Professional Services Networking Courses

Build Networking Expertise with Progress to Partner Academy

Our course membership platform is called “Progress to Partner Academy“. The Business Networking Courses, Guides and Webinars are closely aligned with the Business Development Skills hub, another one of 12 unlimited practice areas to support you in becoming a partner.

What is included in Progress to Academy?

There is plenty of free networking advice in our networking pages, available here. But when you join Progress to Partner Academy you will unlock 12-months of deep, solid adivec, guidance and resources to help you with your networking skills, business development skills so that you can build your client portfolio and get noticed by the partners in your firm. Keep reading to find out which of our 14 Courses will help you with your networking and business development. As well as Courses, you will have access to our content library of webinars, and quick-win videos and guides. You also get access to the other 11 development areas to build the skills you need to be noticed ahead of your peers by your firm. Progress to Partner Academy is a great step to grow and develop your career.

There’s an art and science to asking (and actually getting) what you want when it comes to networking in professional service firms and it’s not going in guns blazing. Favours require that people know, like and trust you, which takes time.

We are here to help you every step of the way, nobody starts out being good at everything. If you do your networking right, others will sell for you and spread the word about your services, products, or skills.

Included: Networking Self-study courses

Course: How to go from coffee… to instructions

To progress your career in practice, you need to become someone who can be relied upon to win high-quality work. The easiest way to do that is to generate referrals through your network.

Even if you think you are too junior to spend time growing your network daily, think again. In fact, the earlier you take action in your career to build a network that, in time, will support you in winning business, the easier it will be to win your own work when you get to a manager or senior associate position.

By taking this course, you will be guided through a step-by-step process to generate referrals via your network over time.

Course: How to Create Your Business Development Plan 

By taking this course, you will follow a step-by-step process to construct a Business Development Plan that will help you win new business.

Course: How to Become the Go-To Expert

 You will discover simple steps to build your profile, grow your reputation differentiate yourself from the competition and switch on a steady stream of referral

Plus: Networking Webinar and Workshop Recordings

Including

How to build a team of introducers who send you a steady stream of work

To be blunt, the relationships in your network are what will be the deciding factor for whether you win work. Referrals are the lifeblood of any senior lawyer, accountant, or consultant who wants to be able to win their own work.

This won’t happen without consistently focusing on keeping your key relationships warm and strong.

How to Become a Rainmaker When You Are Known as a Great Technician

Learn: the crucial mindset shifts you need to make to become known as a rainmaker; how to play to your strengths as a great technician to become a rainmaker; how to grow a strong profile and blow your own trumpet in a way which feels easy and authentic; and how to create a network which will regularly deliver new business.

How to Structure Your Business Development Activity

Plus, a huge library of short Quick Win videos when you want to work on your career but don’t have a huge amount of time, including:

• How to have a good referral network 
• How to turn a conversation into business 
• How to use LinkedIn to get noticed 
• How to earn the right to have a conversation

Included: Networking Guides and Gameplans

• Creating a Networking Plan
• Creating your LinkedIn Profile
• The Reluctant Business Developers Guide to Winning Clients

How to Approach Networking

Depending on the size of your firm and your service line, you will need a strong network across your firm, other offices, and its international network, plus your key client accounts, trade bodies, and sector interests.

Get to know the people working at your level (don’t aim for the Boardroom yet!) because they are likely to be the decision-makers of the future.

Treat everyone as an important client. If you’re seen by your firm’s decision-makers to be making contacts that could lead to business in the future, that will be vital for your reputation.

Progress to Partner Quick Win

Here’s a 4 minute video where I talk about how to start building relationships. It’s part of the Quick Win series Progress to Partner Academy site. Lots of short videos packed with useful information and perfect when you need some help quickly!