PipelinePlus trainings & presentationsWorkshops & Seminars
Workshops and seminars designed to spark engagement, provide proven tools and frameworks, and leave participants ready to excel at business development.
Training that drives lasting business development success
Through keynotes, workshops, and seminars, we deliver:
Actionable frameworks (like The Short List methodology) to prioritize high-value relationships.
Engaging, workshop-style sessions tailored to expert advisors, no theoretical fluff.
Proven results from firms that have transformed their pipelines.
Sessions Exploring Core Principles
Business Development Fundamentals 1
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It takes several years to develop a meaningful book of business. But when you lay the foundation early in your career, you gain a critical advantage over less ambitious competitors. This requires adopting a business-development mindset, developing meaningful expertise, and aligning with the right internal champions. Each of these components, when approached strategically, accelerate business development momentum so you can attract client opportunities as quickly as possible.
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Understand the role business development plays in shaping your career trajectory
Hone the listening skills that contribute to a business development mindset
Establish a professional brand through digital marketing and in-person networking
Understand how to use LinkedIn to raise your professional profile and elevate your network
Business Development Fundamentals 2
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Building on the first installment, this program helps you establish credibility and momentum in the business community. With ample lead time, you can establish a strong foundation of professional relationships so that, by the time you are eligible for partnership, you are in a strong position to advance at the firm.
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Leverage various networking communities to bolster credibility
Identify and leverage external mentors among your business contacts
Differentiate from competitors
Establish the basis of a productive professional network
Turning Prospects Into Clients: The Art of the Pitch
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Move beyond traditional selling techniques to a sophisticated relationship-based approach that consistently converts prospects into loyal clients.
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Master the five components of a successful pitch
Navigate objections while strengthening relationships
Structure win-win fee arrangements that protect profitability
The Power of Focus: Drive Growth with Your Short List
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Transform your network from an overwhelming list of contacts into a strategic asset. Learn the science behind why focusing on 9-35 key relationships yields better results than maintaining hundreds of superficial connections. Then, discover how to convert those key relationships into business.
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Master the "9-35 Rule" to identify your optimal network size
Apply the 4 Cs framework (Chemistry, Character, Capability, Collaboration) to evaluate relationships
Create an influence-scoring system that prioritizes high-impact connections
Use the 40 Actions Matrix to advance your day-to-day opportunities
Need a Bigger Presentation?
Keynotes that Transform Retreats.
Our faculty can deliver retreat keynotes that go beyond inspiration, equipping leaders with actionable frameworks tailored to your firm’s strategic goals
Sessions Exploring Advanced Strategies
Next-Gen BD: Building Meaningful Connections in a Digital-First World
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Business development isn’t about attending every event—it’s about building the right relationships. For Gen Z and Millennial professionals who have launched their careers in a digital-first world, The Short List provides a roadmap for cultivating meaningful connections both online and in person. This session will help you confidently engage with colleagues, clients, and prospects, bridging the gap between virtual networking and real-world relationship-building to drive business growth.
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Create a culture that rewards meaningful relationship-building
Inspire trust and loyalty through strategic relationship cultivation
Implement metrics that drive relationship-based growth
The Connector Advantage: Unlock New Opportunities Through Your Network
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Discover how to identify and activate the most valuable people in your network: the connectors who can exponentially expand your reach and influence.
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Rekindle dormant contacts into high-potential contacts
Identify connectors using specific behavioral and influence indicators
Master the six steps to convert connectors into recurring referral sources
Create and manage advisory roundtables that transform connectors into active referral sources
Create and use systems that maintain a regular flow of business
Conversational BD: The Power of the
Right Words
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Successful business development starts with the right conversations, yet many professionals hesitate because they struggle with what to say. This session, inspired by David Ackert’s The Short List, provides simple, effective phrases that help professionals engage with confidence, build rapport, and drive business growth without sounding salesy.
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Integrate practical, memorable language into everyday business conversations.
Confidently initiate and guide discussions that lead to new opportunities.
Build stronger client relationships while advancing deals naturally.
It takes several years to develop a meaningful book of business. But when you lay the foundation early in your career, you gain a critical advantage over less ambitious competitors. This requires adopting a business-development mindset, developing meaningful expertise, and aligning with the right internal champions. Each of these components, when approached strategically, accelerate business development momentum so you can attract client opportunities as quickly as possible.
Strategic Cross-Selling: Expand Client Opportunities with
Trust & Collaboration
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Cross-selling isn’t just about offering more services, it’s about deepening trust, strengthening internal collaboration, and strategically expanding client relationships. The Short List methodology provides a structured, relationship-driven approach to cross-selling that aligns client needs with firm expertise. This session will help you overcome common barriers, foster collaboration among colleagues, and implement a targeted approach to unlocking new opportunities.
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Strengthen trust among colleagues to create a culture of collaboration and shared client success.
Identify cross-selling opportunities by aligning high-value clients with firm capabilities.
Foster collaboration by applying The Short List approach to trust, capability alignment, and mutual value creation.
Develop a targeted action plan to initiate and sustain cross-selling conversations with confidence.
The Art of Listening: Elevating Client Conversations
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This interactive workshop is designed to sharpen how you listen in real client conversations. You’ll learn why effective listening is one of the most underutilized tools for issue spotting, trust building, and relevance. Through real-time exercises, participants experience how internal filters and habits shape what they hear and what they miss.
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Learn how intentional listening shifts conversations from you to the client
Understand how confirmation bias interferes with conscious, effective listening
Participate in live exercises that help you stop planning your next response before fully hearing the other person
Practice empathetic listening to better understand the client’s perspective and identify more helpful, relevant ways to engage
Preparing the Next Generation of Rainmakers
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This program helps firm leaders understand why business development can be difficult for emerging lawyers and how firms can create clearer pathways for growth. The session explores lawyer-specific barriers, generational expectations, mixed messages inside firms, and practical ways to support more purposeful business development.
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Recognize common barriers that make BD difficult for lawyers.
Understand how generational expectations can create misalignment.
Identify mixed messages associates may be hearing.
Explore ways to provide clearer goals, training, mentoring, and support.
Give Your Professionals Skills That Fuel Success
Whether your professionals need to build confidence in business development or strengthen their leadership impact, our customized training delivers practical strategies that stick.
Explore how our workshops can support your team’s growth.