Ackert Blog

How to Turn the Scary Client Ghosting Trick into a Treat for Your Firm

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 16:47:00 GMT

There have been recent reports on a ghosting trend in the legal industry, both large law firms being ghosted by legal department clients and in-house lawyers being ghosted by recruiters. With Halloween quickly approaching, we thought it would be an apt time to address the former.

Webinar Recap: Calibrating BD Strategies to the Economy

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:58:00 GMT

As the team at Ackert is talking to law firms, there's a lot of discussion about uncertainty as we head into the coming months and years. Firms are asking questions like, “With this softer economy, what should law firms be anticipating?" and “Will it be another banner year for us like the last two years have been or should we consider that 2023, might not be as strong?” and “Whether the prediction is that it will be another good year for firms or not, how does that impact our business development strategy?”

Top 5 Reasons to Outsource Your Business Development Coaching in 2023

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 15:38:33 GMT

In our most recent State of CRM in Professional Services Firms industry study, we learned that 40% of marketing and business development professionals cite seller-doers’ lack of skills as a top business development challenge. We also learned that 38% of professional service firms provide business development coaching by internal managers and 54% by external coaches.

Professional services firms realize seller-doer coaching is essential to optimize business development performance. However, marketers and business developers also know that implementing a successful coaching initiative is no small task, nor is being a world-class seller-doer coach.

Networking on Steroids

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 20:37:37 GMT

Most people in professional services have referral sources but managing those relationships can be like herding cats.

Networking groups provide structure and regularity, but they often feel like an endless series of first dates as you try to find people you genuinely like, who understand what you do, and resonate with your client base.

What Will Business Development Look Like in 2023?

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 17:33:44 GMT

With markets softening, it's very likely that client demand will weaken in the coming months. So, many firms are turning their attention back to business development.

Top 5 Reasons Your CRM Misses the Mark for Business Development

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 16:57:37 GMT

Excellent client service is at the center of everything you do. Your education and experience give you the unique skills to meet your clients’ needs and address their challenges, and you wish every hour of the day were a billable hour because it would mean you were doing just that.

But unfortunately, if you don’t consistently take time out to focus on client and business development, the firm – and your career - will suffer.

Top 4 Tips for Developing a Rainmaker Mindset

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:00:06 GMT

You’re so busy juggling client work it’s no wonder business development often gets put on the back burner. But for many seller-doers, it’s not just having the time to do business development that’s holding them back.

The stereotypical rainmaker is outgoing, makes conversations and develops new relationships easily and handily wins new business through a combination of confidence and charm. And, frankly, many seller-doers don’t fit that mold.

Top 10 Simple Secrets to Being a World-Class Seller-Doer Coach

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Tue, 17 May 2022 17:31:10 GMT

As a professional services firm marketer or business developer, one of the many hats you may wear is that of a business development coach. It’s a crucial role and, if played well, can contribute significantly to your department’s success.

For more than 20 years, Ackert has been providing comprehensive business development coaching programs to professional services firms and has worked with some of the finest in-house coaches as well. Our years of experience have proven that the following top 10 simple tips are crucial for being a world-class business development coach:

Business Development is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: The Top Five Skills Seller-Doers Need to Win

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Tue, 10 May 2022 14:52:37 GMT

At Ackert, knowing selling professional services is much more a marathon than a sprint, we have long been strong proponents of a Systematic Approach for Business Development. Recently we discovered a valuable infographic that supports many of our findings from The Rain Group, a fellow firm that offers sales coaching to professional service firms and several other industries as well.

Top 10 Tips for Building and Implementing a Business Development Coaching Program at Your Firm

info@ackertinc.com (The Ackert Team) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:21:00 GMT

While strained marketing and business development teams increase their investments in technologies to help them attract, target, and acquire new business, firms still need their seller-doers, like lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, engineers, consultants, to do the thing they resist most: selling.

Addressing the disconnect between the business development team’s (and the firm’s) strategic goals and the seller-doers' desires requires a culture change that can be difficult to achieve without external resources. That’s why more than 70% of U.S. firms adopt business development training and coaching programs.