Good news! That prospective
client you've been chasing for over a year called today with an engagement. In fact, the work is so significant that it will probably keep you busy for the next few months.
Fast forward thirty days. The client wasn't kidding: you're completely overwhelmed with their priorities, while yours (practice management, business development, sleep) have been pushed so far back in your mind that you don't even remember to feel guilty about neglecting them.
Fast forward ninety days. The project is finished, the client is happy, and you're so burnt out that you can barely remember your name. None of your referral sources have heard from you in months. Any prospects you were courting have gone ice cold. You now have the arduous task of jumpstarting your business development from the static jalopy it has become to the competitive roadster it needs to be. And given the time it typically takes to secure a major client, your next three months will be frustratingly uneventful.
This bipolar business model is all too familiar to anyone who has originated their own clients, especially if they lack the infrastructure to delegate most of the work. But the savvy rainmaker recognizes that there is no such thing as being too busy for business development. Sure, you will accommodate client demands, but you must carve out at least a few minutes each day to nurture key relationships so that the flow of business remains steady. Being busy is good. But using "busy" as an excuse is a recipe for unpredictable revenues.
