Business development activities that actually bring in consulting clients

TL;DR: Which activities move a consultant toward new clients, and which only feel like work. The feast-or-famine cycle is named here and answered in depth in cluster 5A.

Which business development activities actually bring in consulting clients?

6 Questions About Business development activities that actually bring in consulting clients

I'm always busy but new clients aren't coming in

The time is going to work that feels productive and keeps you invisible. How to spot fluffing the pillows, and the two-hour shift that restarts your pipeline.

How do I do business development when I'm slammed with client work?

Shrink business development instead of pausing it: simmer mode is the minimum that keeps you visible while client work owns your weeks. One block, three moves.

How do I reach out to old contacts without being awkward?

Reaching out to old contacts is less awkward than it feels: they assume you're busy and are glad to hear from you. What to say, and who to write first.

I'm great on calls. How do I get more of them?

More first calls come from two inputs you control: visibility and invitations. You already convert, so build the seam that fills the calendar with them.

Do I need to do speaking or podcasts to get clients?

No. Speaking and podcasts are amplifiers, and what's required is one consistent channel. When a borrowed room is worth it, and what order to build things in.

Should I hire a lead generation agency for my consulting business?

Usually no. An agency can book calls, but not the part that turns a conversation into signed work. Work your warm contacts before you pay to reach strangers.

Related Clusters

Pillar 01 / Cluster 1A

Getting consulting clients when referrals slow down

What to do when the warm-network referrals that built your consulting business stop producing, and how to start getting clients on purpose instead.

Pillar 05 / Cluster 5A

Escaping the feast-or-famine cycle in consulting

How consulting income becomes predictable instead of a swing between slammed and scared. Cluster 1D names the feast-or-famine cycle; this cluster answers it in depth.

Pillar 02 / Cluster 2A

Leading comfortable sales conversations with consulting clients

How to run sales conversations that feel like being a peer and an expert, never a salesperson.

Mary G, nonprofit consultant
I just secured a contract for 500% more than I was originally going to quote. I was ready to undervalue my bid and ask for $7,000 but I reached out to Leah and the team for a pep talk and I'm glad I did, because we are now going under contract for $37,500!! I'm stoked!
Denise F, marketing consultant
I was my reviewing my revenue dashboard and it showed that I earned $100K more in 2024 compared to the year before. I joined the Academy in May 2024 and it has transformed my sales approach entirely.
Sarah J, fundraising consultant
We used to book clients just in time to keep income flowing, and we now have a 6-month cushion!

Get more of the clients you want, and get paid more for your work

Leah writes to women running B2B consulting businesses every week, about getting clients on purpose and getting paid for the value of the work.

Sign up for the newsletter Apply to The Academy