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Sell on Value

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According to business experts,  it costs 5x more in resources to acquire a new client than it does to retain an existing client.  That cost is probably greater for those of us who specialize in providing intangible services,  where relationships and reputation exert a huge influence on the ability to attract clients and generate billable hours.

It is therefore imperative to 1.) Expertly communicate a strong value proposition and 2.) Unfailingly meet client expectations,  even when the client doesn’t really know what the expectations could or should be.  Those of us in the service business,  tangible and intangible,  must learn how to make the customer feel as though he/she has won by doing business with us.

To successfully compete as a service provider involves confidence,  reputation,  personality and selling skills.  Have the confidence to believe in your value as a highly qualified expert in your field.  Develop the selling skills to communicate your value with self-assurance  (but never arrogance)  in a way that is easily understood and targets the needs of your prospective clients.  Make clients and prospects feel as if doing business with you is a very smart decision.

Accept that you are not mass market and that your services are not a fit for every potential client.  It’s been estimated that 1/3 of customers are focused primarily on price.  Do not waste your time with such individuals because they are not for you.  Most are negative and difficult to work with,  because they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Sell your unique value by building a portfolio of success stories to trot out and demonstrate the excellent results that you reliably deliver.  Use those stories to inspire confidence in your abilities  (in both the client and yourself).  Turn your client list into your sales force by obtaining word-of-mouth endorsements whenever possible.  Build trust in your professional capabilities.

Continue to demonstrate your value by fine tuning your listening skills,  so you will hear and understand both what your client wants and also what he/she really needs  (and that may not be the same thing)  and how you can best apply your talents to the project in a way that the client will come out feeling like a winner,  believing that hiring you was a smart decision.  Express your answers by using the client’s own words and phrases when possible,  using language that the client will relate to and appreciate.

Emphasize the customer service that you are known to provide,  the prompt response to client questions and needs and also your sensitivity to costs  (despite your premium pricing).  Let clients know that it’s actually less costly to travel first class.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Survival Strategies , Leave a comment

Make the Right Decisions and Do the Right Thing

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I’m back with more on decision-making because in this perilous economic climate,  which shows no signs of abating,  the ability to make good decisions is so crucial.  Our survival depends upon being able to size up a situation or puzzle through a dilemma and make wise choices that will put us on the right path,  whether we are Freelancers,  business owners or employed/unemployed professionals.

But then again,  when in history has good decision-making not  been an important skill? The results of wise decisions made by the pharaohs in Egypt gave the world a magnificent civilization that thrived for 3000 years and the architectural wonders that are the Sphinx and the pyramids.  Doing business has always been about making decisions,  in ancient times and the present.

Often,  we must make decisions fast and on the fly.  Data available may be incomplete and possibly unreliable.  The ground shifts underfoot and the clock is ticking.  We’re anxious and stressed,  maybe borderline panicky.  Critical thinking is probably clouded by our biases,  born of preferences,  fears and past experiences that we pass off as intuition or gut feelings.  It’s disturbingly easy to be blind to the smart decision that is staring us in the face.

But if we intend to survive and maybe even thrive,  we have to learn to play the had that’s dealt and that means making the right decisions in a timely fashion because time is money.  We can get some much-needed assistance from author Guy Hale,  who provides useful guidance on how we can learn to make credible decisions in an imperfect world in his book  “Think Fast: Accurate Decision-Making, Problem-Solving and Planning” (2011).  Hale recommends the following:

I.  Figure things out
Analyze your situation and see the big picture.  Gain an understanding of how and why you are faced with this decision.  Did your actions,  or inaction,  bring you to this point,  or was it circumstance? Discover the root cause.

Maybe your decision is a positive one,  like you’ve been invited to work with a new client or form a strategic partnership with a colleague.  You’ll need to determine whether the arrangement is likely to be a good fit and that means weighing your options and making a decision. 

II.  Plan and act
Identify the time frame in which you must respond.  Identify potential obstacles and risks and the unknowns that may impact the outcome of the decision,  to the best of your ability.  Identify factors in your favor and how you can best employ and magnify them to your advantage.  Draw up a list of people who will become your allies,  willing to help you if needed and do the same to identify those likely to oppose you.

Use scenario planning to project possible outcomes for the decision: best-case scenario,  worse-case scenario and a couple more that split the difference.  Consider the short and long-term consequences of your choices and think also about who and what will be impacted by what you decide and how they are likely to react.

