RelationshipOps of the Week #20.
Consulting & Executive Coaching
|
Mar 6, 2026
“Warm up the relationship. Don't pitch too soon.”
Ken Jacobs.
This week, we’re featuring Ken Jacobs from Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching.
He isn’t just another leadership coach. With 25 years of PR leadership experience at agencies like Ogilvy PR and Marina Maher Communications (MMC), Ken brings real-world experience to every conversation… and since 2007, he’s been coaching agency leaders to lead better, win more business, and grow profits with confidence.
Ken empowers agency CEOs, owners, and senior execs, to help their teams elevate their leadership, strengthen client relationships, and make decisions that actually move the business forward. He’s also a familiar face at PRSA events and global PR networks, and hosts Taking The Lead, a video series featuring top industry voices.
And in this piece, he’s going to share the story behind a deal that took him years to close.
The kind of patience that meant staying connected in quiet, intentional ways… even when the opportunity wasn’t clear.
Ken knew exactly who he wanted to work with. But instead of chasing or pitching, he kept showing up… until the timing finally made sense.
And eventually, after years of nurturing the relationship, it landed him a deal.
His story is a reminder that the best relationships often grow slowly… and when you plant the right seeds, they bloom when they’re meant to.
Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s meat.
Turning Prospect For Years Into Dream Client.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Ken Jacobs:
“I had met a prospect many years previously. The possible assignment we discussed went away. But I know from our interaction she, and her organization were the perfect clients for me. I followed them on LinkedIn, and a few years later interviewed her for my video podcast. (And that experience reinforced that I wanted to work with her/them.) After the podcast was published, I asked if she'd be open to a conversation about coaching for her and/or her team. They became a client a month later.
Lessons learned:
Know exactly the kinds of clients with whom you want to work;
Warm up the relationship. Don't pitch too soon;
At the right time, ask if they'd be open to a discussion. Share the value you bring without selling/pitching
Know that timing is everything. Our conversation around coaching happened when they had been thinking about this.”
LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Ken Jacobs:
“LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. For professional services companies, coaches, and consultants, LinkedIn is where relationships and trust happens, far more than Facebook or Instagram. In addition to publishing regularly on LinkedIn, I spend around 30 minutes a day reading, learning, adding comments, and reposting with my thoughts.”
Show Up Authentically.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Ken Jacobs:
“Make it about relationships, not sales.
It's never too early to build your network
Give without expectation of getting
Take the extra step. Don't just like a LinkedIn post, comment. Don't just comment, re-post with your thoughts.
No matter the industry, people like to hire and work with those they like and trust.
Show up authentically.”
Key Takeaways.
Some of the advice in the last question might sound cliché, but they definitely make sense, and I urge you to look into them, especially commenting on LinkedIn posts. Because that’s what we do here at VeraOps.
In summary, we’re glad to have Ken Jacobs with us on this week’s series, and if anything, here are a few key takeaways:
Warm up, don’t pitch. Ken followed a prospect for years, slowly warming the relationship before asking for a conversation… timing turned out to be everything.
Work on LinkedIn. He spends 30 minutes daily on LinkedIn, not just posting, but reading and engaging meaningfully to build trust with his network.
Focus on giving, not getting… relationships beat sales, and showing up with authenticity is what gets you hired.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Ken Jacobs.
This week, we’re featuring Ken Jacobs from Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching.
He isn’t just another leadership coach. With 25 years of PR leadership experience at agencies like Ogilvy PR and Marina Maher Communications (MMC), Ken brings real-world experience to every conversation… and since 2007, he’s been coaching agency leaders to lead better, win more business, and grow profits with confidence.
Ken empowers agency CEOs, owners, and senior execs, to help their teams elevate their leadership, strengthen client relationships, and make decisions that actually move the business forward. He’s also a familiar face at PRSA events and global PR networks, and hosts Taking The Lead, a video series featuring top industry voices.
And in this piece, he’s going to share the story behind a deal that took him years to close.
The kind of patience that meant staying connected in quiet, intentional ways… even when the opportunity wasn’t clear.
Ken knew exactly who he wanted to work with. But instead of chasing or pitching, he kept showing up… until the timing finally made sense.
And eventually, after years of nurturing the relationship, it landed him a deal.
His story is a reminder that the best relationships often grow slowly… and when you plant the right seeds, they bloom when they’re meant to.
Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s meat.
Turning Prospect For Years Into Dream Client.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Ken Jacobs:
“I had met a prospect many years previously. The possible assignment we discussed went away. But I know from our interaction she, and her organization were the perfect clients for me. I followed them on LinkedIn, and a few years later interviewed her for my video podcast. (And that experience reinforced that I wanted to work with her/them.) After the podcast was published, I asked if she'd be open to a conversation about coaching for her and/or her team. They became a client a month later.
Lessons learned:
Know exactly the kinds of clients with whom you want to work;
Warm up the relationship. Don't pitch too soon;
At the right time, ask if they'd be open to a discussion. Share the value you bring without selling/pitching
Know that timing is everything. Our conversation around coaching happened when they had been thinking about this.”
LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Ken Jacobs:
“LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. For professional services companies, coaches, and consultants, LinkedIn is where relationships and trust happens, far more than Facebook or Instagram. In addition to publishing regularly on LinkedIn, I spend around 30 minutes a day reading, learning, adding comments, and reposting with my thoughts.”
Show Up Authentically.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Ken Jacobs:
“Make it about relationships, not sales.
It's never too early to build your network
Give without expectation of getting
Take the extra step. Don't just like a LinkedIn post, comment. Don't just comment, re-post with your thoughts.
No matter the industry, people like to hire and work with those they like and trust.
Show up authentically.”
Key Takeaways.
Some of the advice in the last question might sound cliché, but they definitely make sense, and I urge you to look into them, especially commenting on LinkedIn posts. Because that’s what we do here at VeraOps.
In summary, we’re glad to have Ken Jacobs with us on this week’s series, and if anything, here are a few key takeaways:
Warm up, don’t pitch. Ken followed a prospect for years, slowly warming the relationship before asking for a conversation… timing turned out to be everything.
Work on LinkedIn. He spends 30 minutes daily on LinkedIn, not just posting, but reading and engaging meaningfully to build trust with his network.
Focus on giving, not getting… relationships beat sales, and showing up with authenticity is what gets you hired.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.