At some point, most agency founders find themselves here:

You’ve got a few sales tools you’re excited about. Maybe it’s an AI cold email tool. Maybe it’s a list of leads you’ve finally gotten around to organizing. You’ve even blocked off time to “work on pipeline.”

So you start sending things out. You run the play.

But no one bites.

Or worse, someone bites, you send them the deck, and then... nothing.

When we talk to founders in this moment, they usually want to know what to tweak in the email, or whether their list is off. And sure, sometimes those things matter. But more often, the issue is simpler:

They’re trying to scale interest in something they haven’t fully built.

Most Agencies Skip the Boring Stuff

There’s an understandable urgency to get leads, book calls, and close deals. Especially when your runway feels short or you're tired of waiting for referrals. So the temptation is to jump into outbound. Or experiment with paid ads. Or ask ChatGPT to write a 3-step cold email sequence.

But when you haven’t clarified what you stand for, or built assets that back it up, those efforts tend to fall flat.

Here’s what “skipping the fundamentals” tends to look like:

• Messaging that’s vague or overly broad

• No real ICP, just “anyone with budget”

• A website that’s technically live, but doesn’t say much

• Case studies either missing or too thin to be useful

• Proposal decks built on the fly, different every time
  
  

The irony is, these assets aren’t hard because they’re complex. They’re hard because they require focus. Clarity. The kind of thinking that doesn’t yield instant gratification.

The uncomfortable truth we keep coming back to: it’s hard to sell confidently when your assets don’t reflect the value you know you can deliver.

The Work Before the Work Is What Drives Results

We used to think of things like messaging and case studies as “marketing collateral.” Now, we see them as sales tools, some of the most important ones.

At Barrel Holdings, when we work with agencies on their sales infrastructure, we start by making sure the basics are in place. Not because they’re glamorous. But because they work.

Here’s a short list we often reference. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s a solid start:

• Clear, differentiated messaging

• A defined ideal client profile

• Brand assets that feel coherent and considered

• A simple, modern website

• An overview deck that tells your story (team, process, logos, wins)

• Case studies that highlight outcomes, not just deliverables

• Proposal and contract templates you’re not embarrassed to send

• Social channels with at least a baseline of activity

• A newsletter list, even if it’s small, and a repeatable way to use it

• Client testimonials with a system for collecting more

• A vetted list of references who’ve already agreed to vouch for you
  
  

You don’t need a full content engine. But you do need a system.

Note: No one builds a system overnight. But it’s worth investing in, because these are the things that turn interest into trust and trust into action.

A Better Way To Think About Sales Readiness

Before you start pouring time and money into campaigns, ask yourself:

If someone found me today, would what they see match what I say?

Because when your assets are in place, everything else gets easier. Your emails feel sharper. Your proposals land faster. Your close rate improves - not because you hacked anything, but because the fundamentals are working for you behind the scenes.

And when you’re ready to try outbound again, you’ll be pointing it at something solid. Something real.

You’ll be building on a foundation, not hoping your email can do the heavy lifting your site or deck never got around to doing.

So if you're feeling stuck, start there.

And if you need help with getting SOPs, SOWs, or trackers in place, check out our Business Development Collection for help on the journey.