Professional services buying has changed and Activators win.

There is a growing problem in professional services that is often acknowledged but rarely discussed openly: clients—even long-standing ones for whom firms have delivered unquestioned value in the past—are much less loyal to firms and partners than they once were. 63% of clients report that over the next five years, they are much more likely to hire a new firm for their next piece of work rather than go back to their existing service providers.

The Activator Profile

DCMi studied thousands of professionals to understand what makes for business development success in today’s low-loyalty buying environment. We found that all fee earners fall into one of five statistically-defined profiles but only one of them—the Activator—has the skills and behaviors to win.

The research analysis was clear: a partner who chooses an Activator approach is disproportionately more likely to be a successful business developer than if they choose any other approach.

The market’s only research-backed business development training program.

The best “doer-sellers” in the professional services industry have adjusted to these new realities by pursuing a radically different approach to client engagement and business development.

DCMi’s groundbreaking research, now profiled in Harvard Business Review, indicates that these top client developers are executing different-in-kind skills and activities versus what might have earned client business 10-15 years ago. 

Our Activator Development System is the only research-backed business development training program in the professional services market.

We are proud to work with many of the world’s leading professional services brands, across law, accounting, consulting, investment banking and talent advisory.

50+ global professional services firms.

10+ global 100 law firms.

Wielding several decades of research and data science expertise, the team at DCM Insights offers a fresh perspective in an ever-changing buying environment. We study, we learn, and we share.  In doing so, we help professional services firms grow through science.

By utilizing the world’s first in-depth, quantitative study of business development in professional services, DCM Insights revolutionizes the way top partners engage today's clients. We start with a deep understanding of client buying behavior and research-backed insights into the behaviors and tactics of high performers.  Filtered through the lenses of psychology and adult learning, our programs enable meaningful improvement in business development outcomes. 

We enable any partner to become a high performer. Participants leave our programs with clear tactics and approaches to adopt, and we follow partners for a year to ensure the behavior changes stick.

  • "This was the best business development training I've ever been a part of. The research support was really persuasive."

  • Firm leaders love the program

    Watch a brief interview with Herbert Short, (US) International Partner, Eversheds Sutherland

  • “It was a great program and I found it to be of tremendous value for my professional development. Each session was carefully crafted and I appreciated the effort put into each discussion.”

  • "A big shift was a mindset one—the whole notion of BD is now exciting. It’s fun to reach out to new contacts."

  • "Incredibly helpful and thought provoking."

  • "Really valuable and I would say the best training of this type I have attended in the firm."

  • "The presenters have real experience of working in professional services in senior roles and these insights coupled with the really extensive research and data they had collected made this very engaging."

  • "Will look forward to the follow up sessions and I would fully endorse this being rolled out to a broader group of partners."

  • "We engaged DCM Insights to provide a comprehensive and engaging training experience for our more than 250 top leaders at our annual leadership conference. The experience exceeded our expectations and far from just being a training exercise, proved to be an immersive, relevant, and catalytic event that helped change the way we think about our business and our leadership."

We’d love to work with you.