Why it works
3 research lenses
01 Client buying behavior
Years of advanced studies detail true drivers of client growth and loyalty.
02 Rainmaker behavior
Large-scale data sets reveal winning skills and behaviors teams can adopt and improve.
03 Social science
Principles unearthed through decades of psychology experiments and anthropology findings applied by sales and marketing experts.
Client buying behavior
Purchasing professional services has never been more complex. Buyers must navigate an increasingly sophisticated set of internal procedures and choose between an ever growing set of experts well positioned to solve their problems. All of this paired with continually rising expectations continue for value creation before, during, and after paid engagements.
The research is clear on what drives client value and loyalty. Our programs address foundational elements, including why and how clients buy.
Why clients buy
Clients purchase when value is created on at least one of three dimensions. Learn how to establish and expand trust.
How clients buy
C-suite leaders and their teams face internal hurdles as they evaluate purchases. Learn how to empathize and respond in a helpful manner.
Rainmaker behavior
Our research team at DCM Insights conducted the first global, data-based study designed to understand what makes top performing business developers different from their peers in the professional services industry. Nearly 1,800 partners from across 24 firms (spanning consulting, law, accounting, investment banking, PR/communications and executive search/talent advisory) participated in an in-depth survey to identify how they approach business development.
In-depth interviews:
83 partner interviews
40 C-level client interviews
Sample Overview, June 2023
Five go-to-market approaches
The biggest surprise of our study was to learn that all professional services partners can be placed into one of five statistically-defined business development approaches. While partners can (and typically do) possess attributes from multiple profiles, each partner in our study could be placed into one of these five profiles.
EXPERT
Looks for clients with clear needs that match their specific area of expertise
Builds deep, personal relationships with clients, growing their book of business over time through excellent service
CONFIDANT
ACTIVATOR
Proactively engages a robust network of clients and non-clients
DEBATER
Looking for clients to follow their lead, delivering new ideas with a contrarian style
REALIST
Focused on setting proper client expectations in a transparent manner
A clear winner
Using the firm-generated performance rating data we collected, we were able to compare the performance of partners who fell into each of these profiles.
A partner who chooses an Activator approach is disproportionately more likely to be a successful business developer than if they choose any other approach.
The three pillars of the Activator Approach
A deeper dive into the data reveals three key behaviors that are central to an Activator business development approach.
Curriculum
Program participants gain a deep appreciation and understanding of Activator skills with tactical tips they can use to emulate high performing behavior.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
What happens when you blend psychology with thirty years of sales and marketing leadership?
A winning formula
Tens of thousands of hours spent testing and applying behavioral frameworks
Billions of dollars in sales wins, dripping in lessons, examples and stories
Ongoing client and rainmaker learnings, threaded back into training
The market’s most practical and achievable development experience
The client development mindset
Developing robust networks
Fostering high impact relationships
Example lessons include:
Pitching for business
Navigating difficult fee conversations
Habit-forming exercises
Participants thrive in our
development experiences…
Associate
“Incredibly helpful and thought provoking.”
Junior Partner
“I am fascinated by the science and psychology behind BD so it was really exciting to learn new tips and techniques.”
Partner
“A big shift was a mindset one — the whole notion of BD is now exciting. It’s fun to reach out to new contacts.”
BD Team Member
“I appreciated the inclusion of guest speakers who added to the experience”
Partner
“When you think of training what comes to mind are lectures and a one-way exercise. This was so different…discussion with my peers, homework that helped me talk to my clients, hearing from others…it all summed up to a unique experience.”
Partner
“The training helped me to focus on how to improve client relationships and also gave me the confidence to be quite direct.”
Associate