HORNE LLP

Client: HORNE LLP
Industry: Accounting
Services: Strategic Account Management Training, Insight Selling Training, Coaching, Reinforcement

Challenge

In the last few years, HORNE has transformed from a traditional accounting firm to an anticipatory advisory firm that delivers value from focused experience, insights, and new ideas.

As part of the transformation, they implemented a “growth mindset” approach to the client experience. One of the tenets of this approach was to collaborate with clients to develop ideas and solutions that would move their businesses forward.

“We were challenged by collaborative insights conversations. Our team members were moving from audit and tax conversations to consulting conversations. Our technical abilities are strong, and the tendency was to talk about services instead of how we could help solve a problem or make their business more profitable,” shared Bruce Walt, Director of Marketing at HORNE LLP.

The firm had engaged in business development training in the past, but they were missing a crucial component: a consistent language.

Walt continued, “Each focus area operates somewhat like a standalone business. In the past, one area might attend a specific business development training and another area would participate in a different one. We weren’t on the same page and we used different methods, terminology, and tools.”

Solutions

Walt discovered RAIN Group through one of its books, Insight Selling. After reading the book, he believed the global sales training company could change HORNE’s approach to business development and enhance their growth mindset.

HORNE partnered with RAIN Group to deliver an Insight Selling workshop to supervisors, managers, senior managers, directors, and partners.

In addition, RAIN Group delivered 12 customized workshops that were a mix of Insight Selling, Strategic Account Management, and RAIN Sales Coaching. In the hybrid course, participants engaged in role-playing exercises to learn how to tell a convincing story and grow accounts.

“People typically hate role-play situations. But during this training, everyone wanted to do more. When people get the coaching and feedback in a comfortable environment, and know the experience can help them improve, they want more of it. That’s exactly what RAIN Group was able to do for us,” shared Walt.

Participants also enrolled in Insight Selling online training and RAIN Mail, a mobile and email app that presents scenarios with difficult choices and immediate feedback, to reinforce training concepts.

Results

RAIN Group has trained over 40% of the firm with deliveries ongoing. The results have included:

• Double-digit growth in the size of engagements. Through increased collaboration, HORNE is expanding its scope of work and capturing more of the value they are providing.
• YOY growth in Net Promoter Score. The firm’s overall numbers have increased from low 70s to mid 80s.