How Well Do You Represent Your Firm?

A cautionary case study.

By Martin Bissett
Passport to Partnership

The Passport to Partnership study collated a number of responses in a conversational style. The main example that really stood out as the major indicator of a need for each future leader to be able to “convert” new business is showcased below and was repeated many times in various different ways.

If this person wants to be considered for partnership in the future, we look at how are they promoting the firm to potential clients now.

Meaning: If you’re trusted enough to represent the firm publicly, what perception are clients and potential clients getting about the firm based on their interactions with you?

MORE ON THE PASSPORT TO PARTNERSHIP: 6 Keys to the Perfect Proposal | What Conversion Really Means for Partners | The 4 Winning Communications Habits of Top Accountants | 12 Ways to Determine Your Competence | Sailing Through the Seven C’s to Partnership

A case study

Michael had done well. His profile was rising as he became one of the firm’s leading “rainmakers” due to his natural ability to engage and gain the confidence of business owners and influencers alike.

Posted on November 12, 2015

Martin Bissett

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Winning Your First Client,
Passport to Partnership, and
Meet Your New Best Client

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He is the founder of The Upward Spiral Partnership Ltd., the UK-based consulting firm that specializes in the implementation of professional selling and leadership skills in the next generation of accounting professionals.

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Previously, Martin served ten years on the board of directors of the UK’s leading provider of high-quality new business appointments for accountancy firms. There, he held the responsibility for the nurture and organic growth of the organization’s new client base, including six of the UK’s top 30 firms of accountants.

Martin became fascinated by the apparent juxtaposition of partners not vocalizing what they were looking for in terms of an accomplished skill set from their potential future partners and their managers not asking to discover what that skill set included, despite wanting to reach that very position. In a profession with a supposed “Succession Crisis” on the horizon, this apparent stand-off struck him as curious.

This has led Upward Spiral Partnership to personally interview several hundred partners and managers in the US and UK to learn what partners are looking for and how the managers see their own future in the firm. There are, of course, firms that have addressed this issue already, and their initiatives have also been captured.

The results of the research, including both the consensus and the exceptions to the general opinion, is called “Passport to Partnership.” This study provides the highlights of each factor that the majority of partners interviewed use as their criteria when evaluating whether someone in their organization can make it to the top.

As a result of the combination of his experience, intellectual property, and this proprietary research, Martin now consults with accounting firms in the UK, Europe, and the USA to support them in their transition through to the next stage of their development and growth.

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