Field Notes by Mark Nichols https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/ Short, true stories from running and advising agencies. en Your discovery questions are killing the deal. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/discovery-questions https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/discovery-questions Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Show prospects what they can get at different budgets instead of handing them a list of questions to answer. Your cheapest clients are setting your prices. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/raise-agency-rates https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/raise-agency-rates Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Keep raising your rates until you hit real resistance. If nobody pushes back, you don’t know where your ceiling is. The retro that saved the account. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/project-retrospective https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/project-retrospective Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 When a relationship is going sideways, get everyone in one room, let every side speak first, and share your own view last. Start the renewal conversation a month early. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/retainer-renewals https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/retainer-renewals Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 About a month before a retainer term ends, start an honest conversation about how it’s gone and what’s next. The overrun email that nearly lost the client. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/project-over-budget https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/project-over-budget Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Flag scope growth before you do the work, make extra work the client’s decision, and build a small discretionary fund in from the start. Give everyone a downtime project before you need one. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-downtime-projects https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-downtime-projects Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Ask everyone to pick a downtime project ahead of time. If side projects take more than about 20% of billable time, you have a pipeline problem. Run the all-hands on wins. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-all-hands https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-all-hands Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Celebrate in public, one win per slide. Frame misses as the whole team’s problem, and handle accountability one on one. Don’t price a project nobody can describe. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/pricing-unclear-scope https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/pricing-unclear-scope Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 If nobody can describe the project, don’t lead with a fixed price. Confirm the scope first, or offer a retainer while it takes shape. The founder’s LinkedIn is your marketing department. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/founder-led-marketing https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/founder-led-marketing Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 People trust people. Build your marketing around the founder’s network and the work, not a generic content calendar. “We’ll build you a website” is not a scope. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/website-project-scope https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/website-project-scope Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 After discovery and before wireframes, have the client sign a detailed scope. It heads off a lot of hard conversations later. Three problems, one cause. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/account-manager-workload https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/account-manager-workload Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 When account leads keep missing opportunities, check their workload before their skills. Is it the company’s way, or just your way? https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/founder-micromanaging https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/founder-micromanaging Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Before you step in, ask whether it’s the company’s way or just your way. Write the first down. Let the second go. Your sales leader should teach you sales. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-head-of-sales https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/agency-head-of-sales Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 At this stage, your sales leader should bring the playbook and the numbers, not need you to teach them. Your best clients assume you’re too busy. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/more-work-from-existing-clients https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/more-work-from-existing-clients Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Tell your best clients you have room for more work. Unless you do, they assume you’re maxed out. We lost by bidding under budget. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/lost-deal-on-price https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/lost-deal-on-price Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 You can’t compete with someone willing to lose money to win. Learn from the loss, but don’t make it your pricing strategy. Don’t cut your origin story. Make it longer. https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/origin-story-sales-calls https://www.tamaribuchi.xyz/field-notes/origin-story-sales-calls Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Tell your story on first calls, then ask for theirs. You’ll learn more than any discovery checklist turns up.