Professional services:
Building and scaling your 
consulting firm

New perspective, pragmatic input, and a tactical
approach to building capacity.

Professional services:
Building and scaling your consulting firm

New perspective, pragmatic input,
and a tactical approach to building capacity.

Growing a profitable accounting or consulting firm is uniquely challenging.

(For law firms, see our Law firm-specific information.)

Utilization is maximized, leverage is optimal, billings are being collected, and business is good. Your firm is successful, but have you reached a plateau? Or you see there is potential for more, but doing “more of the same” is unlikely to move the needle? Or maybe results have not met your expectations, and you know that something needs to be done.

In a time of changing client expectations (and a changing business environment) this is even more challenging. It is unreasonable to expect growth and improved profitability, unless your team is tooled up to make this happen – from the leadership to the frontlines. Some questions:

•  How might we build a marketing and bus dev capability throughout the firm, at every level?
•  How might we inculcate a culture of personal responsibility for business growth, in all staff?
•  How might we build more effective marketing and bus dev processes, and then use our tools (including CRM) most effectively?
•  How might we increase the number of billable hours captured?
•  How might we differentiate our firm and partners as thought leaders, not just “experts”?
•  How might we build a true "trusted advisor" business?  (Instead of merely using the words...)

And some other, possibly less comfortable questions:

•  Are you completely satisfied with the "funnel" of new clients, new work from existing clients, and the strength of your referral network?  
•  Are your proposals and pitches truly best-of-class?  How do you know?  
•  Are you happy with your firm's marketing ROI?  
•  Does the client service quality at key clients far exceed their expectations? How do you know?
•  Does your recruitment and interview process yield the absolute best candidates?  (Could it do better?)   
•  When was the last time you re-evaluated your new partner training and your new senior manager training?
•  Is your partner evaluation and accountability approach yielding the results you are looking for?  

We ask these questions (and more), based on decades of direct professional service firm leadership experience. We’ve advised both the largest global and national firms… and some of the most innovative “challenger” boutiques.

Whether you run a law firm, an accounting firm, consulting firm or engineering firm, our Impact Programs can help you grow:

•  Business growth coaching (for managing partners, practice leaders, and marketing leadership)
•  CPD: Monthly training and workshops with weekly micro-learning reinforcements (firm-wide, or by practice or office)
•  Keynotes at annual partners' meetings and practice retreats
•  Management training for new managers/senior managers/principals
•  Self-paced leadership skills courses with micro-learning and practical exercises.
•  1100+ tools, templates, whitepapers, videos, and other resources

See the graphic below for more on our firm-wide Impact Programs:

Impact Programs

Build a high-performance organization that drives growth

Our Impact Programs are integrated enterprise-class programs to build capacity and a high-performance organization. We deliver this through our keynotes, one-on-one coaching, ongoing CPD, courses, tools/templates, facilitation, and more.

C-Suite Business Growth Coaching

We work one-on-one, bringing tough questions to the table, and providing strategic and tactical insights on how issues might be resolved, and how business growth can be achieved.

Monthly Team Training (CPD/ CE)

Build priority skills in your team, to develop competitive advantage, clarity, and alignment. 12-month CPD program with monthly virtual presentations and weekly micro-learning reinforcements.

Self-Paced Leadership Skills Courses

Upskill key employees with specific and practical self-paced learning to sharpen core business and entrepreneurial skills.

Access to 1100+ Resources

Tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources for virtually any business growth challenge and task.

Keynotes at Kick-offs/Conferences

Keynotes can motivate your team, launch an initiative, and deliver a strong message...all aligned with your priorities and supported by other Impact Program elements. Delivered live or virtually by Hall of Fame business speaker Randall Craig.

Impact Meetings

Regular touchpoints to align with your current business priorities, ensure progress is being made, and allow for any mid-course corrections.

Facilitation

From brainstorming sessions, focus groups, management retreats, to high-stakes meetings, we can navigate the personalities and the politics, working with the group to surface the knowledge and consensus required. Short learning curve: we bring our knowledge from working with you.

Priority Access for Advisory Services

When there are major issues that require dedicated time to address, you have direct access to Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur – even if it’s just a quick phone call.

We work one-on-one, bringing tough questions to the table, and providing strategic and tactical insights on how issues might be resolved, and how business growth can be achieved.

From planning the agenda, delivering training and facilitation, we build alignment and a common vocabulary within your team. We are experienced in navigating the personalities and the politics, working with the group to surface the knowledge and consensus required to achieve your objectives.

Upskill key employees with specific and practical self-paced learning to sharpen core business and entrepreneurial skills.

Access to 1100+
Resources

Tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources for virtually any business growth challenge and task.

