Activator Development System Partner Program

A smarter path to business development confidence, consistency, and client impact.

Our Partner Program is designed specifically for law and professional services firms looking to unlock business development transformation through their most critical drivers: their partners. Whether you're activating new partners, lateral hires, or seasoned veterans, this program equips your partners with the tools, mindset, and confidence to drive sustained client engagement at scale.

It’s not just about knowing what to do—it’s about empowering partners to actually do it.

Partners We Work With

Emerging Stars

Lateral Hires

Firm & Practice Group Leaders

Recently Promoted

Mid-Level

Client Teams

Firm Benefits

Accelerate new partner development

Increase cross-sell

Rapidly integrate laterals

Unify disparate approaches

Deepen key client programs

Targeted interventions by practice, office, region

From BD Hesitation to Habits That Stick

This isn’t a rigid, one-size-fits-all methodology. It’s a flexible, research-backed system built for professionals who think like advisors—not salespeople. Designed to fit real-world demands, our tools help partners take action with clarity and consistency.

We empower partners to:

Maximize ROI on Time Spent

Use research-backed tools to focus effort where it matters most, on high-potential relationships and activities that actually move the needle.

Level Up BD Execution

Identify your current BD behaviors and find the unlocks. whether it's more effective follow-up, smarter targeting, or better pipeline prioritization.

Strengthen Collaboration

Surface more internal opportunities through peer alignment, cross-practice visibility, and tools that make teaming up easier and more effective.

Lead Proactively, Not Passively

Shift from reacting to RFPs and referrals to generating momentum—through consistent outreach, strategic positioning, and client-centric engagement.

Build Habits That Drive Revenue

Reinforcement tools help you turn good intentions into consistent behaviors—so business development becomes part of how you lead, not just a task on your to-do list.

The DCMi Engine: Our Approach to Change

We don’t just understand business development, we understand how to drive change in professional services .

Our methodology is anchored in five core principles that turn learning into action and action into impact:

We begin where most BD programs don’t: with the buyer. Our programs are grounded in current client behavior, specifically, the rising pressure from decreased client loyalty and shifting expectations.
Our work is grounded in deep research of over 3,000 high-performing business development professionals industries like law, accounting, consulting, talent advisory, etc.
Our annual change programs are structured for momentum. Each includes assessments, peer-based workshops, and measurement frameworks that align with firm priorities.
We draw from leading behavior change science to help partners build confidence, overcome resistance, and form sustainable BD habits over time.
Change doesn’t stick without reinforcement. That’s why our programs include regular nudges, coaching, and reminders to embed new habits into daily practice.

Partner Program Journey: Your Roadmap from Start to Success

Business development transformation isn’t a one-off event—it’s a journey of mindset, habit, and momentum. The Activator Journey meets partners where they are and moves them toward high-impact, repeatable behaviors that deliver lasting results.

Here’s what you can expect throughout your journey:

The program begins with two partner self-evaluations to personalize their experience. First, our Activator Diagnostic which compares their behaviors, mindsets and activities to the Activator benchmark as determined through our extensive research (link). Second is a reflective self-evaluation of areas of interest and proficiency which is provided to facilitators to help them tailor the workshop experience to the needs of cohort.
Our skill development workshop is 9 hours in length and cohort-based. The course is highly interactive and covers the “moments that matter” in the client relationship, as defined by our research.
The cohort is brought back together for two 1-hour virtual group coaching sessions, to continue building on the Activator mindset & habits or work on a live client opportunity. Here the cohort gains trust and learns to lean on each other for support and opportunities.
Partners build and reinforce new habits through nudges, tools, and follow-ups that ensure lasting behavioral change and long-term client impact.
Our certified Activator coaches accelerate results with personalized plans based on the Activator diagnostic. Participants work through real challenges on their own timeline, with accountability and flexible coaching sessions scheduled within six months.
We track skill adoption and application at 3, 6, and 12 months, providing leaders with roll-up reports to measure impact, identify reinforcement needs, and highlight shareable success stories. We return to the Activator Diagnostic at 12 months so participants can re-assess against the Activator benchmark and see their growth that came from following best practice.

"The Activator Training clarified how BD needs to be a key priority always. It has given me a renewed sense of urgency and confidence to reach out more proactively. I learned some specific techniques for building pitches and insight. I loved the ‘if there's one thing you should take away’ technique."

Partner, AmLaw 100 Law Firm

Proven. Measured. Delivered: Where Behavior Meets Business Impact

We measure success the same way your leadership team does: by what changes and what that change delivers.

