Podcast Summary: The Futur with Chris Do – "Building Your Client Dream Team" with Daniel Priestley | Recast
Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Chris Do
Guest: Daniel Priestley
Episode Overview
In this dynamic, idea-rich episode, Chris Do and returning guest Daniel Priestley dive deep into what it really takes to attract and secure high-end clients. They bust common myths about working with “whale” clients, illuminate the mindset and tactical shifts needed to level up your client base, and unleash a treasure trove of practical frameworks for positioning yourself as a “Key Person of Influence” in your field. If you’re looking to move beyond small, time-draining clients and build a dream roster of high-value engagements, this episode is packed with tough truths, actionable advice, and motivational moments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Defining "High-End" Clients
- Exponential vs. Incremental: High-end clients are not just bigger spenders—they represent an “orders of magnitude” jump from typical clients, offering high-impact opportunities.
- (02:43, Daniel): “It’s not an incremental difference, it’s an exponential difference... It’s a whale, everybody. Let’s do everything we can to bring the whale in.”
- Myth-Busting: Despite common fears, high-end clients aren’t more demanding; they value expertise and are less inclined to micromanage.
- (03:28, Daniel): “My experience with super high-end clients is that they’re completely reasonable... Making good go to great is worth a fortune. Broken needs fixing is not necessarily worth a lot of money.”
2. Impact vs. Effort
- The value of your service depends on the client’s context. A small improvement for a big player can be game-changing.
- (07:03, Daniel): “The same workshop for a startup is worth a couple hundred; for a $200 million company, it’s worth $50K or $100K, and it’s the same content.”
3. Know Who Throws Money at Problems
- Target clients who want to solve issues by writing checks, not by investing their own time—startups and nonprofits often don’t fit.
- (09:29, Daniel): “High-end clients like to throw money at their problems, not time.”
4. Build and Brand Your Pedigree
- Catalog stories, numbers, awards, and recognizable brands from your last 5–10 years to make it easy for high-end clients to trust you.
- (09:55, Daniel): “Think of your last 10 years as a gold mine. Those nuggets are pedigree, experience, stories, brands.”
- (13:31, Daniel): “You’re not bragging for your benefit. You’re sharing those markers for their benefit to save them time.”
- Use “the magic sentence” for your narrative:
- (11:51, Daniel): “I did something special for a certain type of client and we got a remarkable result. Let me tell you about it.”
5. Positioning: The Key Person of Influence Framework
- There are three market perceptions: newbie, worker bee, or key person of influence.
- (17:21, Daniel): “People judge you and put you in one of three buckets... newbie, worker bee, or key person of influence.”
- Shift from worker bee to “in-demand expert” by specializing, accumulating social proof, and clearly articulating your unique impact.
- (20:34, Daniel): “A big part of it is how you pitch yourself.”
Case Study: Niche Expertise
- Helped a financial planner reframe her pitch from generic to highly specialized (for farming families), increasing perceived value 10x.
- (22:51–25:49, Daniel): Detailed story of radical value from picking a niche and articulating use cases.
- Framework: “Name, Same, Fame, Aim, and Game” for creating an influential intro pitch.
6. Everyone Can Play – If They Do the Work
- Regardless of background, nearly everyone has past stories, achievements, or insights to leverage—if they mine their history and build on even small wins.
- (33:10, Daniel): “For those over 25, leverage a story or experience in the last 5 to 10 years.”
7. Tactical Moves to Win High-End Clients
A. The Waiting List Tactic
- Announce you’re not taking on new clients now but have a waitlist; makes you scarce and in demand.
- (35:44, Daniel): “They want you to be available, but only once they’re your client—before that, you need a waiting list.”
- Getting 40 names on a waitlist reframes you as selective and valuable.
- (38:24, Daniel): Outlines the “Cinderella Principle” for filtering clients.
B. The Self-Assessment Tool
- Provide prospects with a self-evaluation or quiz before entering your sales process (e.g., “Does your business need a rebrand?”).
- (63:27, Daniel): “One of the best things is to create a self-assessment.”
C. The Introduction Event
- Host “Intro to ___” events as a selective, value-rich entry point for prospects—positions you as a leader/educator and filters for fit.
- (68:49, Daniel): “Once you’re running a workshop, by definition you’re assumed to be a key person of influence.”
- Stack these tactics (intro event → waitlist → assessment) for maximum effect.
D. The Energy of Selection Over Neediness
- Neediness is a turn-off; a robust list and processes to filter prospects (not just sell to anyone) shifts the energy and attracts better clients.
- (61:32–62:59, Daniel): “Neediness kills. Nothing kills neediness faster than having a list.”
