Roundtable · Thursday 19 November 2026

Beyond referrals: building your firm’s growth engine with AI

A 45-minute online roundtable for partners, founders and business leaders at professional services firms. The engine that wins clients beyond referrals used to take a team and years to build. With AI, one person can build it in weeks. Sean walks through the map, then we compare notes. Hosted by Sean Winter, CFA.

Request a place How it runs ↓
  • WhenThursday 19 November 2026, 09:00 UK11:00 South Africa · 13:00 UAE and Mauritius
  • Length45 minutes
  • WhereMicrosoft TeamsJoins in a browser, nothing to install
  • WhoPartners, founders and business leaders at law, accounting, advisory, consulting and other professional services firms
  • CostFree. Places are checked by hand to keep the room senior.

What you will see

The engine that wins clients beyond referrals

Five stages, from the right buyers knowing your name to clients who bring the next client. The purple shows where AI now does the work. Sean walks through each one, with examples.

Purpleshows where AI now does the work, at every stage

The client-winning engine

The aim: 3 to 5 C-suite meetings a month

1

Get seen

The right buyers know your name

Referrals & partnersLinkedInSearch & AI answersNewsletterEvents

Writes in your voice, and spots firms the moment they start buying

2

Start conversations

Buyers raise their hand

Warm introductionsRepliesRoundtablesYour website

Builds your pages and follow-ups in days, not months

3

Only decision makers

Your time goes to people who can say yes

The rest stay warm until they're ready

Checks every person and firm in seconds

4

Meetings in your diary

With the right people, and you walk in briefed

3 to 5 a month

Briefs you before every call, and takes the notes

5

Clients who bring the next client

Every win feeds the engine

ReferralsIntroductions

Drafts the proposal from the call, and keeps every next step on track

↺ Every new client brings referrals and introductions, back into stage 1

Underneath it all: one place that tracks every relationship, where it came from, and the next step.

AI keeps it complete, and call notes flow straight in

How it runs

  1. Welcome and a round of names 5 minWho you are, your firm, and where your new clients came from this year.
  2. The map 12 minSean walks through the engine a firm needs beyond referrals, stage by stage: getting seen, ways in, qualifying, staying in touch, the conversation and the CRM. At each stage, what AI now does, with a two-minute clip of an AI agent building an email workflow while you watch.
  3. One live moment 3 minWe ask an AI tool, live, who the best firms are in one of your sectors. What it says about your firm, or does not say, is the point.
  4. Discussion 18 minThree questions, peer to peer: where your last three clients came from, which part of the map is weakest in your firm, and what you have tried with AI so far and what stopped you.
  5. Close 5 minEach firm can ask for a free map of its own market. No obligation.

Who it is for

  • Partners and founders of law, accounting, advisory and consulting firms
  • Managing directors, C-suite leaders and heads of business development, marketing or growth
  • Firms in the UK, South Africa, the GCC and Mauritius
  • Not for vendors who sell to firms, or for people looking for a role. Managers and associates get the written summary instead, or a seat if they bring a partner.

Why Sean runs it

Sean Winter is a CFA charterholder with more than 20 years in finance and professional services. His firm, AscendAI, runs LinkedIn content and outreach for owner-led professional and financial services firms, from the partners' own profiles. For one South African strategic advisory firm, that produced 10 C-suite meetings and a USD 650,000 deal within ten weeks.

The roundtable is not a sales pitch. It is a room of firm leaders comparing notes on the part of the business that referrals do not cover.

Questions

Is it recorded?

No. The discussion runs under the Chatham House rule: you can use what is said, but not who said it. Sean's opening is written up afterwards as a short note for everyone who registered.

Why do you check every place?

Partners and leaders speak more freely with their peers. We check each request against the firm and role, then send the Teams link within one working day.

I cannot make 19 November. Should I still register?

Yes. The roundtable runs every month with a different focus. Register and we will send you the summary and the next date.

What does it cost?

Nothing. If you want help after the session, that is a separate conversation, and only if you ask for it.