// Business Development Spotlight training

Individuals confident to develop business.

Q: What is Business Development Spotlight Training designed to achieve?

Business Development Spotlight Training is designed to build skills and confidence in a specific area of business development for a defined group of people within your firm.Rather than covering everything, it focuses on where support is most needed, helping individuals become more capable and confident in situations that are directly relevant to their role and level.Where a firm is looking to take a more structured or firm-wide approach to business development, a broader programme may be more appropriate. This approach is specifically designed for developing capability in a focused, practical way within a defined group.

Business Development Spotlight Training provides focused support to help you build skills & confidence where it matters most.

// Clarity, confidence and tools

Business development skills training focused on what matters most.

Most professional qualifications don’t equip people with the skills needed to win and retain clients and many individuals naturally focus on what they see as their ‘core work.’ As a result, even mid-to senior-level professionals often lack the confidence and capability to generate new work from prospective clients, introducers, or even existing clients. This creates risk for the firm, as it concentrates business development responsibility in the hands of a few, limiting growth potential and resilience.

For individuals, the impact can be just as significant. Some may find that their progression stalls, despite having strong technical skills and satisfied clients. Others may be promoted based on their current expertise, only to struggle with the new expectation of bringing in work without the knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

Many firms engage in business development, but success requires more than just an approach and a plan. It also depends on having the skills to put that plan into action and ensuring that most people can consistently and confidently contribute to achieving positive results.

Business Development Spotlight Training focuses on a specific business development topic with a particular group of individuals within your firm. It is tailored to the level and needs of the group to help them achieve greater success.

The training is built around my proven framework, The 5 Ps of Proactive Business Development© and includes:

What participants gain from the programme:

Practical skills and confidence in a specific development area.
Targeted and tailored actions that support their long-term contribution to individual development and contribute to the firm’s growth.
Direct access to my expertise, allowing for tailored support and guidance.
Stronger internal relationships that encourage collaboration and open up cross-selling opportunities when people from different departments work together.

// Unlock Potential

People-centred business development training your team needs to succeed.

Whether you’re aiming to boost confidence, embed a more consistent approach, or unlock untapped potential, Business Development Spotlight Training provides the practical, people-centred training your team needs to succeed. Each session is tailored to the group’s level and is highly practical and relevant.

The importance of business development and how to approach it.

The three levers of business development.

Building your external profile in the market.

Deepening and developing existing client relationships.

Networking confidently and effectively at events.

Strengthening internal relationships to enable cross-selling.

Building rapport and trust with clients and contacts.

Creating a high-impact LinkedIn profile.

See if this programme could be just what your firm needs.

// About ClientWise

Business development backed by experience.

I’m Joanna Gaudoin, Founder of ClientWise. I help professional services firms take a structured, people-focused approach to winning and retaining work from clients, prospects, and introducers.

With over 15 years of experience working closely with professional services firms and individuals, as well as a decade prior in marketing and consultancy, I understand what truly drives business development success.

I’ve seen firsthand the transformative impact when professionals grasp why their contribution matters and gain the confidence and skills to support their firm’s growth.

// Proven Results

Client Testimonials

We asked Joanna to help our 'pitch' team develop their presenting skills within a bid environment by raising the awareness of their communication style and suggested tools to improve their personal impact. This was followed by several workshops on: The Importance of Personal Impact, Rapport Building & Core Skills for those likely to be on a bid team.

Joanna helped our team build confidence when presenting, better understand their communication style and form new techniques to leave a positive impression when delivering pitch presentations as well as in general meetings both internally and externally. Joanna grasped our requirements and delivered a clear and simple programme for all levels across our business. I really enjoyed working with Joanna and highly recommend if your organisation needs support in this area.

Joanna designed an engaging and practical workshop for our second-year trainees on Business Development Skills. We were keen for this workshop to be practical-focused, as our trainees are very keen on having clear takeaway actions following a training session. We also wanted the workshop to place emphasis on building up an internal network within the firm, which Joanna did a fantastic job at incorporating.

