Growing a Niche Inbound Agency with Lindsay Kelley

Lindsay Kelley, co-founder of Prospect Builder, joins the show to discuss how building a niche inbound marketing agency serving copier and managed services businesses created strong positioning and sustainable growth.

Finding the Niche

Before starting Prospect Builder, Lindsay co-founded the Alignment Group with John Shea. When they parted ways on happy terms, Lindsay took her industry expertise and built a new agency around it. While they still co-host The Funnel podcast about sales-marketing alignment, their agencies now serve different markets.

Prospect Builder’s niche in copier and managed services businesses provides unique advantages. The team understands the specific challenges, buying patterns, and competitive dynamics of the industry. This deep knowledge translates into more effective marketing strategies and stronger client relationships.

Being Selective

Lindsay emphasizes the importance of becoming a selective inbound agency. Creating best-fit customer personas helps identify not just who to pursue but who to avoid. A selective sales process establishes the agency’s positioning early in the conversation, preventing engagements with clients who are not a good fit.

Systems from Day One

The agency implemented the DoInbound Agency Framework from the start, organizing work into four phases: GamePlan, Engine, Website, and Campaigns. Each phase breaks down into campaigns, deliverables, and tasks. By building this structure early, Prospect Builder avoided the operational chaos that many growing agencies experience.

Managing a virtual team across multiple time zones requires maintaining alignment among agency leadership and balancing growth with culture preservation.