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Quickstart - Are you a Provider or a Parasite?
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Quickstart
Grow a Profitable Consultancy and Still Have Time for a Life
In this issue
Note from Beverley - Days To Celebrate
One Step Further - Are You a Provider or a Parasite?
Upcoming Events - LAST CALL for More Clients Worklshop
Personal Reflections - What If You Are Right to Be Wrong?
Note from Beverley
I mentioned last week that I use a free e-card service to send cards. Well again I was looking for something this week and whilst I was looking at the days to celebrate over the next week I thought "I've seen it all now."
Here are a selection of days to celebrate you may (or may not!!!) wish to add to your yearly calendar.
11 April - Cheese Fondue Day
12 April - Big Wind Day (don't ask!)
14 April - Pecan Day (for all you nutters!).
But my favourites for the coming week all fall on 15 April - how many celebrations can one person handle? Are you ready? - Rubber Eraser Day, Fast Food Day and Freak Out Day - what would Leonardo da Vinci have thought? It's also his day! And on that note...
Have a good week
Beverley
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0) 1344 625713
www.onestepfurther.co.uk
Author of Take Control of Your Time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success
Buy the ebook and/or become an affiliate and earn some extra cash
One Step Further
Sure we all need to earn a living and to do that we need clients who pay us for services rendered.
Sure we need to broaden our appeal by widening our sphere of influence and letting more of our niche know who we are and why they will benefit from our services. However...
...we can be so much more as consultants and service providers. "Providers" is the key word here.
Sure you provide services for which people pay you, but what can you also provide that is of value to your clients and potential clients and your partners and potential partners, for which you get no monetary compensation?
Are you are provider or are you a parasite?
Do you ask, take and leech off other people's knowledge, experience and network or are you a connector, a sharer and a "personal google" for your network.
Consider the trust you will build, the environment you will create and the sense of value you will generate when you are a provider.
Be a Connector - one of the questions I regularly ask at networking meetings is "If I could introduce you to one person that would make a real difference to you or your business who would that be?"
I ask for a specific person not a general "anyone that works in HR" response(which is a common answer and doesn't help me help them!) I also ask,
"What is the main reason you want to meet this particular person?"
This way I know it is a thought through answer and not just a "well I just want to sell to them" response.
I usually ask just one or maximum 2 people who I feel would really appreciate it and get value from hearing the question. (Simply helping people think specifically is of value - so try it!).
Sometimes I can help them immediately either because I know the person directly or I know someone who does. More often I don't know the person but by asking, I have logged the name/company in my memory so that when it comes up in the future I know it is significant.
For instance a few weeks ago I asked that question of a guy and he wanted to meet the CEO at British Land. Now I don't know the CEO or anyone else at British Land nor do I know anyone that deals with British Land but by asking for a specific person, I can be on the look out and by mentioning it here perhaps you know the person and can help?
As another example, I asked the same question at another event and the chap said
"I'd like to meet anyone that organises conferences".
I asked if he could be more specific. He said
"Well we've worked with a number of associations that organise annual conferences and the person we worked with was the person responsible for the administration and registration of the event for that association."
Bingo! Now I could help. As a member of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) I introduced the chap to the person responsible for the admin and registration of the annual sales conference for the ISMM who I know and have met on a number of occasions.
So how can you be a connector and a sharer for your niche and your wider network?
Building trust is a critical factor in being a provider and connector.
"First, trust-based selling is a practice, not a process. Second, it's about relationships and not transactions; and third it's about serving clients, not serving the seller."
Use this link Trust Based Selling, to read more of this interview with Charles Green, author of Trust Based Selling.
Next week we'll look at how being your niche's personal google can be a great differentiator for you as a consultant.
Upcoming Events
LAST CHANCE TO FIND OUT HOW TO...
* Define your business so that it stands out
* Go niche for future success
* Define what your real priorities are
* Become a BOPper
* Generate more profit by doing less
* Say NO to clients
Join me for - MORE THAN A PULSE AND A CHEQUEBOOK - 1 DAY WORKSHOP
Date: 26 April
Time: 0900-1630
Venue: Heckfield Place, Near Reading
Investment: £147+vat
To find out more, reserve your place and pay online go to More Clients Please
Reservations Close on Thursday 14 April so book NOW so you don't miss out
Personal Reflections
I bought and read a new book last week, which really made me think how simple the obvious is and how unobvious simplicity can be. The book Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite , by Paul Arden only took me 20 minutes to read and yet had a really interesting effect on me. It's all about thinking differently, doing things differently, being wrong to see if that works better and generally how taking risks is sometimes better than playing it safe.
There are many pictures and little text. There are obvious yet subtle messages and risky strategies. There are wacky ideas and eureka moments and yet the simplicity of the approach is quite astounding in how it makes you feel and think.
There's an outrageous advertising idea, which used the Berlin Wall just before it came down. There's the story of how the eventual designer for the Sydney Opera house made his pitch with one word SAIL - the image that it conjured up in the minds of the decision makers sold it there and then.
There are many more simple stories that made me think.
How exciting it must be to be the first with a new idea.
How wonderful it must be to turn commonly held beliefs on their head and what a thrill it would be to create something so remarkable that people go "Wow I can't believe you made that happen"
And so here's to a month of remarkability.
* What can you create that astounds your clients?
* How can you change a commonly held belief in your niche?
* What bold, outrageous and provocative theory or idea can you implement that is remarkable in its simplicity?
Go on don't think outside the box, throw away the box and just let rip!
Best Regards
Bev
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0) 1344 625713
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