The word holistic gets tossed around in agency conversations with little thought given to what it actually means. It has become one of those comfortable jargon terms that sounds smart in a pitch deck but rarely reflects how agencies really operate. At its core, holistic means recognizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts. That definition, in fact, describes how strong agencies function and how effective new business efforts are built and sustained.
New business works best when it is integrated into the agency’s daily operations rather than isolated in one role or treated as an occasional initiative. At Second Wind, this approach is often referred to as total immersion. It means new business is not something the agency turns on when revenue dips or a client leaves. It is part of how the agency thinks, plans, and works every week.
New Business Is Everyone’s Job
According to Second Wind’s 2025 Annual Agency Survey, only 23% of agencies have a dedicated new business developer. In most firms, responsibility still sits with an account leader, a strategist, or a member of the leadership team wearing multiple hats. The issue is not the absence of a formal role. The real problem is that in too many agencies, new business is isolated rather than shared.
When new business belongs to one person, it becomes episodic. It gains attention during moments of urgency and fades when things feel stable. Agencies that grow take a more disciplined approach. New business is built into the workflow and supported by a clear system and an ongoing cadence. There is always something in motion, whether that is outreach, prospect qualification, follow-up, or proposal development. A rolling structure, such as a thirteen-week cycle, keeps effort focused and prevents momentum from stalling.
Consistency matters more than intensity. Prospects respond when they know what to expect and when to expect it. Sporadic visibility is easy to ignore. Predictable, relevant engagement builds familiarity and trust over time, which is why agencies that show up regularly outperform those that surge and disappear.
Referrals Come From the Entire Agency
For new business to function holistically, everyone in the agency must understand who the agency is trying to attract and who it is not. Leadership must clearly define the ideal client profile, including size, category, scope, and growth potential, and reinforce those parameters regularly. When employees know what to listen for, they listen differently.
Referrals improve when participation is expected and encouraged. Many agencies support this with modest incentive programs, such as gift cards for qualified leads and a more meaningful bonus when a referral becomes a client. The incentive itself is secondary. What matters is that employees feel connected to growth. When people are invested in winning, collaboration improves, energy increases, and pitches become stronger and more effective.
Leadership Sets the Standard
New business culture is shaped by agency leadership, not by slogans or one-off initiatives. When leaders show up for new business reviews, engage in pitch preparation, and treat prospect conversations as strategically important, the rest of the agency follows. Cadence is critical. Weekly visibility into activity, regular progress reviews, and clear accountability reinforce that growth is part of the agency’s responsibility, not something that competes with client work.
Leadership also owns brand clarity. Employees cannot deliver a brand promise they do not understand. Positioning must be reinforced internally just as deliberately as it is communicated externally. That includes onboarding, training, proposals, recruiting, and everyday interactions. Strong agencies lean into their strengths, avoid crowded and undifferentiated ground, and position themselves where competitors are weakest.
From Occasional Effort to Total Immersion
The agencies that succeed make a fundamental shift in mindset. New business stops being something they work on when time allows and becomes something that is expected and supported every day. Structure creates momentum. Consistency creates recognition. Shared ownership creates energy.
When new business is fully integrated into how the agency operates, growth becomes more predictable and far less stressful. That is what holistic new business actually looks like.