III.  Factor in Murphy’s Law
Do whatever you can to prevent events from turning sour by controlling everything that you can control,  while recognizing that some things may not go according to plan.  Have Plan B  (and maybe also Plan C)  ready to roll,  just in case.  Know that you’ve been thorough and diligent in your decision-making process and have faith.  Try to relax and roll with the punches and learn from any errors in judgment.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Decisions, Decisions

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We’re in business and all day long there are decisions to make.  Which business strategies look the most promising?  How should I price my services for this project?  Is the money they want to attend this conference really worth it?  If I pay this guy to make my website more interactive am I really going to get more billable hours out of it,  or will Mr. Web Developer be the only one getting paid in this deal?  Everyone in business had better have sharp decision-making skills,  because everything we do hinges on our judgment,   including how to interpret the data used in data-driven decision-making.

Eventually,  decision-making makes our brains tired.  Our thinking gets fuzzy and we might even become irrational.  We’re unable to stay focused and we make careless errors.  We sometimes do and say stupid things.  The name of this condition is called decision fatigue.  We bring it on by making too many decisions.

By the end of the day,  we’ve waded through so many choices and options that we get punch-drunk.  We don’t realize it,  but the more choices—i.e. decisions—we make throughout the day,  the more difficult it becomes for the brain’s cognitive processes to efficiently make another,  and still another,  choice.  Return emails now or at the end of the day?  Finish the report that’s due tomorrow or listen to a webinar? Green salad or fruit salad for lunch?

Energy and willpower eventually become depleted,  we lose self-control and we screw up.  We blow off the diet and the gym and dive into a bag of cookies instead.  We forget our budget and buy shoes we don’t need.  We ignore the report that’s due and read the Onion.

To get some rest,  our tired brains prod us to look for shortcuts and we become sloppy or reckless.  We may act impulsively because we don’t have the mental energy to consider the big picture and weigh the consequences of our actions.  We are prone to taking the easy way and that can mean doing nothing—which is a decision in itself,  but it doesn’t feel that way to the brain.  Of course,  avoiding a decision can cause problems in the long run but in the here and now,  we may just decide to  “table”  the decision.

But we have work to do and decisions to make,  so what should we do when we need to do the right thing?  Social psychologist Roy Bauminster studied mental discipline at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.  His work indicates that it’s best to make important decisions in the morning after eating a light,  nutritious breakfast.  Our brains derive energy from healthy food and that helps us to comprehend and value long-term prospects and bolsters decision-making ability.  In the morning we have enough willpower to exercise the self-control needed for making important strategic or financial decisions.

Bauminster advises that we tackle the big decisions first,  before we have to make numerous smaller decisions that will sap energy and lead to decision fatigue.  In practice,  schedule your client meetings for early in the day,  before late afternoon whenever possible.  Write and pitch proposals early in the day.

But then again…Bauminster’s findings indicate to me that it’s possible to get a proposal slipped into the budget late in the day, when your client is a bit tired and defenses are down.  You may alternatively have a good proposal rejected because the client is too tired to decide and it’s easy to turn you down.  It’s a roll of the dice,  I suppose.

Also,  where does this leave the night people?  The energy derived from nutritious food holds the key.  Bauminster found that decisions and choices made immediately before lunch were often less than optimal,  so if you’re more of a night person,  making decisions and seeing clients in the two hours after lunch may work.  Discussing business deals over lunch or dinner can also be beneficial  (for any of us, actually,  even morning people like me).  You must decide.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Get Power Point Right

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All right,  we’re concluding the  “make the most of summer”  theme by taking a look at Power Point and how we can buff up our expertise.  As we all know,  a vital ongoing business goal for Freelancers is staying visible within our client and referral pool.  That means one of your objectives as we approach September and the fourth quarter is to nail down a speaking gig at a business or professional association that is frequented by potential clients and referral sources.  That could cause you to use Power Point.

The technology has been around for 20 years but most people,  including frequent users,  still get Power Point wrong.  We put too much stuff on our slides.  Someone tells us we should liven things up and recommends that we use Clip Art,  so we throw that in plus some cheesy slide transitions,  too,  to make sure that our audience stays awake.  We use too many slides because we depend on Power Point like a crutch to move our presentation along,  rather than using our words and insights to create the flow.

