Unexpected bills. Zombie salespeople. AI-generated emails from hell. This Halloween, Three Things takes you inside three terrifying BD horror stories from the client’s perspective, with practical tips to ensure your customers aren’t screaming for all the wrong reasons.
Eight months of work, countless 6am calls and a potentially transformational opportunity. And we lost. This week, I’m sharing three painful lessons about putting all your eggs in one basket, trusting your gut and finding the resilience to start again.
Every year, firms hand their best client relationships to directories and wait for the feedback. Why not have the conversation yourself? Done properly, referee management can become continuous client listening, creating stronger relationships long before the rankings arrive.
Your lawyers have the stories you need. The challenge is capturing them without another spreadsheet. This week: why conversations beat forms, how AI agents make talking scalable, and why giving immediate value back is the key to keeping people engaged.
Directory season shouldn’t begin with last year’s Word document. Start with strategy instead. Work out what you want to be famous for, gather the right intelligence and use the process to build something more valuable than a ranking.
School’s back, summer’s over and it’s time to compare notes. This week: using AI as a sounding board, choosing the skills actually worth learning, and stealing the best AI tricks your colleagues discovered over the holidays.
We spend plenty of time building new relationships, while some of our best ones quietly gather dust. This week: why dormant doesn’t mean dead, how to reconnect without an agenda, and how to avoid losing touch all over again.
What can a Vietnamese cooking course teach you about winning work? Quite a lot, actually. From choosing the right ingredients to following the recipe and keeping customers coming back, here are three lessons for better BD.
Heading off on holiday this summer? Before you switch on your out-of-office, ask yourself one question: would your sales pipeline survive without you? Three simple ideas to help you switch off properly, keep momentum going and maybe even discover your next big idea.
Negotiation doesn’t start when someone asks for a discount. It starts long before that. Three practical ideas to help you protect your value, negotiate with confidence and stop giving away more than you need to in your next client conversation.
Success can make firms surprisingly defensive. This week’s Three Things looks at why winning a panel appointment guarantees no work, why busy pipelines still need attention and why standing still may be the riskiest tactic of all.
LinkedIn says “Congratulations!” Everyone else says exactly the same thing. This week’s Three Things explains why career moves are one of the biggest, and most overlooked, business development opportunities, and how to make the most of them.
Last weekend I cycled 270km from St Margaret’s to Amsterdam with 31 other parents to raise money for my daughter’s school. It reminded me that winning in sales isn’t about giant leaps—it’s about preparation, teamwork and simply reaching the next kilometre.
Your LinkedIn profile is probably working harder against you than for you. Three simple changes, inspired by LinkedIn expert Helen Burness, could make you more visible, more memorable and far more likely to start the right conversations.
The UK is turning up the heat this week. Good business developers know that pressure, discomfort and momentum don’t disappear when the temperature rises. Three practical reminders for staying visible, building trust and creating opportunities whilst everyone else heads for the shade.
Last week I swapped Hounslow for Chicago and spent two days at the LSSO RainDance Conference. Here are three observations that kept appearing in different sessions, panel discussions and conversations, and what they might mean for professional services firms this side of the pond.
Everyone sees the winner crossing the line. Nobody sees the 5am alarm clock, the preparation or the setbacks along the way. Three lessons from professional sport that every business developer should remember when chasing their next opportunity.
Most professionals either ignore their competitors or become obsessed with them. Neither works. This week, Three Things explores how AI, client intelligence and a broader view of the competitive landscape can help you stay ahead without disappearing down a research rabbit hole.
Most firms think their BD problem is external competition. Often, it’s internal friction instead. Slow approvals, drafting by committee and organisational politics quietly kill momentum long before competitors do. Here are three ways friction damages client experience, and what to do about it.
We’re operating in one of the lowest trust environments in years. Clients trust institutions less, buyers trust marketing less, and half the internet now looks like it was written by a robot having a nervous breakdown. Which means the little things matter more than ever. This week’s Three Things looks at the tiny signals that build trust in professional services before you’ve even started the real work.
