Selling Your Expertise

Conclusion

Throughout my career, I've seen a lot of talented, would-be rainmakers give up too easily. Much of their potential was unrealized because they were unwilling or unable to strongly advocate for their services, their firm, and most importantly, themselves. Maybe they were afraid of failure or had a distorted view of what rainmaking requires. Whatever the reason, they never gave business development a true shot. Many of them could have excelled, and in the process, helped not only themselves, but a lot of other people reach their aspirations. Whether in investment banking, management consulting, accounting, architecture, investment management, research, law, or any other professional service, there are always more reasons to tell yourself why you shouldn't try sales than why you should.

But, deep down, you do want to try—and not only try but succeed. And no matter how you might feel the deck is stacked against you, you can succeed. In doing so, you enhance your life, the lives of your clients, and in turn the lives of your clients' employees and customers. If you believe in the value of what you offer, and you manage to bring what you offer to the marketplace, everyone wins. As shown throughout the pages you've just read, effectively selling your expertise boils down to serving others. If you have a willingness to serve others, the openness to learn, and the fortitude to keep going, you can become a rainmaker.

As you set out, or continue, on your rainmaking journey, ...