How Crisis Illuminates Your Biz Dev Skills

Relationships remain king.

By Sarah Johnson Dobek
Inovautus Consulting

A common turn of phrase is that a crisis reveals our character in how we respond. While that may be true in some respects, I believe what a crisis actually uncovers is how effective we are with our skills. The question is, what is this crisis revealing about your CPA firm’s business development skills?

MORE: Take the Pressure of ‘Selling’ Out of ‘Cross-selling’ | Don’t Confuse Marketing with Biz Dev | Business Development and Sales Aren’t Scary
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It’s easy to sell when selling is easy. You don’t have to be as effective; skills don’t have to be as honed. Frankly, it’s easier to get by with mediocre skills.

Posted on May 2, 2022

Sarah Johnson Dobek

About the Author

Sarah Johnson Dobek is President and Founder of Inovautus Consulting, a national consulting firm that develops strategies, programs, and training designed to help accounting firms grow faster and in the right direction.

She is a contributing author to Bridging the Gap: Strengthening the Connection between Current and Emerging Leaders in the CPA Profession

Sarah and her team work with firms to assess their growth goals and execute practical marketing and business development plans. With her unique background in operations, human resources, practice management, and marketing, Sarah delivers insightful, practical advice that guides organizations down the right path toward achieving the growth they desire. Sarah's ability to understand where an organization is starting from, coupled with her disciplined approach to best practices, drives results for firms and helps them to evolve.

Prior to forming Inovautus, Sarah was the Director of Marketing for a Chicago-based accounting firm and the Director of Consulting Services at PDI Global, where she learned the nuts and bolts of public accounting firms and the importance of aligning marketing, people, and practice management strategies to achieve growth.

Sarah is a sought-after speaker for conferences, board meetings, and professional service associations and societies. She is a thought leader appearing throughout the profession through articles, podcasts, and videos in Accounting Today, CPA Society publications, the AICPA Journal, CPA Practice Advisor, and more.

Having been named a "Top 100 Most Influential Person" by Accounting Today in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018, and a three-time "Top 20 Under 40 Vendor" by CPA Practice Advisor, Sarah is without a doubt glued into the profession. Living and breathing her passion, she's also a member and former board member of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) and the past President and member of the CPA Consultants Alliance.

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