Imagination - Webster's definition - “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never wholly perceived in reality.”
I was recently reflecting on successful trends of the professionals I have worked with and coached over the years. Was it hard work? Natural ability? Luck? All the above? Perhaps, but one word stuck in my mind – imagination. A powerful force that can work for you when fully embraced or against you if not managed properly. I have seen professionals with imagination express more empathy with their clients, market more strategically, and introduce solutions that are more client centric. They are also able to communicate persuasively with confidence. Embracing and leveraging the imagination can be a powerful approach to growing a business. At the same time, letting the imagination go unharnessed can stifle the growth of one’s practice. Pandemic?! What pandemic?!
This was the overwhelming sentiment at the ABA White Collar conference held in San Francisco last week. Hundreds of people packed into relatively small restaurants shoulder to shoulder in back-to-back networking events each night. The turnout at these events was impressive. This was a pleasant surprise in today’s hybrid work environment where professionals are settling into the comforts of their home office and are less inclined to get out and connect with others. Although attending networking events is still viewed by many as a dreaded part of the job, people seemed to enjoy themselves at this one. I, for one, enjoyed it despite how exhausting it was. Perhaps it was a welcome change to the past few years where most people were concerned about the ongoing spread of Covid. Although Covid is still out there, most everyone seemed to have put that worry aside for the sake of getting back out and connecting with their network. Day 1 - Sheep Ranch Golf Course, Bandon Dunes, OR It was day one of a 5-day golf trip at one of my bucket-list locations, Bandon Dunes. A majestic Scottish-style 6-course resort on the coast of southern Oregon. I was giddy with excitement as I stood on the driving range soaking in the environment. This was going to be the golf trip of a lifetime!
I made my first practice shot on the range – shank. Another shot – topper. Another – slice. One shot after the other went terribly wrong. I had absolutely no feel for my swing. My whole body was tight as I continued to press. I tried to force the perfect shot. It only got worse. Panic set in. There I was, starting a dream 5-day golf trip with a group of guys who were good golfers, and I felt like I was playing golf for the first time in my life. This was going to be a long and depressing trip. Three weeks ago, was the first day on skis for our youngest child, Macie, who is 3 years old. Stepping into big clunky ski boots and trying to ride down a snow mountain on two boards under your feet for the first time can be awkward and intimidating to anyone let alone a 3-year-old. I was a bit nervous as I was taking her to her ski school. Perhaps my feelings were amplified by the blizzard conditions outside. The visibility wasn’t great, and it was cold. Kids in her class were crying out one by one until Macie was the last one standing with her coach to start the class. I thought that this could go okay, or it could be bad. Macie took the magic carpet up, skied down with her coach with me waiting at the bottom. When she reached the bottom, the first words out of her mouth were “let’s do it again, daddy!” Music to my ears!
Who do you care about most when it comes to building your business – you or your business contacts? You might answer “both”, but if you had to prioritize between you and your contacts, who would come first? Some might argue that it is important to take care of yourself before you are able to take care of anyone else. Like what the airlines remind you to do with the oxygen mask during the safety talk. I agree with this to a certain extent. You need to take care of your health and personal life if you want to be effective in the professional world, yet what about beyond this point? Once your health and personal affairs are in order, how are your decisions and actions influenced? Are they affected by your need for acknowledgement, promotion, and wealth, or are they fueled by looking after the best interests of your contacts?
I recently spoke with one of the top revenue generators of a large international law firm client of mine about his approach and mindset when it comes to building a successful practice. He consistently generates an $8-10m book of business year over year. He is good at practicing law, but in today’s competitive market, being good at your craft isn’t enough. He told me that he doesn’t look at business development as selling to his network but rather caring for his network. He truly cares about the best interests of his contacts whether it is a client, colleague, or a referral source. This approach may seem basic, but let’s look at what he is probably doing to set himself apart from his competitors.
The list can go on, but I think you get the point. Too often, professionals become self-absorbed and lose sight of who is most important. Whether it is someone basking in their success, or desperately trying to bring in business, the spotlight tends to be on them rather than on their contacts. There are givers and there are takers. Which one are you, especially during challenging times? Are you the one who reaches out to your contacts with your hands out looking for work, or the one willing to give a hand without worrying about whether it turns into work? If you really want to show your contacts that you care, think of things you can do to acknowledge and help them proactively without keeping score. Building this type of karma credit will pay dividends down the road. We live in a business world where the cost of doing business continues to go up, especially in the professional services market. Most firms (law, accounting, and consulting) raise their rates every year. The question is, are these firms raising their client service efforts at the same time? I would venture to guess that most are not. Photo by Allan Mas As I recover from the gluttonous holiday break, I quickly realize that it is that time of year again. That time when you assess what went well and what fell short the year prior. The time to set new goals -professional and personal.
I had to chuckle the other day when my wife, Aja, and I were discussing which gym we wanted to join, if any at all. Were we really going to benefit from an annual membership or quickly become another statistic from which the more than 31,000 fitness gyms across the U.S. thrive? Bodies in the gym spike to unusually high numbers in Q1 but return to normal by April. Image by Pete Linforth This time 20 years ago marks a point in my career when I was on a train to Destination Misery. I was 15 years into my career practicing business development as a major revenue contributor for a thriving tech company. Leadership praised me. Colleagues and clients appreciated me. I was making good money, and I was miserable. I was in an industry I didn’t like, selling products I could care less about. I kept telling myself to find something else, but I wouldn’t listen because the money kept sucking me back in. I thought that the definition of success was making a lot of money. I couldn’t be further away from the truth. Sure, making a comfortable income, especially living in California, is important, however there is no reason why I couldn’t have my cake an eat it. I just needed to take a step back and reevaluate.
Photo by Ola Dapo My wife and I recently volunteered at a coaches retreat for the NorCal High School Mt Bike Race league where 65 coaches attended a long weekend event full of educational and fun activities. There was a staff of 15 people working together to make sure the participants left feeling fulfilled. To accomplish this, we all had to step it up, be 100% committed and work together. We could have easily taken the “wing it” approach at the risk of the retreat coming across as an amateur event. Thankfully, the director of the league told the staff on the first day to “keep it tight.” She essentially meant that she had confidence in all our abilities but didn’t want us to get complacent. We needed to all step up to provide the best possible experience for the participants.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio As a parent, I often catch myself telling my kids “No.” A word that is hard to avoid when teaching them wrong from right. It is no wonder they already loathe the word as young kids and will voice their “opinion” quickly.
Looking back, I realize that I never liked hearing this word either. Whether it was when I was a toddler (“No, you can’t have dessert before dinner”), a teenager (“No, you can’t stay out past midnight”), or even a husband (“No, you can’t play golf this weekend”), it was not and still not something I like to hear. No one likes rejection, which is why so many professionals avoid business development. They would rather avoid disappointment by doing very little, if any, outreach to their prospects. Throughout my career, the months of September and October have been my two favorite months to connect with my contacts. School is back in session. Most everyone has returned from vacation, and folks are more readily available to meet. Additionally, people are eager to meet in person while the weather is still nice and Covid is somewhat behind us.
Having said that, many professionals are busy. Almost too busy to dedicate any meaningful time to business development. Ironically, this is the best time to connect with your network. Your confidence is high. You have more to talk about. Most importantly, you are not “reaching” for any new work in your conversations which could come across as desperate to your contacts. |
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