The In-Demand Agency Podcast

Stephen Woessner
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Marketing

For the last four years, the Sell with Authority podcast focused on one core idea…how to help agencies earn trust before asking for the sale. And it worked. Agencies that chose a niche, committed to a point of view, and taught what they know in service of the right audience became recognized. Their thinking traveled. And prospects began to show up more prepared, more confident, and more aligned. But over time, a pattern emerged inside the Predictive Lab. Agencies that had built an authority position no longer struggled to be seen. They struggled with creating and activating demand. Prospects knew them. Respected them. Even believed they were the right agency to choose. And still…they waited. Authority earns attention. But demand…demand is what turns that attention into action. The In-Demand Agency Podcast picks up exactly where that realization begins. Each episode of the In-Demand Agency Podcast deconstructs the science of demand…from behavioral psychology, decision-making research, and the cross-industry strategies behind why B2B buyers make decisions. We interview the world's leading behavioral scientists, global agency network leaders, and strategists from industries far beyond ours…voices you may have never heard but who are reshaping how demand works. Then we translate their insights directly into the agency world. Think of it as the "Harvard Business Review" for agency owners who are done with guesswork and ready for growth. The In-Demand Agency Podcast is hosted by Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If the conversation around how to create intrigue, curiosity, and desire with intention so you activate demand, choose the clients you want to work with, and so you can reach your biz dev goals faster resonates with where you are and where you're headed…we'd love for you to join us here.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    EP 5: Predictive ROI Strategist Libby Stinson Examines How Purposeful Questions Build Trust and Demand

    What if the most important question in your next biz dev conversation isn't the one you prepared in advance? What if it's hiding inside the answer your prospect just gave you? Friends, that's exactly what my Predictive ROI teammate Libby Stinson and I are going to deconstruct in this episode of The In-Demand Agency Podcast. Libby is a strategist here at Predictive ROI, but before joining our team, she spent years in law enforcement followed by a decade conducting forensic interviews. She has hundreds of hours of training in interviewing, linguistics, memory, and questioning techniques — and thousands of hours putting those skills into practice in the field. And as Libby discovered when she entered the agency world, those skills translate extraordinarily well into biz dev conversations. Because here's the reality: your prospects are not natural narrators. They summarize. They give you headlines like, "Sales have been slow," "Our marketing isn't working," or "Most of our business comes from referrals." Those are answers — but they're not the whole story. The real story is underneath the surface. And if you and your team don't know how to ask purposeful questions, listen carefully to what comes back, and follow the clues inside those answers, you risk prescribing a solution before you truly understand the problem. Libby calls this "Don't waste the answer." Every answer your prospect gives you leaves clues. Instead of thinking about question number two while your prospect is still answering question number one, Libby teaches us how to stay curious, listen for those clues, and let the answer determine where the conversation goes next. Libby also walks us through three powerful question openings: "Take me back," "Looking back," and "How did you decide?" Each serves a different purpose — helping your prospect move from generalizations into specific experiences, identify patterns, and unpack how previous decisions were made. And when you do that well, something important happens. You stop sounding like every other agency running through a standard discovery-call checklist. Instead, you create an experience that makes a prospect think, "That felt different. No one has asked us that before." That's differentiation. That builds trust. And that's part of how your agency moves from authority to demand. So grab your notebook because Libby gives us a framework you and your team can put into practice during your very next biz dev conversation. What you'll learn in this episode: Why prospects naturally summarize instead of telling you the whole story How to follow the clues in every answer instead of jumping to your next question, possibly wasting your prospect's answers How "Take me back," "Looking back," and "How did you decide?" uncover deeper insights Why words like "usually," "always," "never," and "pretty good" signal there's more to explore How purposeful questions create trust, differentiation, and help turn authority into demand Resources: Free Download: Don't Waste the Answer Diagnostic(opens in new tab) Visit our new Predictive ROI website(opens in new tab) Connect with Libby Stinson on LinkedIn(opens in new tab) Find our mini workshops and trainings on YouTube

