Profitable Ideas Exchange
How Clients BuyEpisodes
Episodes of How Clients Buy
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The Seven Elements framework presented in "How Clients Buy" represents a list of ingredients essential for business development success. As such, they can be used to conduct a self-assessment of relative strengths and weaknesses at the firm, pr
When researching "How Clients Buy," Doug Fletcher and Tom McMakin interviewed dozens of successful rainmakers. Their subjects ranged from solo practitioners to managing partners of global consulting firms. Doug and Tom’s goal was to field test
By all means, create content. Share the good stuff. Use inbound marketing and marketing automation—mindfully—to build awareness and understanding of your firm and its capabilities. Just don’t neglect the importance of relationships and trust. F
When it comes to professional services, Tom McMakin believes trust is everything. That's because information asymmetries are inherent in professional services. The service provider diagnoses the disease and provides the cure, the effects of whi
Which is more important to professional service providers: marketing or selling skills? The answer is both, contrary to common assumptions about the value of division of labor. Solutions providers conduct research and product development (marke
Doug Fletcher is one of the most likable people you'll meet. His easy-going manner puts one at ease. So, it's a bit jarring to hear Doug advise, "Forget about being likable." Instead, Doug encourages us to do great work and take really good car
When it comes to content marketing, if you hold back your “good stuff,” your efforts will be less effective. Your good stuff is, by definition, the most interesting stuff. If you hold back and offer up only your not-so-good-stuff, your offeri
Playing golf at the country club used to be an effective way to cultivate business relationships. That's no longer true. Globalization and specialization have made selling professional services more difficult. That's because trust may be more i
Even if the primary purpose of your practice isn’t to make money, making money is a requirement for sustaining your practice. By definition, a sale is the exchange of a service for money. So why isn’t selling featured in the curricula of busine
In this second in a series of interviews, Andi Baldwin of Profitable Ideas Exchange interviews "How Clients Buy" co-authors, Tom McMakin and Doug Fletcher, about the framework they call, "The Seven Elements" of business development for professi
In this first of a series of interviews, Andi Baldwin of Profitable Ideas Exchange asked "How Clients Buy" co-authors Tom McMakin and Doug Fletcher to explain the premise of the book and why they were compelled to write it.The post Why We Wrot
Authenticity is critical to successfully engaging potential clients, but you can't game it. You are who you are. That means authenticity comes at a cost. Nate Bennett explains why the benefits of authenticity far outweigh the costs.The post Ke
Advertising professional services can help, but it's a relatively poor investment. With the help of Walt Shill, Global Managing Partner for Client Services at ERM, Tom McMakin explains how it's better to develop strategies and processes that ca
It's better to demonstrate expertise than to claim it. Paul Quigley explains how organizing and moderating well-crafted panel discussions can help you sell from "the front of the room."The post Underwriting the Conversation appeared first on H
I sat down with Cavin Segil and asked him to narrate a typical introductory call with a potential client. He says they always include a handful of key components. Call them the ABCs of an introductory call: a) learn who they are, b) whare what
At the end of the introductory call, most prospects will ask for a “short piece” describing what you do and what you’ve done for others. Carlie Auger describes the four elements of a strong deck.The post Following Up – How to Write a Compellin
If you could ask a question of one of your peers, what would it be? We naturally seek assistance from those who are fellow travelers. Andi Baldwin seeks to find out what you would ask one of your peers in order to help you.The post Seeking Ass
Clients aren’t sold services. They buy them based on their evaluation of seven criteria: Awareness, Understanding, Interest, Belief, Trust, Ability, and Readiness. All seven elements must be present before a client can buy.The post The Seven E
Too often, we start the sales process from our point of view. Instead, start from your desired customer’s perspective.The post The Customer Journey appeared first on How Clients Buy.
Ann Kieffaber recently retired from the healthcare practice at Accenture as a Managing Director. Before that, she worked for IBM. In both roles, she was charged with helping the largest healthcare organizations transform how they collect, under
In an age when computers are ubiquitous, it is easy to want to automate the selling of expert services. Software can have its place, but nothing replaces human contact. If you see someone you feel you can help, sometimes it just makes sense to
When selling services to large organizations, there is never a single decision-maker. Individuals buy, but they exist within a buying ecosystem. Ann Kieffaber explains how understanding the sea in which your prospects swim is critical to engagi
Leadership is not just Braveheart-come-follow-me. It’s also a healthy dose of listening to those one wants to lead.The post Servant Leadership appeared first on How Clients Buy.
Tom McMakin believes that selling expert services is different than selling a product. I'm convinced he's right. Marketers of products are generally able to rely on what Doug Hall calls "kitchen logic" to tie features to benefits. Marketers of
The biggest challenge Dave Bayless sees in his own and others’ professional services practices is the tendency to be “intentionally vague.”The post A Tasting Flight appeared first on How Clients Buy.
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