Featured Articles

Should You Accept Referral Fees?

Ford Harding
June 25, 2008 13:36

A reader sent me the following question:  What’s your opinion on referral fees? I’ve just paid my first one to get some business - it was just over 10% of the first project. All fees that come after it will be my own. For years I’ve been practicing good karma, believing that what...

Recent Articles

Sales skills are essential. Short video on how to become better at it.

Ford Harding
November 08, 2011 04:18

According to Gary Pines, a Principal at Harding & Co., we are in the Era of Rainmaking. Effective sales skills are an essential component of an executive’s business toolkit as well as a key determinant of career advancement. Gary speaks with Life, Optimized about how you can become a better...

“Push Me Pull You” – Intellectual Capital or Just Intellectual Property?

Ford Harding
October 20, 2011 23:10

Many professionals talk about their intellectual capital when they should be referring to it as intellectual property. Ideas don’t become intellectual capital unless you can monetize them. In other words to qualify as capital, an idea must help you do one or more of three things: • Get you in front...

Rainmaking Performance Standards – Part 3 of 3

Ford Harding
October 10, 2011 14:37

In two previous posts, we described the importance of developing appropriate performance standards to succeed at rain making and provided examples of the kinds needed by professionals. Again, performance standards are measures by which you can determine: • The degree to which you are succeeding or...

Rainmaking Performance Standards – Part 2 of 3

Ford Harding
September 20, 2011 19:10

In a previous post, we described the importance of developing appropriate performance standards to succeed at rain making. Again, performance standards are measures by which you can determine: • The degree to which you are succeeding or failing, • The degree to which you are on track to succeeding...

Rainmaking Performance Standards

Ford Harding
September 13, 2011 21:47

For many years, Harding & Company has studied rainmakers to learn what it takes for professionals to make the transition from doing and managing client work to selling it.  One of the biggest reasons that some fail to make this transition is giving up too soon.   There are many causes of this...

Networking’s Other Side

Ford Harding
March 22, 2011 03:50

Many people, including myself, extol the benefits of networking.  Networking is good because networkers spend much of their time helping others.  They remember birthdays and anniversaries.  They cheer you when you’re sick and they congratulate you when you succeed.  Networking is good,...

Compensation isn’t all that drives business development behavior

Ford Harding
February 03, 2011 02:21

You don’t have to pay your staff tons to market!  While it has to be fair, it doesn’t drive all behavior.  We’ve been saying that for years!  Hay Group’s recent study on 3 incentives that work captures this point.  The article will make you step back and reflect – -...

Don’t miss your speaking opportunities for small groups

Ford Harding
January 26, 2011 03:59

When you are asked to speak to a small group of executives in an association what is the first thing you do? A.  Review some of your other presentations to see if you can reuse some of the material B.  Begin thinking of a topic that would best showcase your expertise to the executives C.  [...]When...

Defining a sales culture

Ford Harding
January 23, 2011 21:51

Our research has shown that identifying the characteristics of a sustainable sales culture is complex.  To better understand the best processes and variables that would provide the most useable data for firm leaders, I solicited the help of my dear friend, Farha Ghannam, Associates Professor of...