A bit of a history lesson today, but bear with me because I believe it's directly relevant to you and how you can win more clients.  

Back in 1963, the Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company asked Bruce D Henderson to set up a management consulting division for them.

The “division” was initially Henderson, a back room in their offices, and a phone.

And Henderson faced the challenge many of us face today. He had strong incumbent competitors (McKinsey had been going for 45 years by that time) and he lacked the contact network and well-placed alumni that consulting firms of the day used to bring in new clients.

But what he did have was ideas. Great ideas about how businesses could improve and grow.

He knew if he could get those ideas into the hands of senior executives in large organisations, he stood a chance of winning them as clients.

So in 1964 he started mailing essays he called “Perspectives” direct to senior executives. 

He didn't wait to write a book. He didn't try to get articles into prestigious publications, or to ask for introductions, or to get on radio or TV.

He sent his essays directly to them.

And they weren't just any essays. Henderson described them as a “punch between the eyes”. Deliberately provocative. Focused on big, important topics. In Henderson's words:

“Statements that senior executives would find believable are not supported. Only provocative material is argued. The subject matter is chosen to be deliberately provocative, significant in implication, and relevant to the policy decisions of corporate competition.”

Henderson steered away from content that his potential clients already know or could hear from his competitors. He focused on his own distinctive point of view.

Within 10 years the Boston Consulting Group, as they came to be known, had become the leading strategy consulting firm in the US.

All started through Henderson's approach of getting his best ideas directly into the hands of his idea clients.

Could you do something similar?

Do you have great ideas that would help your clients and are different from what your competitors are saying?

Our ability to “go direct” has never been greater. With paid advertising on Google, Facebook or Linkedin we can get our message to exactly the right people based on demographics, geography, income levels, what they're interested in, what they're searching for, they job they do, their level of seniority, which industry they work in, and a whole bunch more.

Writing a book and hoping it's a success is great and can absolutely boost your authority. Appearing on TV or radio or podcasts can do similar. As can writing guest articles or appearing on social media.

But for a surefire strategy for getting your ideal clients to take notice, nothing beats going direct.