WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR WORKING LIFE TO LOOK LIKE? 

It's really important to get clarity on what you are looking to achieve - what you want more of and less of in your working life. The type of work you enjoy doing (and don’t), the type of companies you like working with (and don’t). You spend a lot of time at work and it’s important to attract the type of work you want.

ASSIGNMENT: YOUR WORKING LIFE 

In this assignment, I want you to really think about your working life - what you want more of and what you want less of. You'll use this to create your own personal 'vision' which in turn will drive your objectives, strategies and marketing plan. 

ASSIGNMENT: VISION

A compelling vision provides you with direction, focus and motivation. Following on from the previous exercise, you will craft a vision, which energises you and your potential clients.  

 

WHAT IS AN INTERIM MANAGER?

There are many definitions of an Interim Manager. All have value, but can be confusing. This section talks about another way of seeing the role i.e. from the client's perspective. Clue: they don’t really care what you call yourself!

 

YOU ARE A BUSINESS

When you operate as an interim manager/consultant, you are actually running a business. You will find it really beneficial to take a step back and look at the business in it's entirety. Pretty much as you might do with a client. So few of us really reflect on this, but doing so can deliver many valuable insights.

ASSIGNMENT: YOU ARE A BUSINESS

This is your opportunity to spend some time working ON your business rather than IN it. Identifying what you offer, your target markets, your routes to markets, your competition and how you differentiate yourself, who can help you and the big changes going on in the world,  are and will supply the lifeblood of your company.

 

WHY DO SOME INTERIMS/CONSULTANTS FAIL TO WIN WORK? 

In this section, we cover the three primary reasons interim managers/consultants fail to win work. They are the same for any business – lack of awareness, lack of understanding, and misperception.

 

MARKETING

What is marketing? A hugely over-complicated discipline and a question that is endlessly and unnecessarily debated. Here we give a definition that will deliver the clarity that really helps us to focus on our sweet spots.

 

WHAT ARE YOU?

Many fall foul of this by thinking potential clients are interested in them. They are not. First and foremost they are interested in what you can do for them. Later on they may become interested in you and your plans. Maybe. It's not easy always to be concise about how you can help, but it's critically important to do so.

ASSIGNMENT: WHAT ARE YOU?

Encapsulate what you are all about and how you can help. Trial it and get feedback. This will form the basis of your Personal Profile on Linkedin and your CV.

 

TESTIMONIALS 

Testimonials are a powerful element in your marketing toolkit, but so often fall short of their potential. They should be emphasising the value you deliver and what it is like working with you (as opposed to the type of person they think you are).

ASSIGNMENT: TESTIMONIALS

Now, it's time to go and get some more testimonials if you haven’t already. You’ll be using a template to get powerful testimonials that have a real impact.

 

CV AND LINKEDIN PROFILES

It's critical that your CV and Linkedin profile are designed to grab the interest of your target market. We’ll use the output from the assignments so far to create a powerful ‘story’ of you work.  

 

ASSIGNMENT: LINKEDIN/CV

You’ll build a powerful CV/LinkedIn Profile, trial it and get feedback on it.

 

ROUTES TO MARKET

You have a message. You have a target market. Now you need to get your message in front of that target market. You could use interim service providers, your own network (past clients, suppliers, employers, colleagues, competitors), consultancies, events such as conferences, and social media such as Linkedin.

ASSIGNMENT: ROUTES TO MARKET

Here you’ll put down on paper the specific routes, organisations and people you will be using to get your message ‘out there’.

 

INTERIM SERVICE PROVIDERS

A route to market used by nearly all interim managers (and increasingly consultants). We’ve put a special module together for this route to help you identify and approach them.

 

INTERIM PROVIDERS - INDUSTRY RANKING

Annual Survey of Interim Managers conducted by the Institute of Interim Management to identify the top Interim Management Providers 

ASSIGNMENT: INTERIM SERVICE PROVIDERS

Identify potential ISP partners. Probably 20-30 as your long list and 5-7 as your most relevant.

 

LINKEDIN 

Linkedin gives you a self-updating database of all your connections, but you have to use it proactively to get the benefits. Its value lies more in proactively getting in front of people, than as a ‘shop window’ for your profile.

ASSIGNMENT: NETWORKING

Alas, there is no better way at getting good at networking than networking! It is often misunderstood and many people feel uncomfortable with it. But networking is all about doing what you are good at – helping people solve problems.

 

REFERRALS

The quickest and easiest way to expand your network. We want to make winning work as easy as possible. Cold calling is exhausting and for most, ineffective. Let’s make life easy and meet people we know and get referrals to people they know. We’ll be pushing against an open (or at least ajar) door.

 

SELLING

Selling is badly misunderstood, maybe even more so than marketing. We don't want to appear too 'salesy' or too pushy. That's a good thing because sales is more about our ability to connect with clients and help them find a solution. Think about why companies offer you free samples!  

 

PROPOSING AND CLOSING

Proposing and closing is not the daunting task that some people think, as long as you have 'sold' effectively beforehand. Some 40% of potential projects fizzle out. In some cases it may be they are no longer relevant, but in many cases the reasons and ROI have been badly defined. Get this right and we’ll win more of the projects we go for.

 

SUMMARY

The key points we have covered throughout the program.

 

12 WEEK PLAN 

Now's the time to pull it all together and put it into action. A very high-level template will help you pull all the modules together.

 

THE ACCELERATOR PROCESS

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1. Firstly we want to make sure the program is right for you. We do this in a 45-minute strategy session, where you talk about your background, your situation, your goals and your plans. We talk about the ACCELERATOR program and how it could help and then we BOTH decide if it is the right way forward for you. There is absolutely no obligation to proceed.

2. We give you access to the online Breakout Program for three months. This takes you step by step through a series of videos and assignments. You work at your own pace and you can do the whole program or selected modules as many times as you want. The end result of completing all modules is that you have an effective marketing plan.

3. You have access to three coaching sessions per week for three months (36 hours where you can pose questions, get feedback from Simon Berry and other members of the ACCELERATORprogram.

   • the Monday Accountability session where you talk about what you are aiming to achieve that wee and how you did against your previous week's commitments. This is an exclusive group session with fellow Breakout Program members.

   • the Wednesday Taster session, this session is open to the public and is run primarily as a Q&A

   • the Thursday Coaching session, where you talk about the specific challenges you face and get the feedback and input you need to overcome them. This is an exclusive group session with fellow Breakout Program members.

 

THE FEE

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The fee for the three-month ACCELERATOR program is £1500.00 + VAT. This is equivalent to about 1.5 days fees of the average day rate for an interim manager and 1 day for a consultant! 

If you wish to maintain access to the online program and the coaching calls after three months, you will pay just £300.00 per month.

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If you want to discuss the ACCELERATOR program and find out if it is the right way forward for you, then book a free, no-obligation 45-minute strategy session with Simon Berry by clicking the link below.