Last week I hosted a tight group of Portland agency leaders for a great conversation. Our goal was simple: understand how to build new business that doesn’t rely on founders.

And we uncovered an uncomfortable fact. Agencies sell growth, and most don’t practice it themselves. It’s a bit like a dentist with wonky teeth.

We identified patterns. Here are three ways to get it right in your org:

One: follow the client. Your best new business is often a client who just changed jobs. You don’t need an army. You need a simple system, and someone who checks it every week.

Two: write things down. The first step isn’t a big hire. It’s in the details of definitions. If your process is broken or only in your head, it can walk away. Or disappear under a bus.

Three: find the change. The best time to reach out is when something changed. Someone moved, a company grew, or a team lost the person who used to do this. That’s your moment, before the phone rings. Or doesn’t ring.

Because if you don’t make changes, nothing changes.

I recorded the full takeaways. It’s under three minutes.

One question first: roughly what share of your new business last year came through you personally?

Just reply to this email with your answer. A rough percentage is fine. I’ll send you the video straight back.

Noah “looking both ways” Koff