Who We Are
We are experts in business development for consulting, professional services firms and technology companies.

For the past 20+ years the SAGE team has worked with industry leading firms - including Accenture, IBM Global Services, KPMG and PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

      What we do
We work with clients to achieve breakthroughs in building the marketing, selling and relationship management skills of their people.

We specialize in two areas:

1) Training consultants and "technical" professionals how to market themselves, sell work, and manage relationships. We have worked with hundreds of firms and thousands of professionals.

2) Coaching firms to develop the marketing programs, sales processes and account development methods that grow revenue.

Marketing Mistakes Cost Big Money!

Now you can have the ONLY guide to what the Best Professional Business Generators do — and start to get better results immediately. Adopt their proven approaches to building your practice. Learn to skillfully emulate their behavior and consistently practice their tactics on a daily basis.

Read about the biggest mistakes the Best know how to avoid...and why this book can help you.

And sample the book with a complete chapter on the best practices for strengthening your personal network so you can add the kind of clients you want. Just click the Preview button.

Free Networking Chapter!
Note: Pages are cropped to allow for printing on legal size paper

For a special offer on this book to make a difference right away, see below.



The 10 Biggest Mistakes Professionals Make In Business Development

By: Allan Boress and Michael Cummings


For the past 20 years, we have worked with top professional firms to build the entrepreneurial skills of their people. Over the years, we have worked with some of the top business developers across consulting, accounting, financial services, engineering, law, architecture, and other professions.

When you compare the business development attitudes and aptitudes of the top producers with the average in your profession, you get a clear picture of the marketing and selling mistakes the average producer or novice makes.

How many professionals entered their profession to market and sell? How do they get trained and mentored in business development? The first step is to recognize what's working and not working in terms of your business development actions. Here are The 10 Biggest Mistakes That Professionals Make In Marketing:


Mistake #1: They don't market when they are busy.

When we are loaded up with projects due, getting the work out is at the top of our to-do list. Then the projects are over and we don't know where our work is going to come from. You need to market most, when you are the busiest. And you need to set daily business development activity goals.


Mistake #2: They don't have a "reputation building" plan.

You wouldn't take on a job and then not have a plan for doing the work. Yet, if you ask many professionals how they plan to expand their reputation and extend their network — you often get vague and general answers. Instead, you need daily, weekly, monthly and annual activity goals and personal action plans.


Mistake #3: They don't treat their referral network as an asset.

If you do great work for your clients, you will be swamped with referrals. Wrong! You need to ask your clients to help you build your business and create opportunities for them to do so. You also need to build close alliances with other service providers and set goals to expand the quality and reach of your personal network.


Mistake #4: They don't sell clients on what they have already sold them.


Too often, busy professionals complete the project — and then move on. Remember the marketing purpose of any work for a client is to get the next piece of work and receive immediate referrals. When the job is over sell the benefits hard. Then you reap additional work and referrals.


Mistake #5: They don't market themselves inside their own firm.

In many cases, your best ally in building your practice is sitting in an office right across the hall. Market to your own partners and associates so that you can leverage their client relationships and personal contact networks.


Mistake #6: They only market to clients when they are working with them...or when they are trying to sell them something.

Most clients aren't naive. If you become a stranger to them after the last service you delivered and then you contact them out of the blue, they know that you are trying to hawk work or sell to them. Market your relationship with them all the time, but don't always try to sell them.


Mistake #7: They assume potential clients will value their expertise.

The hurdles for being recognized as a valued expert, service professional, or advisor are higher than ever. Just because you are smart, experienced and call yourself an expert you're not automatically an expert in the eyes of the customer. You need to prove that you know their specific business and you have a track record they respect. They care about a quick infusion of hands-on "been there, done that in your business" expertise.


Mistake #8: They expect the client or prospect to do too much of the work.

One firm's idea of marketing is to publish a quarterly book of their latest thinking almost like a college textbook. Who has the time to read something like that? Realize that you have the equivalent of a subject line on an e-mail these days to grab someone's attention.