Year-end isn’t admin. It’s a commercial moment. Three ways to turn invoice chasing into conversations, create urgency and rethink next year’s revenue in an AI-shaped world.
The blank page isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s a lack of starting points. Three ways to get something down that doesn’t make you wince later.
Timing beats messaging. Map your client’s year, match your approach to their workload, and use simple triggers to stay relevant without overdoing it. BD isn’t luck, it’s rhythm.
Speed, silence, and saying “I don’t know”. Three BD dark arts hiding in the archive that feel uncomfortable, slightly risky, and incredibly effective when used properly. Proceed with caution.
Lawyers are trained to argue. So pushing harder rarely works. Three ways to guide decisions, influence outcomes and get what you want without turning every conversation into a battle.
Three more BD dark arts: the email that gets replies when nothing else will, how to build internal FOMO, and why getting personal (carefully) wins more work.
Some things you learn in BD training. Others you only learn in the trenches. This week: three slightly mischievous tricks for getting ideas approved, doors opened and marketing working with you.
Most professionals pitch too early. The best business developers stay curious. Three practical ways to ask better questions, slow the pitch reflex and uncover the real problem clients actually need solving.
AI in client planning isn’t one thing. It evolves from efficiency tool to knowledge hub to agentic team member. The question isn’t whether you’ll use it, but at what level.
If one contact leaving would damage your revenue, you don’t have a relationship. Three practical ways to deepen client intimacy, spread influence and move from transactional supplier to strategic partner.
Client plans fail in the real world, not in workshops. Three practical disciplines to protect time, fix fundamentals and run 90-day cycles that actually move relationships forward.
Client plans don’t fail because of templates. They fail through lack of courage, ownership and rhythm. Three practical ways to co-develop, share accountability and keep plans alive.
Tina is a voice-enabled sales coach built for professional services. Practical, human and always on, she helps tackle real BD challenges as they happen.
Week four and the final edition of our Atomic BD habits series focuses on resilience. Miss a day, fine. Miss a week, recover. It’s about persistence, not perfection, and building habits that survive real life.
Week three of our Atomic BD habits series focuses on making business development easy. Smaller actions, less friction, and habits designed to survive busy weeks, bad days, and real professional life.
This week’s Three Things looks at making BD obvious: visible triggers, habit stacking, and crystal-clear next actions. Stop relying on memory. Design your environment so BD happens by default.
January kicks off with Atomic BD habits. Inspired by *Atomic Habits*, this week focuses on identity over intention, small daily actions, and consistency over heroics. Tiny changes, repeated properly, can transform how you approach sales and business development in 2026.
Sales in 2026 won’t be about shiny tools alone. Listen more. Personalise properly. Use AI like an exoskeleton, not a crutch. Our final Three Things of 2025 peers into the future, with a small teaser of what’s coming next.
Sales and BD didn’t suddenly become complicated in 2025. We just made them that way. This week’s KISS Edition looks back at the three basics that actually worked all year, if you bothered to do them consistently.
Budget season is back, and this year, AI changes everything. Here are the three things every marketing and BD team should prioritise for 2026–27: smarter tech investment, flexible budgeting, and decision-making driven by data, not partner preferences.
Senior moves, shifting budgets and organisational reshuffles are everywhere right now. This week we explore three perfect timing moments for outreach — when new leaders land, when budgets wobble and when organisations change direction — and why support beats selling every time.
With the BBC caught editing Trump speeches and integrity on trial everywhere, this week’s Three Things looks at why honesty, authenticity and keeping your promises aren’t just “nice to have” in sales — they’re your biggest commercial advantage.
This week, we explore the power of silence in sales and business development — why pauses make your message land harder, how to listen beyond words, and how fewer, more deliberate conversations can build stronger client connections.
Three routes to revenue, three ways to sell. This week we unpack Account-Based Marketing, Key Account Management and Targeted Product Marketing — and why sticking to just one is like turning up to a client pitch wearing someone else’s suit.
Halloween’s here — and so are the BD horrors. From clients getting spooked to ghosting teammates and zombie pipelines, this week’s *Three Things* shows you how to keep your BD efforts fright-free, fun, and full of treats (not tricks).
