Unlike most consumer products, selling services such as accounting, real estate and architecture involve higher involvement and a longer process, especially highly regulated professions like law and medicine. Knowing the difference between the tasks involved can help. There are three basic components to the sales cycle - marketing, business development and client development. These three disciplines are separate, yet inter-dependent. This is a slide deck I created to illustrate the difference. Credit for the concept is often attributed to an article in Reader's Digest, which is in the public domain - publication date unknown.

1. UNDERSTANDING
Marketing
Business Development
Client Development

2. Marketing is about influencing opinions and
attitudes.
Business Development is about influencing and
encouraging action.
Client Development is the retention, expansion
and growth of revenues derived from existing
clients.

3. Three Different, Yet Interdependent
Disciplines
Marketing sets the stage, providing exposure of
products or services
Business development connects people to
products and services
Client development, where everyone works to
expand existing relationships

4. MARKETING

5. “The Circus is Coming to Fairgrounds Sunday!!!”
[Advertising]

6. Walk an elephant through town...
[Promotion]

7. Elephant walks through the Mayor’s flower bed...
[Publicity]

8. Get the Mayor to laugh about it...
[Public Relations]

9. Get people to think of elephants, trapeze artists, clowns and
fun, instead of carnies, pickpockets, whining kids and
overpriced fiberoptic necklaces required to stop the whining...
[BRANDING]

10. If you planned the whole thing, that’s
MARKETING

11. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

12. Add a birthday party option
[Connection]

13. Ring Master shakes hands with parents and
kids who attend....
[Encouraging Action]

14. Ticket buyers are so happy about their
experience that they tell their friends...
[Influencing Decisions]

15. If you planned the whole thing, that’s
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

16. CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

17. Publish
educational
literature for
circus lovers...
[Stay top-of-mind]

18. Host a picnic for VIP’s...

19. ...where guests can mingle with performers
…and receive an
autographed poster
...ride an elephant
[Expand existing relationships]

20. If you planned the whole thing, that’s
CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

21. Together, it becomes the story others will
tell about your service, product or company!

22. Marketing, business development and
client development are interdependent.
 Marketing sets the stage, providing exposure of
products or services
 Business development connects people to
products and services
 Client development involves everyone working
together to expand existing relationships

23. www.lawgravity.com