Going Beyond Biz Dev: How a Growth-First Philosophy Redefines Client Success
Dalton Mangin, Chief Revenue Officer, Quigley-Simpson
Clients don’t switch agencies unless something's broken, and it's often more than one thing.
Maybe it’s the messaging. Maybe it’s media misalignment. Maybe the call center’s stuck in a 2010 playbook. But it’s rarely one issue. It’s always a stack. And that’s exactly where the impact happens, because complexity is where opportunity lives.
That means that from day one of the partnership, whether it’s through creative, media, strategy, or analytics, we have 90 days to deliver meaningful results. We call it the 90-Day Rule. It’s our North Star.
Why Growth, Not Biz Dev
The word “sales” isn’t used here. Neither does “business development.” Those terms sound transactional. Someone shows up, pitches the dream, closes the deal, and then vanishes. That’s not how we operate.
When I joined, we sunsetted the term “new business” and replaced it with “growth.” Because that’s what it is. Growth for the client, and in turn, growth for us. The success of our clients directly fuels our momentum. If they’re scaling, we’re scaling.
And that mindset shift isn’t cosmetic. It’s cultural. It changes how we vet clients, how we integrate with teams, how we prioritize. Growth isn’t a department off to the side. It’s embedded. It’s in the pitch, in the QBRs, in the day-to-day rhythm of how we show up for our partners.
The Power of a Full Journey Model
What makes that rhythm work is this: not being shackled to any one solution.
A full-journey agency, means jumping in wherever we’re needed. From brand positioning to performance media, from UX audits to creative development, from call center optimization to acquisition strategy. Nnot just solving for impressions. We’re solving for impact.
As a full-journey agency, the role is to step in wherever support is needed, whether it's brand positioning, performance media, UX audits, creative development, call center optimization, or acquisition strategy. It’s not about solving for impressions. It’s about creating solutions.
So when a client says, “We need help here,” we listen. We assess the situation, dig into the data, ask the tough questions, and prioritize. Because when you’re solving for complexity, you need a checklist. Not a script.
90 Days to Make It Count
No one wants to wait a year to see value. That’s why the 90-Day Rule exists. What can we do in that window to prove we’re the right partner? What win can we deliver that makes them say, “Damn, we made the right choice”?
It could be cleaning up a leaky attribution model. Rebuilding a broken paid media structure. Or helping a legacy brand pivot its go-to-market approach in the face of new tariffs. Whatever it is, we bring the team together, make a plan, and get it done.
We’ve seen it work again and again. Recently, we onboarded a major home services client and took over their offline media. Within 90 days, measurable efficiency gains opened the door to wider strategic work. Then we look at the next 90 days and ask ourselves the same question. That’s the kind of trust a value-first approach earns.
It’s One Kitchen, One Meal
You might wonder if this level of involvement leads to too many cooks in the kitchen.
That only happens when the cooks don’t talk to each other.
What works for us is hyper-communication. We’re synced up with the account team. We respect their lane, and they respect ours. We raise our hands when something falls into growth’s wheelhouse, and they do the same. It’s not a baton pass. It’s a collaboration. One big team cooking one great meal.
The Growth Role Never Sleeps
The landscape is always shifting. New regulations. Market disruptions. Product shortages. Client goals realigned. That’s why our approach has to stay fluid.
We meet weekly as a leadership team. We run health checks on every account. We look for the next moment of impact before the client even asks. If things feel too “ho-hum,” we shake the tree. Bring fresh thinking. Surface new ideas. Push the envelope.
Because if you’re standing still in this business, you’re already behind.
True partners aren’t vendors. They’re aligned, invested, and ready to solve what matters most. The kind of partner that rolls up their sleeves, earns a seat at the table, and contributes beyond the brief.
That is the essence of a growth-first model. It is not a pitch, it is a philosophy. One rooted in proximity, responsiveness, and consistent delivery. The goal is to make measurable impact within the first 90 days and build from there.
August 4, 2025
