Tag Archives | consulting process

Sanity Check: The Final Question

By on January 13, 2012 in Proposal Writing, Sanity Checks

When that proposal, presentation, or report is ready to go, do one more thing before you send it to your client.

Read through each page or slide and ask yourself, “What can I remove from this document?” Maybe you’ll find unnecessary adverbs, some flabby language, or sentences and images that don’t really add anything to your key messages.

Once you’ve got language in a document or slides in a deck, it’s hard to get rid of it. But, you almost always have an opportunity to do that. And, you’ll communicate more effectively by stripping out the fat.

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How to Sell to a Geezer

By on January 2, 2012 in Client Relationships, Selling

selling to geezersLet’s say you’re meeting with some prospective clients. And, as you look around the room, everyone seems years (maybe decades) older than you.

The word that might flash through your mind for the people in the group is geezers.

You know who I’m talking about. Some haven’t changed their hair styles since the Carter administration, and think anyone under 40 “looks like they’re 12.” You sense that they might discount your ideas–both because of your perceived lack of experience and that you’re not one of them.

But, unfortunately, being judgmental isn’t the exclusive domain of so-called geezers. You can be selling an idea, project, or a recommendation to a person from another generation or another planet, and your approach doesn’t really need to change.

The strength of your ideas can bridge gaps in age and neutralize wrong-headed, preconceived notions. For your ideas to be heard, though, you’ve got to get three things straight in your own mind.

For starters, you need to think of yourself as the peer of anyone you work with. The age, title, and accomplishments of others don’t define the value of ideas.  Presumably, you’re in the room because you know something the clients don’t.

Next, keep in mind that you can’t know it all. The ideas or recommendations you pulled together yesterday or last week may need to change on the fly in the meeting.

As they say, “S**t happens,” and you won’t be privy to every detail that could impact your ideas. So keep an open mind and be willing to retool your ideas (in real-time) as new information comes your way.

Finally, remember the law of averages. In any group, there’s a strong possibility that someone isn’t going to like what you have to say. Don’t let that person make it your problem.

You don’t have to satisfy every naysayer for the entire group to understand your ideas. Let your supporters deal with nitpickers.

You’re going to run into geezers (and those who act the part), on a regular basis. It just goes with the territory. To deal with them most effectively, adjust your own mindset.

 

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Sharing

By on December 18, 2011 in Client Relationships, Selling

IdeasThe thought of sharing their intellectual property causes some hand-wringing among consultants. How much should you give to a new client? Should you hold something back until you make the sale?

Some consultants worry that clients will pilfer their ideas and use them without any help. Others are concerned that competitors could get their hands on proprietary information and figure out a way to profit from it. A few consultants believe that clients should pay before getting the “good stuff.”

Such concerns are not unreasonable. I’ve seen clients “borrow” ideas, and ethically-challenged consulting firms have been known to “adapt” other people’s work and call it their own. Fortunately, these are exceptions, not the rule.

Clients buy your expertise. Your best ideas are the foundation of the value you offer. If you hold them back, you put yourself at a disadvantage with clients. Plus, hopefully, no one can execute a project using your ideas as well as you can.

My advice is to share your best ideas freely. Clients will appreciate your commitment and you’ll have better luck closing sales. When asked if it wouldn’t be better to wait on providing ideas to clients, a colleague summed it up by saying, “They can take my ideas. I’ll come up with others.”

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Sanity Check: Vision Trumps Method

By on June 10, 2011 in Sanity Checks

michael w mclaughlinIf you don’t paint a vivid picture of the future your client can expect, it won’t matter if you’ve got the best methods, tools, or approaches to completing the project.

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Let Them Take Credit

By on June 7, 2011 in Client Relationships, Consulting Process

michael w mclaughlinEver gone to a meeting and listened with dismay as a client took credit for your best ideas? Or maybe you’ve had to sit through a project wrap-up session in which your team’s effort was marginalzed and someone on the client side snagged the kudos for a job well done.

It’s hard not to fume when your hard work is pilfered. What do you do? Confront the idea thief? Ask the credit grabber to give your team a plug?

Your best option is to bite your tongue and say nothing. Why? I call it the Rule of Client Credit: By giving up the credit, you actually earn credit (and more business).

In any client meeting, you can be certain that the key people in the room know where the ideas they’re hearing came from. Sure, not everyone will get it, but those who matter most will. The same holds true for letting others have the glory for a project’s outcome. The right people are aware that they couldn’t have done it without you.

Instead of demanding equal tribute, allow your clients time in the spotlight. That selfless behavior will earn you something more valuable than short-term gratification: Respect and trust. Besides, you reap other rewards. The most obvious is that you get paid. Plus, you’re doing work you want to do (or you should be).

Of course, you can’t always follow the Rule of Client Credit. It’s not a good idea, for example, to stand by while someone mangles or misrepresents your ideas. In that case, you have to speak up and clarify–for the client’s sake.

For the most part, though, you’ll find that you benefit from letting clients take the credit. That’s not always easy on the ego, but it’s likely to lead to a stronger client relationships and more work. Isn’t that more important?

