By: Andrea Mac | September 7, 2023

If You can only Take me in small doses, here’s what’s new:

I just returned from Boston: I take each of my kids on a 1:1 trip before high school. My 14-year-old chose Beantown as his trip of choice. I couldn’t get him to stop talking and sharing all his thoughts and feelings. So many words were exchanged.

Not.

37 words, total, all weekend. I counted.

Actually: I also have a ton of client travel from now until November and expect to be gone each week. Aspen, you’re up next.

This allows for a lot of reading time: Here’s what’s on my bookshelf: I just finished – “Who Cooked the Last Supper” by Rosalind Miles. Up Next: “Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products” by Martina Lauchengco.

Building Prequal #9 – From Hesitation to Adoration

I recently concluded a client engagement that, initially, I was hesitant to take on. Little did I know it would turn out to be an extremely rewarding experience in my consulting journey. The journey started with a cautious step, but it evolved into a leap of faith that redefined my understanding of the potential within every project.

This potential client came to me because they were looking to evaluate their sales structure, increase effectiveness, create new opportunities, and formalize a short and long game for revenue generation.  

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not always brought in as a sales consultant when a company is looking to right the course. More often, potential clients reach out when things are going well. When a company experiences rapid growth, sales tend to be the first department/process that leadership anchors around to engineer a reset.

This client and I had slightly more back and forth during the proposal process than is typical for me which is what caused my initial hesitation. Through that process though, I realized the company’s urgency to get their sales right was the impetus behind their approach. It’s a critical time for them. I could see how they had been operating and why the timeline and work felt urgent, and I really wanted to work with this client.

Here are a few reasons why I was so pumped to be their partner and why this engagement was so rewarding:

1. A Visionary Woman at the Helm

The CEO, a formidable woman of color, astounded me with her strength, wisdom, wit, and charisma. Her presence was not only empowering, but she served as a beacon of inspiration for her entire team. It’s rare to encounter a leader who embodies such a blend of authority and approachability. Her journey from inception to the thriving helm of a 100+ consulting firm spanning over two decades is a narrative of audacity, tenacity, and the power of vision.

2. Impacting Millions in the Social Sector

This consultancy exclusively serves clients within the social sector. Because they primarily aid [AR1] non-profits and mission-based organizations, the gravity of their mission hit me like a wave. By helping my client reach its clients, I played a part in touching the lives of millions of individuals. These are people whose stories, ambitions, and struggles collectively shape the fabric of our society. The multiplier effect of positive change in this sector is nothing short of extraordinary.

 3. An Eager Team Hungry for Growth

The enthusiasm emanating from the team was contagious. They were not content with the status quo. They hungered for knowledge, fresh perspectives, and strategies that would propel them further in their mission. Their openness to new ideas and their readiness to implement them was a testament to their commitment to progress.

 4. A Blank Canvas for Business Development

In many ways, this firm was a blank canvas when it came to Business Development. This allowed me to dive deep into my passion for driving results, measuring progress, and delivering tangible outcomes. Every strategy, every tool, every methodology was met with an eagerness to learn and apply. It was a dynamic environment where innovation and impact danced hand in hand.

This week, we had a debrief where I provided Prequal’s Observations, Insights, and Recommendations report ("OIR" for short - which incidentally is "Hear" in Spanish, says this Spanish Major). This report will help them prioritize in what order they can solve for the opportunities, challenges, and options that exist. They are debriefing this Friday and will come back to me if there are next steps.

If there are next steps, I’ll be delighted to continue the work. If there aren’t, I’ll be delighted to root for their continued success.

Rooting for your sales success too,

A.

PS – A client came to me last week asking how he could better use his “downtime” with business development activities. We gave him a one-page cheat sheet to help him make use of that time and then realized other people might find it useful as well. So, we tweaked it and turned it into a free resource on Prequal’s site. You can download it here.