success stories
Thirteen years ago, I was working with a team in the process of landing a huge new account. When I came in, they had a long weekend in Pebble Beach in the works to seal the deal. It looked like they had it all covered- 12 guys, 36 holes, a private plane, and cost was no consideration. Then I started asking questions and quickly saw the pitfalls in their planning - emotional intelligence.
- What personal information do you have about your guests – and have you carefully considered that information in your planning?
- Do you know what your guests drink?
- Have you golfed with these people before?
- Do you know how they react when they play poorly or lose?
Once we got all these questions answered, I made my final recommendation before they boarded the jet- let them win. This thoughtful approach helped them land the account.
A large law firm had a history of losing its strongest senior associates. ForbesRobinson helped develop a culture where the senior associates believed they were known, valued, and respected by their partners and peers. One of the most effective tools we put in place was thoughtful, carefully crafted social interaction with the partners and cross-pollination of departments. Over the next 5 years, the firm increased retention of its senior associates by more than 30%.
A luxury homebuilder asked ForbesRobinson to design a strategic sales event that would effectively market eight homes listed at more than $1 million. The challenge? Ground hadn’t been broken yet, so all the builder had to show potential buyers were diagrams, photographs and artists’ renderings of what “might” be. Upon reviewing our proposal for the event, the builder asked why we recommended the purchase of expensive, high-quality napkins. Our answer: The napkins were the only thing their guests would be able to touch of any “real” quality. All eight homes sold prior to construction.
A major insurer brought ForbesRobinson in to determine why the company was losing both market share and a solid relationship with its agents. Two meetings later – one with management and another with the agents – we tabled three practical recommendations for immediate implementation: lose the Christmas party, put the names of the salespeople on their own parking spots, put the names of the Top 5 on the door. Six months later, morale was up and sales had surged by 20%.
A mid-sized service company hired ForbesRobinson to help it positively impress its business prospects at an important tradeshow. We started by identifying 100 of their top prospects scheduled to attend the tradeshow. Before they arrived at the event, all 100 received a letter from our client, letting each of them know that something special – and customized for them and them alone – was waiting for them at the booth. Mr. Smith’s letter, for example, contained an invitation to play a round of golf at a top-tier golf course: “Just come by the booth and we’ll handle the details.” Mr. Smith, an avid golfer, showed up at the booth first thing and said, "I can’t believe this! I’ve wanted to play that course all my life!" By the end of the show, our client met with 95 of its 100 top prospects.
testimonials
“If we had known a year ago the insight ForbesRobinson provides, there’s no doubt we would have saved time and money and recruited more experienced producers.”
Timothy Powers
General Agent, MassMutual
“ForbesRobinson has a sophisticated approach to business development that addresses complex human issues in a rational, straightforward way. ForbesRobinson’s team cut right to the heart of the matter– business.”
Charles G. Daniel, CIMA
VP Investments, UBS
“ForbesRobinson has a unique approach to meetings and events. More than a meeting planning company, they are business development strategists.”
Bill Williams
Senior VP Sales, General Electric
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