In many professional services companies (legal, accounting, engineering, and management consulting) your technical experts are the backbone of your organisation. They possess the skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver high-quality work that meets your clients’ needs. However, these professionals are rarely natural-born salespeople or business developers. They thrive in their technical domains, excelling at what they have trained to do. Yet, winning new work often feels like a foreign skill set, far removed from their core expertise.
Despite this, it is crucial to equip your technical experts with the skills needed to attract and secure new business. Our focus is always around developing expertise in three main areas—Business Development (BD), Client Management, and Leadership—embracing continuous learning in these areas can transform your technical staff into powerful advocates for your firm, helping to drive growth and sustained success.
Business Development (BD)
Business Development is more than just sales; it’s about identifying opportunities, building relationships, and creating value. For technical experts, this means leveraging their industry knowledge and expertise to solve client problems and meet their needs proactively.
- Identify Opportunities: Encourage your technical staff to stay attuned to industry trends and client challenges. By understanding the market landscape, they can spot opportunities for new projects or services that align with their expertise. This proactive approach not only positions your firm as a thought leader but also builds trust with potential clients.
- Build Relationships: Technical experts often work closely with clients, making them ideally placed to build strong, long-lasting relationships. Training them in effective communication and networking skills can help them connect with clients on a deeper level, fostering loyalty and opening doors to new opportunities.
- Create Value: Equip your staff with the skills to articulate how their technical solutions can provide tangible benefits to clients. This involves understanding the client’s business goals and demonstrating how your services can help achieve them. When technical experts can clearly communicate the value they bring, they become invaluable partners to your clients.
- Cross-Selling: Internal cross-selling is an often untapped source of new work. Firms that encourage collaboration between different departments and service lines within a firm often see many benefits, not least increased revenue, but strengthened client relationships as the client is being given a comprehensive solution. By understanding the full range of services your firm offers, technical experts can identify additional opportunities within existing client accounts.
Client Management
Excellent client management is key to winning repeat business and generating referrals. By developing strong client management skills, your technical staff can ensure client satisfaction and build a reputation for reliability and excellence.
- Understand Client Needs: Encourage your team to actively listen to clients and understand their unique needs and pain points. This enables your firm to offer tailored solutions that precisely address client requirements, enhancing satisfaction and trust.
- Deliver Consistently: Consistency is crucial in client management. Train your staff to deliver high-quality work on time, every time. This reliability builds a solid reputation and increases the likelihood of repeat business and positive referrals.
- Communicate Effectively: Clear and regular communication with clients is essential. Ensure your technical experts are equipped with the skills to keep clients informed about project progress, manage expectations, and handle any issues that arise promptly and professionally.
Leadership
Developing leadership skills in your technical staff can significantly impact their ability to win more work. Effective leaders inspire confidence, drive team performance, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Inspire Confidence: Leadership training helps technical experts gain the confidence to take initiative and lead client engagements. Confident leaders can effectively pitch ideas, negotiate contracts [link to negotiation skills], and close deals, all of which are essential for winning new work.
- Drive Team Performance: Strong leaders can motivate and guide their teams to achieve high performance. Essential leadership skills include effective communication, delegation, conflict resolution, and team-building. By fostering a collaborative and goal-oriented environment, leaders can ensure that their teams consistently deliver exceptional results that impress clients and attract new business.
- Foster Continuous Improvement: Leaders who prioritise continuous improvement encourage their teams to innovate and adapt. This mindset not only enhances service delivery but also positions your firm as a dynamic and forward-thinking partner, appealing to clients who value innovation and adaptability.
- Drive Productivity: Strong leadership drives productivity throughout the organisation. Leaders who are skilled at setting clear goals, providing constructive feedback, and recognising achievements create a motivated and efficient workforce. This productivity boost not only enhances project delivery but also improves overall client satisfaction, leading to more business opportunities.
Supporting your technical experts to win more work requires a strategic investment in their professional development. By focusing on Business Development, Client Management, and Leadership, you can transform your technical staff into powerful advocates for your firm, capable of attracting and securing new business. This approach not only benefits your bottom line but also empowers your technical experts to grow and excel in their careers, creating a win-win scenario for your firm and its employees.
If you would benefit from support in any of these areas drop us an email hello@questas.co.uk, or give us a call +44 (0)7789 866622 and we would be delighted to hear about the challenges you are currently facing and propose a solution tailored to your firm.
We are a business development consultancy which is passionate about helping our clients develop processes, skills and behaviours that will result in increased sales and improved margins. 
