"If you never enter the lion's den you will never capture the lion."
---Seung Sahn
“You’re not like most consultants.” I get that a lot…and I take it as a compliment. My job is to help clients grow their companies and have a good time doing it. Sometimes the best advice I can give is to stop and think before spending any more money. I’m not pushy – if I can’t help you, I tell you and I do my best to refer you to someone who can.
My background in sales makes me comfortable negotiating, handling conflict, listening and staying organized. I believe totally in the concept of “underpromise and overdeliver” so at the beginning of any engagement, I invest a lot of time and resources in understanding your industry and your specific situation.
I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and measure all my consulting engagements against the barometer of: is it relevant, is it impactful, and is it immediately implementable? If we can’t answer YES to all three, we don’t move forward.
Where did I get all these ideas? Well, I spent a lot of years in Corporate America, in companies ranging from dotcom startups to the Fortune 100. I've held positions in customer-focused sales, sales management, business development, marketing, and leadership/organizational development. Every position and every company had three things in common: they were fast-paced, high-growth and results-oriented. And that fits my style to a tee.
On more than one occasion (three to be exact!), I found myself stepping outside my official corporate role to create programs that bridged departmental gaps: between sales and marketing, between sales/marketing and operations, between operations and customer service, and so on.
I finally started wondering: if my programs are effective and well-received in a resource-rich corporate environment, why not offer them to smaller companies that wouldn’t have access otherwise? A seed was planted, and a consultancy was born.
In 2001, I started offering consulting services to clients of all sizes who were going through transition. My initial focus was leadership and organizational development. After all, if you spend more time at work than at just about anything else you do in life, shouldn’t it be both rewarding AND enjoyable?
In 2003, I enhanced my offerings by adding the power of the Monopolize Your Marketplace system to my repertoire. This is a systematic yet customizable approach to marketing that adapts to just about any situation.
In 2010, after noticing some of my clients’ distaste for salespeople, I started to wonder: why am I NOT teaching companies how to sell consultatively? Consultative selling is, after all, my forte. I love consultative selling because it has nothing to do with manipulation or forcing someone to buy just because I have something I want to sell; instead, the focus is entirely on discovering and fulfilling the client’s needs.
I continue my own education and professional development, staying abreast of sales, marketing and leadership trends via webinars, seminars, newsletters and networking. In 2011 I earned the prestigious Certified Negotiation Expert designation offered to Realtors; in 2012, I became one of the first 150 Realtors in the country to earn the Master Certified Negotiation Expert designation.
So what does all of this mean for you, my prospective client?
Well for one thing, when you contact me, it means you will never get a sales pitch or feel any kind of pressure to sign a contract or do business with me before you’re absolutely ready. Instead, you’ll get lots of questions and inquiries meant to find out what’s going on within your company and how we can help. I always offer a free one-hour consultation where we get to know each other before either of us make any commitments.
Second, I understand that companies don’t want to “live” with a consultant…you need someone who can get in and get out…and make an impact. So I consciously look for ways “train the trainer” as I work with my clients, allowing their organizations to easily become self-sufficient after an engagement. My goal is to “work myself out of a job” by sharing everything I can.
Third, I get it that I can’t be all things to all people. So over the years, I have developed an extensive network of strategic partners to assist me in providing cost-effective solutions for my clients. I work to match you with the appropriate company for a variety of services, including printing fulfillment, website development, graphic design, lists and mail houses, IT and business setup, among others. All of my partners share my passion for customer focus, providing value and producing results.
I seek clients who are aligned with my personal values of life-balance and social and environmental responsibility. And who believe business is about more than just the money - because integrity and values matter too. I seek clients who are open to considering new ideas, who have a passion for taking their business beyond what is believed possible and who are willing to commit to action.
If this sounds like you, please get in touch with me! I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised!