Context

A mid-market consulting firm engaged Unison to design a tailored business development (BD) training program for new Managing Directors. Leadership wanted more than a one-off training: they wanted to ensure a consistent way of selling across the firm, and build habits that would stick. 

The specific goals were to:

1. Increase BD activity and accountability
2. Standardize how MDs articulate the firm’s value
3. Align selling practices with firm-wide best practices
4. Build sustainable habits around relationship development and time dedicated to BD

Step 1: Align Leadership on a Common “Way of Business Development” 

Unison began with the Executive Team. In a facilitated workshop, we helped leaders define and agree on a unified sales process - a “Way of Business Development” - that cut across service lines. We codified a 12-step process, organized into:

1. The “Hunt”: how to identify and pursue opportunities; and 
2. The “Close”: how to advance opportunities into signed engagements.

At each step we aligned the team on the behaviors most predictive of success, and ensured they reflected the firm’s values. This became the foundation for the program.

Step 2: Codify Role-Model Behaviors

To make the program authentic and practical, Unison worked with leadership to identify 20 internal role models, professionals who already excelled at business development.

We interviewed each role model to capture their strategies, lessons, and examples. This content was transformed into a comprehensive training toolkit that included:

• Slide decks and scripts for live instruction
• Weekly practice assignments
• Short video clips for on-demand reinforcement
  

By elevating internal role models as teachers, we build credibility and made the training feel practical rather than theoretical.

Step 3: Train Managers to be Coaches

Training doesn’t stick without reinforcement. Unison designed a coaching layer into the program:

• Managers of the new MD cohort were trained in coaching basics (e.g., asking vs. telling, guiding reflection)
• Each manager received monthly progress updates with data on participation and completion rates.
• Managers were provided with structured coaching guides to make their conversations effective. 

This ensured that every participant had support, accountability and reinforcement beyond the classroom.

Step 4: Deliver a 6-Month Training Experience

In collaboration with the firm’s Learning & Development team, Unison delivered a six-month program that included: 

• Two immersive off-sites
• A resource-rich learner portal
• Weekly practices to build habits
• Monthly manager coaching sessions
• A final capstone: a judged pitch presentation

This structure turned business development from an abstract idea into a repeatable, scalable process leading to reliable results.

Results

Within six months, the firm saw measurable improvement:

• BD activity and CRM adoption rose 7%
• Learners built lasting habits around BD time and relationship development
• Leadership gained confidence in the team’s ability to drive growth

Most importantly, Unison helped the firm take what had once been black box skills of its top rainmakers and make business development success repeatable across the next generation of leaders. 

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