Do you feel like your inbox is overflowing with AI-generated messages that all sound the same? While AI tools have made it easier than ever to send messages, they’ve also flooded inboxes with automated, impersonal communication.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, I dive deep into the evolving world of outreach in an AI-driven age. I describe the shift agency owners need to make, from relying on high-volume outreach tactics to focusing on high-intent, authentic relationships that truly connect.

Don't miss this episode to learn more about why real competitive advantage comes from personalization, relevance, and human-to-human connection.

Key Questions:

• [01:21] Are you focusing on building genuine, high-quality relationships or chasing volume with “spray and pray” outreach?
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• [05:02] How can you make cold outreach feel warm and human without immediately asking for something in return?
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• [10:31] Are you gathering the right information before reaching out, or are you still treating outreach as purely transactional?
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• [14:26] What would your business look like if you slowed down, showed more intentionality, and treated people as people first?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:21] How faux personalization has created skepticism and fatigue among prospects, making true authenticity a competitive edge.
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• [02:52] Why “spray and pray” campaigns no longer work and why most agency owners only need a handful of the right clients.
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• [04:01] How the post-pandemic human craving for connection relates to the rise of in-person events and experiential marketing.
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• [05:02] Tactical strategies like voice notes, Loom videos, and handwritten notes that stand out because of effort and authenticity.
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• [06:15] A personal example of building connections by engaging genuinely on social media without immediately asking for anything.
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• [08:25] How AI can support personalization by doing research faster while leaving the human element to you.
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• [09:28] The importance of engaging where you have genuine common ground, instead of pretending to care about something you don’t.
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• [10:31] Clay – a platform that helps agency owners enrich data and filter large lists into meaningful prospect pools.
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• [12:20] Why you should avoid forsaking future revenue by focusing only on clients ready to buy today.
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• [14:26] Connection doesn’t scale in the traditional sense—but intentional, authentic connection will always win.

Do you often find yourself giving strategy away for free, burying it inside larger scopes, or treating it as a one-off exercise rather than the foundational work it truly is?

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Anastasia Laskey to discuss one of the biggest challenges agency owners face: selling the value of strategy. Anastasia is the founder and president of Ground Control Research. She has helped agencies transform how they deliver pitch and price strategy by bringing insights, structure, and clarity to what can often feel like a fuzzy, abstract-oriented process.

Listen in to learn how to price, pitch, and communicate strategy more effectively to command premium fees while also differentiating from competitors. You will also learn how to slow down and diagnose the client’s real problems, quantifying the business impact, and tying strategy to revenue, growth, or risk mitigation.

Key Questions:

• [01:19] How can you reframe the strategy conversation so clients see it as a business essential, not a “nice-to-have”?
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• [03:34] Are you spending enough time diagnosing your client’s problem before pitching solutions?
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• [17:26] Do you have scalable options for strategy to match different types of clients, or are you reinventing the wheel every time?
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• [21:37] Where does AI fit into your agency’s strategy process—are you using it to replace critical thinking or to enhance workflows?
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• [24:51] Do your clients “not get strategy,” or are you failing to illuminate its value in their language?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:44] Why framing strategy around problem-solving resonates more with clients than simply positioning it as a first step in a process.
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• [03:44] Why skipping problem diagnosis undermines agency confidence and creates client objections later in the process.
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• [06:47] How asking smart discovery questions reveals blind spots, which immediately shows clients the importance of strategy.
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• [09:17] How to act from abundance, not scarcity, and be willing to walk away from clients who won’t align on the value of strategy.
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• [11:48] The three phases of strategy: gathering insights, turning them into a strategic POV, and delivering tangible outputs that guide implementation.
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• [14:36] The importance of tailoring strategy to client context; what works for a multimillion-dollar campaign won’t fit a small launch.
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• [17:47] How to decouple the core process from the size of execution, offering tiered options to standardize and scale strategy delivery.
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• [22:19] Why AI should be a workflow accelerator, not a replacement for human insight, curiosity, and precision.
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• [25:01] Debunking the myth that “clients don’t get strategy”—the real issue is agencies failing to illuminate their value in the client’s language.

Connect with Anastasia

How do you transform sales conversations into a client’s self-discovery journey? Selling agency services doesn’t have to be pushy, complicated, or overwhelming; it simply needs to be intentional.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, we share a repeatable four-step sales playbook that any agency owner can use to win more clients without relying on high-pressure tactics. We show you how to create excitement during the qualification call, build deep trust during the discovery call, rationalize the emotional decision during the proposal stage, and confidently manage objections in the follow-up.

Don't miss this episode to equip yourself with actionable strategies to simplify sales, close higher-value deals, and stop competing solely on price.

Key Questions:

• [01:35] What’s the real purpose of your first sales conversation: selling or qualifying?
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• [04:05] How do you avoid letting prospects take control of the call and turn it into an interview?
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• [12:28] Are you sending proposals by email instead of presenting them live (and losing deals because of it)?
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• [18:11] Is every step of your sales process intentional, with a clear purpose, or are you treating all calls the same?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:35] Why the purpose of the qualification call is not to sell but to create excitement, gauge fit, and leave prospects wanting more.
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• [02:17] The importance of asking smart questions to show authority without overwhelming or overexplaining too early.
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• [04:05] Why agency owners must stay in charge to avoid turning a sales conversation into an interview.
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• [06:03] Understanding sales as a trust-building process where each step deepens the relationship with the prospect.
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• [07:42] How to allow prospects to articulate their failed past attempts so you can validate their struggles and position your agency as the solution.
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• [10:34] Why the proposal call is a chance to rationalize an emotional decision, not start selling from scratch.
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• [12:28] Why live presentations are crucial for maintaining context and momentum as opposed to emailing proposals.
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• [16:09] How to ask prospects directly if they feel comfortable giving a yes or no during the call, plus the importance of doing follow-ups.