Jason Harris, author of The Soulful Art of Persuasion
If you are an agency, business consultant or consultant who wants to attract high-paying clients, generosity is the killer strategy.
Is your brand about generosity? One of my recent favorite quotes is from business development expert author Stephen Woessner (Sell With Authority) who says the secret is to be “relentlessly helpful.”
To add to your summer reading list, other business development experts like David C. Baker in The Business of Expertise, former Harvard Business School professor David Maister in The Trusted Advisor, and ad agency founder Jason Harris all concur.
“The person who only comes around when it is obvious that they need or want something from you, is not someone that earns our trust,” says Harris. “People like that suck the life out of us. When their name appears in our inbox, our day automatically gets a little more meh and we roll our eyes.”
Harris is the cofounder and CEO of the award-winning creative advertising agency Mekanism, cofounder of the Creative Alliance and author of the national bestseller, The Soulful Art of Persuasion. Harris works with iconic brands such as Peloton, Ben & Jerry’s, Jose Cuervo, Alaska Airlines, and Charles Schwab, among others.
“On the other hand, an individual who leaves you just slightly better off every time you encounter him or her is precisely the person who is likely to get your attention when they need or want something from you,” says Harris. “So how do you become the right type of person? By being generous by nature.”
Harris says being generous doesn’t come naturally to some people. But if you commit to practicing generosity in every interaction, you’ll find that generosity will become habitual.
“So try this: every time you interact with someone—whether it’s at a business meeting, virtual call, reconnecting with friends—try to give something away,” says Harris. “Treat all of your encounters as a chance to flex your generosity muscles.”
A common misconception about generosity: being generous doesn’t translate to solely money or gifts. Covering costs might actually be the least memorable thing you can give away. Harris says if you enter every encounter thinking, “What can I contribute? How can I give away something valuable?” the answer usually falls into a few basic categories: time, attention or counsel.
When it comes to finding new clients, the options of time, attention or counsel play out in various forms. In my view, there are many ways to be generous with prospective clients. You can give away white papers, research study results, monographs, how-to articles, practical tips and case studies. You share these by typing and talking: either in written form or the spoken word.
In my view, talking is more important than typing. Prospects are impacted more when they experience you through podcast appearances, speeches, and workshops you host.
“Go into key interactions thinking about what, if anything, you can contribute or what’s being asked of you,” says Harris. “Is this an opportunity to offer a useful piece of information or a connection? Or does the situation call for a bit of honest feedback? It could be that the person you’ve connected with would appreciate a copy of a book you just read or an article that relates to their situation. Don’t feel the need to know ahead of time what the right response will be in each instance; once you begin seeing interactions as opportunities to give stuff away, the answer usually comes into focus and you can always listen to your gut.”
How does this pay off in terms of business development? It certainly has helped Harris succeed.
Under his leadership, Mekanism was most recently named Independent Agency of the Year by The Drum, and ranked by the Effie Index as a top 10 Most Effective Independent Agency in the United States. Harris was also named 2021 CEO of the Year by The Drum, a recipient of the 4A's 100 People Who Make Advertising Great, and a 2020 Campaign US 40 Over 40 honoree for his noteworthy contributions to the advertising and marketing industry. His methods are studied in cases at Harvard Business School.
“The rule of reciprocity will come back to you tenfold and you will be known as a kind and generous soul,” says Harris.
