Articles
Explore over 350 articles that will help you grow your client relationships and improve your personal effectiveness.
How to Become More Empathetic
How empathetic are you? Empathy is a fundamental quality of great trusted advisors, and it’s worth engaging in a moment of self-reflection to see if and how you can improve your empathy. Here are nine ways you can improve your empathy. In this post, I share the first five:
Read articleHow Useful Is Your Account Planning?
Does your organization have a client account planning process? If so, let me ask you some questions about it:
Read articleHow to Broaden Your Client Relationships
How do you broaden your client’s perception of your capabilities? This is a complex problem. Clients tend to pigeonhole their providers and put them in little boxes. Often, they are not even familiar with all of what you can offer. .
Read articleHow to build Peer Relationships with Your Clients (Part 3)
To become a client’s trusted advisor, you must be viewed as a peer. In my last two posts I talked about the importance of demonstrating professional acumen and C-Suite behaviors. In this post I explain the importance of values alignment for a senior executive who is bringing someone into their inner circle.
Read articleHow to Build Peer Relationships with Your Clients (Part 2)
To become a client’s trusted advisor, you must be viewed as a peer. In my last post I talked about the importance of demonstrating Professional Acumen. In this post I set out the "c-suite" behaviors you need to exemplify if you want to be accepted as a peer by senior executives.
Read articleOutstanding sales call preparation
How often do you jump into a car or taxi and show up at a prospect’s office ready to ask questions and pitch your solutions—but without really having prepared? Many senior executives I’ve interviewed have told me this happens all the time. And, they usually add, they aren’t impressed with someone who walks in knowing very little about their business and their issues.
Read articleWait! Eight Reasons You Shouldn’t Submit That Proposal
By Andrew Sobel You’ve probably starred in this drama before. A prospective client calls, interviews you for 20 or 30 minutes on the phone, and then asks you to submit a proposal. Sensing they are too junior to hire you, you try and set up a meeting with their boss. You’re told, “He’s asked me […]
Read articleHow Do You Pick Good Clients to Begin With
Picking Good Clients to Begin With With think a lot about how to build strong client relationships, but often don’t spend much time focusing on how to make sure we are getting the right clients in the first place. What is a good client? This ideal client varies for different people, but I think there […]
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