Free for partners and practice leaders

The BD Health Check

20 questions every professional services firm should be able to answer “yes” to.

A two-page checklist that shows you where your firm’s business development is strong, where it is leaking time and fees, and what to fix first. It takes about ten minutes.

I will send you the checklist and a few short emails on winning more work. Unsubscribe any time.

What it covers

Five areas, four questions each

Every question is something the best firms do as a matter of habit. Score your firm honestly and the gaps show up quickly.

FocusDo you know which clients and work you want more of, and are you spending your time on them?

ActivityIs BD time protected, planned and reviewed, or does it only happen when work is quiet?

Winning workDo you qualify opportunities, write proposals that win, and hold your fees?

Clients and referralsDoes every key client have an owner and a plan, and do referrals happen by design?

LeadershipDo your partners lead BD by example, and is training followed through?

How it works

Score it in ten minutes

1Answer 20 questionsScore each statement 2 if it is true of your firm, 1 if it is partly true and 0 if it is not.

2Add up your scoreTotal each section, then add them up for a score out of 40.

3See where you standStrong, leaking or at risk, with a clear idea of which section to fix first.

Why I wrote it

The same gaps, firm after firm

In more than 25 years helping law firms, accountants, consultancies and other relationship-led businesses, I have seen the same business development gaps again and again. Most of them are easy to fix once you can see them.

The checklist is the questions I ask when I first sit down with a firm’s partners. Use it on your own, or go through it with your partners.

Get the free checklist