Learn the secrets of how recurring revenue is driven at expert firms like BCG, KPMG, EY, and more
Never Say Sell: How the World's Best Consulting and Professional Services Firms Expand Client Relationships explains how to scale individual engagements into long-term business relationships. Cowritten by Tom McMakin, the coauthor of How Clients Buy and expert in account development, and colleague Jacob Parks, this book provides insights from key rainmakers at firms like Accenture, IBM, and more into how they drive growth from existing relationships.
Never Say Sell is a business development guide for professional service providers like consultants, accountants, and lawyers, whether they are sole proprietors or members of account teams tasked with expanding key accounts.
Doing good work with existing clients is not enough to have them come back to you again and again. You must do more. This book explores the techniques and methods that leading professional service providers use to add value, cross sell, and drive recurring revenue from existing engagements.
Never Say Sell will help you turn one-and-done clients into some of your most exciting and lucrative relationships. It is a must-have for any professional who benefits from repeat business.
Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Why We Never Say Sell
Section 1: Who We are and the Problems We Want to Solve 3
1 From Foothold to Footprint 5
Section 2: The Imperative and the Opportunity 15
2 Learning to Farm 17
3 The Diamond of Opportunity 26
Section 3: The Challenges 41
4 The Challenge of Knowing Too Much about the Wrong Thing 43
5 The Challenge of Complex Organizations 52
6 The Challenge of Serving Complex Networks 57
7 The Challenge of Introducing Your Colleagues 66
8 The Challenge of Scale 71
How We Can Help
Section 4: Farming for Knowledge 85
9 Know Thyself 87
10 Know Thy Client 101
11 The Secrets of Diamond Account Planning 111
Section 5: The Seven Disciplines of Successful Farming 119
12 Discipline 1: Do Good Work 121
13 Discipline 2: Be a Good Friend 138
14 Discipline 3: Leverage Your Team 150
15 Discipline 4: Incent Good Work 157
16 Discipline 5: Listen 165
17 Discipline 6: Tell Great Stories 169
18 Discipline 7: Master the Art of the Ask 176
Section 6: Seeds of Change 185
19 The Power of Peers 187
20 The Power of Routers 197
21 The Power of Technology 207
22 The Power of Experience and Insight 217
Further Reading 223
Acknowledgments 225
About the Authors 227
Index 229
