Always be closing.
An old age adage indeed. And yet this very advice is as relevant now as ever before. No one is asking you to promote pushy, aggressive sales tactics, but ‘always be closing’ (applied with a lot of emotional intelligence) should, without exception, be at the back of your mind if you’re an agency leader or […]
Winner of the Outstanding Non-Executive Director 2021
It’s always slightly awkward to announce that you’ve won an award, or at least it is when there’s isn’t a teammate who could casually do it for you, but nonetheless, I’m delighted to say that I’ve been announced as the winner of the Best Business Awards ‘Outstanding Non-Executive Director’ 2021. The entry was based on […]
But what did the raisins cost? How to approach ‘cost breakdown’ conversations with clients
I recently had an extended conversation with a client about a pricing issue she was wrestling with for two prospects. The background My client quoted for two jobs and both prospects came back and asked her to give a breakdown of the costs she had outlined for the projects. They wanted to know how much […]
You scratch my back… the power and pitfalls of referrals
Referrals can be such a good source for new business but most fail to live up to the expectations. How can you ensure that referrals become an effective and impactful part of your new business process? You know how it works with referral agreements. You meet someone who can introduce you to prospective clients, you […]
Be an outbox, not an inbox
This simple step change in how you deliver information might just help you to win your next pitch. Quick question… Hands up if a decent proportion of your pitching process is (in one way or another) an exhaustive list of all the things you’re planning to do for your potential client? I’d be surprised if […]
How to: respond to requests for proposals – steps to win without pitching
At its core, pitching is parting with your thinking without compensation. Whatever your line of thought about pitches – and whether you engage with them or not – they are a standard part of agency life and you should have a process for dealing with them just like anything else that crosses your path. I […]
Building a High Performing Team
Changing your meeting culture – protocol for great meetings
This post came about following a conversation with a client of mine who was frustrated that his team were not as enthused as he would like on the usual Monday call. After some discussion, it became obvious that whilst the format of the Monday meeting had been set up (some time ago) to be a […]
Money, money, money – your employee wants a pay rise, how do you react?
If a member of your team came to you and asked for a pay rise, what would your initial reaction be? Would you be happy they felt they could discuss options with you? Would you be open to a discussion about the possibility of more money? Or would you – more likely – feel taken […]
Know Your Reds – How to Avoid ‘Crazy Busy’ and Triage Your To Do list
I wanted to share this video – a TED Talk from Emergency Room Doctor Darria Long – that will make you rethink the way you behave about prioritisation and stress forevermore. So often I find myself speaking with ’crazy busy’ (and stressed) clients about how to use triage as a way to assess the […]