Testimonials

Some reviews of Blair Enns' speaking engagements and consulting work. Many of these are excerpted from recommendations on LinkedIn.

"Blair was a featured speaker at a conference for owners of creative services firms I attended in 2003. ...I found myself hanging on every word. I remember thinking "not only does this guy really get my business but his strategies can help me grow it". After the conference I began implementing some of the positioning and business development tactics he discussed and, very simply, they work. Since then I've attended his seminars and hired him as a consultant. I keep [The Win Without Pitching Guidebook] on my desk and refer to it frequently. I consider Blair's advice an essential part of my business development plan." 

Agency Principal,

New York, NY

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“Blair is an inspirational and insightful consultant and public speaker with a great depth of knowledge of the design and agency business. He talks common sense. Listen to him and even if you apply just 20% of his recommendations your business will improve.”

President,

Graphic Design Business Association of Ireland

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“I attended one of Blair's keynotes at the HOW "Mind Your Own Business" Conference in Scottsdale several years ago. His profound thinking and provocative insights made an instant and lasting impression on the audience. Since that time, I've attempted to implement many of his uncompromising, cage-rattling ideas on agency positioning and business development into my firm's operations. In fact, much of our growth over the last four years can be attributed to Blair's recommendations, which are grounded in behavioral science, supported by deep, first-hand experience and delivered with near-surgical precision. The reward has been consistently favorable win-rates against much larger agencies and increasingly sizable engagements with more profitable clients.”

Agency Principal,

Washington, DC

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“Blair Enns is uniquely positioned to help principals in creative firms become more effective business development people. And I would offer that his presentation is suitable not only for creative firm leaders, but also for any creative staff person who is interested in demonstrating deep, valuable expertise in what they do. Since his presentation in Indianapolis, I've joined the Win Without Pitching movement, and have literally overhauled how our firm approaches and handles new business opportunities. It couldn't have come at a better time.”

President,

AIGA Indianapolis

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“I first heard Blair speak... in London back in 2006. Shortly thereafter... we flew Blair to Dubai for a two-day session with our entire client-facing team. Blair’s insight into the (apparently universal) frustration associated with free pitching is profound, but even more valuable are his recommended processes to guide a design firm’s business development machine.”

Agency Principal,

Dubai, UAE

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"Of ALL the money that I spent on new business, no other was even close on ROI than what I spent on Blair. Our close rate... was 17%. By the time I had completed the WWP training and implemented it, we were at a 70% close rate and our average project size grew from $100K to $300K. His methodology gives business development professionals a whole new way to look at the sales process. Using WWP allowed us to focus on the right leads and not chase our tails with the wrong ones. WWP gave us the tools and techniques to change the power structure in the buy/sell relationship, which in turn, gave us the upper hand vs. the competition. If you are looking to significantly increase your close rate, not only would I HIGHLY recommend Blair but I would say you would be foolish not to work with him." 

Agency Principal & former VP Business Development,

New York City area

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"The Blair Enns approach is much more than Win Without Pitching - its a wake-up call to the reality that design agencies need to think strategically about themselves and not just for their clients. These are vital messages for design agencies. Universal acclaim from a sell-out audience."

Operations Director,

Design Wales 

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“Blair unlocks the potential of the creative movement. For decades (or more) creatives have been coughing up ideas and chasing carrots. His Win Without Pitching concept has been instrumental in sparking the change our firm has needed. I attended Closing for Creative Firms—a seminar put on by Blair in Banff, and it was beyond enlightening. His guidance regarding process and positioning have been invaluable, and on the mark.” 

Agency Principal,

Reston, VA

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“Blair Enns has presented to the Association of Professional Design Firms on multiple occasions. He addresses the difficult questions our members face when it comes to new business development, RFPs, presentations, client relationships, positioning, talking money, and more. Every presentation has been engaging and thought-provoking, with lots of questions and member dialogue. Blair really knows our industry and brings value to our membership."

Executive Director,

Association of Professional Design Firms

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“I had the pleasure of hearing Blair speak... in Cabo San Lucas in 2003. I left the conference firmly believing he was insane. His ideas defied every business development convention and their implementation seemed impossible. Two years later, I decided to hire Blair and I never looked back. Blair is leading the charge that will forever change the creative business sales model. Hear him speak or attend one of his webinars, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.”

Agency Principal,

Somewhere in New Jersey

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"If I could give any one piece of advice to agency principals based on my 22 years of experience in running my firm, it would be this: hire Blair. Expensive? Yes! And for us it was worth every penny; we have more than made back his fees in higher profit. The things he teaches are not something you can get anywhere else - unless you are willing to spend years synthesizing the very best bits and pieces from all over. Blair's coherent methodology and his teaching/coaching/consultation assisted our firm in climbing out of the sea of undifferentiated firms. This didn't come easily; it took a lot of work, but the payoff has been huge. We are now getting inbound calls from the entire U.S., and competing nationally for work that we had no chance of hearing about, much less winning before. From the first conversation with prospects to the way we consult with them once they sign the contract, Blair has helped us rework our processes."

Agency, Principal,

Raleigh, NC

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“Blair came to New York to speak to our organization of design business owners, Spark. Not only did we get a great turn out, but the audience was riveted. I furiously jotted down over 3 pages of notes and I think the audience could have continued to ask questions for hours.”

