The Advisory Board – Gary Boomer (Boomer Consulting), Allan Koltin (PDI Global, Inc.), Rebecca Ryan (Next Generation Consulting) and Gary Shamis (SS&G Financial Services, Inc.) – are getting ready for their 8th Annual Winning Is Everything (WIE) Practice Management Conference, January 28-29, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas.

You may be cutting back on your conference budget given the state of the economy. However, the value of networking with your peers, learning from first-class speakers, and brainstorming ideas for your firm is greater than ever. In addition to its planned agenda WIE speakers will address economic issues and the importance of teamwork in achieving your goals.

Conference details can be found at www.winning-is-everything.com. Register by December 31, 2008 and receive the reduced Mandalay Bay room rate of $159!

What I’ve learned so far is that it’s important to reenergize your internal battery. I’ll be doing that at Winning Is Everything. I hope to see you there!

In order to effectively identify clients’ needs and cross-selling opportunities your team must know about the services your firm provides. That was the motivation behind Yount, Hyde & Barbour’s Internal Trade Show this fall.

YHB’s industry and service teams were challenged to create exhibit tables that were set up after their Firm Day meetings and networking training provided by Capstone Marketing. The displays included signs, handouts and promotional items to educate firm team members about their areas of specialty. Many teams also sponsored games and prize raffles.

“Our YHB Trade Show was a huge success,” says Mark Rudolph, President & CEO. “Our team members were able to practice their networking skills as well as learn more about the services and capabilities of our firm. We will use what we learned today in our marketing activities going forward.”

Pictured (left to right): Brian Kling, CPA, Manager; Mark Rudolph, CPA, President & CEO; and, Greg Plotts, CPA, Manager.

What I’ve learned so far is that learning is continuous. Look for new and interesting ways to educate your team about your firm’s areas of expertise. This will result in added value for your marketing program.