Monthly Archives: November 2010

Free PD update

Here are links to some upcoming free professional development seminars. My thanks go out to colleagues who took the time to send me some of these. If you know of any others, please let me know.

Special Valuation Series: Valuations in the cleantech industry - MaRS Best Practices Seminars, November 19, 2010, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Beyond the Hockey Stick—The Art of Realistic Forecasting – MaRS Best Practices Seminars, December 8, 2010, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Lived it Lecture with Geoff Cape (of Evergreen) – Part of MaRS Entrepreneurship 101, November 24, 2010, 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Strategic Planning for 2011 – Newmarket, December 14, 2010, 9:30 – 10:00 am; Richmond Hill, December 16, 2010, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Miller Thomson seminars on recent legal developments related to charities and non-profit organizations: Cambridge, November 25, 2010, 8:30-11 a.m; Toronto, December 7, 2010, 7:30 – 9:45 am

Deloitte offers regular seminars and webinars.

Transfer Pricing, PWC Waterloo, November 25, 2010, 8:30 – 10:00 am.

How to Hire the Right Employees, St. Catharines, November 23, 2010, 3:30 – 5:00 pm

Not for Profit 2011: Addressing the Business Challenges and Risks, Toronto, November 30, 2010, 8:30 10:00 am

KPMG Year-End Tax & Accounting Update – various locations and times; Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises – January 26, 2011, national webinar, various locations. Registration page found here.

WeirFoulds Seminar for Accountants – Toronto, November 23, 2010, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Gowlings is offering complimentary one-hour tax breakfast seminars this fall

Heenan Blaikie is offering complimentary two-hour breakfast seminars in Toronto this fall on labour and employment issues.

Canada Revenue Agency offers frequent public seminars, some of which are of interest to practitioners, eg. introduction to SR&ED claims. Here is the full list of Ontario sessions.

Sales Thought – Standing Out

In which we discuss strategies to draw attention and attract  prospects and referrals.

During a training session for branch managers and small business bankers, I shifted the focus from typical networking and prospecting to “attraction marketing” – attracting prospects to us rather than stalking and chasing them.

Feeling a little frisky, I asked, “Remember when you were dating? What strategies did you use to attract people to you?” Virtually all eyes in the room went straight to the floor. Silence.

Free PD – WeirFoulds Seminar for Accountants

The WeirFoulds Trusts & Estates Practice invites you to a seminar designed specifically for accountants whose practice includes trust & estate issues.

Date

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Details

Ivey ING Direct Leadership Centre, Legacy Room
130 King Street West, The Exchange Tower (King Street and York Street), Toronto
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Breakfast will be provided)

Chair: John O’Sullivan

Topics of Discussion:

  • Terminal Returns – Some Special Issues for Estates. Maralyne A. Monteith
  • Estates and Trusts – Some Essentials for Accountants. Lori M. Duffy
  • Should Accountants Prepare Estate Accounts? Clare E. Burns
  • Rectifications Applications: Undoing Unintended Tax Consequences. John O’Sullivan
  • Trusts and Trustees: Some Tips on Risk Management. John B. A. Wilkinson

RSVP by November 19, 2010 to Shaila Pirani at 416.365.6536 or events@weirfoulds.com

Sales Thought – Magic Words

In which we discuss the importance of referrals rather than the power of magic words to gain audiences with prospects.

In our neck of the woods, Harry Potter movies appear on various cable channels almost as frequently as “storm chaser” programs featuring lunatics who chase or who are chased by tornados.  Having watched both genres a few times, and knowing that in both cases the endings are good and the acting is bad,  I strongly prefer the Potter movies for recreational couch sitting, particularly the first three.

I love the moments when Harry or Ron or their friends are in immediate, ghastly, horrfying danger, blabbering words for a spell,  not quite getting it right, until, just at the last moment, they SAY THE RIGHT WORDS … and… WHAM.. they’re saved.   Strong wizardly power.

As a parent and sales coach, however, I’m NOT crazy about “wizard power” because it creeps into our thinking and undermines our human power.

For example: During one of our recent “Winning at Prospecting” training sessions,  we’d just finished the discussion about “Rule #1: Referrals, Referrals, Referrals” when one of the participants (with the immediate agreement of others in the room) said,

“I just keep thinking that, if I somehow say the right words, I’ll get an appointment.”