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Sanity Check: Stash the Headset

By on June 3, 2011 in Sanity Checks

mchael w mclaughlinHere are three reasons to stash away your cell phone headset before your next meeting.

  1. You’re not going to take a phone call during your client meeting (at least, I hope you aren’t)
  2. You want to focus your client’s attention on the issues, not the blinking gadget on your ear
  3. It makes you look like you’re morphing into a borg.

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Facing an “Arms-Crossed” Client

By on June 1, 2011 in Client Relationships, Consulting Process

michael w mclaughlinMore than once, I’ve had to face “arms-crossed” guy. You may know him (or her) too—the client interviewee whose body language flashes, “I don’t have time for this. I’m not interested. Do we have to do this?” Since reluctant clients often play an important part in piecing together a project, it’s essential to break through the negativity.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, “arms-crossed” guy won’t budge. But if you need that person’s help, you’ve got to try. Here are a few tips for coaxing information from an unwilling interviewee.

Start Easy

If there’s no apparent threat or risk, “arms-crossed” guy may warm up. So start your conversation with the basics. Normally, though, this guy could care less what you think about the plaque on the wall honoring his community contribution seven years ago. Don’t go there.

Instead, begin by stating exactly what you want to learn, who sent you, and how you plan to use the information. Also, confirm how long the meeting will last. You’d probably do this introduction with any interviewee, but it’s critical with semi-hostiles.

Then launch into easy, factual questions, for example, “How many people do you manage?” “How has your business (or function) grown, and who are your best customers?” The point: Start without controversy, show that you listen, care, and have credibility.

Plus, resist the urge to respond to snide comments about the project, your role, or anything else that gets lobbed at you. Once you take that bait, you’ve lost the possibility of turning a bad interview into something useful.

You might be able to pierce the wall of resistance by letting a reluctant interviewee talk. Simple, fact-based questions offer the interviewee an opportunity to thaw. Allow time for an interviewee to expand on answers by pausing for several seconds after each response before you dive into the next question.

Define Your Must-Haves

If your interview isn’t going well and there’s little hope of turning it around, check your interview notes. Identify the essential information you must have from this individual. Usually, you’ll have options for finding what you need elsewhere. Still, zero in on what only this person can give you and ask away.

Keep a brisk pace as you move through your questions, but don’t leave the impression that you’re writing off the interview. Treat the reluctant interviewee as an important part of your process, no matter how hard that is.

Get Closer to the Issue

Once you’ve finished an interview, you’ll need to confirm whatever you learned. Find others who can flesh out your information, interpret what you know, and point you to others who can help. When you’re rebuffed by an interviewee, get closer to the problem. Find people who are directly affected by the issue and seek out their opinions.

No matter how much “arms-crossed” guy resists, you’ve got to stay above the fray. Don’t complain about him to others in the client’s organization—chances are they already know about the attitude. And don’t avoid him in the future. Who knows—“arms-crossed” guy might turn out to be your best ally; treat him well and keep chipping away.

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3 Ways to Generate Breakthrough Ideas

By on May 17, 2011 in Business Life, Consulting Process

creativityWe all face complex issues that demand our best thinking and ideas, whether the issues arise at work or in our personal lives. And most of us use an assortment of techniques to generate useful ideas, from brainstorming and what-if questions to mind mapping.

These techniques work. But what you do when you’re not trying to generate a big idea helps the most when you eventually need that breakthrough. How do you prepare for the time when you need your creativity the most?

New ideas are born through the resorting and recombination of your existing experiences and knowledge. So allowing your mind to have new, unfamiliar experiences creates more possibilities to consider when you call on your brain to hatch new ideas.

Here are three ways to help you prime the pump for breakthrough ideas.

Break Your Patterns

Open your brain to new experiences and possibilities by simply changing parts of your daily routine. Maybe you vary your exercise session, take a new route to work, or read a book by a new author, in an unfamiliar genre. You could visit a museum you’ve never been to, vary your habits at work, or talk to someone who works in an entirely different field.

Clear Out Distractions

Ask anyone when the best ideas pop up and you often hear, “in the shower.” Sometimes people get hit with a great idea when they’re walking, washing dishes, or just sitting quietly. When your mind calms down, new ideas emerge.

These days, it’s tough to get those quiet moments, except in the shower. Give yourself the chance to calm your mind during the day. Don’t feel the need to respond to every email or text within minutes. Set aside times during the day to handle email and other tasks. Don’t let them suck up every free moment you have between daily activities.

Embrace the Unknown

Each time we advance a new idea, our minds leap into a potential new future. For some, that’s scary. If you want to generate breakthrough ideas, you must be at ease with the uncertainty of a new future. Among the things that help develop your comfort with the unknown are travel to new places, learning a new skill, such as a new language, or trying things you’ve never experienced.

Most of what we do to create breakthrough ideas happens long before we try to generate those ideas. If you can be systematic about changing up your patterns, managing distractions, and being comfortable with uncomfortable situations, you’ll be primed for your next brainstorming session.

