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More Praise for How to Win Client Business When You Don’t Know Where to Start
“How to Win Client Business When You Don’t Know Where to Start skillfully captures the fundamental and critical insights about how to really ‘sell’ professional services. Doug Fletcher synthesizes years of valuable experience into a pragmatic dialogue that is pure gold for any professional working to develop clients and business. Whether you have never sold a dollar, or you have years of client development experience, you will find these invaluable lessons instructive, refreshing and inspiring.”
—Walt Shill, Global Commercial Officer, ERM
“If you are highly skilled at doing client work—but are puzzled by how to ‘get’ the client work, Doug's wonderful book demystifies the process for us. This book contains proven techniques that will make you more credible, trusted and in demand. Read this today, apply the lessons and watch your practice grow.”
—David T. Richardson, President & CEO, Cognision
“A rare and terrific resource for lawyers, consultants, and other providers of professional services, who are often intimidated at the concept of selling their time and expertise. Winning client business is different from selling widgets. Doug provides real world examples and pragmatic, doable strategies that even the most sales-adverse among us can use to build a successful business.”
—Judy Selby, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
HOW TO WIN CLIENT BUSINESS
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOWWHERE TO START
A Rainmaking Guide for Consulting and Professional Services
DOUG FLETCHER
Copyright © 2022 Wade D. Fletcher, Jr. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Fletcher, Doug, author.
Title: How to win client business when you don’t know where to start : a rainmaking guide for consulting and professional services / Doug Fletcher.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021005019 (print) | LCCN 2021005020 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119676904 (cloth) | ISBN 9781119676966 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119676928 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Consulting firms. | Consultants. | Consulting firms—Marketing. | Consultants—Marketing.
Classification: LCC HD69.C6 .F548 2021 (print) | LCC HD69.C6 (ebook) | DDC 001—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005019
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005020
Cover Design: Wiley
To Duncan and Abby, who inspire me every day and give me so much hope for the future.
I love you both and am proud to be your dad.
Introduction
Here's a simple thought experiment for you to ponder:
Why is it that we have no problem whatsoever buying a home after an hour-long walk-through, yet will agonize for months in choosing an architect if building a custom home?
We're comfortable spending
