THE AGENCY GROWTH CLUB

AI is forcing agencies to ask uncomfortable questions.

Not about tools.
Not about platforms.
But about value.

In this episode, we sat down with Jonathan Dane, Founder and CEO of Klientboost, to unpack what’s actually changing in the agency world, what’s noise, and where agencies can still build real leverage.

The conversation covered AI, software margins, retention, systems, guarantees, and why most agencies struggle to defend their positioning.

Here are the core takeaways.

“The puck is already going there”

Early in the conversation, we addressed the elephant in the room: with AI tools improving fast and platforms building more automation natively, should agencies be panicking?

Jonathan’s response was calm, direct, and grounding.

“The puck is already going there.”

In other words, automation isn’t coming. It’s already here.

He pointed out that much of what agencies do today, especially on the paid media side, relies on conditional logic: “If this is true, then do this.”

AI can already handle that. And increasingly, the platforms themselves will too.

But that doesn’t mean agencies are obsolete.

“The value agencies can bring in the future is, well, what happens next.”

As execution becomes commoditised, the differentiator shifts upstream. Agencies that survive and grow will be the ones who can clearly answer:

• “What are you offering next?”
• “What’s the carrot you have on a stick as an agency?”

Performance Marketing Needs Proof, Not Positioning

A major theme throughout the episode was accountability.

Jonathan called out how loosely the term “performance marketing” is used across the industry.

“A lot of agencies call themselves performance marketing agencies, but what does that actually mean?”

Without objective measurement, it becomes branding rather than substance.

Jonathan explained that real performance requires defendable answers, suggesting:

“We can say we hit X percent of goals for this service every quarter. Those are objectively strong, defendable answers.”

This level of clarity doesn’t just help delivery. It fundamentally changes how clients perceive value and trust.

It’s Not Magic AI: It’s Systems & Guardrails

One of the most important reframes in the episode was around AI itself.

Jonathan pushed back on the idea that AI is some black box replacing human thinking.

“It’s like Scooby-Doo when they pull the mask off at the end. It’s not AI. It was just if-this-then-that.”

What matters more than tools is the logic behind decisions.

Jonathan described how their systems focus on pacing and thresholds. If performance is slightly off track, you turn small dials. If it’s significantly off, you pull bigger levers.

“If you’re 2% off track, you just need to turn a few dials.”
“If you’re 20% or more, you need to do bigger lever kind of things.”

AI doesn’t replace this thinking. It amplifies it.

Budget Allocation is Where Agencies Become Partners

Another recurring issue Jonathan sees in sales conversations is how poorly most companies understand their own budget allocation.

“You ask prospects how they decide where to put money, and they don’t have great answers.”

The starting point is simple math:

• cost per visitor

• conversion rate by channel

• cost per KPI

From there, the most powerful question becomes:

“Is this still the best way to spend the money?”

And if things are working:

“If you have net new dollars, where should you spend it and why?”

That’s the moment agencies move from execution vendors to strategic partners.

Guarantees Change the Sales Dynamic

One of the boldest parts of the discussion was around guarantees.

Jonathan made it clear that guarantees aren’t a gimmick. They’re a signal, adding that, “If you’re obsessed with the outcome of the client, at some point you should be able to set guarantees.”

He described using guarantees as an “ace up the sleeve” in competitive deals.

When done properly, guarantees don’t increase risk. They increase confidence. And when the math supports it, they can dramatically improve close rates.

Speed is a Retention Strategy

Retention came up repeatedly, especially in the context of onboarding.

Jonathan shared the idea of a dedicated onboarding team focused purely on the first week.

“What if you had a team called the 7-day team?”

The goal is speed to value. Faster onboarding leads to faster results, which changes the client’s entire perception.

“Now they’re out of the gate faster.”
“You’re underpromising and overdelivering.”

Retention doesn’t improve through reassurance. It improves through momentum.

Go Towards the Grenade

When discussing reviews, NPS, and churn, Jonathan was blunt. If clients hesitate to leave reviews or participate in case studies, that’s not something to ignore.

“If they won’t leave a review, red flags.”

Avoiding these moments creates blind spots. Facing them creates clarity.

Jonathan summed this mindset up perfectly:

“You have to go towards the grenade all the time.”

Agencies that avoid uncomfortable conversations rarely catch issues early enough to fix them.

Systems break when delegation isn’t deliberate

As agencies scale, Jonathan sees one mistake more than any other.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is a lack of deliberate delegation.”

Leaders hold on to work too long. Teams lack clarity on expectations. Systems stay in place even when they stop serving the business.

Jonathan’s approach is unapologetically pragmatic.

“I’m pretty aggressive on removing things that just aren’t helping us anymore.”
“We’re not romantically tied to our systems.”

If a better idea emerges, the system should change. No ego involved.

Final Takeaway

AI isn’t killing agencies.

It’s exposing which ones never built real leverage in the first place.

As Jonathan made clear throughout the episode, the agencies that win next will be the ones that:

• obsess over outcomes

• systemise decision-making

• defend their value with data

• and aren’t afraid to put skin in the game

The tools will change.

The thinking is what lasts.