Articles

Letter from a Client: Here’s Why You Lost

Recently, I spoke with a Chief Financial Officer about his company’s decision to hire an advisor for a major engagement. One of the competitors asked me to help them understand why they had lost and what they could do to increase their proposal win rate. Here’s what this executive told me:   Dear Andrew, You […]

ClientCentricities

I have a client who bids out each project, despite the fact that we have a long-term relationship. What can I do?

Sinatra and the 4 Levels of Client Loyalty

For decades, Frank Sinatra hung out at Patsy’s Italian restaurant on west 56th Street. Why was he so fiercely loyal to this one particular eatery in a city with hundreds of good Italian restaurants. Was it the food? The ambiance? The other stars who went there? The answer is fascinating. It tells us a lot […]

Questions You Should Never Ask

You have finally gotten the meeting you sought with a top executive at a prospective client. You prepare well for the session, researching the company and the individual you’re meeting with. After the small talk dies down, you ask your “killer” question: “I’d like to get a better understanding of your issues. So, what keeps […]

Client Centricities

What questions can I use to engage a client that is "even keel" and has no sense of urgency about changing?

How Well Do You Really Know Your Clients?

Book Review: “Rainmaking Conversations”

This is an engaging, well-crafted guide to improving your selling effectiveness. Rainmaking Conversations is a new book on selling services by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. Schultz and Doerr run a publication called RainToday as well as a sales consulting firm, and they authored a previous book called Professional Services Marketing. They have a done […]

How to Hold a Perfect First Meeting

Every long-term, trusted partner client relationship started with a single meeting. The genesis is almost always a brief conversation that, frankly, could have gone either way. Why does one first meeting lead to millions of dollars in revenues over many years, whereas another ends up with a “Let’s stay in touch” farewell at the door? […]