You Want More Clients

You Need Better Clients

A frequent question that newly minted and experienced valuation practitioners raise, is how one gets more clients. The question that should be asked is how one gets better clients. The author shares his thoughts on why the latter is the better question and source of focus.

Surprise, the most frequent practice development questions I get primarily have this theme: How do I get more clients?

What if I told you this is the wrong mindset to have? How would your thinking (and actions) change if we talked about landing better clients instead?

Hey, I get it. When you’re just starting out, you do need more clients. Because you have to pay the bills. But as you find your groove, your attitude needs to shift towards finding better clients.

Look back at the clients you worked with in 2024. How many of them:

• Did you have to chase to get the information you needed?
• Pushed you to consider shaky assumptions or take untenable positions?
• Requested last-minute changes that didn’t respect you or your time?
• Didn’t have intellectually challenging projects?
• And the ultimate insult, didn’t pay you on time or in full?

Let’s look at this from a retail perspective. At one end of the spectrum, there’s Walmart—found everywhere, always open, always cheap, selling everything, and they let you in as long as you have a pulse. They want more customers.

At the other end of the spectrum, let’s pick Louis Vuitton—relatively much fewer and much nicer stores, with set hours, selling specific high-end, high-quality merchandise, and they have a velvet rope policy to restrict bargain hunters. They want better customers.

Where in this spectrum would you like your BV practice to operate? Probably on the Vuitton end, right? Because who doesn’t want better clients?

And when I make this analogy to colleagues who say they want more clients, they say: “That’s what I meant, Rod. Better clients.” Of course, we all want better clients! Because here is what the shift to better means:

• Clients who respect you and your time because you’re a recognized expert.
• More ongoing work because you have more time to spend with fewer clients.
• More fulfilling projects because you choose what you take on.
• The ability to charge higher fees because you provide greater value.
• And more referrals because you have happier better clients.

So here is the $64,000 question: Does your marketing, branding, messaging, and positioning say you want more or better clients? What do you need to change (or do more of) to get better clients? What resources (time, money, effort, people) will it take?

---

Everyone has a different idea of what a successful practice is. The practice you want is personal because it is based on what “successful” means to you. I help practitioners focus on the strategies and tactics to build/grow their versions of successful practices. If you want some help with that, e-mail me at rod@rodburkert.com.