(This post is another in our series of Rainmaking Problems. We invite your comments on this problem and would also welcome any problems you would like to submit to get comments from other readers.)

I received the following question from a reader in Singapore. He was responding to Rain Making Problem #9: Lead Generation when Your Back is to the Wall to which he refers several times. What would you suggest?

Hi all,

Ford, I just want to say first that I think what you're doing is great. I was so unhappy with my previous firm, I set up my own practice last year with just one client. From what the client told me before I quit, I was going to be extremely busy just servicing them. However, for various reasons they have sent me only about one-quarter to one-third of the work they indicated they would send me before I quit, so your books and your website have been a life saver for me.

I'm sorry that I don't have any tips for Lenore, but I do have a question which relates to Mel's point on focusing on serving rather than winning. I like to think I provide first-rate service. I'm not aware of anyone else in my geographical region and area of practice who provides service and does work to the standard I do. The only trouble is, how does one show that to a potential client? The way I see it, the scope for doing this is pretty limited: you can only go so far in writing proposals, and you may be limited to just one, or if you're lucky, two meetings with the potential client to talk over their needs, etc. Otherwise, "We're great. Our service is awesome and we're much better than everybody else" just sounds like another sales pitch that the potential client also heard from the competition. It is only when you actually land the work that you can show what you do.

So, do you have any tips to share on focusing on servicing during the sales process? Thanks in advance if you do.

In a sling in Singapore,

Willem