President,

Spark, NYC

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"Blair is changing the way that creative industries work, his advice has played a key role in making my business a success." 

Agency Principal,

Newcastle, UK

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“We've had the great experience of having Blair as a featured speaker at HOW magazine's Mind Your Own Business conference for principals of creative agencies. He's a well-regarded thought leader in the industry, and he challenges our audience to think differently about their business practices. Blair is consistently among the handful of past speakers that attendees want us to invite for a return engagement. His presentation style is informative and authoritative, yet approachable and conversational.”

Editor & Organizer

HOW Magazine and MYOB Conference

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"Blair is engaging, relevant and inspirational. His approach challenges the conventional wisdom around business development and if you are brave enough to commit to even a few of his golden rules, you will reap the rewards in a very short space of time. You may even contribute to ridding the world of the evil blemish of free pitching." 

Agency Principal, 

London, UK

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"The results of [hiring Blair] were and continue to be outstanding. We were able to close on two significant new business opportunities almost right out of the gate at a higher margin for our front end thinking than we have ever charged before. Additionally we were able to use Blair's process to close on an opportunity with a fortune 500 company. To this day, almost three years later, we are still finding new ways to add value to our clients work by leveraging the tools and processes that Blair taught us. Simply put, we are not only using Blair’s methods to gain new business at a higher margin, we are also using that expertise to add consultant level value to our clients. Blair is a tremendous resource to any creative agency, so much so that we don’t want [our] competitors to find out about him…maybe that is the highest compliment we can give." 

Agency Principal,

Merritt Island, FL

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"Blair's experience translated into ideas are comprehensive, strategically sound, and has lead to tangible results for our creative firm. His methods for positioning and selling has helped us clarify what we're really good at and best of all, has helped us communicate our great worth to prospects and clients leading to respect and profit. I highly recommend Blair as a catalyst to strengthening and building your business." 

Agency Principal,

New York, NY

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"I have worked with Blair [through] a couple of seminars and I am thrilled with his insight, presentation and thoroughness of process. He has provided me and my firm with tremendous information and processes on how to approach business and win. He is pure inspiration and also presents his approach and concepts with clarity, humor and panache. I love the Win Without Pitching approach. We have implemented a number of his suggestions and are finding them very effective. We are becoming EXPERTS in our field with Blair's insight and guidance."

Agency Principal, 

Philadelphia, PA

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"We... are huge, HUGE Blair Enns fans. Blair has not only been a mentor for us, but a guiding light. During and after our engagement, not only were we finally able to put our stake in the ground and tell the world why we're different, but we were able to completely blow up our broken new business process and rebuild it with his guidance. We constantly refer to the materials Blair wrote and it's not uncommon to hear someone say "What would Blair do?" in our halls. Simply put, the guy rocks and we don't hesitate for a second to recommend [him] to any and everyone who needs help." 

Business Development Director, 

Greenville, SC

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"Blair presented his "Win Without Pitching" approach to Business Development at a recent TAAN meeting. He was excellent, his topic was well developed, he brought a wealth of insight and ideas, he delivered beyond expectations. The TAAN members want to bring Blair back again to learn more. I very much agree. I recommend Blair as a presenter, and as a consultant." 

Executive Director,

Trans-World Advertising Agency Network

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"The most impressive thing about Blair is that he clearly practices what he preaches. He runs his own business in the same manner he advises his clients. Blair has deep expertise in how to position, market and promote creative agencies. He continues to develop this expertise through continuous learning, and does a great job at sharing what he has learned with his clients. I would highly recommend Blair and his services to anyone in the creative services industry who is looking to improve their business development strategy."

Agency Principal,

Peoria, IL

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"[When] we first met Blair... it was obvious that he grokked our industry and the challenges we face as owners/managers of communications design firms. He has subsequently become a trusted advisor to [our firm,] ...his advice is always sound and enlightened. He has become a major voice in the design industry where business development is concerned. Friends at other firms refer to him not by his business name but simply as Blair, and we all know to whom they refer. I would recommend him to anyone... without reservation."

Agency Principal, 

Seattle, WA

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“Blair is one of the leading experts on winning new business in the design sector. [His guidance] reinforced what I had always suspected were the hidden rules of 'selling' i.e. don't sell but look for best-fit partnerships - clients that will really appreciate... your expertise. By digging a little bit deeper into the heart of your company, you will fine tune your offer so you start attracting more valuable, longer-term relationships based around mutual trust and respect.”

VP Business Development,

Bristol, UK

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“If you are looking for a silver bullet, an easy way to land new business now, a quick fix or band-aid, Blair Enns is definitely NOT your man. On the other hand, if you're looking for someone who can help you break the nasty habit of giving away your most valuable assets and implement a process for getting paid for your thinking... give him a call."

Agency Principal,

Troy, NY

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"Blair's Win Without Pitching process was exactly the solution I needed, and his candid, high-value advice and coaching helped me integrate the system and make it my own. He also made a number of suggestions about how we communicated about our work that were invaluable. Within months, I felt much more in control, effective and efficient in our new business process. I've since asked Blair to consult on more sophisticated aspects of marketing my business, and he's consistently delivered. He's a super star." 

Agency Principal, 

New York, NY

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