We would like to thank our families for their unwavering support during the writing of this book. We owe a sincere debt of gratitude for your understanding during the late nights and long weekends of this project. We also want to thank Rockford and Cold Smoke Coffee in Bozeman, Montana, for letting us hash out our ideas in their warm confines and write in their comfortable chairs for hours on end.

We'd like to individually thank the talented attorneys, consultants, accountants, architects, and finance professionals who shared their business development stories with us during the research of the book. Your insights and wisdom transformed this book from a dry business text into a lively narrative rich with plots and characters: Arthur Chung, Dave Smith, Jimmy Rose, Russell Davis, Cliff Farrah, Peter Bryant, Frans Cornelius, Audrey Cramer, Walt Shill, Nate Bennett, Jack Bannister, Don Scales, Dominic Barton, Michael Hinshaw, Paul Boulanger, Ashish Singh, Jason Wright, Ed Keller, Jane Pierce, Joshua Vesely, Jackie Kruger, Sarah Arnot, Jeff Denneen, Brian Jacobsen, Greg Engel, Dave Bayless, Tony Castellanos, Megan Armstrong, Billy Newsome, Graham Anthony, Chuck McDonald, Kris Klein, Patrick Pitman, Ann Kieffaber, and Chuck Walker.

We're grateful for our agent, Sheree Bykofsky, for seeing a glimmer of potential in our book idea. Without her, this book would never have gotten further than idle talk around a pub table. We'd like to thank the amazing team at John Wiley & Sons for making this book a reality, specifically Richard Narramore, senior editor of business publications, whose guidance in shaping this book was invaluable, and Danielle Serpica and Emily Paul for keeping this book on schedule and shaping it into a finished work. And finally, to Deborah Schindlar whose close attention to text gave our words polish.

We'd like to thank our main reader, Erin Strickland, for her helpful edits, her understanding of the Queen's English and, in particular, for her insights into the millennial generation.

Tom would like to thank the entire crew at PIE, without whom this book wouldn't have been written; Harry Wallace, for his vision that business development doesn't have to be about manipulating people but can rather be a form of high service; Jacob Parks, Matt Ulrich, Andi Baldwin, Emily LeVeaux, and Paul Quigley for your help with interviews; Andi Baldwin for her close reading and comments on the manuscript; John Nord, Jacob Parks, Matt Ulrich, and Stephanie Cole for giving him time to write the book as PIE's management team; Kristin Horgan, Carlie Auger, Cavin Segil, Susie Krueger, Andy Weas, Morgan Klaas, Renee Storm, Susan Miller, Melinda Murphy, Sophie Kevany, Alanna Rhinard, Windy Esperti, Renee Storm, Tanya Reinhardt, Josh Iverson, and Julia Yanker for their warm support; and finally, to Ann Kieffaber for her help in the Seven Elements diagnostic and Dave Bayless for his friendship, enthusiasm for all things business, a close read of a rough draft, and invaluable insight into the dynamics of trust.

Doug would like to thank Cliff Farrah, president of The Beacon Group, for his inspiration and friendship over the past twenty-five years. When Doug needs an honest opinion on something, he knows Cliff's candor and warmth is always a phone call away. Also, Doug thanks Cliff for introducing him to David Maister. Not only did David's books shape Doug's understanding of what it means to be a trusted advisor, but David's support of North Star Consulting Group in its early days gave Doug's firm a chance to prove its worth on a global stage.

Doug is also thankful for his first boss in management consulting, Don Scales, for believing in him when he was green and lacked much to offer. Doug carried Don's briefcase through airports and rental car lots for two years after business school in exchange for a career's worth of knowledge on serving clients.

Doug would also like to thank the amazing professors that taught him at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and at Clemson University. These formational years led to a lifetime of relationships and memories.

Lastly, Doug would like to thank his cofounders at North Star Consulting Group, Dr. Mike Reilly and Eric Gregg. He is proud of the work they did together. He learned more from them than they'll ever know.