More & Forever Interview Series — Episode 12

david ryan

David Ryan, founder and CEO of Gray Matters Group, shares insights from his enduring career creating more and forever relationships with his clients and helping professional services teams create more and forever relationships with their clients. 

 

THEMES

  • Trust is a lot of the little things

  • Do your homework . . . this IS a differentiator

  • Make it about your client, not you

  • Every team member who touches the client contributes to creating more and forever . . . or to not creating it

  • Relationship development skills can grow incrementally—doesn’t have to happen overnight

KEY MOMENTS

[0:45] A synopsis of David’s enduring career and twenty-year anniversary of Gray Matters Group.

[3:10] What does a More and Forever relationship mean to you? 

[4:13] What does it mean to build trust and what does it take?  

[5:46] Can you measure trust?

[7:38] Do your homework!  “We are being vetted at every turn . . . “

[9:17] Working with younger consultants who might be anxious about the value they can add.

[11:19] The risk of “getting away with not preparing.”

[12:13] The accumulative effect of these things makes your first impression. 

[12:40] “High-quality service delivery is expected—it is table stakes—you better have it. So, the question is, how do we differentiate ourselves?”

[13:10] “Don’t earmark More and Forever for just the most senior consultants . . . how are we deploying individuals, not just partners and senior delivery professionals—but how are we deploying everybody who touches the client and shapes the client experience . . . “

[15:29] Break down the fear factor, “They are going to think I am selling.” David helps shift the mindset, "This isn’t about selling, this is about helping.”

[20:30] Surface the need! These individuals don’t need to pursue and close—tee up and connect to the more seasoned individuals on the team.

[22:34] A lesson David has experienced from his enduring clients, "A beautiful dance of equity and partnership.”

[25:04] David the dad and husband!

[26:50] David’s mantra with his daughters, “Be interesting and be interested.”

[28:49] I want to know what David loves to read, and later I recommend David pick up A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal…one of my favorites.

[31:00] A final lesson for our episode, "Stay fresh with your relationships . . . and it is never too late to reconnect.”