I understand that when teaching a course there will be perhaps many slides and more text than in a presentation for a meeting or conference.  Nevertheless,  instructors and presenters need to unchain themselves from Power Point tyranny and learn to use the technology to its full advantage.  Here are a few guidelines that will help you to finally get Power Point right:

  • Tell a compelling story that the audience will value and understand.  The story must have a beginning,  middle and end.
  • Frame the big issue that you must address at the beginning; then discuss the major challenges and opportunities that will impact that challenge; state the solution at the end.  Conclude with a summary of key points to wrap things up.
  • Distill the major points: give broad strokes and avoid complex details.
  • Sprinkle in a few relevant charts and graphs that support your story.  They also provide visual interest.
  • Use bullet points.  Communicate in short and powerful statements,  not paragraphs.
  • Do not clutter your slides with text.  Do not use  “busy”  charts or graphs.  Make the slides clear and easy to read.
  • Check your spelling and grammar.
  • Keep the fonts consistent and background colors and designs appropriate to your topic and audience.  Avoid Clip Art and distracting slide transitions.
  • Practice your presentation and ensure that your dialogue and slides work together smoothly.
  • Be enthusiastic,  be confident and engage your audience.  Have fun!

 

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Take a Vacation

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It’s a counterintuitive approach,  but if you want to work smarter and be more productive,  then take a few days off and go away on vacation.  I realize that can be easier said than done for Freelancers and others in the billable hours universe.  Especially in a soft economy,  many of us are doing all we can to cover the monthly bills and the thought of slacking off on business pursuits is almost unthinkable.

Yet,  numerous researchers have demonstrated that vacations are comparable to a process improvement in your business,  resulting in increased productivity and efficiency.  Vacation does not mean that you no longer value the clients.  In order to avoid burnout and keep your batteries charged,  taking time off and traveling to a place that allows you to relax and unwind is a wise business strategy that pays personal and professional dividends. 

Every once in a while,  humans need to forget about work and relax and enjoy ourselves.  Recent research has shown that  a three to five day mini-vacation,  rather than the traditional two week time frame,  gives the most enjoyment.   As luck would have it,  that is exactly what fits well into a Freelancer’s often erratic project-based schedule.

A 2010 study by Jeroen Nawijn,  a lecturer at Breda University of applied Sciences in The Netherlands,  found that for most people,  the planning activities and anticipation provide more satisfaction than the actual vacation.  Nawijn suggests that if possible,  several three to five day trips should be scheduled throughout the year to reap the maximum benefits of the vacation experience,  starting with the fun we have doing the planning and enjoying the anticipation of the big adventure.  As further evidence,  psychologists Leigh Thompson of Northwestern University and Terence Mitchell of the University of Washington came to the same conclusion in their 1997 study of the psychological effects of vacations for workers.

Thompson and Mitchell suggest that vacationers participate in activities that completely absorb their attention.  Lolling on the beach and drinking pineapple rum punch is very nice,  but activities are more effective in helping us to disengage from work and business pressures and get the process of true relaxation underway.  That could be visiting museums,  touring the city,  hiking,  touring vineyards,  browsing at the bazaar,  or whatever else strikes your fancy.

It’s also recommended that you unplug your electronic toys and take a break from email and voicemail.  You might miss something,  but you’ll get over it.  In exchange,  you’ll receive the many benefits our brains and psyches derive from decreased stress.  A 2009 Boston Consulting Group study showed that taking time off results in improved communication skills,  decision-making ability and problem-solving ability,  plus decreased burnout and stress and higher productivity. 

I guess we can sum it up by saying that if we don’t take a few days off work every now and again,  we’ll just get tired and cranky and less effective.  We also won’t absorb information or learn as well,  which is why public schools give students 5 days off every three months or so.

I’m happy to tell all of you that I finally took a vacation myself,  after not taking any time off in about three years.  I spent 5 days on the coast of Maine.  I did not check email or voicemail.  I also missed my friend Jeremiah’s party (damn!),  but what can I say?  I had a great time soaking up sunshine,  drinking wine,  eating lobster,  visiting art galleries and taking in the sights.  I feel so much better!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Business Books to Read Summer 2011

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Our Summer idyll will end in just a couple of weeks, but there’s still time to squeeze in some all-important professional development and maybe a meeting with a promising prospect, too.  Freelancers cannot afford to merely work hard when September rolls around.  We must also work smart.  I’m lucky to have discovered a trove of worthwhile business books that will make me smarter and I’m happy to pass along my take on what I’ve read.

