To celebrate PRmoment’s: PR Masterclass: The Agency Growth Forum on November 25th this article by Andy West looks at how PR firms can prepare for the Golden Quarter

It’s that time of year again. The post-summer slowdown is over, budgets are being unlocked, and brands are once again looking for the right agency partner to take them into 2026. If you’re serious about growing your agency, this is your moment. But let’s face it, new business doesn’t just appear because you wish for it. Winning work requires focus, consistency and above all, a well-oiled system.

I’ve often talked about the Holy Trinity of growth — marketing, business development, and sales — and why the three elements are the essence of a growth mindset. The question always remains, how to build a consistent growth mindset, not just in the final quarter, but throughout the year. To map this out, I suggest agencies mastering the three p’s: process, profile and passion.

Process: develop and adopt a systematic growth engine

Too many agencies still rely on sporadic bursts of new business activity. I’ve seen this happen too many times, particularly during boom times when client work takes over. My view is that sales momentum is slow to generate but quick to lose. Never underestimate how long it takes to get back on the radar of your target clients. The smartest (and fastest growing) agencies I’ve seen, know that sales isn’t a sporadic sprint; it’s a continuous system.

The first step in this journey is to build a clear pipeline process that drives your marketing and business development activity. You must know who you are selling to, so spend time mapping out your target audiences by creating an ideal client profile (the ICP). It’s then all about a consistent drumbeat of the right outreach which, if things go well, will result in a steady flow of warm leads, and ideally live deal opportunities).

It's at this stage that I always want to see the use of a CRM. If you have one, don’t let it gather dust; it should be your single source of pipeline truth. This means tracking conversations, setting follow-ups, and being clear about who’s responsible for what. And if you don’t have any form of CRM, then build one. Don’t rely on your memory to remember all the leads that need following up.

The same goes for the sharp end of sales. Keep refreshing your case studies, capabilities decks, team bios, agency details etc. and then review and refine templates for credentials and proposals. Systemising the holy trinity of marketing, business development and sales doesn’t make you robotic, far from it. It saves time and gives you consistency, which builds confidence. And confidence is what every agency buyer feels when they’re dealing with a partner who has their act together.

Profile: step into the spotlight

In parallel to getting your processes purring, pay close attention to your profile. Clients buy people, not logos. They’re looking for experts with credibility and a clear point of view. So, ask yourself: how visible are you right now?

In my view, it’s never too late to ramp up your personal brand. Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Speak at industry events, get active on LinkedIn, join panels, publish thought pieces. It’s not vanity; it’s smart business development. Every time you show up with an opinion, you remind potential clients that you exist, and that you understand their world.

Just remember, in a market bursting with sameness, authority and visibility are your differentiators. And the beauty is, you don’t need to shout. Just be consistent, authentic and present where your buyers are. The more people see you, the more they’ll trust you when the next brief lands.

Passion: sprinkle the fairy dust

Finally, there’s passion which I think of as the vital ‘seasoning’ that tips the balance between coming second and winning. Buyers can tell in moments when an agency is genuinely excited by their challenges. Passion shows up in how you listen, the questions you ask, and the creative energy you bring into the room. From experience, I say with certainty, that first impressions count and that the right amount of ‘passion seasoning’ makes all the difference to the result.

During my agency years, we spoke about ‘fairy dust’, as being the secret sauce that had to be applied. That said, we knew that the ‘sauce’ was always in short supply, so we only committed to pitching the right opportunities. The advice here is simple: don’t chase everything that moves. Instead, go deep with the prospects and sectors you truly care about. Remain true to your ICP and to the sectors where you have credibility. When enthusiasm is genuine, it’s contagious.

So, as you hurtle through this growth season into 2026, remember: process gives you focus, profile builds your influence, and passion seals the deal. Get all three working together and you’ll find the holy trinity of marketing business development, and sales are in perfect sync, which is exactly where sustainable growth begins.