The Weekly Brief
Memos written for consultants Aug 2014 - June 2024.
☀️ How to run brilliant first meetings
This is for situations where you decide to invest in building a highly productive, strategic relationship.You want to lead the client through a value creation conversation and position your expertise. Two different meeting structures 1. You contact a current, or previous, client with something you wanted to talk to
Don't make the mistake of letting clients see you as a contractor?
Some people mistake contracting for consulting, but they’re different. Contractors complete tasks under the clients direction. They’re pseudo-employees. Consultants provide solutions to specific issues. These solutions comprise three types of project, based on providing … insights, plans, or resources. By way of an example, let’s look at the
Negative news sells media space but is it good for your health?
The UK recession is official. You already knew that without Jeremy Hunt saying it. This is my fifth while working and eighth all told. They’ve all been hard. So, this week I’m sharing the biggest career mistake I made during a recession. Deserting my great job for more
How to build influential relationships with movers and shakers.
Every organisation has movers and shakers. These are the people with goals and a game plan for achieving them. They're the executives to meet and build influential relationships with. That's not always easy. But, to win projects and influence outcomes it's vitally important. And
Questioning, listening, influencing.
Flour, water, and salt. They’re the only ingredients you need to make tasty Sourdough bread. Supermarket bread has five times the number of ingredients. It tastes like cardboard. Questioning, listening, influencing. They’re the three key capabilities for great consulting. And they’re also the recipe for tasty client
1 Habit All Successful Consultancy Business Developers Have In Common
Most successful consultancy business developers share the same handful of things in common: * They are experts in their field. * They offer clients an objective and independent perspective. * They can present big picture or go into detail, as required. * They have deep understanding of clients issues, needs and wants. * They are
Avoid these 3 mistakes consultants make and win more projects.
Sorry to beak the bad news. Consultancy projects aren't won by "the best". Relationships rule. Executives engage consultants they know, like and trust. Here are three mistakes consultants make, and what you can do about them: Mistake #1: Focusing on 'unique method', to prove
An easy framework for growth with outcome-based conversations
I have been an advocate for outcome-based conversations for years now. This started after I'd read the Alan Weiss book Value Based Fees. This book highlights the difference between project deliverables and client outcomes. That distinction between deliverables and outcomes helped me a lot. At the time I
How to create extraordinary experiences that differentiate
This is how to create extraordinary experiences. The type of experiences that attract the best team members and clients. Ones that make your consultancy stand out. Unfortunately most consultancy owners don’t take time to do this. That’s because they’re often stuck in a busy state of mind
How to improve conversations with clients
Previously I've found myself using too much airtime during conversations. I often felt trapped in broadcast mode and would just keep going. Now I use some simple techniques that make conversations more inclusive. The experience is far better. The level of creative collaboration has skyrocketed. Too many conversations