Mistake #9: They focus on the wrong end of the pipeline.

It is easy to feel comfortable when you have a number of active proposals. But it seems that you never get as many as you think you will or the decision process takes longer than you expect. Force yourself to monitor the active leads you create every day instead and the proposals will take care of themselves.


Mistake #10: They don't market to people who rejected their proposals.

Don't you just hate it when somebody selects a competitor? But think of all the work you invested in getting to know that client and their business. What if the service they bought didn't go well? What if the competitor didn't build a great relationship? Keep these prospects in your marketing sights and see if you can win them back.


WARNING: These and Other Marketing Mistakes Cost Big Money!

Marketing tools are simply equipment like a golf club is to a golfer.

Getting the best clubs money can buy will not make you shoot par. Lowering your score or becoming a pro depends primarily on your skill as a golfer.

And these skills come from dedicated, continual application of what works. And remember: most marketing that you're familiar with is NOT appropriate for professional services.

In fact, many professionals make expensive mistakes by trying out marketing approaches that work for computers, copying machines and soap. This kind of product-oriented marketing is a waste of time.

So what's the answer? Simply: If you want to get better results, you must find ways to become more like the best business generators. Adopt their proven approaches to building your practice. Skillfully emulate their behavior and consistently practice their tactics on a daily basis.

What can you expect if you follow this advice? You'll find that getting better at business development is fully under your personal control (and can even be enjoyable as you put into action only those strategies that have been proven successful). That's right. All professional services marketing success boils down to you as an individual. But don't take our word for it: See how the best business generators operate. The top producers know that what prospects and clients buy is you
your expertise, ability to communicate and capability to solve their problems. Realize that you are the product and you are also your own product manager and salesforce. Take control now of your personal marketing strategy.

The Bottom Line:
Each Professional Must “Market.”

The days of listing your services in a phone book and hoping for the best are long gone.

Marketing must become the personal responsibility of each professional
you cannot rely on your organization to do all the work needed for you to prosper. Success is predicated on building relationships, making contacts, doing business development each day and systematically employing the proven methods of the top producers.

But competition is everywhere...and in today's world of firms consolidating... continuing over-supply of experienced and young, hungry professionals elbowing in on your turf... marketing your services is more essential than ever.

The course presented in this book, Best Practices in Personal Marketing for Professionals, offers you a practical and proven step-by-step approach to effectively marketing yourself. Written in an easy-to-read style, it provides a wealth of tips, tools, techniques and how-to guidance you need to be more successful right away.

Benefits include:

How to eliminate the mystery, wasted time, and effort of trying to figure the ways to most successfully market your services

How to be mentored by the top producers in the profession.

How to systematically apply the same best practices on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

Every possible aspect of marketing yourself and your firm discussed in a systematic approach that you can begin using immediately

The ONLY Best Practices guide to professional marketing. The program is based on our work with over 500 professional firms since 1980, with specific examples and case studies to turn theory into practice.

Knowing exactly what you have to do to grow your practice on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

How to leverage your existing strengths as a professional and apply them to business development for results

Finding ways to unleash your current contacts into a fertile referral source

Which proven methods turn your clients into your sales force

How to avoid wasting time on ineffective marketing methods that bear no fruit

Taking control of your business development success

Mentoring by the best business generators so you can emulate their mindset and business building behavior...and start to produce the same results consistently

Generating a steady stream of highly qualified prospective clients

How to become a celebrated "expert" in your field

Creating the word-of-mouth advertising that makes money

Gaining the essential Attitudes For Business Development Success

Building your aptitude for the critical areas: Focusing on Best Opportunities, Marketing to Existing Clients, Obtaining Quality Referrals, Building Powerful Alliances, Developing an Effective Network

Becoming A Celebrated Expert through speaking and writing articles

Free Networking Chapter!
Note: Pages are cropped to allow for printing on legal size paper

