Better business development conversations
Hard sells simply don’t work in professional services; most of us don’t like being “sold” to. As we’ve discussed before, building brand and marketing activities are only the backdrop to real business development conversations and interactions. Unfortunately, when it comes to winning work from prospective clients, many professionals open business development conversations using material unlikely to […]
Continue ReadingFaceTime, or the power of real life meetings in a digital world
In a way, we’re all more visible than ever, emailing, linking-in, twittering and googling away the day. It’s tempting to get busy with that and think we’re “doing” relationship building. As a fellow consultant recently told us of senior decision makers: “Face time. They all want face time.” And she wasn’t talking about Apple’s FaceTime […]
Continue ReadingMagical business development?
We often receive enquiries from firms looking for short cuts and quick fixes to business development issues and prosperity problems. Many contact us when things are already dire – perhaps they’ve lost a big client due to an unsuccessful tender, or because there’s been a monumental service slip up. Many are looking for a magic […]
Continue ReadingHow to murder a client relationship
A strong client relationship is critical to business success. An angry client is a problem to your professional practice. But consider for a moment: a disappointed client may be a much greater danger. Disappointed clients rarely write angry letters, ring you to complain, or take the trouble to tell you what’s wrong. Instead, little by little, […]
Continue ReadingAll important first meetings
When you have an opportunity to meet with a new business or commercial client, be prepared. Here’s a quick checklist of “homework” for your first meetings. Check out their website Run through background issues on the company, industry, and its competitors Find out, if you can, who currently handles their legal work Think through the […]
Continue ReadingGet to grips with client needs
Clients have needs and wants. Some needs they recognise, others they don’t. Some wants they articulate, others are unspoken [but still wanted]. Sustainable success is founded on harnessing professional knowledge and skills to meet wants and needs of clients in ways which produce value for both parties. Core to this process is understanding what clients […]
Continue ReadingGetting to meet with a new prospect
“I want your work” doesn’t mean that a new prospect will automatically fit you into their schedule. If you have a high enough profile and big reputation, those down the pecking order may be flattered that you want to meet. However, those further up the decision-making tree are mostly far too busy to allocate precious […]
Continue ReadingDo your homework before first encounters
If you don’t want to squander great business development opportunities with new clients, do your homework before first encounters. Here are some of our client meeting tips to help your prepare. Before meeting new clients, research and make sure you understand their: business, organisation, operations operating environment legal needs personal needs/interests. Then prepare a list […]
Continue ReadingPut clients first
Your clients will know when you put them first, and they’ll reward you – and your business – for doing so. Here are some ways to know if you put clients first: You always show an interest in their business – not just when you’re looking for more business. You are brave about giving the client […]
Continue ReadingExpert status – being known v being known for something that matters
Too often, we observe time and effort of professionals being squandered on becoming widely known, rather than on becoming known for something that matters to a smaller group, and ideally to those who truly care about it. Whether through personal networking, social media, business community engagement, conference presentations, seminars, publishing, or other channels, there’s only […]
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Feature article
Tender readability – tips to improve your tender presentation and some tender presentation no-nos
Tender readability remains a problem for some in the 21st century. I still see submission documents that cling to a handful of really old hat tender presentation and formatting techniques. I suspect this is because some of these ‘rules’ are viewed as being more appropriate to a ‘formal’ style of document such as a tender. […]
