| Workshop category | Title | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Sources of new business | Clients | Learn how to mine your existing client base for new business. We’ll focus on the importance of doing good work and discuss how to be more comfortable when asking your clients for new work. |
| Sources of new business | Colleagues | Learn how to generate new business from colleagues. We’ll discuss specific methodologies for generating new business from both current and former colleagues. |
| Sources of new business | Wheels of influence | Learn how to develop wheel of influence contacts. Wheels of influence are professional service people who work with your existing clients. They’re one of the most undervalued aspects of a professional network. |
| Sources of new business | Centers of influence | Learn how to develop center of influence contacts. Centers of influence are professional service people who serve a similar clientele. We’ll discuss how to ensure that your centers of influence turn into valuable referral sources. |
| Sources of new business | Strategic alliances | Learn how to develop strategic alliances with other professional service firms. We’ll discuss how to choose wisely when selecting strategic alliance partners and how to develop and maintain successful alliances. |
| Sources of new business | Unsolicited lead generation | Learn how to develop new business from unsolicited lead generation. We’ll discuss when you should turn to unsolicited lead generation and we’ll walk through a four-step process for conducting an unsolicited lead generation campaign. |
| Current clients | Client service values | Learn how to decide on your client service values. We’ll help you choose the client service values that will guide everything you do. |
| Current clients | Client service process | Learn how to deliver outstanding client service. We’ll discuss how to utilize client service meetings to demonstrate your overarching commitment to your clients. |
| Current clients | Tax planning | Learn how to use tax planning as a business development tool. We’ll discuss how to use tax planning as a tactical tool and how to open a broader conversation about a client’s future. |
| Current clients | Discovery planning | Learn about the process of discovery planning. Discovery planning focuses on understanding a client’s hopes, goals, aspirations and fears with the ultimate goal of making recommendations to help the client prepare successfully for the future. |
| Messaging | What clients want | Learn what clients want from their accountants. We’ll discuss what factors are most important to clients when choosing an accountant. We’ll also analyze areas where accountants regularly fail to meet client expectations. |
| Messaging | Competitive analysis | Learn how to perform a competitive analysis. We’ll discuss a process for analyzing your competitors to determine their strengths and weaknesses. |
| Messaging | Competitive advantage | Learn how to craft your competitive advantage. We’ll discuss how to match your core competencies with market opportunities. We’ll also walk through a step-by-step process for figuring out your own competitive advantage. |
| Messaging | Elevator pitch | Learn how to craft your elevator pitch. We’ll discuss how to craft your own elevator pitch and we’ll offer a few tips for what not to do when writing your own elevator pitch. |
| Messaging | Issue-solution-benefit narrative | Learn how to write issue-solution-benefit narratives. Issue-solution-benefit narratives connect common issues with the solutions your firm can provide. |
| Marketing | Proposals | Learn how to generate audit proposals. We’ll discuss how to put forth a clear, concise, value-driven proposal that separates you from the pack. |
| Marketing | Crafting Presentations | Learn how to craft a presentation. We’ll discuss how to write content effectively and how to structure a presentation. |
| Marketing | Delivering presentations | Learn how to deliver a presentation. We’ll discuss how to assert your presence and how to use visual aids. |
| Marketing | Handling live Q&A | Learn how to handle live Q&A. We’ll walk through an eight-step process for what to do when you’re leading a Q&A session. |
| Networking | B2B firm mixers | Learn how to throw successful business-to-business mixers. We’ll discuss how to structure B2B mixers to make them enjoyable and productive and we’ll offer a few tips to make your event a success. |
| Networking | B2C mixers | Learn how to throw successful business-to-client mixers. We’ll discuss how to host two different types of B2C mixers — informational events and hospitality events. |
| Networking | Networking tools and techniques | Learn how to get the most out of networking events. We’ll discuss what to do before, during and after a networking event to maximize its value. |
| Prospects | Ideal client profile | Learn how to write an ideal client profile. We’ll discuss how to write your own ideal client profile and how to integrate your ideal client profile into your marketing and prospecting efforts. |
| Referrals | Referral meeting process | Learn how to conduct meetings with referral sources. We’ll discuss the benefits of following a defined referral meeting process and we’ll walk through a step-by-step process for getting the most out of your referral source meetings. |
| Referrals | Referral piece | Learn how to create a referral piece. A referral piece is a one- to two-page document that describes who your ideal client is and explains why you’re a good fit for your ideal client. |
| Referrals | Referral letter | Learn how to write a referral letter. A referral letter is a useful tool for helping junior staff to start bringing in business. We’ll discuss how to identify potential contacts for the referral letter and how to draft the letter. |
