Prospecting Shouldn’t be a Side Job
Most agencies talk about prospecting far more than they actually do it. There’s rarely a strategy behind it, and almost never any consistency. It usually kicks in only when the pipeline dips, someone says “we should probably do some outreach,” or an event gets thrown together at short notice. Then, just as quickly, it fades away again.
Prospecting shouldn’t be treated as a side project. It should sit at the heart of the agency’s business process — a consistent, deliberate engine of growth. When you approach it as an occasional task rather than a core function, you end up chasing opportunities instead of creating them.
1. Plan your year before it starts
A consistent prospecting process begins with proper planning. Before the new year begins, you should already know which industries you’re targeting, what problems those brands are trying to solve, and the types of outreach that will resonate with them.
That means mapping out the tactical content pieces that will help you land meetings, identifying the events you’ll run and who they’re for, and deciding how you’ll measure success across the first few quarters.
Even committing to a clear plan for the first six months puts you miles ahead of agencies that react month by month. The goal is to make prospecting proactive and intentional, not something you scramble to do when the pipeline dips.
2. Make prospecting a system, not a sprint
Prospecting only works when it’s treated as an ongoing operation with structure, ownership and accountability. Every successful business has a framework for generating leads. Agencies need the same.
Build rhythm. Track progress. Expect to be ignored more than you’re answered. The agencies that win are the ones that turn prospecting into a steady habit, not a one-off burst.
“Build rhythm. Track progress. Expect to be ignored more than you’re answered. The agencies that win are the ones that turn prospecting into a steady habit, not a one-off burst.”
3. Think long-term
Agency work is often project-based, and buying cycles can stretch out for months. That means most conversations won’t turn into immediate briefs, and that’s completely normal. The real purpose of prospecting is to build recognition and trust over time so that when a brand does have a need, your agency is already on their shortlist.
If every interaction leaves them with something genuinely helpful, your agency stays front of mind long after the first call, and you become the natural choice when the moment is right.
4. Keep going
When momentum finally lands, resist the temptation to take your foot off the gas. This is the point where most agencies slow down. The inbox feels a bit fuller, a few meetings have landed, and prospecting starts to drift back down the priority list.
That pause is exactly what breaks the rhythm you’ve just worked hard to build. Instead, treat early traction as proof that your system is working. Double down on the activity that got you there. Increase your outreach volume, refine your messaging, share more value, run more targeted events, and expand the pool of people you’re engaging.
Consistency compounds. The agencies that grow steadily aren’t the ones who prospect only when they need work, they’re the ones who keep going when things are good, maintaining a pace that turns a handful of wins into a predictable, long-term pipeline.