The Wealthy Taxi Driver Principle: Never End a Client Meeting Without Booking the Next One

The Wealthy Taxi Driver's Way: Why You Should Never End a Client Meeting Without Booking the Next One

Let me ask you something. When was the last time you sent a proposal to a prospective client and then found yourself waiting... and waiting... and then reluctantly picking up the phone to chase them?

If you've been in business for any length of time, I suspect that's happened more often than you'd like. And here's the uncomfortable truth: every time you chase a client, you damage your positioning. You move from being an authority they want to work with to someone who needs their business.

There's a better way. And it comes from an unlikely source: taxi drivers.

The Question That Changed My Approach to Client Relationships

Over my 50-plus years in business, I've gathered insights from the most unexpected places. One of the most valuable lessons I share with my clients comes from a simple question:

What is it that wealthy taxi drivers do that less wealthy taxi drivers forget to do?

When I ask this question in my training sessions, I get all sorts of answers. "Charge higher fares." "Build rapport with customers." "Get bigger tips." All reasonable guesses, but none of them hit the nail on the head.

The answer is beautifully simple: wealthy taxi drivers always book the return journey.

Think about that for a moment. When a taxi driver picks you up and takes you to a restaurant, the wealthy ones don't just drop you off and hope you'll call them later. They ask, "What time do you think you'll finish your meal?" Then they say, "I'll come and pick you up. If you're going to be early, just give me a call. If you're running a bit late, let me know as soon as you can, and I can fit in another fare. But I will be here for you at the agreed time."

And here's the magic: when they turn up exactly as promised, you use them again. And again. And you recommend them to your friends.

What Wealthy Taxi Drivers Know That Most Professionals Forget

The wealthy taxi driver understands something fundamental about business relationships that many consultants, coaches, and professionals seem to forget: certainty is worth paying for.

When you book the return journey, you're not being pushy. You're being professional. You're providing certainty in an uncertain world. Your client knows exactly what happens next. There's no ambiguity, no awkwardness, no wondering what the process looks like.

I've had taxi drivers do this with my wife Sharon and me countless times. One driver we used regularly, Nathan, would even install child car seats for families going to the airport. He'd keep the seats safe in his garage while you were away and have them ready when you returned. That's not just booking the return journey—that's creating an experience that makes you want to use that driver every single time.

The question you need to ask yourself is: are you the wealthy taxi driver in your industry, or are you hoping clients will call you back?

How to Apply the Return Journey Principle in Your Business

Let me show you how this applies to your client relationships. The principle is straightforward:

Never come off a client call without booking the return journey.

In other words, never finish a conversation with a client or prospect without having the next meeting firmly scheduled in both your diaries.

This applies whether you're:

• Having an initial discovery call
• Presenting a proposal
• Delivering a service
• Conducting a review
• Finishing a project

Every single interaction should end with the next one booked.

Here's a real example. Let's say you've had a productive initial meeting with a potential client. They're interested in your services and ask you to send them a proposal. Most professionals say, "Of course, I'll send that over in the next few days," and then hang up the phone.

Wrong approach.

Instead, here's what you say:

"Absolutely, I'll get that proposal finished by tomorrow afternoon. You'll have it on your desk by Thursday morning at the latest. Now, I know that when you read the proposal, it will answer many questions, but it will probably raise a few others too - that's always the way with these things. So let me get my diary out now. When should we schedule our follow-up conversation to discuss it? Can you do Thursday afternoon?"

Do you see the difference? You're not asking permission. You're not being tentative. You're being firm and fair, hard and helpful. That's what clients actually want from the professionals they hire.

The Proposal Problem: Why Chasing Destroys Your Positioning

Here's what happens when you don't book the return journey after agreeing to send a proposal:

You send the proposal. Then you wait. A few days pass. You send a gentle follow-up email. No response. You wait a bit longer because you don't want to seem desperate. Finally, you call. They don't answer. You leave a message. They don't call back.

And suddenly, you've gone from being positioned as an expert they wanted to work with to someone who's chasing after their business.

Your positioning has shifted from here (authority) to there (supplicant). And that's not relational—that's transactional. That's the opposite of where you want to be.

I always tell my clients: never send a proposal unless you have already agreed on the date and time when you're going to discuss it. The meeting to review the proposal should be booked before the proposal is sent.

