The CLEAR workshop
Get your leadership team on the same page before you spend on marketing.
CLEAR is a two-hour virtual session that helps partners agree on where the firm is going, who it serves and why clients choose it. You leave with a clear set of priorities and a plan built on them.
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Why firms start here
Good marketing struggles when leaders picture different futures.
Most firms come to us wanting something specific, like a new website, more consistent content or better search visibility. When we start asking questions, we often find the leadership team does not fully agree on where the firm is going. One partner wants to grow with business owners, another sees the future in retirees, and a third mostly wants to know whether the marketing budget is doing anything at all.
None of them is wrong, but a plan built on top of those unspoken differences will struggle no matter how well it is carried out. Partners who built a firm together often stop discussing the big questions because everyone assumes they already agree. CLEAR creates the space to test those assumptions and settle them.
The framework
Five questions every leadership team should answer together.
C
Compass · Where is the firm headed over the next two to five years?
We cover growth goals, succession plans, new offices or services, and what success would actually look like.
L
Lens · Who is the firm trying to reach?
We look at the client groups that matter most, what those people care about, and how they make decisions.
E
Edge · Why do clients choose the firm, and why do they stay?
The goal is to find what is specific and true about your firm, which often hides in how your best client relationships began.
A
Activation · How does the firm show up today?
We take an honest look at the website, content, referral sources, compliance review, and whether anyone can see what is working.
R
Roadmap · What matters most from here?
Each leader shares their top three priorities, one at a time, before any group discussion, which brings hidden differences to the surface and shows where the team already agrees.
How it works
A structured conversation with every decision maker in the room.
Before
Each leader completes a short questionnaire, about 15 minutes, so everyone arrives having thought about the firm’s direction on their own first.
During
Two focused hours, held virtually, with every partner or principal who shapes the firm’s direction. We ask direct questions and name differences out loud rather than smoothing them over. That can feel uncomfortable at moments, and it is usually where the most useful insight comes from.
After
Within 24 hours, your team receives its CLEAR Takeaways, a short summary of the five to ten themes that came out of the conversation. Every leader reviews them and confirms they reflect what was said and agreed.
What you receive
A shared direction your whole team has signed off on.
Your CLEAR Takeaways arrive within 24 hours and belong to your firm whether or not you continue working with us. Once leadership approves them, we build the CLEAR Scope, a recommended plan that sets priorities, ties each recommendation to what your team agreed on, and defines how progress will be measured.
SAMPLE · Prepared for a fictional firm to show what the CLEAR Takeaways look like.
CLEAR Takeaways: Harbor Point Wealth Partners
Seven themes from the conversation
Compass: Grow to $1.2 billion while preparing for one partner’s retirement. All four partners want steady growth over the next five years, and they agreed that the founding partner’s planned step back in 2030 should shape the plan from now on.
Lens: Business owners near a sale are the strongest growth opportunity. The partners differed at first between retirees and business owners. By the end, they agreed that owners within five years of selling a business are where the firm’s experience stands out most, while retirees remain the core of existing clients.
Edge: Clients stay for the tax and planning coordination. The best client relationships began when the firm coordinated closely with a client’s CPA and attorney. Nobody on the website or in prospect meetings currently mentions it.
Edge: “Comprehensive” is not saying enough. Every partner described the firm as comprehensive, and every partner also agreed that competitors say the same thing. The firm needs language that explains what the coordination actually looks like for a client.
Activation: Referrals are strong but concentrated. Most new clients over the last three years came from two CPA firms and a handful of long-time clients. The website is rarely mentioned by new clients, and no one tracks where inquiries come from.
Activation: Compliance review is slowing content to a stop. The firm has published two articles this year. Drafts wait an average of five weeks for review, and advisors have stopped suggesting topics.
Roadmap: Three shared priorities. When each partner listed their top three priorities, three appeared on every list: make the next-generation advisors more visible, build a steady presence with business owners, and get clear numbers on where new clients come from.
Open questions for leadership
- Should the firm name continue to feature the founding partner’s surname after 2030?
- How much partner time can realistically go toward business owner outreach each month?
Next step
Once all four partners confirm these Takeaways reflect what was said and agreed, we will prepare the CLEAR Scope with recommended priorities, timing and the measures we will use to track progress.
Who it’s for
Built for firms with more than one voice at the table.
CLEAR works best for advisory firms with several decision makers, such as partners, principals or a leadership team. It is especially valuable during a merger, a succession plan, a new office or a shift in the clients you want to serve. It also helps firms that have tried marketing before without a clear strategy and want their next investment to count. Smaller practices benefit too, though the format shows its full value when several leaders need to agree on the same direction.
Investment
$1,500 for the workshop.
The full fee is credited toward any engagement signed within 45 days, so firms that continue with us effectively start their work at no added cost.
CLEAR in practice
From broad ideas to a plan the team actually uses.
A growth-oriented RIA came to us with plenty of ambition and no shared plan. Through a structured discovery process, leadership clarified its priorities, ideal client focus, service model and long-term growth goals. Leadership signed off on the resulting roadmap, the first priorities are underway, and the work grew into an ongoing engagement.
Questions firms ask.
How long is the workshop?
The session itself runs two hours and is held virtually, so leaders in different offices can join easily.
Who should attend?
Every partner, principal or leader who shapes the firm’s direction. The workshop works because the people who make the decisions hear each other directly.
What do we need to prepare?
Just a short questionnaire for each leader, which takes about 15 minutes. It helps everyone come in with their own view of the firm’s direction before the group discussion begins.
What do we receive afterward?
Your CLEAR Takeaways within 24 hours, and then a CLEAR Scope once your leadership team approves the Takeaways.
Do we have to hire Dellosa & Co. afterward?
No. The workshop is designed to be valuable on its own, and the Takeaways belong to your firm either way. If you do continue within 45 days, the full $1,500 is credited toward your engagement.
Can we do the workshop in person?
Yes, on request. Most firms choose the virtual format, but we are happy to come to you, with travel costs added for firms outside Northeast Ohio.
Reserve your CLEAR workshop.
Tell us a little about your firm, then pick a time that works for your team.