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A Question to Start Every Project Meeting

By on May 12, 2011 in Consulting Process, Managing Projects

michael mclaughlinMost people I know have a love-hate relationship with project team meetings. Those meetings can be drama-filled (especially if a deadline is about to be blown) or just plain tedious. Everyone knows there’s value in team meetings, but sometimes it’s hard to find.

Project leaders can add some excitement—and value—to any team meeting by asking one simple question at the outset:

What can we do differently (or better) today to improve this project’s outcome?

Once you ask the question, let people share their ideas—no matter how big or small. And, if possible, design an approach on the spot for putting the best ideas into practice. If you can’t, don’t leave the room without articulating a next step for the ideas you’ve heard.

Besides improving a project’s outcome, you’re sending people a clear message: I value your opinion. Plus, you’re encouraging an open environment for discussion, which will challenge people to search for ideas that will lead to a better result.

You’ve probably seen project leaders who act as though a good idea can only come from on high. Those individuals make their jobs harder than needed. And when such a leader looks for help with the next project, mysteriously, the best people are already tied up on something else.

It’s a simple question. Ask it at the beginning of every meeting, sit back, and let the ideas flow.

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What Happens When You Leave?

By on May 9, 2011 in Client Relationships, Consulting Process

michael mclaughlinYou may know how this feels. You’ve got a good track record with a client, but the client doesn’t clue you in when a suitable new project arises. In spite of your great work, you learn about the new project right before it’s about to go to someone else.

Of course, you can scramble and possibly get back on your client’s radar. For clients you already know, it doesn’t have to be like that.

How Quickly They Forget

You need more than trust and a record of delivering value to remain relevant with your past clients. You also need a champion (or two). Most of what clients remember about you and your work stems from the conversations they have when you are no longer around. You’ll rarely hear those conversations–or have the chance to directly influence them.

That’s where a champion comes in. I’m not just talking about a satisfied client who is willing to act as a reference for you. I’m referring to someone who will be an advocate for your work, defend you against inevitable critics, and help shape the story about your work that you need to stay in the game.

Every consultant faces an invisible barrier to landing new work: client indifference. If you want to become more than just another consultant who did good work, identify and nurture champions along the way. These people can keep your history alive when you’re not there to speak for yourself.

Champions Where You Least Expect

You won’t have more than a few champions in any client organization. Nor will you need more than that. In many cases, one well-placed champion can be enough. I know a consultant who’s been booked solid for two years on a range of projects due to a champion relationship with one executive in a large client organization.

Like many champion relationships, this one emerged slowly and unexpectedly. The client executive didn’t initially hire the consultant, and he didn’t have management responsibility for the project. But the consultant and the executive worked side by side on specific project tasks, faced some tough project issues together, and connected on a personal level.

Once that project ended, the consultant had a champion. And he didn’t have to force it. The relationship grew naturally in the course of their work together and through adherence to a few guiding principles.

Focus on the Here and Now

When someone who is “talking” to you often looks beyond you to others in the room, you get the message: that person is obviously lining up the next, more important conversation. Don’t send that message to clients about your projects. Once you’ve started a project, put your ambitions for follow-on work on the back burner.

Resist the urge to look beyond the current project, at least until your client signals that it’s ok. Stay focused on the here and now and your client’s trust in you will grow. In time, the client will draw you into other opportunities and you may find that you’re developing a champion.

Steer Clear of Politics

Politics percolate just below the surface in every client organization. In an effort to please client sponsors, many consultants get caught in the morass of client politics. It’s helpful to know what’s happening behind the scenes. But, get sucked into the client’s drama, and you lose your objectivity and cut off access to potential champions.

If you’re backing someone else’s agenda, expect to take arrows from detractors. I know a consultant who aligned herself with her sponsor’s project strategy, which others didn’t agree with. Instead of orchestrating a healthy debate about alternatives, the consultant pushed for her sponsor’s solution.

The result: when the sponsor’s idea was ultimately rejected, the consultant became the target for criticism. She hasn’t been back to that client since.

It’s not enough to have a champion in an organization. When someone advocates on your behalf, others have to view you as credible too. Taking sides in office politics will tag you as biased and self-interested. That’s a showstopper even a champion can’t overcome.

Don’t Look for a Two-Way Street

In a perfect world, the more value you give to clients, the more you receive. The value profile of most client relationships, though, isn’t that clear-cut. Sometimes, you give and give without getting anything in return. At that point, some people give up and move on to something else.

Don’t expect a quid pro quo from your clients. I know consultants, for example, who schedule regular meetings with their clients to review the latest regulatory issues and competitive information. Those meetings happen whether there’s an ongoing project or not. There’s no expectation of an immediate return, but a return on the effort always materializes.

A potential champion watches how you behave when there’s nothing in it for you (like a new project). So always search for innovative ways to help out, especially between projects.

Extending Your Influence

Your long-term success with any client depends on both what happens during a project and afterward. You’ll benefit from a client champion or two to watch out for you when you’re not there, and to help write the narrative of what you accomplished. Nothing beats the marketing power of a client who knows what you do, how you do it, and is willing to go to bat for you.

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