By: Andrea Mac | September 20, 2023

If you can only take me in small doses, here is what's new:

A very dear friend of mine called me last week. She plans to leave her current profession and start a new venture/partnership in tourism. She requested some help to build the foundation and with the initial brand and marketing strategy.

You should know: If you are a friend of mine, and you are considering your next business venture, and you don't call me and ask for my wisdom, insights, or help – I will be offended.

I am not easily offended. In fact, I have been more on the offensive or somewhat abrasive side. I tend to be so direct that I started adding a disclaimer before sharing specific thoughts, "I don't mean to offend you with this, but……" My husband says that should be my internal warning that maybe I shouldn't say what's next.

Oh well. Not accepting feedback at this time, Ken.

Also: the Barbie era is a useful time to be married to someone named Ken. I have unlimited merch options to purchase his holiday gift.

Building Prequal #11: Among the Aspens and Out of My Element

My consulting work has taken me to a lot of places. Mostly, it's to the inside conference rooms, but last week was the first time I found myself navigating a mountain on an e-bike for a client engagement. Nothing about that sentence computes with how I typically spend my days, so let me tell you how I ended up there and why being there was a game-changer for this particular consulting engagement.

Outside hired me to help the company and its sales team define their voice-of-customer, prioritize strategic sales investments, identify new opportunities, and ultimately accelerate revenue. The company has grown tremendously and become the authority in anything Outdoors, so I was engaged to help refine its sales activities and help align teams. I have been working directly with their Head of Sales and V.P., Ad Marketing, and Sales Strategy on this project, and it has been awesome.

My contacts reached out last week, apologizing for the last-minute nature of the request, but said Outside was hosting an event in Aspen for their clients. She wanted to know if I could attend. I said yes. #duh

So that's how I found myself among the aspens surrounded by interesting, brilliant passionate industry leaders – also, outdoorsy people who all looked like they had walked right off the pages of an REI catalog. I, on the other hand, stood out in my very corporate blazer and jeans. Sidenote: I ditched my carefully curated wardrobe in favor of sweatpants on day two. (This is especially important for my legal community to read. I wore sweatpants to a client meeting.)

Outside's mission is to get people outside, so time in nature is baked into all their meetings and events. In the middle of the first day, after our morning meetings but before the evening activities started, we divided into small groups and participated in an outdoor activity. Our options included hiking, mountain biking, and running. I chose e-biking up to what's called The Maroon Bells (<- Great Branding.)

The view from the top was incredible and moving. I stood there for a moment in genuine appreciation of being in that exact spot and getting to do this work. As a sales professional, I'm sometimes kept in the peripheral or working with just one company vertical. This opportunity allowed me to go across verticals and dig deeper into the work and the outcomes Outside is expecting me to deliver.

I observed Outside's team members in real-time, meeting clients and customers, and engaged with their brand in a way I wouldn't have otherwise. The investment in my travel time and the amount I could absorb and apply to my immediate work will pay dividends in value for my client. And it was really inspiring to see a brand live its mission throughout every touchpoint.

My message to you is this: When you're working with external strategic partners, let them in. Let them see you, your teams, your outside functions. Introduce them to your leaders in various departments and functions. It will inform their work in ways you could not have imagined. I would not have known about this event had my partner in sales not proactively invited me, and because she did, my work for the company will create a greater impact.

To your sales success,

A.

P.S. - Prequal is launching a new offer very soon. It's one that I'm sure will have an impact. AND it's a way to spend some time with me and my team. If you need help to consistently fill your pipeline with quality leads or build your book of business, it's for you. Check it out here and sign up to be among the first to know when we officially open doors for registration: https://theprequal.com/lead-to-sales-training-course

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