The books will teach us effective ways to turn prospects into clients (sell only to VITOs),  how to devise business goals and strategies that will ensure our long-term success (because the red ocean is where you’ll drown)  and that  y=f(x) —and how to apply that formula to make both our own and our clients’ business processes operate more efficiently and profitably (what’s your sigma?).

The Borders book chain is going out of business, so why not make the most of that sad event and scoop up a few titles on the cheap? What’s not left on the shelves at Borders can be checked out of your local library.  Get started now on creating both a strong fourth quarter and laying the groundwork for a financially healthy 2012.

The Secrets of VITO: Think and Sell Like a CEO (2002)  Anthony Parinello
If Freelancers expect to convince decision-makers to award us assignments,  it is imperative that we understand what motivates them to hire us.  This astute and sophisticated book helps Freelancers understand the standard concerns,  priorities and mindset of the typical CEO or organization leader.  Learn how to win trust and convey expertise.  Learn smart ways to approach, persuade,  negotiate with and sell to those who can either veto or green-light our projects.

Blue Ocean Strategy (2005)  W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

Blue Oceans represent untapped markets and undiscovered customer preferences.  Who knew they craved Sony’s Walkman or Apple’s iPod until the marketing campaign told them so?  Red Oceans represent mature,  shrinking and highly competitive markets.  Remain there and your business will surely operate in the red and perish. This classic guide to innovative strategy development shows Freelancers,  business owners,  corporate execs and nonprofit organization leaders how to pursue fearless, rational and uncomplicated approaches that will redefine and energize strategic direction,  articulation of the value proposition, the business model and marketing.

Six Sigma for Dummies (2005)  Neil DeCarlo, Craig Gygi and Bruce Williams

Six Sigma is a highly sophisticated and exacting data-driven process improvement system that was originally designed for manufacturing companies.  However,  the system can be successfully applied to service delivery as well,  from hospitals and health clinics to restaurants and financial institutions.  Six Sigma will substantively minimize errors and inefficient practices in product manufacturing and service delivery systems.  The material is complex,  but the book is well-written and very clear.  I found that anyone whose work involves operations,  strategy or finance will benefit from exposure to the basics of Six Sigma, whether or not you become formally trained in its tenets.  You’re bound to gain useful insights on how to accurately measure, assess and streamline the delivery of your organization’s products or services.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Summer Reading List

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For just about all of us,  the school year Summer Break meant having fun: hanging out with friends,  going on picnics and trips to the beach,  summer camp and family vacations.  Yet Summer was not all fun.  When I reached high school,  Mom and Dad made sure I got a job every year,  so I would earn some money and learn the habit of saving when they insisted that I bank half of my paycheck each week.

Also,  students at my college-prep public high school were required to read two books  (from the school’s list)  over the Summer and submit a book report for each when we returned to school in September.  I’ve always been an avid reader,  so the reading assignment was never a chore for me  (although I disliked writing the book reports).

This year,  I decided to renew that tradition and get into some business-themed books.  It had been a while since I’d mined that category and I had the appetite to make up for lost time.  Here are three books I’ve read since June.  Maybe you’d like to suggest a few titles that you’ve found to be useful?

TouchPoints  (2011)     Douglas Conant and Mette Norgaard

Freelancers,  corporate execs,  nonprofit organization leaders and business owners all require leadership training.  This excellent and informative book provides first-rate lessons for experienced leaders and those new to the club.  Learn how to create a leadership model that reflects your unique style and values,  rather than merely mimicking a cookie-cutter template.  Learn how communication skills promote leadership skills.  Explore the existential question of why you choose to lead.

Knowing Your Value  (2011)     Mika Brzezinski

Although this book’s intent is to confirm that women deserve to receive appropriate financial reward for their professional gifts and teach them how to successfully negotiate a raise,  salary or contract fee  (and other perks)  that accurately reflect the value they bring to the organization for which they work,  I recommend this useful and enjoyable book for both genders.  The Haves are shamelessly using the weak economy to withhold money from the Have-nots and that means we all need to learn how and when and under what conditions we can respectfully request money and recognition  (plus a good title!).

