In the past, the most pervasive and perplex-ing challenge in professional service mar-keting was motivating young associates to become rainmakers. As times got tougher, that challenge expanded to include the prin-cipals and partners who never had to mar-ket before. Suddenly, the large cadre of seasoned professionals who used to be the "minders" and "grinders" of the work others brought in are in the spotlight and under pressure to become business developers.

Whether it's a law firm exhorting its associ-ates to market or an engineering firm prod-ding its senior professionals to make some rain, the problem is equally daunting. Al-though there is no "magic wand" that turns people into business developers, some firms have been more successful than oth-ers by applying a recipe that consists of four distinct ingredients: commitment, culture, compensation, and cultivation.