When clients and prospects start setting their out of office messages, many professional service firms assume it’s time to pause business development. But going quiet over the summer can cause you to lose momentum, just when you should be staying visible and nurturing relationships.

The key isn’t to push harder, but to switch tactics. Summer is an ideal time to build trust, keep conversations warm, and prepare for a strong re-engagement in September.

The truth is, while your clients might be sipping cocktails on a beach somewhere, they’re still thinking about their business challenges. They’re still checking emails occasionally. And when they return in September, refreshed and ready to tackle new projects, you want to be the first firm that comes to mind.

Rethink what “BD” looks like during the quieter months

Business development during the summer isn’t about chasing meetings or trying to land a proposal on someone’s sun lounger. Instead, it’s about consistent, value led visibility and staying front of mind while others go quiet.

This is where many firms get it wrong. They think that because their clients are away, they should completely stop all business development activity. But here’s what actually happens when you go silent for two months: your competitors who stay active suddenly look more engaged, more relevant, and more switched on than you do.

What should summer BD look like instead? Think of it as relationship maintenance rather than deal closing. You’re not trying to get anyone to sign contracts while they’re on the beach. You’re making sure that when they come back to their desk in September, your name is still fresh in their mind.

This might mean sharing lighter thought leadership content that doesn’t require immediate action, sending helpful updates that solve problems they’ll face when they return, or using automation and pre scheduled activity to stay present without applying pressure.

The goal isn’t urgency, it’s presence. You want to be the firm that stayed engaged, stayed helpful, and stayed professional while everyone else disappeared.

Use light touch content to show up without being pushy

Inboxes are quieter in July and August. That can work in your favour, but only if what you send feels relevant and timely. Now’s the time to dial down the sales tone and offer genuine value.

Think about it this way: when your clients are checking their emails from the poolside, what are they actually going to want to read? Definitely not a hard sell about your latest service offering. But they might appreciate something that helps them think through challenges they’ll face when they return, or gives them useful insights they can apply to their business.

Here are some easy wins that actually work:

Curated summer reading lists or resource roundups based on your expertise. If you’re a tax adviser, create a list of the most important regulatory changes coming in the autumn. If you work in employment law, share a roundup of workplace trends that will impact their sector. Make it genuinely useful, not a thinly veiled sales pitch.

Short, insight led blog posts tackling trends to watch in Q4. Your clients will be thinking about their priorities for the rest of the year. Help them by sharing your thoughts on what’s coming up, what challenges they should prepare for, or what opportunities they might be missing.

LinkedIn posts with sector specific reflections or useful prompts. Ask questions that get people thinking. Share observations about changes in your industry. Post about interesting client challenges you’ve solved (without naming names, obviously).

“Thinking of you” notes to clients you haven’t spoken to recently, with no ask attached. A simple message saying you’ve been thinking about their business challenges and offering to catch up when they’re back can work wonders. The key is genuinely having no agenda other than maintaining the relationship.

This kind of touchpoint shows you’re still engaged, still thinking, and still available, even if they’re not ready to talk business right now.

Automate nurture emails so you stay consistent

Email automation is massively underused in professional services. But with the right setup, you can keep leads warm and engaged with very little day to day effort.

The thing is, most professional service firms think automation is too impersonal or sales focused for their sector. But that’s only true if you set it up wrong. Done properly, automation can help you stay consistently helpful and relevant without being pushy.

Here’s what actually works:

A light touch 3 to 4 email nurture sequence for prospects who’ve recently connected. Don’t try to sell them anything. Instead, share useful insights that relate to challenges they’re likely facing. If someone downloads your guide on employment law changes, follow up with emails about how other businesses are adapting, common mistakes to avoid, and practical next steps they can take.

A summer “keeping in touch” campaign for existing contacts. Set this up to send helpful content every 2 to 3 weeks. Share case studies (anonymised), industry updates, or insights from your recent client work. The goal is to remind them you exist without asking for anything.

An automated reminder or check in set to trigger when someone returns from leave. If you know key contacts are away for specific periods, set up a gentle “welcome back” email for a few days after their return. Share what’s been happening in their sector while they were away, or offer to catch up on anything they might have missed.

The key to all of this is using the content to share valuable insights, recent wins, or invitations to September webinars or events. You’re positioning yourself as helpful, not pushy. And because it’s automated, you stay consistent even when your own team is taking holiday.

Focus on relationship building activity

With less day to day pressure, summer can be a good time to strengthen relationships with your wider network. This is the stuff that often gets pushed aside when you’re busy with client work, but it’s actually some of the most valuable business development activity you can do.

Think about it: when was the last time you properly thanked someone who referred work to you? When did you last take time to nurture a relationship that could lead to future opportunities? Summer gives you the breathing space to focus on these relationship building activities that can pay dividends later.

Here’s what you can do:

Send a personal message to thank a referrer. Not a generic “thanks for the referral” note, but a proper message explaining the impact their introduction had on your business. Tell them how the relationship has developed, what outcomes you’ve achieved for the client, and how much you appreciate their trust in you.

Write a LinkedIn recommendation for a long term client. This is such a simple thing to do, but it’s incredibly powerful. It shows you value the relationship, gives them valuable social proof, and keeps you visible to their network. Plus, they’ll almost certainly return the favour.

Comment thoughtfully on your clients’ content to stay visible. When you see your clients posting about business challenges, achievements, or industry insights, engage with their content in a meaningful way. Don’t just hit “like” and move on. Add a thoughtful comment that shows you understand their business and their challenges.

Set up light social interactions for September. Use the summer to plan breakfast meetings, coffee catch ups, or informal networking events for when everyone returns. Send calendar invites now for September dates. People appreciate having something to look forward to when they come back from holiday.

These actions aren’t flashy, but they keep your relationships active and positive, so you’re much better placed to progress opportunities when everyone’s back and ready to do business.

Prepare now for September conversations

Rather than seeing summer as lost time, think of it as prep time. When September hits, your clients will be busy, and you’ll need to act fast to secure meetings or pitch opportunities. So use summer to get yourself properly prepared.

Everyone comes back from holiday with renewed energy and a long list of things they want to tackle. If you’re ready to help them with those priorities, you’ll be in a much stronger position than firms who are still getting their act together.

Update your proposals and pitch decks. Go through your standard materials and refresh them. Update case studies, check that your pricing is still competitive, and make sure everything reflects your current capabilities. There’s nothing worse than scrambling to update a proposal when a client wants to move quickly.

Rehearse BD conversations with your team. Use the quieter period to practice your pitches, role play difficult client conversations, and make sure everyone is comfortable talking about your services. When you’re competing for work in September, the firms that sound most confident and prepared usually win.

Research upcoming events or awards. Look into industry events happening in the autumn, awards your clients might be entering, or conferences where key decision makers will be speaking. This gives you natural conversation starters and opportunities to engage with prospects.

Build your list of Q4 priorities and targets. Who are the clients you want to focus on? What services do you want to promote? Which sectors are you targeting? Having this clarity now means you can hit the ground running while others are still figuring out their strategy.

The firms that do well in September aren’t the ones with the best summer tan. They’re the ones who used the quiet period to get properly prepared for the opportunities ahead.

Need help?
If you would like help with your marketing, bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, the UK, and Europe, specialising as a legal marketing consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.

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