by kristin
Today, there was considerably less hesitation at pulling a card and rolling the dice. In fact, despite the card requiring calling people I either didn’t know or that I hadn’t spoken to in a long time (read: usually a scary task) when I rolled a 1 on the dice, I figured that was too easy and rolled again. This time a 5 – now that’s a task!!
Today’s task: Find (5) people similar to my 5 fave customers and call.
First things first. Listing my five favorite customers. This gave me a great opportunity to think about what these people had in common.
- lovely healthcare brand, long term partnership, stretched our capabilities, easy going, took advice, decent budgets, fun to work with, introduced me to other clients
- accounting firm, easy going, challenging topics, long term partnership, lovely team, introduced me to other clients
- new client, old friend, wants the goods but largely easy going, chunky project in logistics with potential for ongoing work, reasonable time-frame/budget expectations
- large trade firm. Not currently working with this client, but adored working with him. Long-term partnership, challenging projects where we were able to prove our value time and again, made me laugh every time we spoke, referred clients and generally has my back.
- v. senior at a massive pharma co which also meant working with a great senior team. Had been a client at another agency who followed me to my new agency. Deeply committed to the work. Hugely challenging work with great outcomes.
So that would mean I’m looking for;
- someone in a senior-esque role – Marketing/Medical Director, MD, Senior brand mgr, CEO, Principal, owner
- challenging work
- reasonable budget and timeframes
- enable us to produce/contribute to decent outcomes
- potential for long-term working partnerships
- and most of all is nice (a vastly under-rated, but very important attribute – at least on my list).
So I brainstormed and instantly came up with 4 people to call. All of whom I know and who should be on my list but aren’t currently. This kind of feels a bit like cheating, but as there are no rules around this bit, I’m going to do it my way – I encourage you to do the same. Especially whilst we’re in the early days of game play – go for the easier wins. This will boost your confidence.
- C – but now located in Europe – a little hard to catch up for coffee. But I dropped a note to see if they could connect me with someone here.
- P – not currently in any of the industries I’m looking for, but well connected
- An ex colleague who is now the CEO of a firm I’d like to do business with
- An ex-client that I literally ran into this morning
But I’m one short. So I went to LinkedIn.
And I must confess, I went down the rabbit hole for an hour. BUT I did send some LinkedIn messages to two new connections that actually fit the profile above, as well as sending some other catch up emails.
But then I found another ex client to talk to.
Then I had a conversation with a client who was asking for advice on a consulting gig they were doing. He was telling me that it was a wonderful gig that would last them a while with lots of scope. I took the opportunity to remind him that we were always looking for new intros. He responded with an introduction to a new prospect.
Day 2 ends with …
- Clarity around an upcoming pitch – yes, we’ve made the list – lots of work required there
- Another client coming back for another pass at media training – proposal to be worked up
- Another pharma client requesting another year of training/competition management
- 3 reconnection emails sent out
- 4 further phone calls made, messages left – will work through the pipeline on these.
Previously
- 13 networking events booked for April-June.
- 1 prospective healthcare client in the NB pipeline – proposal currently being developed
- Found 2 potential speaking opportunities (both of whom need marketing work – 2 birds, 1 stone!!)
by kristin
Today begins the first of my 90 day sprint towards solidifying the agency’s new business pipeline. AND I’M TERRIFIED.
Terrified because I might fail. More terrified because, well what if I actually succeed?! And my life balance goes totally out the window (but I guess I can deal with that if/when it happens).
Despite having put the game on my desk yesterday to make sure it was top of mind, it’s still there unopened, taunting me and it’s 11.48am. Okay, I did have a Drs appointment, and emails, and a client call, but that’s always going to happen.
Well actually, if I don’t kick up our new business efforts considerably, emails and client calls won’t always happen. And life will always continue get in the way.
The rules of the game state that I have 1 hour (just 60 mins) to get my new business task done; to do whatever the card says x the number (of clients) rolled on the dice. And that’s why I haven’t opened it. If I don’t look, I don’t have to start.
Except that doing nothing gets precisely nothing done. I cannot believe that my heart is actually thumping with nerves. If I was coaching one of my mentees right now, I’d say;
- what’s the worst that could happen?
- Someone might be rude – no big deal there or
- I might not get anywhere – not getting anywhere right now either
- Just start, do one, have a go and see how that feels – knowing full well, that once I begin, the adrenaline will kick in and No2 of whatever will be significantly less stressful than No1 (and I might only roll a 1 anyway).
- Treat it as the game it is. It’s all about having a go (except my livelihood depends on this…see point 4)
- SUCK IT UP PRINCESS – actually, I’d never really say this to a mentee. But I could imagine my coach nicely (or my daughter – somewhat less nicely) saying it to me.
Okay.
I’ve stuffed about enough. My office is quiet today (days off, etc), so if I stuff things up today, my audience is, well, just me.
I am debating whether or not lunchtime is a good time to get started – now that it’s 12.02pm. But I’m running out of excuses. So here goes. I shuffle the cards and one jumps out of the deck.
Today’s task is…
RSVP to attend x networking meetings this week – rolled dice x=3.
My response to this is; “Really, that’s what I got so angsty about?” Now some people will be terrified of networking but for me, it’s fun. So YAY – I can do this – and you can too.
I also know that networking brings business – as a business, we’ve proven that before.
One hour to find 3 events this week to RSVP to.
An hour later… I’ve found 45 possible things I could go to that interest me – although several of these are interesting because I could send them something pitching my speaker/trainer skills (ie: developing new business of a different kind).
