The Most Underused Business Development Tactic: Walk and Talk Meetings
For professional services firms, most business development related conversations happen in predictable settings: boardrooms, cafés or over video calls. They’re typically structured, often rushed, and framed by time constraints that subtly shape how people interact.
But some of the most effective business development conversations don’t happen sitting down at all. They happen when you are out walking.
The “walk and talk” meeting is one of the most underused tools in professional services. It strips away formality, changes the dynamic of the conversation and, done well, can lead to more open, honest and commercially meaningful discussions.
So for this BD Tips Wednesday post I take a look at creating the right conditions for better conversations – when you walk and talk.
Why Walking Changes the Conversation
There is something fundamentally different about walking side-by-side compared to sitting across a table. In a traditional sit-down meeting, the structure is clear:
There is an agenda.
There is a start and end.
There is often an implicit expectation to “get through” topics.
This type of structure can be useful, and it certainly has its place in your business development arsenal; but it can also limit the quality of the interaction and conversations your having with clients and referrers.
When you walk with a client, referrer or prospect, the dynamic shifts. The conversation becomes less transactional and more natural. Without the pressure of eye contact across a table, people tend to speak more freely. There is less interruption, fewer formal pauses and more space for ideas to develop.
In business development, this matters.
Because the goal of business development is not just to exchange information, it’s to truly understand what is really going on behind the surface of a client’s needs. It’s about gaining the trust of the other person in the conversation. And there really is no more natural way of doing that than going for a walk with them!
Better Conversations Lead to Better Work
Most professionals assume that business development success comes from better proposals, sharper pricing or stronger credentials. The reality is those things matter far less than the quality of the conversations that happen before any proposal is written.
Walk and talk meetings create the right conditions for:
Clients to share concerns they may not raise in formal settings.
Early identification of risks, frustrations, or internal pressures.
More candid discussion about budgets, expectations and constraints.
A clearer understanding of what “success” actually looks like for the client.
A more informal environment to talk through career moves or advancements.
These are the insights that help you win work.
By the time a formal request or proposal stage is reached, the firms that have had these deeper conversations are already ahead. They are not guessing what the client wants, they already know.
Removing the “Meeting Fatigue” Barrier
There is another, more practical reason why walk and talk meetings work. People are tired of meetings.
Calendars are full, attention is fragmented and another “catch-up” often feels like an obligation rather than an opportunity.
But suggesting a walk reframes the interaction. It feels:
Less like a meeting
More like a break in the day
Easier to say “yes” to
For time-poor clients, that small shift can be the difference between a delayed conversation and one that happens this week. And in business development, timing really matters.
When to Use Walk and Talk Business Development Meetings
Not every conversation should happen on the move. But there are specific situations where walk and talk meetings are particularly effective. They work well when:
You are building or strengthening a relationship (not pitching)
The conversation is exploratory rather than transactional
You want to understand broader business challenges, not just a single matter
The client is someone you already have a level of rapport with
They are less effective when:
You need to review detailed documents
Multiple stakeholders are involved
The discussion is highly technical or requires visual material
The client prefers formal settings
Like any business development tool, it is about choosing the right approach for the objective.
How to Structure It (Without Over-Structuring It)
The mistake many professionals make is trying to turn a walk into a “mobile boardroom.” That defeats the purpose.
Instead, think of it as a lightly guided conversation. Have a direction, not an agenda. A simple structure might be:
Start with something broad: “What’s been taking up most of your time lately?”
Let the conversation flow naturally
Ask follow-up questions that explore impact, not just facts
Only introduce your perspective where it adds value
The goal is not to “cover topics.” The goal is to uncover insight.
A Different Kind of Visibility
One of the recurring challenges in professional services is what might be called the visibility gap: capable firms lose work not because they lack expertise, but because clients don’t clearly see their value early enough.
Walk and talk meetings are a practical way to close that gap. They create space for:
Demonstrating how you think, not just what you do
Positioning yourself as someone who understands the client’s broader context
Building familiarity and trust outside of formal deliverables
This is the kind of visibility that matters.
Not visibility through marketing activity, but visibility through meaningful interaction.
Takeaway
Most lawyers and law firms are not short of business development things to do. They attend events, send updates and prepare proposals.
What they often lack are the kinds of conversations that actually shape client decisions.
Walk and talk meetings are a small shift, but one that can materially change the quality of those conversations.
Next time you are scheduling a catch-up with a client, consider a different approach. Don’t default to a meeting room. Suggest going for a walk.
Because sometimes, the most valuable business development conversations happen when you stop sitting across the table and start walking alongside your client.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
