Sales & Business Development for Consulting & Creative Professionals-Sales Business Development for Consulting Creative Professionals

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Costas Papaikonou, co-founder of Happen Group, shared hard-won lessons from building a creative consulting agency during the 2008 financial crisis. He explained that successful business development in consulting is not about aggressive selling, cheap offers, or retainers. Instead, it depends on building trust, staying visible, and creating value through meaningful conversations with clients.<br /><br />He outlined a simple framework: spend most time in the “top half” of your network—people you know, enjoy working with, and who have real problems. He emphasized asking better questions, such as “Where are you winning? Where are you losing?” and using techniques like backward-forward planning to uncover the real brief behind a client’s stated request.<br /><br />Papaikonou also stressed that consultants should sell deliverables and outcomes, not time. He warned against tire-kickers, rigid day-rate pricing, and proposals that don’t truly answer the brief. Instead, he advocated offering options, pricing strategically, and maximizing value based on the client’s urgency and budget.<br /><br />Finally, he explained that strong agencies grow by developing homegrown talent, maintaining clear values, and consistently showing clients new thinking. His central message: no one will raise your fees for you—consultants must continuously increase the value they deliver.

Keywords

business development

consulting agency

client trust

network visibility

value-based pricing

client conversations

backward-forward planning

homegrown talent

strategic proposals