  2. Aug 19

    EP 4: Agency Research Pioneer Susan Baier Uncovers Why Agencies Know the Playbook But Are Not Running the Plays

    In the first three episodes of The In-Demand Agency Podcast, we explored the Authority-Demand Ecosystem, the Trust Bridge, and how proof helps your right-fit prospects move from admiring your expertise to choosing your agency. Today, we're taking that conversation into the data. Joining me is Susan Baier, Founder and CEO of Audience Audit and co-founder of Agency Core, one of the largest ongoing studies of agency leaders in our industry. Susan has surveyed more than 1,200 agency leaders across three years of Agency Core research, and her findings helped spark the genesis of this podcast. One of the clearest insights from the 2026 study is also one of the most sobering: More than half of agency leaders can identify the strategies they need to improve pipeline, revenue, and reputation, yet fewer than 17% are fully implementing them. Agencies know the playbook. They simply aren't running the plays. Susan deconstructs the gap between recognition and action, why being great at what you do is no longer enough, and how agencies can build a trusted reputation for specialized strategic expertise before a prospect ever reaches out. We also explore the optimism paradox inside the agency world. While many agency leaders feel uncertain about AI, differentiation, and the future, the client data tells a much more encouraging story. There is tremendous opportunity in front of agencies that are willing to stop sitting still, claim their expertise, and put what they already know into action. What you'll learn in this episode: The jaw-dropping implementation gap – why knowing the right strategy is not the same as executing it How trusted reputation creates differentiation Why clients value specialized strategic expertise What separates Confident Differentiators from struggling agencies Why "knowing without acting" will put you at risk (there's hard data to prove it) Resources: Audience Audit(opens in new tab) Agency Core(opens in new tab) Find Susan on LinkedIn

  3. Aug 12

    EP 3: Predictive ROI President Erik Jensen Deconstructs How Proof Activates Demand

    Friends, Last week in episode 2 of the podcast , Hannah Roth and I took you deeper into the Authority-Demand Ecosystem and why being seen as smart is no longer enough. Today, we're going another layer deeper into the invisible structure connecting authority to demand: The Trust Bridge. Joining me is my business partner, Predictive ROI President and COO Erik Jensen. Erik is one of the chief architects of the Authority-Demand Ecosystem, and trust has been a red thread running through his work for nearly two decades. Erik and I deconstruct why proof matters so much when your prospects are deciding whether to move from thinking, "Wow, these people are smart," to "Wow, I cannot lose them." Your right-fit prospects are looking for patterns. They want evidence that what you've done successfully in the past can be repeated for them in the future. Your job is to make the case easy for them to see. And the more specific, visible, and consistent that pattern becomes, the easier it is for them to trust you. What you'll learn in this episode: Why authority and trust aren't the same thing How consistent proof creates patterns your prospects can trust Why specificity strengthens your Trust Bridge How transitional moments move prospects closer to demand Resources: Free Download: The Demand Activation Diagnostic Visit our new Predictive ROI website Connect with Erik Jensen on LinkedIn Find our mini workshops and trainings on YouTube

  4. Aug 5

    EP 2: Predictive ROI CSO Hannah Roth Reveals The Gap Between Being Admired and Being Chosen