8. Practical Issues: Imposter Syndrome & Background
- Your pitch is everything: victim narratives block progress. You can always “shine up your shoes”—leverage even humble stories and roles.
- (45:12, Daniel): “You get what you pitch for. You’re always pitching.”
- (47:12, Daniel): Tells how he leveraged simple startup experience and even McDonald’s or Pizza Hut jobs in his narrative.
9. On Action vs. Information Hoarding
- The world is full of people stuck consuming new ideas but not applying them. Action is essential: “You don’t need more information. You need more action.”
- (35:31, Chris)
10. Process & Mindset: Getting Unstuck
- Confidence comes from action, not before—build momentum, start with small steps, and borrow belief from mentors/environments.
- (53:11, Daniel): “We don’t need self-belief. We need others to believe in us. You can be plagued by insecurities, but if the client believes in you, that’s what matters.”
- (54:43, Chris & Daniel): Gym metaphor: get moving before motivation shows up.
11. Filtering: Satisfying, Not Satiating
- Don’t over-deliver in intro events—create hunger, not satiation, to get prospects excited to pay for the full experience.
- (88:05–93:05, Daniel): Story about optimizing intro events for desire, not just education.
12. Scaling & Tools
- Daniel shares how his ScoreApp tool and “Key Person of Influence Accelerator” offer scalable, filter-based client acquisition for both himself and others, with live intro events and AI-powered assessments driving conversions.
- (74:32–79:49): How ScoreApp and KPI work, who it's for, and how their own waitlist and events convert the top 10% of highly-engaged prospects.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On high-end client value
“Making good go to great is worth a fortune. Broken needs fixing is not necessarily worth a lot of money.”
— Daniel, 03:28 -
On pedigree:
“If you’ve worked with Ferrari, tell me you worked with Ferrari. If you won this award, just tell me you’ve won this award. You’re not bragging for your benefit—you’re sharing those markers for their benefit.”
— Daniel, 13:31 -
On positioning:
“You get what you pitch for. You’re always pitching.”
— Daniel, 45:12 -
On the waiting list tactic:
“Nothing kills neediness faster than having a list. A list kills neediness.”
— Daniel, 61:42 -
On overcoming imposter syndrome:
“I did marginally interesting small things... But I had to learn: make the most of what I’ve got. Dust off these old pair of shoes and shine them up a little.”
— Daniel, 47:12 -
On intro events:
“The person who runs a workshop is a key person of influence almost by definition.”
— Daniel, 68:49 -
On assessment tools:
“It’s so much easier to sell someone on a self-assessment than to sell them on the product.”
— Daniel, 67:15 -
On action vs. hope:
“You don’t need more information. You need more action.”
— Chris, 35:31
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Defining high-end clients & their real needs – 01:40–05:05
- Why similar work is worth more to bigger clients – 05:05–07:03
- Why targeting "money throwers" matters – 09:29–11:45
- Cataloguing your stories and pedigree – 11:45–14:24
- Key Person of Influence (3 types of market perception) – 17:21–20:34
- Niche-story case study – 22:51–25:49
- Is everyone capable? (imposter syndrome & experience) – 31:02–33:28
- The waitlist strategy and filtering for fit – 35:44–40:08
- How to bridge being broke and moving up-market – 40:08–43:29
- Why neediness kills & how lists change the energy – 61:32–62:59
- Online self-assessment as gateway – 63:27–68:49
- Stacking tactics: intro event, waitlist, assessment – 71:26–72:15
- Intro event design—satiation vs. hunger – 88:05–93:05
- AI analysis: 7 calls to action converts best – 93:19–96:08
Action Steps & Frameworks
- Mine and catalog your achievements (stories, brands, numbers, awards)
- Frame your narrative as a “Key Person of Influence” (use “name, same, fame, aim, game”)
- Shift energy from neediness to selection with waitlists, assessments, and clear fit criteria
- Run live intro events—not as lessons, but as introductions that create hunger
- Sell the self-assessment, not the service
- Stack the process: intro event → waitlist → assessment → (selective) meetings
Episode Tone — Candid, Motivational, No-Nonsense
Chris and Daniel keep the conversation energetic and honest, blending actionable strategy with storytelling, banter, and the occasional zinger at creative self-sabotage or industry myths. Daniel’s Australian candor and Chris’s educator’s empathy make for a balanced dialogue that pushes listeners to self-reflect and take action—not just listen.
Final Takeaway
Achieving a dream team of clients isn’t reserved for the ultra-credentialed elite. It’s about intentional positioning, owning your value and story, leveraging processes of selection, and being bold enough to approach everything—from your narrative to your sales process—like the in-demand expert you aim to be.
Further Resources
“Stop looking for more information—start taking more action.”
— Chris Do (35:31)