Mission, Vision and Market Position

I'm asked a lot by clients about the relationship (if any) between these three pillars of strategy. Watch for our next newsletter issue in mid-September 2007 for an exploration of these concepts and how they relate.

The Challenges of RFP's

Beyond Referrals has been engaged to write an article for a national Canadian business magazine on the challenges of using an RFP process to select a professional services firm. We'll explore alternatives to the RFP process as well as some mandatory criteria to make them more meaningful, and reasonable, if they must be used. Watch for more information about a publication date later this fall.

KPI's Anyone?

In the summer of 2005 I presented a paper titled Key Performance Indicators of Sales Success In A Professional Services Firm to the World Congress on Total Quality Management. A new book by Jason Burby and Shane Atchison does a nice job of explaining the relationship between KPI's and your web site data.

If you've wondered what web stats to measure - and why - I suggest you take a look at our KPI article and then get a copy of Actionable Web Analytics: Using Data to Make Smart Business Decisions at Amazon.

Enjoy the reading.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Golf Course...

Beyond Referals e-newsletter subscribers might recall that the June 2007 issue dealt with selling even while you're doing other things (Volume 4.4 Selling While You're Golfing). As it turns out the University of Manitoba was just beginning to plan an event espousing the virtues of golf as a marketing tool, when they received a copy of our newsletter.

The result is an invite from the university for us to sit on a panel of speakers discussing golf as a marketing tool, followed by a round of golf at Niakwa Country Club here in Winnipeg with MBA students and alumni.

The date is Monday September 24th, 2007 and more information will follow as the date gets closer in case you care to join us.

Should You Be A Consultant?

At the end of a recent one day seminar I walked over to one of the participants who wasn't looking very happy. I asked her what was on her mind and she said "I realized today that I don't want to be a consultant". This person was a very profitable consultant and had made a lot of money, but her "practice" was basically a one-client affair that had lasted many years and was now ending. She had no new clients in sight, and it was obvious she would be struggling to continue the practice - at least in the short term. What she was really saying to me was that she didn't want to be a sales person. She loved to consult, but the client aquisition process was not something she was ever interested in doing.

Very few successful small practices are run by people like this. And people like this lady seldom make partner in larger firms. To succeed in the long term as a consultant you need to be able to aquire new clients on a predictable, and consistent basis. Too often, this is overlooked by individuals considering a shift into consulting.

Are you ready to sell your services?

Banff Is Beautiful In The Fall

One of the most beautiful and inspiring places I have ever visited is Banff National Park in Canada, just outside of Calgary, Alberta. I've been there in summer and winter and in both seasons it has amazed me.

Sometimes consultants need inspiration, a getaway to help vision the future of their professional practice, to see beyond the grind of daily productivity.

It seems perfect then to combine the stunning landscape of Banff with a professional development event designed to help consultants to step back and see what they want their practice to be, and how they can create it - while still maintaining some sort of personal life. A weekend away, to inspire themselves professionally, and personally.

On Saturday October 27th and Sunday October 28th Beyond Referrals is hosting a small group of consultants at The Banff Centre to do exactly that. If you'd like to inspire your practice and your life check out our Banff program at www.beyondreferrals.com/four.html

Web Copy Myth Busting

Have you ever wondered if your web site was really doing it's job?

Many of my clients struggle with this because a web site is usually one of their first pieces of, and often their only, marketing material. Many of them are confused by the information and advice about web site structure, design, and copy available to them.

Recently I've read a few articles suggesting that all web copy should be short and fact based.

I am here to tell you those articles are wrong. There are two reasons they are wrong.

The first is that there is never a "universally best" solution to business challenges - like marketing. The "best" solution is always the "best one for your unique situation" (many of you in the Organizational Behaviour consulting space will recognize this as the Contingency Approach to management). So the best copy-length and style for selling a commodity like software on a web site is very different than the best copy solution for selling expert professional services on a web site.

The second reason is that most people that are considering engaging a consulting firm use a consultant's web site in a very unique way. And short fact based copy does not serve their purposes.

The best way for me to address this is to explore what you are trying to achieve with the long-copy, emotive, and inspirational format I prescribe for a professional services web site.

Most consulting firms create a web site that is fact based - who they are, process, locations, client lists, proof of success. Notice that these are all things that a late stage buyer needs to hear. Facts.

These are important things but they are the right things at the wrong time.

Your typical web site visitor is an early stage buyer that needs to increase their understanding of a problem or situation (consciousness raising), then re-evaluate their situation with your assistance (visioning), and finally make some commitment to act - like e-mailing or calling you to discuss their situation. This commitment to act changes them from an early stage buyer to a late stage buyer. One that is worth your effort to spend some time with.

This process is not supported by a fact based, bullet-driven, web site.

Now - web copy length is important - but so is the quality and style of that copy.

You are basically trying to write a site that tells a story about a familiar yet poorly understood problem, and how your clients come to understand that problem and then fix it with your assistance. It's not about profiles of people, process, locations etc. It's about how lives and companies are better once clients have worked with you.

All that other stuff can be on there but it is in a minor supporting role. It is not the focus of the content.

Remember that your goal is not to try and close deals on a web site. A consultant's web site is simply a tool to motivate buyers to continue walking down the buying path - and to walk down that path with you.

If you'd like to read more just e-mail me at cal@beyondreferrals.com and I'll send you a few interesting links that explain this further.