Mo asks Kevin Clem: Tell us a business development story that you are really proud of. Kevin tells the story of a completely cold lead that turned into a full-fledged prospect after five years of near silence.

Mo asks Kevin Clem: Tell us a business development story that you are really proud of.

• Kevin tells the story of a completely cold lead that turned into a full-fledged prospect after five years of near silence.
• By helping the prospect without asking for anything in return at the beginning, Kevin kicked off a relationship where when the timing was right, the client asked for him to sell him on working with him.
• Of the four parts of the relationship building process, the listen and learn stage is one of the most important. Kevin brought his prospect into a round table conversation that showed how HBR has worked with other clients in the past, and that created the curiosity that led to the sale.
• When you build enough curiosity and do the process the right way, the client is pulling you towards taking the next step instead of you pushing them.
• The best result you can get in professional services is a warm referral. If your client is willing to do that, that shows a huge amount of trust.