61% of small agency owners rate their lead gen satisfaction as 5 or lower out of 10 (SAGA).

Despite this, too many firms are still clinging to outdated business development methods, hoping things will magically improve.

The Shift to Account-Based Marketing

Forward-thinking agencies and consultancies are ditching those tactics in favor of ABM—a highly targeted, personalized approach to winning high-value clients. The results speak for themselves. According to research from MomentumITSMA, firms using Account-Based Marketing see:

• 84% increase in pipeline growth.
• 77% boost in revenue.
• 72% say ABM delivers a higher ROI than any other marketing strategy.

The agencies and consultancies that thrive in 2025 and beyond will not wait for business—they will go after it with precision.

Ready to land 6- and 7-figure opportunities for your agency or consultancy? Book a call with us today to explore whether account-based marketing can unlock growth for your firm.