1.  They win new business in the slowest economy.  They are thriving (and not just surviving) in times when other agencies are begging for business.  They are the ones that are attracting new clients who don't seem to have a budget, but will find the funds to just work with the agency.  Why?  Because they are good at what they do ALL THE TIME. 

   2. They have a strong competitive set.   They name agencies that are "realistically" in their league.  They talk about their competitors and their work with a sense of admiration.  Their competitors stand for integrity, break-through ideas and creative solutions.  They always pay attention to the agencies ahead of them, and those behind them.  It is important to them to stay within that specific competitive set.  They love the challenge of surpassing (and the threat of getting passed by) so much that they stay on the cutting-edge even when they don't need to. 

   3. Their teams represent their values without words.    They encourage clients to walk in unannounced any day of the week.  They are proud of their natural environment with or without clients in the agency.  Observe their teams managing business on a day-to-day basis.  Do you see a display of camaraderie before egos?  Solutions before whining?  Team recognition before individual?  Agencies that show true camaraderie, without it being forced, will openly invite clients to see their business as-it-is.

   4. Their executive team demonstrates the world.   They proudly have all people represented in executive roles; women, men, people-of-color (and not just married to a person of color but are themselves), regionally distributed, and are age diversified.  Imagine the brilliant ideas and solutions that are generated from such a vast group!  And they do not display this diversity as something 'special' - they believe in it so much they can't imagine functioning any other way.   It represents the caliber of clientele they want to attract, as well as the talent they want to retain.  This agency has global visions regardless of where they are located in the world.

Being the ad agency that every Client wants, is it really that hard?