    Last week on the inaugural episode of The In-Demand Agency Podcast, we explored why authority, by itself, is no longer enough to drive agency growth. This week, we're taking that conversation several layers deeper. Joining me is my business partner and Predictive ROI Chief Strategy Officer, Hannah Roth. Hannah is one of the sharpest strategic thinkers I've ever worked alongside. As a data scientist by trade, she has an extraordinary ability to uncover patterns others overlook and challenge assumptions with research-backed insights. For this episode, we tackle one of the biggest shifts happening in agency business development today. It's no longer enough for prospects to think, "These people are smart." The real question is whether your expertise gives buyers the confidence to say, "I cannot lose them." Hannah unveils "The Authority-Demand Ecosystem"—the often-missed gap between being admired and being chosen. She deconstructs how to cross that gap using research-backed steps from the real trenches. We also discuss why AI has fundamentally changed the value of knowledge, why simply creating more content is becoming less effective, and what agencies must do instead if they want to build trust that converts into demand. What you'll learn in this episode: Why expertise alone is no longer enough to earn new business The difference between being prolific and sharing something profound The Authority-Demand Ecosystem: what it is, why it matters, and how to use it Why the "Trust Bridge" is the critical connection between being respected and being chosen How questioning assumptions leads to stronger recommendations and better outcomes Resources: Website: https://predictiveroi.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PredictiveROI

  5. Jul 29

    EP 1: Predictive ROI CEO Stephen Woessner Shares How Demand Turns Authority Into Action

    Friends…welcome to the inaugural episode of The In-Demand Agency Podcast. For this first episode, it is just you and me. No guest. I wanted to peel back the curtain on our thesis for the new show in full transparency…and begin helping you and your agency move from authority to demand. Over the last 18-24 months, my Predictive team and I have observed a shift in the field. Agencies that have done the hard work of building an authority position—teaching, sharing generously, and earning attention are still struggling to activate latent demand. Building an authority position is the ante in the business development game of today. In this episode, you and I are going to walk through what we've started calling "The Authority-Demand Ecosystem." You and I will sketch out the difference between a prospect saying, "Wow, these people are smart" and a prospect saying, "Wow, I cannot lose them." I will also share a story from the field about an agency owner who was already doing the work, but needed to make it purposeful. And we will connect that story to three specific research insights from Harvard Business Review, Edelman-LinkedIn, and Agency Core that shed some light on the situation. What you'll learn in this episode: How to sketch and diagnose your own Authority-Demand Ecosystem The critical difference between the Authority side and the Demand side of the ecosystem Why the "Trust Bridge" is the invisible structure that separates being respected from being chosen How to take your content engine that is already running and make it more strategic so it helps your prospects walk across your Trust Bridge The three third-party research insights that show how B2B buyers are making decisions before they ever speak to you Resources mentioned in this episode: Agency Core 2026 Findings Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study Harvard Business Review: Has AI Ended Thought Leadership (article) If this episode has been helpful…my Predictive team and I would be grateful if you subscribed to the podcast and left us a rating and review. It only takes about 30 seconds, and you'll be helping other agencies find these conversations. Onward with gusto!

  6. Jun 30

    The In-Demand Agency Podcast Trailer

    The In-Demand Agency Podcast Coming Soon!

  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

For the last four years, the Sell with Authority podcast focused on one core idea…how to help agencies earn trust before asking for the sale. And it worked. Agencies that chose a niche, committed to a point of view, and taught what they know in service of the right audience became recognized. Their thinking traveled. And prospects began to show up more prepared, more confident, and more aligned. But over time, a pattern emerged inside the Predictive Lab. Agencies that had built an authority position no longer struggled to be seen. They struggled with creating and activating demand. Prospects knew them. Respected them. Even believed they were the right agency to choose. And still…they waited. Authority earns attention. But demand…demand is what turns that attention into action. The In-Demand Agency Podcast picks up exactly where that realization begins. Each episode of the In-Demand Agency Podcast deconstructs the science of demand…from behavioral psychology, decision-making research, and the cross-industry strategies behind why B2B buyers make decisions. We interview the world's leading behavioral scientists, global agency network leaders, and strategists from industries far beyond ours…voices you may have never heard but who are reshaping how demand works. Then we translate their insights directly into the agency world. Think of it as the "Harvard Business Review" for agency owners who are done with guesswork and ready for growth. The In-Demand Agency Podcast is hosted by Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If the conversation around how to create intrigue, curiosity, and desire with intention so you activate demand, choose the clients you want to work with, and so you can reach your biz dev goals faster resonates with where you are and where you're headed…we'd love for you to join us here.

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