Black Faces in White Places  (2011)     Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson

The title of this book is misleading.  It is not primarily a book about survival strategies designed to assist people of color who work in Euro-American dominated environments.  Randal Pinkett was the winning contestant on  “The Apprentice”  in 2005  and he is the only African-American to be named the winner.  The authors do speculate as to why no other  “Apprentice”  winner has ever been asked to consider sharing the prize.  Was it subtle racism?  Only Trump knows.  But who among us has not been treated unfairly at some point?  The authors posit that the most reliable way to triumph in life and business is to deliver excellence and that is the subject of this well-written,  dense and absorbing book.  Pinkett and Robinson  (who run a lucrative consulting firm)  provide a detailed roadmap that is applicable to Freelancers,  business owners and all professionals of all races.  Learn to identify your passions and your purpose,  nurture beneficial relationships,  develop and consistently deliver excellence and give back generously,  to pay it forward and mentor others.

I’ll be back next week with the rest of my Summer reading list.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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More Smart Responses to Common Objections

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You’re a smart,  ambitious Freelance cookie and you’ve set up appointments this Summer with prospective clients who could award contracts that will pay you in fourth quarter and perhaps beyond.  You’ve thanked the saints for finally allowing you to sit down with a much sought-after prospect and the last thing you need is an objection slithering into your Garden of Eden,  ready to poison the victory.  Here are more smart approaches to common categories of objections that will help you put them to rest and start building a lucrative client list.

I.    Too Small

Your prospective client may be impressed with your insights and proposed solutions,  yet fear that your consultancy lacks the capacity to successfully execute complex projects.  There is a fear that the job you’re discussing is too big for your plate.  To counter,  reassure your prospect by emphasizing that his/her needs and priorities will always receive prompt and meticulous attention because all aspects of the project will be personally overseen by the principal—you.  Stress that you are always immediately responsive and able to elegantly customize all required services.  Furthermore,  should more hands be needed,  you have a carefully curated group of associates to call upon to handle specific tasks,  when necessary.

II.   No Money

Especially when looking to perform consulting services at not-for-profit organizations,  remember that meager budgets are an issue and the problem will continue to bedevil NFPs for the foreseeable future.  I’ve been burned by NFPs who’ve invited me in to discuss projects for which  (unknown to me)  there is no extant budget.  Getting reliable information about the financial reality may be difficult; even executive directors and board chairs can be evasive and coy about money.  They are not afraid to waste your time.

The game most often will be played by a small organization that has fingers crossed about receiving grant money.  However,  the hoped-for grant may not arrive and the client could disappear on you.  Protect yourself by trying to encourage transparency by breaking the project down into smaller bites.  Start by asking the NFP prospect what he/she would like to achieve and clarify what your role will be.  Diplomatically inquire as to whether a budget has been established for the project.

Next,  ask for project needs to be prioritized:  the  “must-do”,  the  “would be helpful” and “this too, if we can afford”.  In your written proposal,  package and price your services in ascending tiers,  thus scaling the project in accordance to client priorities and budget.  Clearly emphasize the ROI of the project and how it is an investment in furthering organization objectives and its future.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Smart Responses to Common Objections

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The savvy Freelancer knows to make hay while the Summer sun shines and contract assignments dwindle.  Registering for a conference that will expand your knowledge and your network is one way to make good use of your time.  Setting up meetings with potential clients that you’ve perhaps been pursuing since last November is another good use of your time.  Despite vacations,  I’ll bet they’re more available to meet you for lunch or coffee in July and August.  Summer is the time for Freelancers to sow relationship seeds that will be harvested as billable hours come Autumn.

Along the way,  we will unfortunately have an objection tossed onto our path by a skeptical prospect.  All may appear to be rosy until it’s time to schedule the appointment—and then your prospect balks.  “What is it that we’re supposed to talk about?”  “I’m not sure if we’ll have any of your kind of projects on the immediate horizon.”  Or maybe the stumbling block won’t get thrown at you until the face to face is on.  Whenever it happens,  your potential client will be in grave danger of fading away and  you’ll need effective CPR to save your budding relationship.

Fortunately,  client objections tend to fall into predictable broad categories.  To formulate a credible response,  you must first recognize the real question that underlies the objection— that would be the category it falls into.  There are only a handful of objection categories that Freelancers will most often encounter.  Take a look at these two:

I.     No trust

Your prospective client doesn’t trust you and questions your experience and abilities,  or might be somewhat cool toward you, because you are an unknown quantity.  The remedy is to obtain an endorsement from someone who is known and respected by your prospect.  If you sense that you are being held at arm’s length and rapport is not being established,  name a client  (or organization)  for whom you’ve worked,  one who could be familiar to the prospect.  If possible,  strengthen your hand by attending a gathering  (social or professional)  that the prospect is known to attend.  Proceed to let your prospect witness you interacting as a peer with colleagues and friends he/she knows and admires.   Your prospect will feel much more comfortable with you,  the ice will melt and you’ll soon be invited into the office to talk turkey.