You’ve been inspired, caffeinated, and possibly overserved. But once the name badges come off, what actually changes? Here’s how to turn all that post-conference energy into something your future self (and your CRM) will actually notice.
Whether it’s a client, a partner or your teenager, objections are universal. This week: three simple steps for handling them like a pro – plus our 20-objection pocket guide to keep you calm when the “not yets” start rolling in.
Legal directory season again? Joy. If you’re doomed to do them, at least make them useful. Three ways to turn referee lists, matter write-ups, and partner wrangling into real BD wins (and maybe even a half-decent coffee chat).
Think vulnerability has no place in sales? Think again. This week’s Three Things explores how being open, asking for feedback, and sharing lessons learned can make you more trusted, more human – and yes – better at winning work.
AI can list your credentials, services, and facts faster than you can say “next slide”. What it can’t do is be genuinely curious. This week: three ways to use curiosity as your competitive edge.
We’re all brilliant at giving — introductions, coffees, free advice — but terrible at asking for anything back. This week: three ways to cash in on reciprocity without sounding like Del Boy. Because BD shouldn’t mean buying endless rounds.
September’s here, the holidays are over, and it’s time to get back to school. Three things this week: do your homework, check the timetable, and hit the revision guides — all to help you ace your sales and BD in Q4.
This week’s BD Top Trumps card celebrates Empathy—the underrated skill that helps you read the room, co-create with customers, and build strong internal teams. It’s the quiet superpower that turns conversations into relationships and relationships into results.
Creativity in business development isn’t just about marketing. This week’s BD Top Trumps card explores how professionals use creative thinking to shape pricing, reframe services, and collaborate more effectively—both internally and with customers. It’s about standing out, solving problems, and building trust in ways that feel fresh, thoughtful, and relevant.
This week’s BD Top Trumps card is all about Knowledge. We explore how “knowing enough to be dangerous,” sharing key insights, and spotting market patterns can transform your business development impact—especially in a hybrid world where water-cooler moments have all but vanished.
Curiosity is your BD superpower. This week’s Top Trumps card explores how asking better questions, ditching assumptions, and knowing your service inside out helps you connect and convert with confidence.
Discover the first in our BD Top Trumps series—Resilience. Practical tips, research-backed insights, and a healthy dose of humour for professional services rainmakers.
This week we’re talking about how business development really works in practice groups and client teams. Not as a one-person mission led by the loudest voice in the room, but as a team sport – where every player has a role, and the best results come from well-drilled coordination, not solo flair.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Deliver three things to my inbox Here we go (again)! New financial year, new target – and if you’re anything like most partners or senior
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Deliver three things to my inbox Spring cleaning After a cracking UK weekend, we can dare to believe that spring is in the air. While
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
For professional services, the modus operandi has always been to stay ahead of trends for clients. That means GenAI has become a near constant presence in briefings, podcasts, forecasts and pitches. But, as LINAR Consulting’s Sam Stamp cautions, some remain stuck gathering digital dust.
Deliver three things to my inbox Ready, steady, GO! As the Olympics begin, one can only marvel at the dedication and expertise of the athletes, particularly
Does BD coaching actually work? Or are some people just born with the gift of the gab?
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Lee Curtis talks to James Stringer & John Timperley about the evolution of sales within professional services.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Three Things does what it says on the tin. A weekly sales and BD punch with three practical tips for instant execution.
Listen to our MD, Lee Curtis, talking to Oliver Hansard about sales skills and finding your splendid splinter!
Access the full PM Forum article PDF here (5 min read) Extract For reasons that are cultural, historical, logical and illogical, and while the professional services
Access full article here (8 min read) Extract Personally, I think it’s a brilliant time to start a career in law as a non-lawyer. Why?
LINAR MD, Lee Curtis, talks to Nicky Acuna Ocana (MD, Ambition) about his career to date and what drives him.
Access the full article here (8 min read) Extract The word “sales” can evoke a range of emotions. Within the legal sector it’s often been considered an
