Matt Dixon, Co-Founder of DCM Insights and Co-author of The Activator Advantage
Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has made his name by deploying data-driven business development strategies within the evolving realm of professional services.
Matt Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana the leading-edge, frameworks revolutionising BD practices within firm cultures that can tend to be resistant.
“Partners don’t really like (sales) and find it unseemly,” says Matt, “but the market is very competitive and you are likely to lose out to another partner or firm out there fighting for opportunities.”
Learn what authenticity and a shift in focus in client experience as well as outreach can mean to firms in search of differentiators within an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
You won’t want to miss this glimpse into the data and case studies that have defined Matt’s highly successful career as a bestselling sales effectiveness expert, sought-after keynote speaker and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review.
If you enjoyed this discussion, please click here to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.
Key Takeaways
Starting out
Why Matt wound up stepping away from academia in favour of for-profit research, benchmarking and corporate strategy.
Sweet spot
How Matt hit his stride with data-backed business research that delved deeply into applied global sales effectiveness and customer research practices.
DCM Insights
About the two core product sets that defined the focus for Matt’s entrepreneurial partnership: B2B business sales and a platform to help doer-sellers in professional services environments.
Organizing principle
What the Activator framework does to accelerate business development through a research-driven diagnostic that spells out DCM’s end-to-end training and sales optimisation process.
Shifting loyalty
What today’s prospective clients expect in terms of competition among professional services firms willing to jockey for business and demonstrate their value-add.
North star influences
About the key mentors who shaped Matt’s understanding of leadership, team-building, and content development – both in terms of things to do and NOT to do.
Ongoing engagement
How a mix of research, learning and teaching have been at the centre of Matt’s career trajectory through both academia and for-profit strategic consulting.
Leadership vision
What metrics and shifts Matt has incorporated in helping clients (and himself) go from managing teams to leading within the executive ranks.
Keynote speaking
How Matt has evolved into a keynote speaker who excels at tailoring presentations to the tenor and needs of specific audiences, including Q&A on the fly.
Lightbulb moments
About turbocharging fundamental shifts in how professional services leadership considers go-to-market client strategy by leveraging data-driven insights.
Breaking resistance
How Matt’s business development strategies make sense to even the most shrewd professional services executives, building a culture that incentivises team collaboration.
Bespoke approach
Why it’s important to leverage the skills sets and personal strengths partners bring, while at the same time opening them up to new sales strategies that are authentic to their individual styles.
Trusted advisory
What was required to bring law firm leaders onboard with the Activator philosophy, which is based in sector-specific data and research as well as peer experience.
Career highlights
Working with teams to coalesce transformational ideas based on data-driven insights and building an entrepreneurial venture from inception to a flourishing, growing concern.
Prime motivators
What keeps Matt focused on developing the story-telling frameworks and data analytics at which he excels, and that complement the related work of others on his leadership team.
Scaling operations
What’s next for DCM Insight, which is growing processes and efficiencies to meet the needs of a global client base confronting new challenges across professional services sectors.
Key Quotes
“There’s a lot of opinion out there about what makes great partners and rainmakers, but there’s very little data and scientific study.”
“We could rely on client loyalty for a very long time but data show that that loyalty has actually flipped to a posture of disloyalty … even if firms and partners have done great work and have great relationships with people.”
“It’s a much more competitive marketplace and a lot of partners who made partner when things were really good are now struggling because they’ve never been taught how to get out there and generate business.”
“Markets are getting tighter and tighter … particularly law and professional services firms. You’ve got the whole pricing structure as part of the strategic conversations happening.” (Nicky)
“Partners don’t really like (sales) and find it unseemly … but the market is very competitive and you are likely to lose out to another partner or firm out there fighting for opportunities.”
“We can only sell in a world that’s predicated on the strength of relationships if we are authentic. The moment we try to sell or generate business in an inauthentic way, they will see right through it.”
“We gave language to something (law firm leaders) already knew deep down to be true. It gave them permission and data backing to start pushing (BD) at their firms.”
About Matt
Co-author of The Challenger Sale, The Challenger Customer, The Effortless Experience, The JOLT Effect, and The Activator Advantage, Matt is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review. He’s an experienced advisor to senior executives on business development, service and customer experience as well as co-founder of DCM Insights.
About Nicky
With over 25 years of experience leading high-performing recruitment teams, Nicky is a dynamic leader in the recruitment industry. As Regional Managing Director for the US, UK, and Europe at Ambition, she oversees a team of specialist recruiters dedicated to connecting top talent with professional services firms.
Her teams focus on niche areas: the US division specialises in Legal Marketing & Business Development recruitment, while the UK & Europe team excels in placing professionals within Business Services functions within Legal, Practice and Consultancy.
Passionate about leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and talent retention, Nicky is a sought-after keynote speaker. She frequently presents at industry conferences, sharing insights on recruitment trends, hiring strategies, retention best practices, and DEI in the workplace.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(10).png)
