I am over the moon excited to have today’s brilliant guest expert returning to this episode of Sell With Authority. If you’re meeting Marcel Petitpas for the first time — he was my guest generously sharing his wisdom in episodes 95 and 111 of the SWA podcast. He’s off the charts awesome!

If you don’t already know Marcel, he’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Parakeeto — and an expert on agency profitability.

Today, we dive deep into a critical topic: why scaling your agency without keeping a close eye on profitability can actually do more harm than good.

Marcel shares his smarts around the intricate world of profitability traps —those sneaky pitfalls that can quietly erode your margins if you’re not paying attention — and secretly derail your agency’s success.

We explore cash flow traps — how payment terms and project timelines can create cash crunches if you’re not careful.

We also break down the myth of revenue versus AGI and why a $10 million agency with razor-thin margins might need to operate more like a $1 million shop to stay healthy.

If you’ve heard him before — you know Marcel backs up his insights with numbers and examples. He goes by the math to illustrate all of the key points in detail.

So grab your notepad to double down on strategies that will help you sell more of what you do — and drive agency profitability.

• The difference between cash and accrual accounting — and why getting it wrong will set you back
• How to recognize and navigate the cash flow traps that could be sabotaging your agency’s profitability
• The misleading nature of revenue figures and the significance of focusing on AGI (Agency Gross Income)
• Why simply having more clients or projects isn’t a surefire way to increase your bottom line
• How payment terms might be quietly eroding your cash reserves — and what you can do to rectify it
• Smart strategies for structuring contracts and payment schedules to improve financial predictability
• The psychological shift you need to make to step away from the trap of a false sense of financial health

Resources:

• Website: https://parakeeto.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-petitpas-20059588/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agencyprofitability
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Parakeeto
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getparakeeto/
• Agency Profit Toolkit
• Software as a Science: Unlock Limitless Recurring Revenue Without Losing Control

I am super thrilled to welcome back today’s encore guest, Karl Sakas. If this is your first time meeting Karl, he was the brilliant guest expert back in Episode 79 of Sell With Authority, where we dug into his expertise on helping agencies work less and earn more.

In that episode, Karl and I broke down three key pieces of the biz dev process — niche, refining and delegating. In this encore interview, we take it further. We peel back even more layers of biz dev and then connect it directly to operations.

Wondering why you and your team should care about this conversation?

Recently, Hannah, Erik, and I were working with a client here at Predictive, helping them map out what we call the HERO Offer — and then shaping all the sales language they’d use to tee it up in a conversation with a right-fit prospect. Everything was rolling. Great momentum.

And then — we hit resistance.

So we tapped the brakes and asked, “Wait, what’s happening here?”

After some digging, we realized the HERO Offer wasn’t fully aligned with how their team actually operated and delivered work. That moment was a huge Ah-Ha! Had we not paused and had that candid discussion, selling more would’ve just meant more chaos.

So — this episode is about calming the chaos in your agency. Karl breaks down the root causes of chaos inside an agency as well as how to fix it — so you can make it easier to deliver the services your right-fit clients need — and easier to sell more of what you do.

• How to identify and define chaos in your agency
• The root causes of chaos
• Why the three A’s of communication are pivotal for organizational success
• The importance of syncing your biz dev processes with operations
• A framework for making delegation effective
• Strategies to handle leadership challenges and drive profitability
• Advanced retrospectives for vision-setting and strategic growth

Resources:

• Website: https://sakasandcompany.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlsakas/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sakas-&-company/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SakasAndCompany/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarlSakas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SakasandCompanyTeam/
• Calm the Chaos: 10 Ways to Run a Better Agency: https://sakasandcompany.com/lp/calm-the-chaos-book/
• Steps in the Sales Process, with Karl Sakas

Here at Predictive, we’re all about sharing the strategies and frameworks that help agency owners sell more of what you do — with confidence and authority.

That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome our guest expert, Scott Ramey, to this episode of Sell With Authority. Scott is a sales expert with 30 years in the trenches, and former Fortune 500 C-suite executive with more than $100 billion of sales under his belt. Today, Scott is the Founder of The Ramey Group.

I’ve been especially looking forward to this conversation because we have a rule we live by when we teach — and that’s The Power of Three.

We design our frameworks in 3’s.

We organize our episodes in 3’s.

We run 3 Intensives each year — March, July, and November.

Scott also believes deeply in The Power of Three, and we break down his Power of Three into core questions that you can start using right away — the next time you and your team are prepping for a conversation with a right-fit prospect.

Scott’s model not only simplifies messages — but also fosters authentic connections and lasting impressions with right-fit prospects, setting you apart from the sea of sameness.

If you take these insights and apply them, your right-fit prospects will see and hear that you’re all about helping them win.

And when they see that — saying yes becomes a lot easier.

• How you can tap into the “Power of Three” to crush anxiety and build confidence in right-fit client conversations
• The secrets to making your pitch memorable
• Showing up 100% present for your audience — it’s time to double down on empathy and authenticity
• How to create a lasting impact by leaving your right-fit prospects with hope and vision
• Why owning your voice is the doorway to owning the room and securing the pitch

Resources:

• Website: https://thescottramey.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-ramey-53977b14a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.ramey.52/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.scottramey/