AICI GL BAL
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Q: Triage and prioritizing tasks are essential to the<br />
independent consultant. What do you recommend<br />
focusing on when time is very limited How do we cut<br />
the communications clutter<br />
2. FOCUS ON YOUR HOME BASE<br />
SJK: I pay attention first to follow-up. That is key. Stop<br />
and look at cultivating the connections you’ve already<br />
made before you turn attention to new ones. Most<br />
of your business comes from referrals. People you<br />
know, clients you’ve had. These first few clients are<br />
your most important referral sources. They give you<br />
endorsements, references.<br />
It’s a very easy way for me to focus, in terms of<br />
outreach or new activities. Who do I need to check<br />
in with Always make sure that your overarching<br />
priority is following up with your home base, because<br />
those are the people that make the biggest difference<br />
in your success.<br />
“Follow-up is going to have<br />
a better ROI every time. The<br />
fortune is in the follow-up.”<br />
We all know about high client acquisition costs.<br />
Trying to find a new client is 10 times more work than<br />
keeping a current one. Follow-up is going to have a<br />
better ROI [return on investment] every time. The<br />
fortune is in the follow-up.<br />
Q: What would improve our business communications<br />
and relationships most<br />
3. SEEK OUT HIGH-VALUE RELATIONSHIPS<br />
SJK: Ask yourself, “Who do I know who’s working<br />
with the people I want to work with as well” Identify<br />
and cultivate those relationships. It will be mutually<br />
beneficial. I’m always looking for synergy. Propose<br />
doing something together: co-author an article, guest<br />
blog for each other, put on a joint presentation or<br />
workshop. The key word is collaborate. You both will<br />
be maximizing your marketing efforts.<br />
SJK: Let go of low-value relationships. There was a<br />
time when I was willing to have relationships where<br />
I wasn’t fully valued, but as the years have passed I<br />
have gotten much more viable work from my highvalue<br />
clients. Now, if a person schedules and then<br />
cancels on me twice, I’m done!<br />
If you don’t make room for the right people for you,<br />
then the right people can’t get in—they’re being<br />
blocked by the not-right people. You’re just not going<br />
to have energy for everyone.<br />
You have to clean house. I’m a big believer that what<br />
starts well finishes well. How you start is how you<br />
finish. Trust your gut on this. And “break up” with those<br />
22 | January 2015 magazine
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