30 Days Post Activator

The Numbers Speak For Themselves

Case Study: Delivering Long-Term Value

Global 200 Law Firm: Trained 250 Partners in One Year

6 months post-training results:

Increase in Paid Engagements

Increase in Fees

22%

15%

Case Study: Driving Early Change

Global Consulting Firm: Trained 85 Partners in One Year

3 months post-training results:

Of partners are more confident about BD

Of partners are generating more opportunities

86%

Of partners are spending more time on BD

100%

Of partners are having more value exchange with contacts, clients, and colleagues

80%

89%

40%

Of partners are winning more pitches

Are you ready to Activate your firm’s growth?

Get in touch to learn how we can supercharge your firm's business development.

Our data-backed programs are designed for forward-thinking professional services firms. We blend science, psychology, and real-world insight to spark lasting change and drive sustainable business development. Explore how we can help you achieve serious and measurable growth.

Activator Development System Partner Program

A smarter path to business development confidence, consistency, and client impact.

It’s not just about knowing what to do—it’s about empowering partners to actually do it.

Partners We Work With

Emerging Stars

Lateral Hires

Firm & Practice Group Leaders

Recently Promoted

Mid-Level

Client Teams

Firm Benefits

Accelerate new partner development

Increase cross-sell

Rapidly integrate laterals

Unify disparate approaches

Deepen key client programs

Targeted interventions by practice, office, region

From BD Hesitation to Habits That Stick

This isn’t a rigid, one-size-fits-all methodology. It’s a flexible, research-backed system built for professionals who think like advisors—not salespeople. Designed to fit real-world demands, our tools help partners take action with clarity and consistency.

We empower partners to:

Maximize ROI on Time Spent

Level Up BD Execution

Strengthen Collaboration

Lead Proactively, Not Passively

Build Habits That Drive Revenue

The DCMi Engine: Our Approach to Change

Our methodology is anchored in five core principles that turn learning into action and action into impact:

Start with the Market

Leverage Proven Best Practices

Design for Long-Term Transformation

Apply Behavioral Psychology

Reinforce What Works

Partner Program Journey: Your Roadmap from Start to Success

Here’s what you can expect throughout your journey:

Diagnostic

Skill Development Workshop

Group Coaching

Activator Reinforcement

Optional Acceleration: 1:1 Coaching

Measurement

Proven. Measured. Delivered: Where Behavior Meets Business Impact

We measure success the same way your leadership team does: by what changes and what that change delivers.

30 Days Post Activator

The Numbers Speak For Themselves

Case Study: Delivering Long-Term Value

Global 200 Law Firm: Trained 250 Partners in One Year

6 months post-training results:

Increase in Paid Engagements

Increase in Fees

22%

15%

Case Study: Driving Early Change

Global Consulting Firm: Trained 85 Partners in One Year

3 months post-training results:

Of partners are more confident about BD

Of partners are generating more opportunities

86%

Of partners are spending more time on BD

100%

Of partners are having more value exchange with contacts, clients, and colleagues

80%

89%

40%

Of partners are winning more pitches

Are you ready to Activate your firm’s growth?

Get in touch to learn how we can supercharge your firm's business development.

Our data-backed programs are designed for forward-thinking professional services firms. We blend science, psychology, and real-world insight to spark lasting change and drive sustainable business development. Explore how we can help you achieve serious and measurable growth.

Up to 60-90 minutes; live or virtual delivery

Recommended for annual partner retreats or quarterly practice / regional firm meetings

Participants leave the session with excitement and motivation to begin their Activator journey

In today’s hyper-competitive market, client loyalty isn’t won through credentials or relationships alone. It’s driven by the ability to activate opportunities.

Backed by a quantitative study of 3,000+ professional services partners, The Activator Advantage reveals five distinct BD profiles—Experts, Confidants, Activators, Debaters, and Realists—and proves that only Activators consistently drive growth in today’s complex buying environment.

Our keynote speakers, Matt Dixon (co-founder and co-author of The Activator Advantage) and Karen Freeman (co-author of The Activator Advantage and firm product expert), bring this research to life through a dynamic, data-rich session designed to inspire, inform, and mobilize.

Whether delivered in person or virtually, these keynotes help firm leaders and partners understand where they stand, and what it takes to move forward.

Meet The Speakers

Matt Dixon

Karen Freeman

What You’ll Learn

Changing Buyer Behavior

The Five BD Profiles