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Special Offer - Was $149
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    "Extra should be 100-150K per year...
    "Hi Allan! Just writing to let you know that GR was awarded the job I wrote to you about a few weeks ago. Total fees should be about 600K per year. Extra should be 100-150K per year... Thanks for your help.
    - Russ Gordon, Goldenberg & Rosenthal


    "We have made 5 placements with this company for a total of $85,000 in revenues...
    "I specifically have applied your techniques in looking for new business opportunities on a daily basis. Taking your advice, we have been able to secure a new client this year from a contact with my next-door neighbor. This client is one of the more respected and well-known companies in the Orlando Market. In the last 6 months, we have made 5 placements with this company for a total of $85,000 in revenues. As well, my staff has made great strides in attaining 'key' accounts. Thanks so much for providing many unique ways of capturing new business, and also for your very enthusiastic approach of delivering your concepts."
    - Robert Mitchem, Operations And Training Manager, Corporate Search Consultants

    "We are extremely pleased with the results of the training. We have developed a number of action points focusing on business development and client service, derived from the points you raised on the subjects. The reviews speak for themselves. It would be a pleasure for me to assist you in identifying opportunities for your organization within Deloitte. I am also happy to be used as a reference should you have any potential opportunities (inside and outside Deloitte) in the pipe-line."
    - T.J., Deloitte


    Lessons from the
    Best Business Generators

    Do you have a clear daily, weekly and monthly game plan to grow your practice?

    Do you have precise growth goals in terms of revenue by client and type of work?

    Do you know how much work you need to sell and proposals you need to generate in order to reach your sales objectives?

    The top producers among professional service providers can answer all of these questions on a daily basis.

    To enhance your business development results, all you have to do is learn from those who excel. Emulate the best business generators
    for they have developed proven techniques, success strategies and productive business building habits.

    The bottom line is that business development is simply a skill
    one that can be built. Realize that, as a professional, you've already got all of the personal assets you need to create more business effectively.

    With this book, you'll learn how to systematically apply the same best practices on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

    The book guides you through this approach in two sections:

    1) Building a Winning Personal Marketing System
    2) Best Practices In All The Critical Aspects Of Marketing

    Preview the table of contents:

    Section 1

    Section 2

"This is definitely one of the best things we have done for our firm… Our results have been phenomenal! Everyone immediately began putting these methods to work. The energy level in our firm has been incredible. Most importantly, everyone is empowered and confident in selling our firm. This is definitely one of the best things we have done for our firm….We more than paid for Allan's fee with the results we attained the first week following the training."
- James L. Williams, Dixon Odom




"We have been growing 25%-30% per year...
"The "raw meat" of Allan's program is a culture-changing business development message. And the message stays with you. His philosophy underpins the phenomenal growth of the Kansas City office of Fleishman-Hillard. It has allowed us to continue growing in a market where many might have thought we had reached our potential. We have been growing 25%-30% per year. Nearly $1 of every $2 invested in PR in Kansas City is with Fleishman-Hillard. Our work with Allan undeniably has had an enduring impact on our ability to develop the business relationships necessary to grow our business."

- Ron Arp, Senior Vice President

ORDER NOW!

Special Offer - Was $149
Make a Difference Right NOW!...
Only $ 109 (plus s&h)

[Click the button to pay by Credit Card or thru PayPal
with our agent Intertexts, Inc.]

Note: If you're in another country or do not have a credit card and you want to order by bank draft, write the words "Best Practices" on a piece of paper and mail it to the address below.

Please include your email address, so I can contact you after your payment arrives. I will need to know where to send
Best Practices in Personal Marketing for Professionals.



Make your bank draft out to:
SAGE PDI
, Inc.
37w222 Rt 64 # 173
St. Charles, IL 60175

1-630-572-4798


Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us: mcummings@sageprofessional.com

Thanks!

Allan, Michael, and Barry
(SAGE PDI Marketing Team)

"Allan Boress is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world on the subject of practice development I have ever met...
"His no-nonsense delivery and step-by-step formulas are easy and logical to follow and would be of benefit to everyone."

- Gary Condie


 






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