Testimonials
Karen‘s talent in business development far and above exceeds that of anyone else I have ever worked with. Her ability and approach to win over new clients was astounding and educational. Karen would be an asset to any company..
Charlotte Lamp Davies Founder & CEO
NED A Bright Approach
Karen has supported me across several agencies, and every time she’s delivered tangible opportunities and impressive ROI. She has a sharp eye for strategy, understands the pressures within agency environments, and always turns insight into action that drives results.
Natasha Davids - COO
Bell Digital Marketing
Unique is the best word to describe Karen.
She has the ability to develop meaningful relationships with prospects. Her straightforward approach always resonated. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a successful and
driven new business person.
Yusuf Javed - Founder & Director
Mind Digital Group
Your lead generation expertise significantly enhanced our engagement with top UK agencies and brands. Your strategic insight and targeted outreach consistently delivered high-quality prospects. Thank you for the outstanding support and I look forward to working with you again.
Tim Pettit - Director
Samba TV
Strategic lead generation
for smart agency leaders
I’m Karen Grainger, founder of Powderkeg Consultancy. After nearly twenty years leading new business efforts across agencies of every shape and discipline, I’ve learned what drives growth—and what drains it. My mission is to help forward-thinking marketing agencies attract and win the right clients that align with their strengths and ambitions. Recognition as one of The Drum’s Top 100 Business Development Leaders reflects my commitment to helping agencies to grow through practical, human-first new business strategies.
As an agency leader, you’re aware that lead generation sits on the to-do list but rarely tops it. You’re busy delivering for clients, managing teams. Whether you’re leveraging recent wins, re-engaging past clients, carving out a niche or exploring new markets, I can help you turn those objectives into a consistent flow of well-matched opportunities. The goal being to create a sustainable business development engine that feels authentic, strategic, and repeatable.
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Client Onboarding
I have a meeting with you and your team where we talk about your agency goals and challenges. We look at your client list shape, past clients and past work. I need to understand your expertise, services, case studies, wider marketing assets and past new business performance. Following that, we outline your refreshed business strategy., including your proposition, messaging, and offering. I plug into your niches. What client problems are still unsolved in this industry? What specific pain points is your agency best equipped to solve? In essence we are looking to translate business needs into strategic agency solutions. We define lead criteria.
Campaign Set-up
I create a tailored go-to-market lead generation strategy and outreach campaign to engage specific audience segments that speak directly to your agency strengths. I define the ideal customer profile and client personas. I build out bespoke segmented prospect lists, mapping out the decision-makers crafting outreach, messaging and content that speak to and resonates with each persona. Marketing collateral might be a case study, LP form, blog post or lead magnet. You create an email address for me and grant calendar access for meetings.
Reporting
Weekly call to discuss upcoming meetings. Monthly call to identify, evaluate and test new campaign performance, CTA's, angles and niches.
Process
Karen immediately felt like part of our team. Her insight, encouragement, and genuine care made an immediate difference. In just six months, she helped us increase qualified leads, boost conversions and grow revenue by 35%. Proof of her genuine impact on our agency’s success.
Samuel Cotterall
Founder & Director Volaro Digital
Fees
My fees fall between £3,000 and £5,000 per month, based on the scope of the project and days required. Variables are the meetings required and number and scale of the campaigns. I can launch a tailored campaign within one week, ensuring a fast and effective start designed to generate measurable pipeline growth and position you for long-term wins. To keep things simple and flexible, there’s no fixed contract length - just a straightforward one-month notice period as our partnership evolves.
All my packages are built to ensure your agency has a steady flow of high-quality opportunities, shortening sales cycles while strengthening your market presence.
Growth Package
£3000/Month
Five full working days dedicated exclusively to researching, engaging
and securing opportunities
Two/Three meetings
Three pipeline opportunities to strengthen and scale your pipeline.
Tailored campaign funnels and CTAs
Bespoke scope and support
Case Study
12 Month Campaign
I partnered with a specialized PR and branding agency facing inconsistent pipeline flow. They needed a targeted campaign to pinpoint and engage prospects within their niche who were dealing with challenges the agency was uniquely equipped to solve.
Meetings - 28
Client Wins - 3
Revenue - £180,000
Campaign cost - £36,000
ROI - 4:1
FAQs
What is the expected ROI or average outcomes from your lead generation campaign?
Clients typically see an ROI ranging from 3x to 7x depending on sector, campaign scope and sales cycle length.
Do you offer ongoing retainer contracts or flexible project-based work?
I offer both.
Do you attend the first meeting?
Yes - I introduce the prospect and clarify the situation and needs.
What happens if targets or KPIs aren’t met during a campaign?
I proactively monitor campaigns and adjust tactics to improve performance. If agreed KPIs aren’t met, I conduct thorough reviews and implement corrective actions or revise goals collaboratively to ensure alignment and desired outcomes.
Will we have a dedicated point of contact throughout the project?
Me. I will be your point of contact ensuring responsive communication, campaign oversight, and alignment with your objectives. You will receive regular performance reports and actionable insights via dashboards and email briefings. I also schedule monthly review meetings to discuss results, align on priorities and adjust strategies collaboratively.
What industry sectors have you achieved the best results in?
I have a strong track record in many agency types: SEM, PR, Content, Branding, Creative, B2B Niche, Comms, Performance. I consistently generate qualified leads that translate into meetings and revenue. My expertise allows me to tailor messaging and channel selection effectively for these verticals.
How do you decide which agencies to partner with?
Not every agency partnership is the right fit — and that’s intentional. After two decades around marketing, PR, and creative agencies, I’ve found that success in lead generation comes from alignment, clarity, and chemistry, not just activity volume. The best results come when both sides treat lead generation as a strategic partnership rather than a hand-off.
What types of agencies do you support?
I specialise in supporting a wide range of marketing agencies including digital marketing, PR, branding, performance marketing, niche and B2B focused agencies. My tailored lead generation strategies align with the unique challenges and niches within each agency type to deliver highly qualified leads that convert.
What are the most common challenges you solve for marketing agencies?
Differentiation in a competitive market, maintaining a consistent pipeline and measuring ROI. Lead quality issues, long sales cycles and inefficient lead nurturing. My expertise helps agencies focus on sales conversion rather than chasing unqualified prospects.