Key in searching for networking events though is making sure that I’m staying true to our brand. Not just going to something for goings’ sake.
Also key to remember is that some events are free and some are paid – but ALL of them will cost you your very precious time. So invest your time wisely.
So for the next 10 days I ended up choosing;
- Leadership and high performance teams (Free).
- Going to a BNI meeting Thursday AM that I’ve been talking about going to for at least the last 5 months. BNI does work for a lot of people if you can get past its regimented-ness (Paid).
- A small business community networking evening seminar on winning new clients – always good to see what the competition is up to. (Free)
- A startup community crowdfunding workshop as a potential collaborator – Thursday PM (10 days from now – free)
- The League of ExtraOrdinary Women meeting Thursday PM (which looks interesting – paid)
And 7 other events whilst I was getting myself out and about from ‘hiding’ in my office.
Oh and best of all, whilst I had my head in new business mode, the phone rang. And a new, new client – who’d been referred to us by a friend of the agency – asked us to help him solve the issue of his Adwords agency not listening and being very robotic in their approach. Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this.
This so seriously goes to the, none too subtle, lightbox message I have on my desk with the message – DO THE WORK!! So please, if you do the work and the work will come.
Day 1 ends with;
- 3 events booked per week for the next month (13 events all up – I know, I know – it was only meant to be 3). And if I like this BNI, I will go back. Plus I found another 7 groups who meet at similar times, with similar folks in the room.
- 1 client in the NB pipeline
- Found 2 potential speaking opportunities (both of whom need marketing work – 2 birds, 1 stone!!)
And kind of inspired and looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.
by kristin
A few months ago, I created a business game that will help win new business based on some of the things I’ve done over the past nearly six years (longer if you count my 20+ year consulting career).
BUT, here’s the kicker. Despite having won significant business over the past six years, new business has always come to us. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had to do things to actually get it across the line. Although having new clients come our way is really nice, it does let you rest on your laurels rather a bit too much. It’s also meant we’ve never really had to commit to developing a sales process. And whilst I might like to think that it’s because we’re fabulous at what we do (never believe the hype), I know we’ve also been a bit lucky too.
So unlike the usual gumpf often seen on social media, which only shows the good stuff and highs of life, business and its processes, I’m committing here and now to publishing an unvarnished version of the trials and tribs of developing new business over the next 90 days using the game (crikey!!).
At this point you might be wondering ‘why now’? Having been in business for nearly 6 years, surely she’s got it sorted by now?
Ummm, no.
In fact, we’re almost out of runway – with less than 3 months cash in the bank and for the first time in 5 years, it doesn’t appear that we’re starting the financial year (which in Australia starts July 1) with our budget squared away – just proving that filling the pipe is a constant in business. That having been said, I still have staff payroll to keep up with, office rent and a car lease and other stuff to pay. i.e. failure to pay those = failing in business.
Then there’s my teen who’s desperate to go to private school – which frankly at the moment is making me want to reach for a paper bag to prevent the hyperventilation that ensues every time I think about how I’m going to pay for that.
Yep, no super rich grandparents paying the school bills or trust funds here. And I promised myself (for my sanity’s sake – Suze Orman would be proud) that she could only go if, yes IF, I could pay an entire years’ tuition upfront and I need that in cash, by October 1, at the latest. Of course, the teen might not get accepted – but we won’t know for another couple of months and to cough up significant cash with not much notice would do my head in (and probably my credit card balance too). Failure to pay this = failure as mother (and quite possibly worse than failing in business). Yes there are other schools, and I want my girls to know beyond a shadow of a doubt how their mother’s, often ugly, work hours contribute to their lives.
So, the only way that paying for any of the above is possible is by ensuring my new business pipeline is not only constantly full but also converting well too. Hence, I’m putting myself, the game and its methods to the test – here – for all to see. Consider me the crash test dummy – here for your safety. New business 101 – in all its messy glory.
Just me and a currently empty pipeline. Yup, EMPTY!
What am I aiming for? Well I put this up in front of a workshop not that long ago. It’s possible, but very, very scary. It will take me the better part of a year to reach me thinks (and some working on the barriers that exist in my own head). Yet, as someone far more eloquent than I said ages ago (the Buddha I think) – the best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago or today.
With that in mind, I’m planting my tree today, tomorrow and every working day from this point forward – until I achieve my ‘perfect garden’*. If you’re up for it, I’d love it if you joined me along the way and we can buoy each other along. If you purchase the game, there’s a facebook group that you can join where we set our intention for the day through playing the game and report back.
A couple of parameters though, if I may;
- I will be brutally honest about what I’m getting up to – but I won’t be revealing the names of clients and prospects (except maybe by initials or some other nickname) – so you can follow the transition along through the process.
- I’m not expecting immediate progression – ie: make a single call and magically get business in the next day. Decades of experience tells me that if I actually see new business transition to actual billable business inside of 90 days, that will be awesome, but unusual. 3-6 months is about how long the conversion process usually takes before we start seeing cash flow, (hence giving us a goodly run up to the next financial year).
Would love it if you left comments below. But please no haters. Getting on with new business is hard enough without the negative Nelly’s raining on one’s parade (my apologies to you if your name is Nelly – I’m sure you’re fabulous).
* As every good gardener knows, the ‘perfect garden’ is always a work in progress – so my landscape architect/horticulturist husband reminds me every time he moves things around in/changes/or razes parts of our garden.
