Articles

How to Accelerate Relationships

Client relationships can take a long time to develop. This is especially true in large corporate environments where you have multiple stakeholders that have to be won over and executives who are cautious about opening up to an external advisor. It’s very frustrating when the relationship-building process seems stalled. In some cases, my clients report […]

Why Client Expansion – Not Retention – is the New Measure of Relationship Success

By Andrew Sobel A law firm I once advised had a longstanding client that easily ranked as one of the world’s largest corporations. Every year, the chairman of the law firm asked the relationship partner in charge of the account how things were going. “Great, we have a terrific relationship” he was inevitably told. This company had, […]

The Small Client Problem: A Comprehensive Guide to Solving This Tough Issue

By Andrew Sobel Every firm has small clients. Some have thousands of them. Are they a waste of time? Or, potentially, a valuable source of future growth? Nearly 30 years ago, at my old consulting firm, we had a big debate about small projects. Some partners argued that they were an entry point to a […]

Building Your Independent Practice: From Startup To Market Leadership

Building Your Independent Practice: From Startup To Market Leadership

How to Get More Leads Out of Your Network

By Andrew Sobel “How do I get more leads out of my network?” That’s a question I get asked a lot these days. Everyone has lists of contacts. Everyone has past clients. Some of them may need what you offer—right now! But how do you make the connection in a way doesn’t feel like you’re […]

Three Power Laws to Help You Connect in the C-Suite

By Andrew Sobel There are unseen but powerful laws that determine the success or failure of your client relationships. Just as an airplane must respect the laws of physics in order to fly, your strategies and behaviors must align with the Relationship Laws if you want to sell effectively and build your clients for life. […]

8 Strategies for Staying in Touch When There’s No Business

Strong–and Weak–Questions to Win the Sale

By Andrew Sobel Advice abounds on "asking good questions" during the sales process. I believe much of it is confusing or even misleading. My clients and readers have enjoyed Power Questions, but have asked for more detailed guidance about the use of questions specifically in sales and business development. In response, I have published a short […]