{"id":1785,"date":"2025-11-26T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T00:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/?p=1785"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:21:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:21:47","slug":"from-ice-hockey-to-warm-client-conversations-in-professional-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/11\/26\/from-ice-hockey-to-warm-client-conversations-in-professional-services\/","title":{"rendered":"From Ice Hockey to Warm Client Conversations in Professional Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”157292″ css=”.vc_custom_1724092097497{padding-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”4\/6″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”668225″]I spoke with him from a shared DNA: sport as the foundation for who we are as business partners. My own journey began in 1976, as an 11-year-old boy with Olympic dreams inspired by Ivo Van Damme\u2019s achievements.<\/p>\n

Although I never became an Olympic champion, intensive sport shaped my career and mindset. It is probably no coincidence that my motto today is: \u201cIf better is possible, good is not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

The leap from the runway<\/h2>\n

\u201cI stopped professional hockey in 2020 and started my own coaching practice,\u201d Lasse explained. \u201cIn the beginning, it was uncertain. I didn\u2019t have a large network outside the sports world, but I had my reputation and the skills I had built.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His first clients came through warm contacts and from people who valued him as a person, not only as a former athlete. Authenticity proved decisive. This emphasis on trust and relationship is essential in professional services like business development, leadership coaching, and strategic advisory\u2014fields where no law mandates our engagement.<\/p>\n

Unlike regulated sectors like accountancy or audit, our work is entirely discretionary. Morgan and Hunt (1994) show that trust and relationship drive long-term client loyalty, surpassing even price or product.<\/p>\n

Navigating complex airspace: one person, big ambitions<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe hardest thing as a solo entrepreneur,\u201d says Lasse, \u201cis doing everything yourself. Sales, administration, coaching, invoicing\u2014each day only has 24 hours, and you want to maintain your standards.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I immediately recognize that tension. In non-mandatory professional services, you have big ambitions but limited resources. You must choose: where do you invest your energy?<\/p>\n

At Add Business, the principle is clear: focus on clients with the right DNA and dare to say no to those who don\u2019t fit.<\/p>\n

Lasse adds: \u201cNick Rubin from Nordic Business Forum said: you don\u2019t have to know everything before you start. That gave me peace. Learning is part of the process.\u201d Humility combined with perseverance is what elite sport teaches us. You lose more often than you win, but progress depends on showing up.<\/p>\n

From cold contacts to warm conversations<\/h2>\n

I asked Lasse how he finds new clients today. His answer was clear:<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst and foremost, I\u2019m more active in meeting people. That\u2019s why I was at the Nordic Business Forum. I need to go where new people are; otherwise, I\u2019ll never meet them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also reactivates his existing network: \u201cI call former clients and ask: is there something we can do together? Even one new introduction can make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

No cold campaigns\u2014only personal meetings, lunches, and warm introductions. Bhatia and Yetton (2020) confirm that in professional services, personalized outreach and referrals deliver significantly higher conversion rates. In fields where no one feels an urgent need for our help, building trust and visibility is the essence of business development.<\/p>\n

DNA-match: recognizing the right client<\/h2>\n

\u201cI look for clients with a learning mindset,\u201d says Lasse. \u201cPeople open to growth and change. I avoid working for clients who just want someone to come and shout at their team. That\u2019s not my approach.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Both of us know not every potential client fits our philosophy\u2014and saying \u2018no\u2019 to mismatches proves as important as saying \u2018yes\u2019 to the right ones. In non-mandatory professional services, this selectivity becomes a necessity.<\/p>\n

Research shows that focusing on ideal clients\u2014rather than mass marketing\u2014yields the strongest long-term results.<\/p>\n

Sport as metaphor: teamwork and connection<\/h2>\n

Lasse learned on the ice what collaboration really means: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be best friends, but you can respect and value people for what they bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

In business development, endurance, self-discipline, and resilience are just as critical. Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998) describe this as relational capital: the ability to create value through respectful, professional connections, across differences.<\/p>\n

This is invaluable in professional services where engagement is always a choice, never an obligation. Building bridges is what grows a market when demand must be created, not fulfilled.<\/p>\n

Cultural intelligence: Finland, Belgium, and the power of modesty<\/h2>\n

We also talked about cultural differences. Lasse described how Finns often doubt their ability to succeed abroad\u2014they\u2019re modest, sometimes too much so. In Flanders, we see the same paradox: pride mixed with constant self-questioning. By working together, we transform modesty into confidence.<\/p>\n

He gives me insight into Finnish business culture\u2014honesty and teamwork\u2014while I help him navigate the Belgian ecosystem. Together we build Networks Beyond Borders: human bridges between economies.<\/p>\n

Earley and Ang (2003) identify this capacity to work across cultures as a real competitive advantage\u2014especially in professional services with global, voluntary clients.<\/p>\n

Helping each other as solos: why 1+1=3<\/h2>\n

We discovered that solo entrepreneurs can go further together. Not by selling for each other, but by sharing networks and supporting mutual growth.<\/p>\n

Granovetter (1973) argues that weak ties\u2014distant or secondary contacts\u2014are vital for unlocking new opportunities. For professionals whose services no client truly \u2018needs\u2019 until they choose to, collaborative ecosystems multiply your reach and credibility.<\/p>\n

Lessons from this conversation with Lasse<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Authenticity trumps credentials. Clients choose people who inspire confidence and growth.<\/li>\n
  • Warm relationships beat cold outreach. Events, introductions, and networks create fertile ground.<\/li>\n
  • DNA-match matters more than volume. Serving clients who truly fit brings satisfaction, even if the pool is smaller.<\/li>\n
  • Patience and perseverance are essential. Progress is slow, but real.<\/li>\n
  • Demand must be created, not waited for. In a world where our services are never \u2018required,\u2019 visibility, credibility, and relationship-building are the core of business development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Conclusion: charting a course with sport in the DNA<\/h2>\n

    From Olympic dreams to ice hockey careers, sport shapes both mindset and method. In discretionary professional services, nobody is waiting for us, and that makes our work both challenging and rewarding. Succeeding here depends on creating genuine demand: through connection, insight, and continuous proactive engagement\u2014everything sport has taught us.<\/p>\n

    If better is possible, good is not good enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    References<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Bhatia, Amit, and Philip Yetton. 2020. \u201cPersonalization in B2B Sales Outreach: Effects on Engagement and Response Rates.\u201d Journal of Business Research 116: 375\u201386.<\/li>\n
    • Earley, P. Christopher, and Soon Ang. 2003. Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.<\/li>\n
    • Granovetter, Mark S. 1973. \u201cThe Strength of Weak Ties.\u201d American Journal of Sociology 78 (6): 1360\u201380.<\/li>\n
    • Morgan, Robert M., and Shelby D. Hunt. 1994. \u201cThe Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing.\u201d Journal of Marketing 58 (3): 20\u201338.<\/li>\n
    • Nahapiet, Janine, and Sumantra Ghoshal. 1998. \u201cSocial Capital, Intellectual Capital, and the Organizational Advantage.\u201d Academy of Management Review 23 (2): 242\u201366.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      Lasse Kukkonen played professional ice hockey starting in 1999. During his career, his interest in team dynamics, leadership, and mental resilience grew. When his sports career wound down, he studied mental coaching and corporate leadership. Today, Lasse guides leaders and teams in Finland, focusing on collaboration and trust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-networks-beyond-borders-en"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Ice Hockey to Warm Client Conversations in Professional Services - Add Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how elite sports principles boost collaboration, trust, and leadership in professional services. 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