| Sales process | Relationships | Learn how to build relationships with clients and prospective clients. We’ll focus on three key traits — likeability, trustworthiness and credibility. |
| Sales process | Needs | Learn how to conduct a successful needs assessment. We’ll discuss three strategies for asking smart questions and we’ll walk through a process for how to approach the needs assessment meeting. |
| Sales process | Solutions and demonstration | Learn how to present your solutions to a prospective client and how to offer a demonstration event as proof of your claims. |
| Sales process | Reservations and assurances | Learn how to overcome a prospective client’s reluctance to choose you as their accountant. We’ll discuss a process for how to uncover any reservations, address those reservations and assuage any doubts. |
| Sales process | Commitment, next steps and review | Learn about the commitment, next steps and review stages of the sales process. We’ll discuss how to gain commitment from prospective clients, which is the hardest part of the sales process for many accountants. |
| Management | Compelling saga | Learn how to create a compelling saga. A compelling saga states your firm’s business development goals, unifying employees around a common purpose. |
| Management | Know your strengths | Learn about how to succeed in sales. We’ll dispel eight common sales myths and discuss how you can use your own talents to propel your success. |
| Management | Targets and KPIs | Learn how to set targets and key performance indicators. We’ll discuss how to set realistic and achievable targets and KPIs and how to simplify the process to make it easy to track and understand. |
| Management | Individual business development plan | Learn how to create an individual business development plan. We’ll discuss the benefits of creating individual business development plans and we’ll learn how to create your own business development plan. |
| Management | Staffing | Learn how to hire business development staff. We’ll focus on the importance of filling three specific roles — business development champion, business development coach and business development coordinator. |
| Management | Coaching | Learn about the importance of business development coaching. We’ll discuss how to run both group and individual coaching sessions. |
| Management | Mentoring | Learn about the importance of offering a mentoring program at your firm. We’ll discuss what it takes to be a good mentor and how to create a mentoring program at your firm. |
| Niches | Why niche and which niche | Learn about developing a niche practice. We’ll discuss the benefits of developing a niche and we’ll walk through a process for choosing your niche. |
| Niches | Niche levels and how to niche | Delve deeper into developing a niche. We’ll discuss a number of specific strategies to help you successfully grow a niche. |
| Niches | Niche plan | Learn how to develop a niche plan. We’ll discuss the purpose of having a niche plan and learn what to include in a niche plan. |
| Workshop category | Workshop title | Workbook | Other resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of new business | Clients | Workbook | Client matrix Client classification |
| Sources of new business | Colleagues | Workbook | |
| Sources of new business | Wheels of influence | Workbook | Wheel of influence map Referral database |
| Sources of new business | Centers of influence | Workbook | Referral database |
| Sources of new business | Strategic alliances | Workbook | |
| Sources of new business | Unsolicited lead generation | Workbook | SWOT analysis Campaign strategy Frequently asked questions Call script Campaign report |
| Current clients | Client service values | Workbook | |
| Current clients | Client service process | Workbook | |
| Current clients | Tax planning | Workbook | Tax planning observations and ideas |
| Current clients | Discovery planning | Workbook | Discovery planning Discovery planning – planning category report Discovery planning – strengths, fears and opportunities questions Discovery planning – strengths, fears and opportunities report |
| Messaging | What clients want | Workbook | |
| Messaging | Competitive analysis | Workbook | |
| Messaging | Competitive advantage | Workbook | |
| Messaging | Elevator pitch | Workbook | |
| Messaging | Issue-solution-benefit narrative | Workbook | |
| Marketing | Proposals | Workbook | |
| Marketing | Crafting presentations | Workbook | Presentation skeleton |
| Marketing | Delivering presentations | Workbook | |
| Marketing | Handling live Q&A | Workbook | |
| Networking | B2B firm mixers | Workbook | |
| Networking | B2C mixers | Workbook | |
| Networking | Networking tools and techniques | Workbook | |
| Prospects | Ideal client profile | Workbook | Ideal client profile |
| Referrals | Referral meeting process | Workbook | |
| Referrals | Referral piece | Workbook | Referral piece |
| Referrals | Referral letter | Workbook | Ideal client profile Referral database Referral letter |
| Sales process | Relationships | Workbook | |
| Sales process | Needs | Workbook | Questions roadmap ISBN questions |
| Sales process | Solutions and demonstration | Workbook | |
| Sales process | Reservations and assurances | Workbook | |
| Sales process | Commitment, next steps and review | Workbook | Meeting report summary |
| Management | Compelling saga | Workbook | |
| Management | Know your strengths | Workbook | |
| Management | Targets and KPIs | Workbook | Creating targets and KPIs |
| Management | Individual business development plan | Workbook | Creating targets and KPIs Individual business development plan |
| Management | Staffing | Workbook | |
| Management | Coaching | Workbook | |
| Management | Mentoring | Workbook | |
| Niches | Why niche and which niche | Workbook | X factor exercise |
| Niches | Niche levels and how to niche | Workbook | Niche levels |
| Niches | Niche plan | Workbook | X factor exercise Niche plan |