Mo asks Angela Meyer: What is a business development moment that you’re particularly proud of?

You have to build the relationship and understand that the work may not come in the first meeting.
Angela tells the story of a client that was in-house counsel for a major company that Angela’s firm had done a lot of work for. He set a dinner meeting with this attorney and during the conversation discovered that he felt completely unappreciated by Angela’s firm.
You have to be willing to ask questions and get feedback from your clients on how they like working with your firm.
Angela turned that relationship around by helping the attorney with a few of his presentations he was giving. By providing value and showing that she cared, he became a valuable client for years.
It takes a lot of good experiences to outweigh the effect of one bad experience. Sometimes the negative experience can be something as simple as not picking up the check.
In the initial consultation, it’s important to establish the lines and modes of communication. It’s also important to set the expectation around the first bill. Most professional service firms fail around client management.
At the end of the engagement always ask for feedback. That time is the perfect opportunity to land more work or a referral to someone else.

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Ep. 10 Arild Tveiten