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You’ve done it! You successfully got a client through the front door and delivered a great service. But what happens next? Do you shake hands and wait for the next engagement to come along?

I’ve found that client pursuits are much like courtship. For example, the first meeting is often filled with promise and potential, but it’s what happens after that initial connection that determines the strength and longevity of the relationship. Likewise, in the realm of business development and relationships, the client journey doesn’t end with winning an engagement. Rather, it is the start of a mutually beneficial relationship. When we show up with genuine care, consistency, and creating real value, that’s when trust grows and partnerships thrive. You must make the most out of every opportunity.

With this mantra in mind, the Business Development Group of my Firm, P&A Grant Thornton, held its annual roadshow, Collaborate to Elevate: Driving Client Value Across Service Lines, a timely refresher on how strategic collaboration and internal referrals can amplify the value we deliver to our clients.

As one of the session’s panelists, I was given the opportunity to share my insights as the referrer with the largest won engagement last fiscal year. It was a chance to reflect on what made those referrals successful—and more importantly, how others can replicate that success.

To start, ask yourself: have you really been making the most out of every opportunity? Are you adding value to your clients and helping them grow?

Understanding your clients’ needs

Learning about what exactly a client wants or needs isn’t straightforward: they reveal themselves in moments you wouldn’t expect. Even in a simple lunch out, the dull small talk, or even the rants about their day: these are often where the real business challenges surface.

It turns out, clients don’t always articulate their needs in boardrooms or formal meetings: they often do so in passing, when they feel heard and understood.

The approach that works is, ultimately, having a genuine interest in their business and their success. When you listen with intent, not just to respond, but to understand, you begin to see the bigger picture. That’s when you can truly add value: when you see the goal as not to sell, but to be of service.

Knowing your business inside & out

In my experience, I’ve found that the best opportunity-creators for a business are those who understand not just their own service line, but the full spectrum of what their organisation can offer. This broader awareness allows you to identify opportunities that may not be immediately obvious but are deeply valuable to the client.

In a Forbes article titled “Need For Speed: Business Development In Emerging Ecosystems” , Travis Clinger highlighted how it’s imperative to know the value your company brings, in order to create possibilities for your prospective partners.

“To convince partners to come to the table, talk and think about how they can supercharge their growth by partnering with you, you need to be able to articulate the benefits you bring.” mentioned Clinger, underscoring the importance of communicating your organisations unique value proposition. This principle applies just as strongly within your organisation. When you can clearly communicate the strengths of your colleagues and service lines, you become a bridge between client needs and your firm’s capabilities.

I’d like to emphasize that everyone in an organisation, whether you’re a tenured manager for your business’s core service, or a junior support staff handling admin affairs, is part of the business development ecosystem. Your insights, interactions, and observations all contribute to the client experience and can spark opportunities for your organisation.

Strategic collaboration within 

When you bring a client on-board to a single service line, you’re only tapping into a fraction of the value your organisation can offer. What if that initial engagement could open the door to a broader, more integrated solution? That’s the power of strategic collaboration: it transforms isolated wins into long-term partnerships.

For instance, internal referrals are a powerful tool to deepen client relationships and unlock new revenue streams, without starting from scratch. “When implemented strategically, upselling and cross-selling practices can effectively tie two loose ends at once: drive business revenue and boost customer retention.”, said Henry Spitzer, in another Forbes article titled “Finding the Hidden Upsell and Cross-Sell Opportunities to Drive Growth”. Remember: channelling prospective clients to the right people, even if it doesn’t directly result in a win for your team, is a win as a whole for your organisation. 

We shouldn’t view collaboration across service lines as a competition; rather, you should see it as a shared opportunity to deliver greater value to the client. When we shift our mindset from “mine” to “ours,” we create a culture where referrals are not just encouraged—they’re expected.

Grab that opportunity

So, when a chance to develop business arises while you're networking with prospective clients, or even in a casual conversation with a colleague, grab it. Opportunities don’t always come with a formal agenda or a clear label. Sometimes, they’re hidden in the everyday moments we might overlook.

Today’s business landscape is much more agile than it was before: likewise, prospective clients and customers have much higher expectations. They’re looking for partners who understand their needs holistically, who can anticipate challenges, and who can offer solutions that span disciplines.

So, when looking at business development today, I implore you to see it as an opportunity for connection. Not only with your clients or customers, but also with all the other divisions of your organisation. Through collaboration, we can truly make the most out of every opportunity.

 

As published in The Manila Times, dated 13 August 2025