You and I notice things. We notice how people speak, listen, connect… and sometimes miss the mark. But before we judge, there’s a better question: “Is this showing me something I could improve too?” That’s what I call The Mirror Effect. Turning irritation into insight. Have a listen to the video and comment below: What behaviour in others has taught you something about yourself?

Where do you most often feel yourself shrinking your fee: before the conversation, during the pricing conversation, or after the client pushes back?

The more I use AI, the more I realise that the quality of the answer often comes down to the quality of the question. When I’m vague, I usually get something generic back. When I’m clear about what I want, the outcome is usually much better. What's interesting is that it's made me think about business in the same way. Whether it's speaking with clients, setting expectations, or solving problems, clarity seems to make a huge difference. It's a simple observation, but one that's stuck with me. Has anyone else found that using AI has changed the way they think about communication or business in general?

Many professionals put enormous energy into winning a new client. And then they wing what comes next. The first 90 days of a client relationship set the foundation for everything that follows. I want to share the framework I use, because I think it is genuinely one of the most overlooked areas in the helping industry. Before the first working meeting, send a welcome pack. A personalised welcome letter, your working agreement in plain English, a short questionnaire about goals, and clear next steps. It signals professionalism before you have even sat down together. At the first meeting, cover what I call the soft contract alongside the hard one. The hard contract is what you are doing. The soft contract is how you are going to do it. How will you communicate? What does success look like? What might get in the way? Break the 90 days into 30-day segments with shared objectives. Document every win. And build trust deliberately, through consistent action, not passively through good intentions. I made the mistake early in my career of assuming trust would build naturally. It does not. It is built deliberately. The 90-day review is not an ending. It is a beginning. I am curious how structured your first 90 days currently are. Tell me which fits best: a) I have a clear onboarding process and it works well b) I do some of this but it is not consistent across every client c) I mostly wing it after the contract is signed and I know it costs me d) I am just starting out and I want to build this in from the beginning Drop your letter below.

@Darryl James and I have put together a three-session live online programme. It is called Lead Generation and Beyond! AI: More Clients, More Easily, More Often Here's why we created it. A lot of people are talking about AI right now. Very few are showing professionals how to use it in a way that is actually profitable, persuasive, and does not sound like it was written by a machine. Between us, Darryl and I have spent well over 40 years in lead generation and business development, plus the last few years testing AI properly. Where it helps. Where it hurts. And how to use it in the real world without losing the human touch that wins trust. We have already made the mistakes, tested the tools, and found the shortcuts. The idea is that you do not have to. Across the three live sessions we are going to cover how to: • Attract better-fit clients • Communicate your value more clearly • Use AI to save time without losing quality • Follow up more effectively • Convert more of the opportunities already in front of you Because these are live sessions you can ask questions as we go and get real answers in the moment. The first session is on Thursday 30th April. The full 3 x 90 minute session programme is only £100 plus VAT. You also receive the recordings, the transcripts, and Darryl's latest AI Business Playbook (worth £49) as a bonus, so even if you cannot attend every session live, you will not miss out. If this sounds like it is for you, reply below or click the link and grab your place. https://www.peterthomson.com/lead-gen-and-beyond