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How to deliver a better proposal

By on March 19, 2012 | Category: Link

For many professional service firms, here is the typical sales process:

  1. Meet a new potential client
  2. Get to know said potential client and establish trust
  3. Identify an opportunity to work with potential client
  4. Send proposal to potential client
  5. Potential client accepts proposal and becomes an active client

A new web-based application, Quote Roller hopes to improve on step 4 – sending beautiful proposals effortlessly. Robert Scoble did an interview with one of the team members behind Quote Roller:

via youtube.com

Quote Roller comes in a free version (allowing 3 proposals per month), and paid versions for individuals and teams.

RFPs

One thing about this product – it probably won’t be very useful when responding to formalized Requests For Proposals (RFPs), which are much more common in government and institutional contracts. For that, I recommend my friend Matt Handal’s book:


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The BLHill Report – More than just a newsletter

By on February 21, 2012 | Category: Article

The BLHill Report offers insight, tips and techniques to help you achieve More From Less in your business.

Some time ago, I set up a newsletter to automatically inform subscribers of new posts on this blog. But I haven’t been happy about the impersonal nature of the emails, so I spent some time this weekend trying to improve that situation.

The result: The BLHill Report.

From now on, I’ll be personally writing each email sent out by the newsletter. Archives of those emails will be stored on the website. But that’s not all. The BLHill Report will also serve as a repository for cataloguing all of the various links that I share via Twitter. (Since some of you out there aren’t using Twitter, you miss out on a lot of great content that other people are creating.)

Over time there will be even more features coming to the site, including case studies, white papers, etc. – all in an effort to offer something of tangible value.

If you subscribed yet, I encourage you to do so. After all, it’s free!

To sign up, visit The BLHill Report and click on the subscribe button.


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Things to do in 2012 – personal branding, business development, technology

By on January 16, 2012 | Category: Article

Here are some of the things to keep on the radar as we move forward through 2012:

  1. Update your website! If you haven’t touched your website this decade, you are (perhaps unintentionally) communicating to visitors to your site, that you don’t care.
  2. Start a blog! If you haven’t started a blog yet, this could really help you with the first item. Its 2012, folks – blogging is an important part of a cohesive marketing and personal branding strategy.
  3. The Social Network Not the movie, we are talking about real life. Social networking sites are just a different means of communication. In your personal life, you have the right to dictate how you communicate with your friends, family and acquaintances. In your professional life, you need to use communicate with others on their terms.
  4. Google+ Related to the previous item, Google+ is definitely a game-changer, but it isn’t just another social network. While Google still has some issues to resolve, there is no question that the service will affect search engine rankings. Get started now with this book by Chris Brogan – Google+ for Business: How Google’s Social Network Changes Everything
  5. Video The cost of entry is surprisingly low, but the impact has enormous potential. I invested in some equipment, and will be jumping in as well. Why is video an important part of personal branding and business development strategy? Because the majority of human communication is nonverbal. Your personal brand, which drives your professional success, is dependent upon trust and credibility. Show people who you are, don’t try to tell them.
  6. Technology The iPad, iPhone and similar technologies enable you to engage with others and to address business concerns on your terms. Business is mobile, are you?
  7. TCB: Taking Care of Business Make 2012 the year that you commit to taking care of business like a professional. That means following best practices and making investments of your time into improving your workflows. Just because your firm doesn’t have a full-time CMO (chief marketing officer) or CTO (chief technology officer) or CIO (chief information officer), doesn’t mean that the need isn’t there.

Business development, personal branding and technology are integral to our lives as professionals.

Have questions? Let me know.

Image via stockerre


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Institute of Management Consultants USA Concludes Daily Tips for Consultants Blog

By on January 5, 2012 | Category: Article

The Institute of Management Consultants has published its Daily Tips for Consultants blog for over six years. Here is Mark Haas’ farewell message:

Yesterday’s entry was my last for Daily Tips for Consultants. After six years and 1,700 tips, I am moving on to writing and speaking in other areas, including strategic agility, evidence-based management, business ethics, disciplined execution, innovative social service delivery, and sustainability.

via imcusa.org

Haas notes that the archived posts will still be available for review at www.imcusa.org/dailytips. There are over 1,700 posts in all and offer a wealth of insight for consultants and other professional service providers.

Thanks to Mark Haas and the other contributors at IMC USA for all the great insight.

Image via Generationbass.com


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To Serve Clients: It’s NOT a Cookbook!

By on December 14, 2011 | Category: Link

Allison Shields has a great post up at Lawyerist about client service. While directed at attorneys, the same advice applies to consultants and other professional service providers, in my opinion.

Client service means adequately addressing the needs of your clients. Or as Alan Weiss puts it, “improving your clients’ situation.”

In my experience, many lawyers confuse ‘serving clients’ with billing hours on client files. Just because you are working on a client’s file and billing hours does not necessarily mean that you are providing high quality client service or satisfying your clients.

…

What clients do see and understand is client service. Most of the time, that has nothing to do with your legal education or your technical legal skill. The only thing that matters is the client’s experience with your firm. Service is about how you make the client feel. Do your clients get the impression that you care about them and you take care of them?

via lawyerist.com (Thanks to construction lawyer, Christopher G. Hill for sharing this)


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