Most consultants say they’re “too busy doing the work” — as if that’s a badge of honor. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: you never stop to ask “are we still doing the right work?”

In this episode, John and Mark break down the concept of the engagement meeting; a deliberate, structured conversation designed not to move a project forward, but to make sure everyone is aligned with its direction. It’s where you zoom out, recalibrate priorities, and turn reactive “fire drills” into proactive strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most client relationships fall apart between meetings, not during them
• How to use engagement meetings to surface red flags before they become infernos
• The subtle difference between being a vendor who delivers and a partner who steers
• How this simple practice can increase client retention, expand accounts, and raise your lifetime value per client

If you’ve ever felt like a client relationship is fine but something’s off, this episode will show you how to fix it before your client ghosts you for the next shiny firm.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
01:46 Listener Feedback Survey
02:24 Engagement Meeting
04:13 Being Proactive Instead Of Reactive
08:01 Meeting Regularity
09:19 Have A General Set Agenda
11:30 Balancing The Scorecard
12:55 Ideal Meeting Length
15:12 Practical Tips
20:03 Next Steps?
21:36 When To Introduce The Concept
23:36 How Many Participants?
24:20 Conclusion

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Saying yes feels good. It’s helpful, it’s human—and it’s how your firm quietly bleeds to death. 😵

In this episode, John and Mark dive into the real power of saying NO: qualifying hard, protecting your pipeline, and choosing clients and marketing efforts that actually move your firm forward. Plus, they explore the cognitive traps (hello, sunk cost fallacy and FOMO) that keep you from doing it.

00:00 Introduction
02:06 Welcome
03:21 Qualification
08:16 Cognitive Biases
10:48 FOMO
14:25 No Keeps The Buyer's Interest In Mind
15:31 Saying 'No' To The Wrong Types Of Clients
22:36 People Over Projects
27:38 Saying No To Marketing Overload
34:27 Wrap Up

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Your CRM is haunted. Not by ghosts...but by cold leads, stalled proposals, and “maybe next quarter” conversations that never saw the light of day. In this episode, John and Mark take you on a guided tour of the Pipeline Graveyard—where dead deals lurk, and second chances await.

Despite the Halloween theme, this one’s evergreen. Because let’s be honest: deals go dark year-round. We’ll show you how to diagnose the truly dead, spot signs of life, and—when the timing’s right—resurrect opportunities without looking desperate.

It’s part sales therapy, part post-mortem, and part playbook for turning silence into closed-won. So grab your flashlight and a shovel. We’re digging in.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Welcome
01:16 Introduction
02:57 Common Causes of Deals Failing
06:29 Diagnosis
11:17 Signs There Is Still Life In The Deal
13:27 New Information
15:03 Reflection
18:19 How To Raise The Dead
24:50 Digging In The Graveyard
34:43 Segmenting

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7