More Friday Poetry This Time On Client Development

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers More Friday Poetry: This Time on Client Development I never thought I would find a poem about client development. So I was surprised when I  recently found a great Jill Konrath poem that makes some important points that your clients are likely thinking about.  Here it is: The Buyer’s Lament Don’t waste my time, please go away. I will not talk with you today. You call me up, you want to sell. But all you do is tell, tell, tell. I do not want to hear your spiel. I will not play let’s make a deal. So listen up, take my advice. Discover how you can entice. If you aspire to earn my trust, Research is an absolute must. Know my goals, the issues I face. Use this to build your business case. What have you done for firms like mine? How have you helped their bottom line? Can you cut my costs or help me grow? Now that’s the info I want to know. If you can help me solve my plight, I’m wide open to fresh insight. I’m looking now for new perspectives, To help me reach my objectives. Want me to remember your name? Launch an account entry campaign. Ten plus contacts is what it may take, When there’s a big opportunity at stake. To get past my no-entry zone, Just think of this next time you phone. Once you get your foot in the door, I guarantee you’ll sell lots more! What are your top takeaways from this poem?  Among the many great points is that clients want you to do your research before you talk to them. I have always said that my best client development was to: Identify a client problem, opportunity or change before the client discovered it, offer a solution and give it away. I think that is how I earned my clients’ and potential clients’ trust. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.