About three years ago I was helping a client sell his business in what was a pretty typical negotiation for me. However, the client exhibited apprehension almost every step of the way.

I have always felt that if I do not excite clients, I have less of a hold on them and the relationship than I should.

Prepare an engagement proposal that lists exactly what you will be doing and the total price for the project.

The better planned the job is, the better organized it is and the better it gets done.

My practice continuation tool kit has a sample purchase agreement with explanations of each step of the process.

There are no undergraduate and very few graduate courses on advising clients that want to sell their business or who want to buy a business. When I started my career, there were no CPE courses either.

I am a strong proponent of partner retreats and offsite meetings.

Teaching provides an opportunity to give back by transferring knowledge, sharing experiences and offering a practical outlook to people who either will be starting their careers or are at mid career with a desire to advance further.

We need to excite clients, potential clients and staff. For this, we need marketing skills.

It doesn’t matter so much how smart you are or how well you did in school; the firm still needs to train you and get a feeling for your ability.