This meant that although the trainees aren’t necessarily engaging in client development themselves yet, they now appreciate the importance of building their internal network and maintaining their existing relationships so that when they become more senior they have a built-in network. Joanna also led a section on how to effectively network at events, which the trainees found especially useful given the practical advice she shared in this segment.

Joanna came to our office to run a seminar entitled the Skills and Confidence to Get More Out of Networking. The seminar was excellent and very well received. Several members of the team mentioned what a great public speaker Joanna was and everyone from junior to senior team members learnt something new.

Joanna managed to effectively mix up the session so that there were periods of her speaking, chats and role play which meant no one got bored. It was a most enjoyable and useful session and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who needs help networking (which is, let's face it, all of us)!

Joanna has delivered content and events for ICAEW members on communication skills which are always well received. In both webinar and in-person formats the feedback has been excellent. At the dinner for business leaders at Chartered Accountants' Hall in London, she provided an informative and insightful presentation and subsequent discussion on how best to handle difficult conversations.

Joanna is an expert in her field and someone I highly recommend for improving communication skills in both professional and personal settings.

// Who I Work With

Is Business Development Spotlight Training right for your firm?

This training is designed for professional services firms, including law firms, accountancy practices, actuarial and consultancy firms, financial advisers, and private banks that have a clear business development approach in place, but need to strengthen specific skills within their teams.

It’s ideal when some individuals would benefit from focused, practical training to build confidence and capability in key areas. By upskilling more of your people, the programme helps your firm increase participation in business development efforts and improve the results that follow.

Training sessions can be delivered stand-alone or as part of a programme.

Looking for something different? Visit the Services page.

Your firm is doing lots of business development but are unsure what’s working, where opportunities are being missed, or why activity isn’t translating into the results you want. Read about the Business Development Compass Audit.

If you have specific individuals who need support with their business development startegy and plan or their business development skills, The Thriving Partner Programme may be more relevant.

If you need to establish a more comprehensive approach, including strategy, activity planning, skills and engagement, Business Development Culture Programme may be more appropriate.

// Find Out More

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do professionals often struggle with business development skills?

Most professional qualifications don’t include training on how to win and retain work, so people are expected to contribute without being shown how to do so effectively.

As a result, many individuals focus on their technical role and feel uncertain about how to approach business development in a way that feels natural. This can lead to hesitation, inconsistency, or avoiding it altogether, even at more senior levels.

What is Business Development Spotlight Training designed to achieve?

Business Development Spotlight Training is designed to build skills and confidence in a specific area of business development for a defined group of people within your firm.

Rather than covering everything, it focuses on where support is most needed, helping individuals become more capable and confident in situations that are directly relevant to their role and level.

Where a firm is looking to take a more structured or firm-wide approach to business development, a broader programme may be more appropriate. This approach is specifically designed for developing capability in a focused, practical way within a defined group.

What topics can be covered in Business Development Spolight Training?

Training focuses on practical business development topics that people can apply in their day-to-day work.

This might include areas such as building stronger client relationships, developing an external profile, networking more effectively, or improving how individuals engage in conversations with clients and prospects. The exact focus is shaped around what will be most useful for the group.

How are the sessions tailored to our people and our firm?

Each trainign session is built around the specific needs of the group, taking into account their level of experience, the situations they encounter, and where they need the most support.

This ensures the sessions are relevant and practical, rather than generic. The aim is for individuals to be able to apply what they’ve learned immediately within their own role and client interactions.

What outcomes can we expect from the Business Development Spotlight Training?

Participants gain an understanding on how to approach business development, along with practical, specific skills they can use straight away. There’s an emphasis on individuals committing to 2-3 key actions.

This leads to increased confidence, more consistent engagement with clients and prospects, and a stronger overall contribution from the group. When there is a comprehensive approach to business development skills training across the firm, this increases participation in business development across the firm and supports more sustainable growth.

Let’s talk about your firm and whether Business Development Spotlight Training is right for you.

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