THE SHORT LIST

Launching January 28, 2025

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Focus on the right relationships for better business results.

When it comes to business development, professionals often struggle not from a lack of opportunities but from not knowing where to focus their attention. With countless LinkedIn connections and cluttered CRM databases, the question remains: “What is the best use of my time?” The Short List provides a clear, actionable guide to identifying key contacts and nurturing those relationships into career catalysts. Featuring a step-by-step plan with easy-to-use exercises, it’s perfect for both newcomers and seasoned rainmakers. Streamline your networking and elevate your results with this indispensable guide from David Ackert, co-founder and CEO of PipelinePlus and renowned business development thought leader. Foreword authored by Dr. Heidi K. Gardner.

Resources from The Short List

Short Takes from The Short List

Watch David Ackert discuss key concepts from The Short List in exclusive video clips, offering insights to deepen your understanding of business development strategies.

Downloadable Worksheets
(Coming Jan 28th)

Download free tools and worksheets from The Short List to help you apply essential strategies and take actionable steps toward advancing your business development goals.

Upcoming Events

Stay informed about David Ackert’s upcoming speaking engagements, events, and book tour, where he’ll be sharing valuable lessons from The Short List.

Praise for The Short List

Explore endorsements from readers and experts who praise The Short List for its practical guidance and impact on business development.

Author Q&A

Have questions for David? Submit them here and read select responses as he dives deeper into the themes and ideas from The Short List. Join the conversation and engage with the author directly.

Book David Ackert for Your Event or Retreat

Book David Ackert for your next company event or retreat to inspire your team with powerful insights and strategies from The Short List.

Meet the Author:

David Ackert

David is Co-Founder and CEO of Ackert, Inc. and its subsidiary, PipelinePlus. He is a highly regarded business development thought leader. Over the past two decades, David has pioneered revenue acceleration programs for hundreds of professional services firms around the globe.

He is the founder of several technology platforms including the PipelinePlus software suite. His programs are winners of “Your Honor Awards” in both the U.S. and Canada and have been featured in NLJ’s “Technologies on the Rise.” David regularly keynotes at partner retreats and speaks at industry conferences. He also serves as a guest lecturer at USC’s Marshall School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, and at the UCLA School of Law.

David is the author of The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People who Matter Most, which will be published by Greenleaf Book Group in early 2025. His work has been published and quoted across several business books and media over the years, including the Los Angeles Times, the National Review, the Daily Journal, the Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, Attorney at Work, The Recorder, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. His Market Leaders Podcast has won several JD Supra Reader’s Choice Awards.

David volunteers as a Big Brother with the Big Brothers and Sisters program in Los Angeles. He is also the co-founder of Voices in Harmony, a mentoring organization that has worked with at-risk youth around the globe. He co-produced and appeared in the documentary film, “After Kony: Staging Hope,” chronicling mentoring programs he helped to design and facilitate for former child soldiers in Northern Uganda. The film was used as part of an awareness-raising campaign that raised millions of dollars for health and education in underserved Ugandan communities. David’s charitable work earned the “Difference Maker” award from one of his alma maters, Ithaca College.

David holds a master’s in psychology and is a Fellow at the College of Law Practice Management.

Illustrating The Short List

Steven M. Martini

Partner at Withum & President of ProVisors

This book is spot on in showing people to effectively use their time to develop the right relationships to build their businesses. As a Business Development  partner at Withum and President of Provisors (a nationwide networking organization) I build relationships for a living, I still gather tips and ideas from David Ackert.

Brian Napack

Executive Chairman
2U

With The Short List, David Ackert has delivered the essential guidebook for business development results.  Every rainmaker knows that their success is built on the strategic cultivation of a small network of deep, high-impact relationships.  As he has done for decades as a C-suite coach and advisor, David lays out a clear, actionable roadmap for growing and maintaining your own high performing network.  The Short List should be on every ambitious business leader’s desk.

Julia Bennett

 Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

With so many options and opinions about how to ignite a successful practice, it can be hard to know which tactics to employ. With “The Short List,” David takes the guess work out of where to start. He offers practical guidance about how to anchor your business development efforts in strengthening the relationships that bring both joy and opportunity.

Justin Portaz

Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer
Jenner & Block

A clear, achievable roadmap to focused growth and faster success. The Short List removes complexity from client development, unlocks opportunity, and is, ultimately, a guide to greater personal fulfillment.

Samantha McKenna

CEO
#samsales Consulting

The Short List is perfect for those who value a strategic approach to sales. It transforms the dated high-volume prospecting methods into a refined system focused on high-value opportunities. With David Ackert’s relatable tone, compelling research, and clear step-by-step guidance, this book is a must-have for anyone who resonates with the idea of a high quality, buyer-first approach.