Client Engagement Institute
From Pitch to Partnership: Building Trust Across the Program Lifecycle
Four live sessions from September 23 to October 10, 2025
In the world of custom design, a successful project isn’t just about flawless execution—it begins with a foundation of genuine trust. This four-part interactive series provides a comprehensive framework for building and nurturing client trust throughout the entire lifecycle of custom design selling and implementation. You’ll learn how to move beyond transactional relationships and build relevant solutions that engage learners and drive results.
Benefits
Session One focuses on establishing that initial trust during the sales process, transforming business development into a relationship-building endeavor. Session Two provides powerful strategies for deepening that trust post-sale, ensuring you become an indispensable advisor who co-creates value and drives long-term growth. Session three is focused on building a seamless transition from sales and how to co-create an engaging program with your client that drives results. Session four will help you understand how to manage quality, expectations and measure impact.
This series is ideal for sales professionals, designers, project managers, and business owners who want to transform their sales approach from a pitch to a partnership.
Upon completing this four-part series, participants will be able to:
- Apply a strategic framework for building client trust based on emotional, social, and experiential components.
- Integrate trust-building tactics into each stage of the custom design sales and implementation lifecycle.
- Transition from a vendor to a trusted advisor, capable of co-creating value with clients.
- Develop strategies to leverage deep client trust for account growth, referrals, and long-term partnerships.
Agenda
Live Sessions*:
September 23 (Noon-1:30 PM ET)
The initial sales conversation is the most critical and fragile stage of any client relationship. This session demystifies the front-end of the client lifecycle by redefining business development as a core trust-building activity. We will explore practical methods for engaging potential clients authentically and walk through a sales process designed to build confidence and rapport from day one. Participants will learn how to intentionally address the client’s unspoken emotional and social needs during discovery and proposal stages, creating a powerful foundation for a successful partnership long before a contract is signed.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Define business development as a relationship-building function, not just a transactional one.
- Identify and practice at least three authentic engagement strategies to initiate conversations and build early rapport.
- Map a custom design sales process that strategically embeds trust-building checkpoints at each stage (e.g., discovery, proposal, negotiation).
- Articulate how to address a client’s emotional (e.g., fear of a bad investment) and social (e.g., need for internal consensus) needs during the initial sales process.
September 30 (Noon-1:00 PM ET)
Once a contract is signed, the real work of building lasting trust begins. This session shifts the focus from establishing trust to actively growing and embedding it into your client relationships. We will cover the essential transition from salesperson to trusted advisor, exploring how to proactively create value that extends beyond the initial scope. Participants will learn proven concepts to evaluate accounts for growth, augment their offerings with strategic insights, and implement solutions that solidify their role as an indispensable partner. The primary focus will be on mastering the “experiential” component of trust—proving your value through exceptional delivery and strategic guidance that turns a one-time project into a long-term alliance.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Develop a personal action plan to transition from a service provider to a proactive trusted advisor.
- Evaluate client accounts using a framework to identify opportunities for strategic growth and value augmentation.
- Formulate strategies for embedding trust through successful value creation, turning project delivery into a powerful experiential proof point.
- Create a communication plan for demonstrating ongoing value and reinforcing the client’s decision to partner with you, post-sale.
October 7 (Noon-1:00 PM ET)
How can you better understand your clients’ needs so you can design solutions that truly solve their problems? Not all clients behave the same – some share information openly, while others may be more guarded, leaving you to rely on assumptions. In this session, we’ll explore how to navigate this spectrum, identify the types of research you can realistically conduct, and transform needs analysis data into actionable insights. You’ll also apply modern learning theory to develop a framework for designing programs that engage participants and deliver measurable impact for your client’s business.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Develop an adaptable needs analysis process for different types of clients and learners.
- Apply the Emotional, Social, and Experiential Learning Design framework to program development.
- Design engaging programs even with limited resources and capabilities.
October 10 (Noon-1:00 PM EST)
How can you ensure your client sees a real return on their investment? Measuring the impact of executive education programs can feel daunting—even impossible—but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, you’ll learn how to integrate simple, practical measurement frameworks into your programs so both you and your clients can track outcomes with confidence. We’ll explore how to manage requests that stretch beyond your scope (scope creep), maintain margins without sacrificing quality, and equip faculty to deliver high-level executive learning that meets professional standards of excellence.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Apply simple measurement frameworks to your programs and adapt them based on your and your clients’ capabilities.
- Confidently manage client expectations during program design and delivery.
- Identify risks to program quality and take steps to mitigate irrelevant content and poor facilitation.
*The topics listed are a small sample of the breadth and depth of the content and discussion contained in each segment of the program. Session topics, their order and other program parameters are subject to change
Who Attends
This program is designed for people responsible for selling, developing and delivering custom programs at non-degree business, professional, and executive education centers at universities. This usually includes executive education units in business schools, management or professional development units within continuing education schools, or stand-alone entities reporting directly to a dean or other high level administrator. In most cases, attendees have titles that include Assistant Dean, Director, Executive Director, Custom Program Director or Business Development Manager. They all have the common challenge of creating revenue-generating custom engagements and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with organizations. Their centers serve the business community by offering custom training engagements, consortia programs and/or open enrollment programs.
If this sounds like you, please join us for this 6-week institute to examine your current custom program design and delivery model, explore the internal and external factors influencing your success, and discuss program development options.
- Take advantage of this opportunity to focus on the most critical aspects of the success of your unit
- Get diverse perspectives and ideas from trusted colleagues facing the same challenges
- Develop a network of peer mentors
- Return to your team ready to share ideas and implement your own custom program design model
Lead Faculty:
Dr. Daniel Rundhaug is the Executive Director of the Institute for Professional Excellence (IPEx) at Davenport University. In this role, he leads the development, sales, and delivery of innovative professional development programs that bridge academic knowledge with practical business applications. With a strong background in organizational leadership, strategic planning, sales, business development, and communication, Dr. Rundhaug is recognized for his ability to create visionary strategies and implement effective solutions that drive organizational success.
Dr. Rundhaug earned his Ph.D. from Western Michigan University and has dedicated his career to empowering professionals through education and skill development. Under his leadership, IPEx offers a range of programs, including customized corporate training, leadership development, and professional certifications, all designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s workforce. Daniel is also a certified Working Genius instructor, bringing a strengths-based approach to team development and leadership training.
Nick Tobey is the Executive Director of Executive Education at the University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business. In this role, he is responsible for building and managing a portfolio of non-degree professional and executive education offerings for individuals and organizations, using online and in-person delivery. Tobey has a long history of growing revenue in marketing and business development roles while working in both top-ranked executive education providers and leading technology firms. An expert in developing, delivering, and commercializing transformational learning experiences for organizations, he is a trusted advisor to HR, Learning and Development, and Organization Development leaders from around the globe. In his previous roles, Tobey has developed learning and development solutions for notable clients such as SABIC, The Sultanate of Oman, PwC, Toyota USA, DirecTV, Amgen, and other Fortune 1000 clients.
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