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| Success Stories |
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A new training consultant didn't know how to find her first clients, and lacked confidence. She had conducted 50 informational interviews. By reevaluating her experience, practicing what to say, learning who to ask, and what to charge, she launched her consulting career. A successful consultant with a dozen solid years in her own business was coming off of a long dry spell, and had "forgotten" to keep up her network connections. Also, her confidence had been shaken by an unfortunate experience. We worked on strategies to get her back in the marketing habit, and to increase a second line of business. Her sales improved rapidly. A contractor husband and wife business was shaken by loud fights and continual disagreements over credit, payment and employee policies. The upsets spilled over on the six employees. Divorce was a very real possibility. I worked with them to help them to understand each other's point of view, to reduce conflicts, and to reach some mutually agreed upon policies. They learned that each of them had something to learn about running a business, as well as to teach. I also directed them to information that prevented a major contract with a non-creditworthy firm. The company's gross sales and profits have grown. A consultant in his 60's relocated, and seeks to improve his current consulting engagement as well as beginning to shift into the work he loves to do. I provided feedback, networking advice and introductions, problem solving and positioning assistance, and held him accountable to take actions every week. Now he has a "dream" job! A woman provided finance and accounting work for small businesses, charging about $25 per hour for services that were worth quite a bit more. We worked on her internal barriers to raising her fees, so that she did raise them significantly. Then she decided she wanted to do a different line of work, so we planned her transition. A senior consultant was desperate, in debt, and feeling her bridges were burned behind her. She wanted a job, or another consulting engagement. In less than three months of coaching, she secured a major contract and received a good job offer. SheÕs now energized and back on track, both in her profession and financially. A number of clients have benefited from the Get Clients Now!ª workshops I provide. Several men learned how to prospect and how to follow up, through the consulting sales cycle. One made significant strides on closing contracts. A family contractor business composed of three brothers was torn apart in arguments over types of jobs to accept and how income should be spent. The family didn't enjoy spending time together anymore. I helped them listen and understand each otherÕs point of view, and start to regain their affection for each other. Many consultants have difficulty asking for the business. I have helped them to see this selling process as their bringing something of great value to the client, rather than being an imposition or rude. Net result = more sales! A mortgage lender was trying to reach real estate brokers regarding her services. She learned how to approach them, to use a several step process that would keep her name in their minds, and to make the process fun and easy. A high tech executive was having difficulty with an indispensable contract employee who began to be rude to her, and ignore her instructions. I worked with her to have a better understanding of what was going on, more choices, and ways to contain the damage. During the coaching, she brought in an attorney, gave the contractor a termination notice, and arranged for his last big project to be handled with little contact with her. A career counselor wanted to expand her business and earn more money. I helped her identify both long term and short term strategies to do both, then worked with her to implement them. She's now very busy, and financial pressure has eased. A marketing and communications company wanted to develop a longer term strategy to attract certain types of business, and permit the principal to author a book. Significant progress has taken place. A marriage and family counselor wanted to add consulting services to expand her business. We developed a strategy that she is implementing and getting results. A couple have a financial services business, only she is supposed to make the cold calls and sales, while he holds down his old job. She is working on marketing and sales strategies, as well as increasing her own confidence and skill as a business woman, and sales are up. I've been working with the owner, associates and staff of a small computer-related consulting firm for about nine months. In late March, he called up in desperation. "I owe the IRS $30,000, and donÕt have it to pay," he said. Business must have been pretty good last year, I said. "Yeah," he said, "I tripled my earnings."
Teresa Welborn and Associates |