Doug Fletcher - How to Win Client Business When You Don't Know Where to Start

Clients need clues that we are really good at what we do. Remember the thought experiment from the book's introduction about buying the house versus hiring the architect? The reason it's easier to buy a house is that it is much easier to assess the quality of a “thing” than determine how happy we will be with a “service.” A product is used. A service is experienced. It's the difference between what is and what could be .

In order for a prospective client to have confidence they will be satisfied with our service, we have to provide evidence that we have done great work for similar people or organizations in the past. I often refer to these as channel markers, in the way that boats need channel markers to navigate safely from sea to port without running aground. We must demonstrate our expertise in specific ways that helps a prospective client feel comfortable in choosing to work with us.

It is often said in professional services that we are in the relationship business. Clients hire people with whom they have a relationship. Or, in the absence of knowing someone who can assist them, they rely heavily on the advice of others. Our ability to win client business is based upon the quality of our professional network.

I prefer to use the term “ecosystem” rather than “network.” Ecosystem is a better word, I believe, because networking has taken on a negative tone for some. Ecosystems are a complex mesh of mutually supportive, beneficial relationships. Our professional ecosystem is comprised of the people with whom we have relationships. The most successful rainmakers spend considerable time building their professional ecosystem. Not in a superficial way (say, LinkedIn connections you've never met), but in ways that are genuine and real.

Professional ecosystems flourish when the ties between its members are deepened by trust‐based relationships. This is the second phase of ecosystem building. Once established, relationships are strengthened by a commitment to helping one another succeed. Successful rainmakers value the people in their professional network, and dedicate time to helping these individuals succeed.

Real relationships are the key to winning client business, not a large advertising budget or digital marketing savvy. Helping others is at the heart of all human relationships, personal and professional. Real relationships are built upon respect and trust. Real relationships are built over time by being honest, helpful, and caring. We'll learn from the relationship habits of the most successful rainmakers so that we can apply them to our valued partners in our professional ecosystem.

Success at consistently winning client business comes from dedicating time every day to practicing the rainmaker skills. Practicing the rainmaker skills is not a sometimes thing; it's something that successful rainmakers practice every day of the year. We'll learn that success comes from building a personal client development system that works for you.

By tailoring your approach to your strengths and preferences, you'll be more willing to stick with it. No two rainmakers’ systems are identical, but they are alike in that they are practiced consistently. Developing good daily rainmaker habits early in one's career creates momentum that will become the foundation of future success.

In this book we'll learn the five rainmaker skills and improve our success at winning new client business. We'll examine approaches that others have found success with. And you'll be able to pick and choose from these examples to find an approach that best fits your interests and strengths.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's step back and first take a closer look at the client's buying decision journey. Understanding how clients buy is the consumer behavior piece of this rainmaker puzzle. Rainmakers have a keen sense of how clients think and what they need to feel comfortable in choosing to work with us. Understanding the clients buying decision journey is the first step in becoming more successful as a rainmaker.

It is hard to have a meaningful discussion about winning client business without discussing two very important topics:

1 The Importance of Doing Great Work

2 The Value of Repeat Clients

Doing great work is vital to winning client business. The two can't be separated. If we don't do good work, we just won't be around for long.

But this is not a book on how to do great work ; this is a book about how to get the work . My focus is not meant in any way to diminish the importance of being really good at your craft. It's just that most of us are already skilled at doing great work. Universities, professional organizations, continuing education, and firm training all contribute to the ongoing emphasis on how to do our jobs well.

There's a distinct difference, though, between the doin’ and the gettin’. Frankly, it's harder to find professionals who are skilled at getting the work than doing the work; hence the high‐attrition rate at the partner juncture and the relative scarcity of successful solo‐practitioners.

The second topic, the value of repeat clients, is also incredibly important. This was the case in my consulting firm. When we sold North Star Consulting Group in 2014, we had a considerable client base that had been with us since we opened our doors in 1999. Without these great, long‐term clients, our firm would not have been successful.

In many professions – if not most – consistent, repeat business from existing clients is the backbone of the firm. For many professionals, repeat clients represent 80% of their business. Without repeat business, the time commitment of finding new clients would consume nearly all of our week and there wouldn't be time for much else.

It's been well‐documented that repeat clients are in many cases the most profitable. Over time, loyal clients often base their decision to work with us less on cost‐sensitivity and more on the quality of the service and relationship. And there is less of a learning curve on our end in serving them well. Additionally, without doing great work for our existing clients, referrals to new client business would be few and far between.

Although these two topics are important, they are not the focus of this book. My passion lies in how to win new business, clients we have never served before. Not because it is more important than doing great work, but because winning new clients is the primary criterion of those on the partner track and the newly self‐employed. And, if we've already made partner, new client business will bring growth and vibrancy to our baseline practice. Without learning to generate new client work, all businesses will eventually plateau or decline.

1 John Grisham. What is a rainmaker? The Rainmaker. Doubleday, 1995.

2 Mary Tabor. “Nobody Can Keep Pace with John Grisham.” New York Times, April 19, 1995.

3 Ford Harding. Creating Rainmakers: The Manager's Guide to Training Professionals to Attract New Clients. John Wiley & Sons, 2006.

4 David Maister et al. The Trusted Advisor. Touchstone, 2001.

5 Pete Sackleh quote: Interview by How to Win Client Business research team, 2020.

6 Vic Braden story: Malcolm Gladwell. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Little, Brown and Company, 2005.