Converting your Short List into New Clients: Focusing on the Relationships that Matter Most with David Ackert
Transform Your Network: Turn Contacts Into a Strategic Asset
Is your network a long list of names with little connection or impact? It’s time to change that. Focusing on 9–35 key relationships can yield better results than managing hundreds of superficial connections. By understanding the science behind this, you’ll be able to convert these relationships into meaningful business opportunities.
In this session, you’ll learn to:
Master the “9-35 Rule” to identify your optimal network size
Apply the 4 Cs Framework (Chemistry, Character, Capability, Collaboration) to evaluate relationships
Create an influence-scoring system that prioritizes high-impact connections
Use the 40 Actions Matrix to advance your day-to-day opportunities
Join us to transform how you build and leverage your network for business success. This session will provide actionable tools and insights that will help you prioritize relationships that matter most.
What you’ll gain:
A clear understanding of the optimal number of connections for greater success
A method to assess relationships based on core qualities
A practical system to measure and score influential connections
A proven framework to boost your daily professional opportunities
About David Ackert
David is Co-Founder and CEO of Ackert, Inc. and its subsidiary, PipelinePlus. He is a highly regarded business development thought leader. Over the past two decades, David has pioneered revenue acceleration programs for hundreds of professional services firms around the globe.
He is the founder of several groundbreaking ventures in the industry, including the award-winning PipelinePlus software suite. His programs have won “Your Honor Awards” in both the U.S. and Canada, and his software has been featured in NLJ’s “Technologies on the Rise.” David regularly keynotes at partner retreats and speaks at industry conferences. He also serves as a guest lecturer at USC’s Marshall School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, and at the UCLA School of Law.
David is the bestselling author of The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most, published by Greenleaf. The book is a Gold Winner of the 2025 Nonfiction Book Award. His work has also been published and quoted in several other business books and media, including the Los Angeles Times, the National Review, the Daily Journal, the Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, Attorney at Work, The Recorder, ALM, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. His Market Leaders Podcast has won JD Supra’s Reader’s Choice Award for two consecutive years.