Signal & System Blog
Strategies and insights for agency leaders serious about building pipeline with precision.
If you’re done guessing, chasing, or waiting on referrals—this is where control begins.
The Truth About RFPs and Why You’re Wasting Your Time Responding to Them
I’ve won one RFP in my career. And that’s because I helped the client write it. When the RFP finally went out? It was tailor-made for my agency to win. That’s when I realized the cold, hard truth about RFPs: 🚨 97% of the time, the winner is decided before the RFP is even published. The […]
Read articleWhy Is No One Responding to Your Outreach?
Because your message sounds like every other cold pitch clogging their inbox. Here’s what’s happening: ❌ You’re leading with you. (“Hey, I’m [Name] from [Agency] and we specialize in…”) They don’t care. ❌ You’re not hitting a real pain point. If your offer isn’t urgent, it’s ignored. ❌ You’re asking for too much, too soon. […]
Read articleWhy Your Business Development Strategy Is Chasing the Wrong 3%
Most agencies focus their business development efforts on one tiny slice of the market—the 3% of buyers who are ready to buy right now. And they wonder why: The problem isn’t that their offer is weak. The problem is they’re fighting for scraps. I saw this firsthand in my media planning days, working across industries as […]
Read articleThe Agency’s Cheat Sheet for Spotting the Right Clients Before You Waste Your Time
We’ve all been there. You’re deep into a sales cycle, answering emails at all hours, hopping on “just one more call,” crafting the perfect proposal—only to have the prospect ghost you, balk at the price, or tell you they “went in another direction.” The worst part? That deal was never real to begin with. It […]
Read articleHow to Scale from $2.5M to $7M: Key Growth Strategies for Businesses Ready to Break Through
By: Jeff Pugel Most businesses don’t fail because they lack potential—they fail because they don’t adapt to the challenges that come with each growth stage. If you’ve crossed the $2.5M mark, you might feel like you’ve reached a solid foundation. But if you want to scale past $5M and $7M, the rules change. The strategies, […]
Read articleStop Explaining Your Process—Start Owning the Outcome
If you’ve ever taken a parent or loved-one to a doctor’s appointment, you know the moment. The doctor peers at the X-ray, rattling off terms like ligament, elasticity, meniscus. They’re talking to the nurse, not your parent. Then they turn and say one of two things: “There’s structural degradation in the joint…” Or: “You’ve got a bad […]
Read articleWhy DIY Marketing Is the Most Expensive Free Strategy You’ll Ever Try
I was in Home Depot the other day. Rows of roofing nails, shingles, adhesives. A well-designed, step-by-step guide—big type, full color—“How to Replace Your Own Roof.” It looked, from my extremely unqualified point of view… simple enough. But I’m not fixing my own roof. And not because I’m lazy. Because I like my bones intact. Because I […]
Read articleScaling Isn’t Sexy—It’s Structured
We’ve all seen the ads. The smiling entrepreneur. The luxury backdrop. The promise: “You too can build an 8-figure business—just click below and launch your ad funnel.” It’s compelling. It’s polished. And it’s completely disconnected from reality. Because here’s the truth: Eight-figure businesses aren’t built by clicking buttons. They’re built by designing repeatable, resilient systems that don’t fall apart the […]
Read articleYour Marketing Isn’t Competing With Other Agencies—It’s Competing With Noise
In the 1970s, the average person saw about 500 ads per day. Today? That number is estimated to be closer to 20,000. Let that sink in for a moment. And now—try to recall the last ad you saw. You probably can’t. Or rather, you’re thinking of the last one you remember. Which is different from the last one […]
Read article“I’m Going to Do It On My Own” Is Fear Wearing a Clever Disguise
“I’m going to do it on my own.” It sounds responsible. Gritty. Smart. Until you realize what it really is: Fear—wearing the mask of independence. And I get it. I had a conversation recently that hit this exact note. Smart founder. Good instincts. Knows what he’s trying to build. But after an hour of clarity work—nailing positioning, […]
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