II.     No need

Sometimes a prospect just wants to blow a Freelancer off,  so we’re told that there is no need for our services  (even though we know that’s not the truth!).  Other times we hear this objection because the prospective client doesn’t know us or have reason to trust us,  so he/she will fudge the truth and claim to have no use for what we’re selling.  Keep talking and don’t be shut down by this one if you know there is a need for your brand of expertise.  This client must be convinced of the value and ROI of what you bring.  If you’ve worked with clients who would be familiar to this prospect,  drop the name and briefly describe the successful outcome of your project.

Talk about the revenue stream that was created or the money that was saved or the market share gained.  Then ask a pertinent question in an area you suspect may be of interest and where your knowledge and expertise shine.  “What about _____ keeps you awake at night?”  “How do you and your team get your arms around…?”  Get this client to open up and talk about what’s really going on and you may find yourself in a conversation about how you might be able to help them out.

More on this topic next week.   Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Pareto’s Principle, or the 80/20 Rule

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In 1906,  the economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto examined wealth distribution in Italy and found that 80 % of that nation’s wealth was controlled by 20 % of the population.  (In the U.S. as of 2009,  the top 5 % of the population controlled 63.5 % of the wealth and the bottom 80 % controlled 12.8 %.  Source: The Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper # 292,  March 23, 2011)  Pareto dedicated his career to exploring the nature of individual and group social action,  along with studying the distribution of wealth in society.  Pareto’s discovery came to be known as Pareto’s Principle,  colloquially known today as the 80/20 Rule. 

Pareto determined mathematically that while numerous factors are connected to any given outcome,  only a select few are able to impact that outcome in a significant way.  Anecdotally,  I think most would agree that the principle holds up in real life.  The 80/20 Rule has been widely applied in business and several truisms have been noted, including:

  • 80 % of your sales are generated by 20 % of your customers
  • 80 % of your profits grow from 20 % of your working hours
  • 80 % of your sales come from 20 % of your product/service line
  • 80 % of customer complaints emanate from 20 % of your customers

Are you trying to get in the door with certain clients who will award to you the projects and billable hours that will allow you to achieve your profitability goals?  Of course you are!  Maybe it’s time to apply the science of Pareto’s Principle to the pursuit of an expanded client list and limit the randomness of networking and prospecting.  As Pareto discovered,  it’s vital to identify those critical few variables that provide the majority of leverage,  or problem-solving power,  when trying to achieve objectives.  In this assignment certain assumptions will be made,  such as the strength of your value proposition and your understanding of who would be an ideal client.

Get the critical few variable identification process started by listing all possible factors that influence your ability to sign a client.  Next,  pare the list down by filtering out the “trivial many”,  as Pareto termed factors that will have minimal impact on the desired outcome.  You’ll end up with about a half dozen critical variables,  powerful factors  that when impacted,  i.e. leveraged,  in the right fashion by the right person will influence the outcome and get you an audience with the decision maker who can award you a plum contract.

Ponder the critical variables on your priority list.  They have the power to either clear your path or block your success indefinitely.   Which critical variables,  if any,  might you be able to leverage on your own?  Which are beyond your reach and require the intervention of an ally?  Are any variables likely beyond the control of anyone save the client?  When you’ve determined which critical variables might possibly be leveraged by either yourself or an ally,  then consider carefully which of those factors will be most easily leveraged and how you should proceed.  You’re looking to leverage 20 % of the critical 20 %,  if you know what I mean.

On my priority list,  there are seven items.   Three critical variables appear to be within my control or that of an ally and four appear to be outside of my ability to impact  (including budget limitations).  Introductions and endorsements to the right people are both my barriers and critical success factors and I see a possibility for leverage.

Over the past 6-8 weeks I’ve had two endorsement/introductions to potential clients,  plus a promise from an influential advocate to try to help me resuscitate a client relationship that derailed because of competing organizational priorities and budget limitations.  At the end of July,  I will attend a conference where I hope to meet a certain prospect and I hope that the right person introduces us,  i.e. someone my prospect knows well and who will provide an endorsement for me.   I am working the 80/20  Rule,  planning to leverage critical variables wherever possible.  Wish me good luck!

Thanks for reading,

Kim