Alignment.
Impact.
Growth.

Keynotes can motivate your team, launch an initiative, and deliver a strong message – all aligned with your priorities and supported by other Impact Program elements. Delivered live or virtually by Hall of Fame business speaker Randall Craig.

12-month CPD program with monthly virtual presentations and weekly micro-learning reinforcements. Build priority skills in your team, to develop competitive advantage, clarity, and alignment.

Regular touchpoints to align with your current business priorities, ensure progress is being made, and allow for any mid-course corrections.

When there are major issues that require dedicated time to address, you have direct access to Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur – even if it’s just a quick phone call.

We work one-on-one, bringing tough questions to the table, and providing strategic and tactical insights on how issues might be resolved, and how business growth can be achieved.

From planning the agenda, delivering training and facilitation, we build alignment and a common vocabulary within your team. We are experienced in navigating the personalities and the politics, working with the group to surface the knowledge and consensus required to achieve your objectives.

Upskill key employees with specific and practical self-paced learning to sharpen core business and entrepreneurial skills.

Access to 1100+ Resources

Tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources for virtually any business growth challenge and task.

Alignment.
Impact.
Growth.

Keynotes can motivate your team, launch an initiative, and deliver a strong message – all aligned with your priorities and supported by other Impact Program elements. Delivered live or virtually by Hall of Fame business speaker Randall Craig.

12-month CPD program with monthly virtual presentations and weekly micro-learning reinforcements.
Build priority skills in your team, to develop competitive advantage, clarity, and alignment.

Regular touchpoints to align with your current business priorities, ensure progress is being made, and allow for any mid-course corrections.

When there are major issues that require dedicated time to address, you have direct access to Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur – even if it’s just a quick phone call.

Impact Programs: At Scale

A powerful way to build alignment, impact, and change throughout your firm.

Level Up Program

For firms on a tighter budget looking to get a better ROI on their investment in their people.

•  One in-person keynote or presentation (eg., for the whole team, a particular business unit, partners conference, etc.)

•  Quarterly Coaching for the managing partner or practice leader

•  Quarterly CPD for all staff, including monthly tipsheets to reinforce learning

•  Access to Braintrust Professional courses for leadership team or key employees

•  Access to 1100+ tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources

•  Annual impact meeting

Accelerator Program

For firms that are committed to build alignment and begin the process of differentiation

•  Two in-person keynotes or presentations (eg., for the whole team, a particular business unit, partners conference, etc.)

• Monthly Coaching for the managing partner or practice leader

•  Monthly CPD for all staff, including weekly tipsheets to reinforce learning

• Access to Braintrust Professional Institute courses for leadership team or key employees

• Access to 1100+ tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources

•  Semi-annual impact meetings

•  Facilitation of two high-stakes meetings or brainstorming sessions

Transformation Program

For firms that are experiencing (or creating) major change: strategy, disruption, M&A, business transformation, etc.

•  Four in-person keynotes or presentations (eg., for the whole team, a particular business unit, partners conference, etc.)

•  Monthly Coaching for all managing partners and/or practice leaders

•  Monthly CPD for all staff, including weekly tipsheets to reinforce learning

•  Unlimited access to Braintrust Professional courses for all employees

• Access to 1100+ tools, templates, articles, videos, and other resources

•  Quarterly impact meetings, enhanced progress monitoring and feedback loop

• Facilitation of three high-stakes meetings or brainstorming sessions

•  Attendance and facilitation at a partners conference

•  Priority access to Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur for advisory services.

Curious how we can help level up your organization?
Book a call to discuss possibilities, challenges and how he might help.

Business Development for Firms: Q&A

Listen in to this deep dive into business development with a focus on professional service firms.

Part 1

Opening remarks from Randall Craig, with questions from Ronja Francoeur:
•  Growing your firm through thought leadership. 
•  Navigating the time investment required to create thought leadership verses the pressures of billable hours.
•  The shared responsibilities of Marketing, HR, and IT in the bus dev process, and
•  Business development training opportunities for professional services.

Part 2

Q&A on topics such as:
•  Business development goals and accountability.
•  Client experience, client touch points, and referrals.
•  New geographies, virtual offices, and cultural fit with clients.
•  The Price/Expertise/Trust Model, and
•  How IP and thought leadership collateral can be used within the business development process.

Part 3

Q&A continued on:
•  DEI, ESG, and other trends on bus dev.
•  How to measure the success of your business development initiatives, and when change may be needed?
•  How might an emphasis on (or lack thereof on) in-house training investment impact the firm brand?
•  Is the juice worth the squeeze when it comes to your bus dev investments?

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