Reducing Reliance on Leading Rainmaker

The founder of a turnaround management and valuation firm had built a $20 million business on the basis of his sales prowess. That so much of the firm’s revenue resulted from his sales efforts hampered growth and put the firm at risk. Harding & Company was brought in to help develop more rainmakers. With more of the firm’s professionals now generating significant amounts of work, the firm has doubled in size and continues to grow.

One of the Big Five accounting firms retained Harding and Company to help a group of their senior managers become more effective at selling in order to grow the practice. Harding & Company ran a six-month rainmaker training and coaching program for a team of six professionals. Within six months of the completion of the program, participants had sold over $14 million in consulting services that they attributed to skills and discipline they had learned in the program. Given the firm's gross margins, this represents a return on the initial investment in the program of over 30 times.

Revitalizing a Key Account Program

The biggest region of a large accounting firm had seen efforts to develop its accounts by selling more services to them flag. Harding & Company was hired to lead a series of workshops on account development to reinvigorate the effort. This and other initiatives lead to a dramatic increase in sales to key accounts in the following year.