For professional firms there are a myriad of potential collaborations which can help deliver greater sales.

Lawyers, for example, can collaborate with accountants, financial advisors, bankers, consultants and other advisors to do joint seminars, create joint service offers or simply cross refer business.

Consultants collaborate extensively with technology and software providers to provide joined-up implementation solutions for clients.

But of all the choices, the one area where almost all firms must excel at collaboration is with their clients.

Gone are the days where professionals carried out their trade in ivory towers and clients gratefully lapped up their advice without challenge. Nowadays almost all clients want to be significantly involved in the process of how the professional does their work. They want to be kept up to date with progress and consulted at key decision-making points – not just presented with the results at the end.

For many professional firms, this requires a new skill-set from their professionals. They need to be able to work effectively in teams with their clients, be comfortable getting “up close and personal” with people from different backgrounds and experience bases to them, and to be able to get results without having direct line authority over all team members.

Of course, not all clients want this. Some still want to outsource responsibility and get a great end product. But more and more are realising that the only way to ensure a great end product is to be involved in the process of producing it yourself. The consulting, law, accounting or other professional firm who is able to demonstrate that they can collaborate effectively with their clients in this sort of environment has a great advantage when it comes to winning business.