I was exhausted. My B2B fulfillment business had grown rapidly and was doing $1.2 million annually, but finding new clients was a grind. I was trapped in an endless cycle of networking events, cold calls, and business card exchanges that yielded minimal results.
Then I discovered what I now call the “Lumberjack Strategy” — and I started getting clients with ease. Better yet, I never had to attend another networking event again.
Here’s how it works: Instead of hunting for individual customers in a vast networking forest, I realized I could connect with people who had already chopped down all the trees. These are people who spent years building relationships with exactly the clients I wanted to serve — and now I just needed their help reaching their clients.
How? By playing a long game with relationships, and strategically hinting at how we could do more business together.
Related: How to Craft Irresistible Offers Your Ideal Clients Can’t Refuse
For example, here’s how I did it with Gary (not his real name). He was a marketing manager I’d done some work with, who then moved into a mid-level job at Microsoft. We sent him a huge bouquet of lollipops on his first day. He said no one else did anything like it.
From there, I dripped honey. Once a month, I sent emails on resources and information to help him succeed there. I sent him updates on my business every four to six weeks. I flew to Seattle once a quarter just to catch up with him — though I always told him I was there to “see potential clients.” (I didn’t want to freak him out.)
After about 18 months, an outsourcing opportunity came up at Microsoft — and Gary thought of us. That turned into a $4 million contract. Then he started introducing us to other tech companies he worked with — so that Gary’s clients became our clients.
Gary was a perfect lumberjack. He wasn’t a big shot at Microsoft; he was just a receptive, well-connected person. That’s who you want.
Related: Get Picky With Your Clients — How to Identify and Attract Your Ideal Customer
Here’s how you can find your own lumberjacks:
1. Identify who has your ideal clients.
Start by making two lists: industries full of your potential clients, and specific individuals who already serve them. Look beyond the obvious. Sometimes your best referral partners are in adjacent fields, or even “competitors” who serve slightly different segments.
2. Focus on the connectors, not the connected.
Not all well-connected people are good lumberjacks. For example, I once wasted months pursuing one of Denver’s most well-connected businesspeople, only to realize he collected connections but rarely shared them.
There’s no single way to sniff these people out, but you’ll get a sense over time — and when you see that they don’t make connections, move on.
Related: How To Attract Premium Clients And Charge Accordingly — Even During Market Instability
3. Build relationships intentionally.
I never directly ask for referrals. Instead, once I have a good working relationship with someone, I ask: “Do you know one other person who might benefit from the experience you’re having?”
This question is magic. It transforms the conversation from a self-serving request into an opportunity for them to help their friends.
4. Model the behavior you want.
Often, the best way to get clients is to first start referring clients. I will start sending clients to a potential lumberjack, in the hopes that they’ll want to return the favor.
Related: 3 Ways to Attract the Customers You Deserve
Not everyone will embrace this approach. That’s fine.
You only need three to five good lumberjacks to transform your business.
This isn’t about hoping for referrals; it’s about intentionally building relationships with people who can connect you with entire forests of clients. It took me five businesses to learn this lesson — but once I did, I was finally able to make my network work for me.
Chuck Blakeman is a serial entrepreneur. This article is drawn from Chuck’s new book, Sell Less, Earn More, now available everywhere.
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I was exhausted. My B2B fulfillment business had grown rapidly and was doing $1.2 million annually, but finding new clients was a grind. I was trapped in an endless cycle of networking events, cold calls, and business card exchanges that yielded minimal results.
Then I discovered what I now call the “Lumberjack Strategy” — and I started getting clients with ease. Better yet, I never had to attend another networking event again.
Here’s how it works: Instead of hunting for individual customers in a vast networking forest, I realized I could connect with people who had already chopped down all the trees. These are people who spent years building relationships with exactly the clients I wanted to serve — and now I just needed their help reaching their clients.
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