For Arriana Yiallourides “It’s No Longer About Selling Ideas, It’s About Creating Them Together”
Arriana Yiallourides is driving global growth and new business strategy at VML, with over a decade of experience in the agency world across New York, London, Paris, Nicosia and LA.
She is about helping teams shape their story, win complex pitches, and build sustainable momentum for growth. Grounded in a background that spans strategy, innovation, marketing, and social impact, with a focus on navigating complex challenges, building from the ground up, and supporting purpose-led growth.
Arriana sat down with LBB to declare that the hard sell is dead and that no matter how much AI is transforming the new businesses industry, human instinct is still the major differentiator in a world overflowing with data.
LBB> How has the business of ‘selling’ in the creative industry changed since you started?
Arriana> The hard sell is dead. Today, winning business is about co-creation, collaboration and showing clients what working with us actually feels like. Ideas aren’t just pitched; they evolve through dialogue, with active feedback and a shared problem-solving intention.
Workshops, chemistry sessions, and pitch-in-a-day formats are now standard. Whether it’s a campaign, a new service model, or a full AOR, clients want a test-drive - a sense of the team and process. The shift is clear: it’s no longer about selling ideas, it’s about creating them together.
LBB> How is technology and new platforms (from platforms like Salesforce and Hubspot to video calls to social media) changing sales and new business?
Arriana> Technology and AI have brought rigour and routine to pipeline planning, opportunity tracking, and lead generation. They’ve transformed what high-performing business development teams can do by helping us anticipate client needs, spot patterns, personalise outreach at scale and collaborate seamlessly across global markets.
But in a world overflowing with data, human instinct is still the differentiator. Nurturing and qualifying client relationships by reading the room, sensing chemistry, trusting gut feel remains the key to winning new business. Even the smartest tech can’t replace that. In an industry built on relationships, being human-first still matters most.
LBB> How important is cultural understanding when it comes to selling internationally? (And if you have particular experience on this front, what advice do you have?)
Arriana> Cultural understanding is critical. I’d go as far as to say it can be the difference between winning and losing internationally. I’ve been fortunate to work across Nicosia, Paris, London and the US, and every market brings its own nuances.
Differences show up not just in how formal pitch processes are, but also in how clients communicate, digest information and build relationships. Avoiding missteps and building cultural fluency takes time, and there’s no substitute for partnering closely with local teams who really know the terrain. My time in Paris was an early-career crash course in the power of language subtleties and the value of truly leveraging market-generated insights.
LBB> What are your thoughts about the process of pitching that the industry largely runs on?
Arriana> Pitching is imperfect but indispensable to the industry. It sparks creativity, builds relationships and gives clients a glimpse of the work in action. It also trains resilient teams to perform under pressure.
That said, there’s room to evolve. The best pitches feel collaborative rather than transactional, with both sides investing in the right solution. Technology and AI can handle the administrative heavy lifting, allowing teams to focus on bespoke solutions that showcase our thinking. Paying for pitches? That debate will continue.
Ultimately, engaging in any pitch is a strategic choice, and being intentional about which opportunities to pursue is just as important as the work itself.
LBB> There’s a lot of training for a lot of parts of the industry, but what’s your thoughts about the training and skills development when it comes to selling and new business?
Arriana> Business development has long been a ‘learn by doing’ discipline, which means there’s huge untapped potential for formal training. Every agency protects its own win strategies, creating silos and limiting shared learning.
At VML, new business teams are the SWAT teams of the agency world - nimble, strategic and central to growth. One of my priorities as a board member for the American Advertising Federation (AAF) in LA is shining a light on this hidden engine, sharing best practices, and elevating the role of BD in the wider industry.
LBB> New business and sales can often mean hearing ‘no’ a lot and quite a bit of rejection - how do you keep motivated?
Arriana> Hearing ‘no’ is the ultimate bootcamp. It keeps you grounded, sharp, and a little obsessed with doing better next time. I treat every pitch as a chance to test our positioning, learn and level up.
Over time, you also realise this industry is circular. If the team has put its best foot forward, the outcome – win or lose – is an opportunity. What did we learn? Who did we build a new relationship with? What can we take into the next one? You win some, you lose some, and the next pitch is always just around the corner.
LBB> Can anyone be taught to do new business, or is it a personality thing?
Arriana> I think it naturally attracts a certain type of person, someone who thrives in high-pressure, unpredictable environments and loves building something from the ground up. New business is the closest thing to running a start-up within an agency. A growth mindset, curiosity, and a love of teamwork are essential. If you enjoy bringing order to chaos and guiding ideas into the world, this is the place to do it.
