Words
Referability Habits
At the start of a new year we reflect and make resolutions. You know the kind of thing. Drink less booze and more water; join a gym and exercise regularly; eat more fresh vegetables and less Tesco chicken-tikka. Most are self-centric. So, how about some other-centric ones too? The Referability
A thought for the first business day of 2022.
Individual targets for business development are often reset at the end/beginning of the calendar year. This works for a couple of reasons. It injects a sense of urgency (often shared by clients) for striking deals before Christmas shut down. And it builds on the sense of renewal many of
How to get better at business development – Strategy #3.
Want to grow and get better at business development? Begin by knowing your outcome in every business development situation. And learn to develop empathy by understanding the clients pain. Once you've mastered these you may be ready for Strategy #3 - behavioural flexibility. In my view, this is
How to get better at business development – Strategy #2.
For getting better at business development, we started with Strategy #1. That is, choose and commit yourself to clear outcomes. When people hear this strategy you'll see their eyes roll. As I said previously everyone knows the importance of goal setting ... yet many people don't do
How to get better at business development - Strategy #1.
Strategy # 1: Choose and commit yourself to clear outcomes. We've all heard about goal setting. And you know how to do it. But, you also know you don't always do what you know. This lack of clarity of outcome means you’re not driving your own
Business development and consultancy growth
Consultancies grow when their best consultants get better at business development. That's my reality. With that in mind do a quick audit of your own betterment. 1. Three ways you became a better consultant in the last 12-months. 2. How you made these practice improvements stick. 3. How
Getting on the bandwagon ... without questioning the bandwagon.
Each week my VIP coaching clients get a weekly tracker. That allows us to stay in touch regularly to review achievements and goals. Sometimes I add something to think about, like this: A client in South Africa raised the issue of Black Friday with me. It got me thinking. How
Are you building trust right from the start of client meetings?
Imagine you've arranged that meeting with a person you want to meet. You've researched some valuable insights about their business. And you know how to move from an issues conversation into a project conversation ... if that's appropriate. So, how do you get the meeting
Who do you want to meet?
It's a simple enough question. One I ask of consultants early on ... when they're telling me how hard it is to connect with decision makers. Here's a typical exchange. Clive: Who do you want to meet? Consultant: Executives in big Pharma companies. Clive: Yes,
Steal this interview and questions. Then figure out how they work.
[Written October 2021] The predictors suggest opportunities for consultancy will soar over the next three years. In that context it’s important to understand what you want. Here’s a thinking experiment you might like. It has three parts. Envision your future. Decide where to focus right now. Commit to