Your phones aren't ringing as much - you've got to hunt for business. Building business relationships - is harder than ever. (But - you have to do it!) Then, top client managers are increasingly difficult:

• They are harassed, busy, impatient, even unfriendly.
• Their time is short.
• They see many of you as costs, not investments.
• And finally, change is everywhere in their lives.

Well, to begin with, "change" is not a new phenomenon.

Back when I was an undergraduate at Princeton, a heard a clever story about Einstein. It was something like this: Einstein was teaching a class at Princeton in Nuclear Physics. He announced details of an upcoming exam, which would be the same exam as the one he gave his students last year. After the class lecture ended, a young man approached Einstein. The young man seemed confused about the upcoming exam. He questioned why Einstein would intentionally give the exact same exam as he did last year. And why Einstein wasn't concerned that students wouldn't be tempted to simply contact students who had graduated last year, and who had taken the same exam to get the details. Basically, why wouldn't he expect people to simply "cheat"? Einstein's answer was provocative and unexpected. First, he simply confirmed that, "yes" the test would be the same as last year, however, the "answer" will be different.

Change has been around forever, but the rate of change and nature of change is new. So to be successful in tomorrow's ever-changing world - you need to create for yourselves - a model for how business will work -- in the 21st Century.

You'll need to develop a way to look at business in general, and - a way to look at any client's specific industry.

Not just as a technical, or tactical problem to solve - but holistically, at their entire business. What your clients really want -- are insights, wisdom, sustainable solutions.

So, how do you get to, these often desperate acting characters?

How do you get them, to sit down, and listen?

How do you get them to believe - you can really help them?

Well, the best answer I can offer you, is for you to get into the, cadeaux business. Yes, for you non-Francophiles -- get back into bringing clients presents.

No, not booze, or golf dates! Ideas. Bring them insight, wisdom and sustainable solutions.

Then, make them comfortable, with their changing world.

Provide them with context, so they understand, why your ideas - are the right, practical solutions.

So, you must be, more than brilliant specialists. You must provide clients, with a clearer view of their changing world - and how any individual problem, you'll fix for them - fits into this grander business model - or vision. That's what it will take, to build enduring relationships, with clients.

With that as background, let me stop being theoretical, and offer you my model - for business success, in the 21st Century.