If there's any hesitation from the prospect at this point—"Oh, I'm not sure, let me get back to you"—that tells you something important. It suggests they're not as serious about working with you as their initial enthusiasm implied. And in that case, you might want to think twice about investing your time in preparing a detailed proposal.

When the First Leaf Falls: Recognising the Warning Signs

There's an expression I use: "When the first leaf falls, you know autumn has come to the world."

In the context of client relationships, that first leaf is when they start avoiding your calls or not responding to your emails after you've sent a proposal. As soon as that happens, you know there's a problem.

The issue is, by that point, it's often too late to recover. The dynamic has shifted. You've moved from a position of strength to a position of weakness.

The wealthy taxi driver's approach prevents this problem entirely. When the next meeting is already in the diary, there's no ambiguity. There's no need to chase. You simply show up at the agreed time, ready to have the conversation.

If they need to reschedule, that's fine—but the ball is in their court to suggest an alternative time. You're not the one doing the chasing. You maintain your positioning as the professional whose time is valuable.

Being Firm and Fair: The Art of the Confident Close

Some people worry that booking the next meeting before ending the current one feels too forward or presumptuous. Let me address that concern directly.

Being firm is not the same as being pushy. Being clear is not the same as being aggressive. In fact, most clients appreciate working with someone who takes charge of the process and makes things easy for them.

Think about it from their perspective. They're busy. They have a hundred things competing for their attention. When you take responsibility for ensuring the next step happens—when you say, "Let me get my diary out now, when shall we meet?"—you're actually making their life easier.

The alternative—leaving things vague and undefined—creates uncertainty and friction. It puts the burden on them to remember to follow up, to find a time that works, to keep the momentum going. That's not good service. That's laziness dressed up as politeness.

So be firm and fair. Be hard and helpful. Not sloppy and soft. Nobody wants to work with someone who's sloppy and soft.

Here's the key: always frame the next meeting as being for their benefit.

"Like most proposals, mine will answer a lot of questions but also raise some new ones. Rather than leaving you wondering about those, let's schedule a time to go through everything together. That way, you'll have complete clarity on how we can help you achieve [their stated goals]. What does your Thursday look like?"

Practical Scripts You Can Use Today

Let me give you some specific language you can adapt for your own business.

After an initial consultation:

"This has been really valuable. I've got a clear picture of where you are and where you want to get to. The next step is for me to put together a proposal that addresses everything we've discussed. I'll have that ready by [day]. When should we schedule our call to go through it together? I've got [time] available on [day]—does that work for you?"

When sending a proposal:

"I'm sending this over now as promised. Remember, we've got our call scheduled for [day] at [time] to discuss it. If anything urgent comes up before then, just drop me a line. Otherwise, I look forward to speaking with you on [day]."

When finishing a project:

"We've made excellent progress together. Now, to make sure you get the maximum value from what we've implemented, I'd suggest we schedule a review in [timeframe]. That way, we can measure the results and identify any fine-tuning that might increase your returns even further. Let me get my diary out—what does [date] look like for you?"

When a client seems hesitant to book the next meeting:

"I appreciate you're busy, and I don't want to pin you down if now isn't the right time. But in my experience, when we don't set a specific date, things tend to drift, and that's not fair to either of us. Even if it's a few weeks out, let's get something in the diary. We can always move it if needed. What works best for you?"

Your Next Steps

The wealthy taxi driver's principle is simple but powerful: always book the return journey.

Starting today, I want you to make a commitment. From now on, you will never end a client interaction without having the next one scheduled. Whether it's a call, a meeting, a review, or a check-in—get it in both diaries before you say goodbye.

This single change will transform your client relationships. You'll spend less time chasing and more time delivering value. You'll maintain your positioning as an authority. And you'll create the kind of certainty that clients find reassuring and valuable.

If you'd like to explore more strategies for getting paid what you're worth and building a practice that serves you as well as your clients, I'd encourage you to explore my book PAID! which goes much deeper into these principles.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Photo of Peter Thomson or an illustration representing the taxi/journey concept]

And if you're ready to take your business to the next level with ongoing support and proven strategies, consider joining The Paid Up Club where we work together on implementing these ideas together.

Remember: the people who keep records are the people who break records. And the professionals who book the return journey are the ones who build thriving, sustainable practices.

Until next time, get up, get on, and succeed.

Peter Thomson

'The UK's Most Prolific Business Development Author'