Career Capital Series: Professional Services Tips- My Personal Playbook for Earning Trust & Winning Work

By Damian McCarthy, Founder – Boardroom Bench

After 35 years in and around professional services—as a restructuring advisor, Company Director, Interim CFO, client, supplier, and founder—I’ve met a lot of smart, capable people.

But, it’s not always the smartest or most technical person who wins the work.

It’s the one people trust. The one they want to work with again.

This is my playbook—the habits, insights, and lessons that have helped me build a reputation that consistently brings opportunities, referrals, and long-term relationships.

✅ 1. Show Up Before There’s a Deal

The best professionals aren’t chasing work—they’re investing in relationships before there’s a dollar on the table.

They share insights. They make introductions. They check in—not to pitch, but to help.

By the time the work appears, trust is already built.

🎁 2. Add Unexpected, Personal Value

It’s not about grand gestures—just thoughtful ones that leave a mark.

I still remember the clients who sent cards and flowers when my father passed. A few even came to the funeral.

One client gave me a bottle of Grange after I helped them find a partner and introduced them to a Melbourne affiliate—sparking their national expansion. They didn’t have to—but I never forgot. Those clients are still with me today.

Small gestures matter: helping them find staff, writing a thank-you note, sending a condolence card, making an intro, sharing a travel tip, organising a tee time, even helping them move house. These build unbreakable trust.

📇 3. Keep Your Network Warm

Three of my best career changes came from former colleagues. When I entered the auction industry, many of my first clients were people I’d worked with years earlier. Not because I chased them—because I’d stayed in touch.

That kind of equity takes time to build, but it lasts.

📞 4. Follow Through. Every Time.

Always respond.

Messages. Emails. Even LinkedIn DMs from people you don’t know. Most people only respond when there’s something in it for them.

You’ll stand out simply by being consistently respectful.

⏳ 5. Be Reliable—No Excuses

Say Monday, deliver Monday.

I often bump into a former colleague who always says, “We have to catch up! Let’s get the wives together.” I used to offer dates—but he rarely replied. So, I moved on.

Now, when people ask about him, I give a neutral response.

That’s how credibility fades—not with a blow-up, but with missed moments where words don’t match actions.

👀 6. Watch How You Treat Everyone

In my early career at Arthur Andersen, a group of us junior accountants were taken to lunch by a supplier.

He caused a scene—berating a young waitress in front of the table. That’s all we remembered. None of us ever used him again.

To this day, I watch how people treat waiters, EAs, junior staff—even their spouse.

It tells you everything you need to know.

🧱 7. Play the Long Game

I once sat at dinner with a financier who had just been reappointed to lead a major workout team.

Within minutes of the announcement, his phone lit up—messages from advisors who hadn’t contacted him in years. He deleted every one.

The few who stayed in touch when he had no power? They got all the work.

🍷 8. Stay Late—But Stay Sober

At conferences, the most valuable conversations often happen after the formalities end—soft leads, market intelligence, and key introductions.

But I’ve also seen reputations unravel in a single night. I still remember a professional who heckled a comedian at an industry event. Escorted out by his colleagues. That was 20 years ago—and people still tell the story.

💡 9. Be the Person People Recommend When You’re Not in the Room

Some professionals get referred for what they’ve delivered. Others get referred because of how they show up—reliable, respectful, easy to work with.

Are you the kind of person clients feel confident putting their name behind?

Last week I got a great referral from a client I’d once helped join my golf club. He staked his reputation to recommend me to one of his own clients. That’s your reputation doing the talking—when you’re not even in the room.

🧭 10. Integrity and Loyalty—Your Career’s True Currency

I once introduced an aspiring partner to a new firm. He came across as a partner.

But after the move, he never engaged us again—despite the referral that helped land him the role.

When his name comes up now, the feedback is consistent: “Untrustworthy.” “Disloyal.” Unfortunately, that matches my experience.

One disloyal move doesn’t just burn a bridge—it reshapes how people see you.

Stay loyal to those who helped you. That’s how real career capital is built—and sustained.

📌 Final Thought

You don’t have to be loud or flashy to win work as a professional.

But, if you show up consistently, follow through, treat people well, and live your values—your reputation will do the rainmaking for you.

👋 These are some of my best professional services tips. What have you learned about building trust and reputation over time?

Share a moment that stuck—or a lesson you never forgot. I’d love to hear your perspective.

📩 Email: damian@boardroombench.com

 🌐 Visit: www.boardroombench.com

 📞 Phone: 0413 092 511