Chambers Pivot: December 7, 2015 – an update of all that’s good at CPI
2015 Rushes By
This is the annual update of all that’s happening at Chambers Pivot Industries. You’re on my list because, well, you’re on my list! This 2015 update will cover the following:
– A Consultant Hires a Consultant
– A New Booklet of Ideas – Amalgamate Winter 2015
– Lessons Learned 2015
Let’s jump in.
A Consultant Hires a Consultant
It’s been three full years in the consulting business and this year I hired my own consultant to help with positioning. Man, what an eye opening experience.
Mark Levy is his name and I picked him because he helped Simon Sinek “find his Why”, and helped Marshall Goldsmith “establish who he is.” Impressive, I know. And he didn’t disappoint.
He challenged me to describe the work I do, he questioned my clients, and he critiqued my language week after week until this theme popped out:
Greg, you help companies design business practices they can live with.
Specifically, I help with sales and marketing practices for growing, Inc. 5000 type companies.
It’s the thread that runs through all of my engagements.
So what does that mean to you? Well, if you know a company that wants to grow, I will help them do it in a way that fits their goals, size, and disposition. They’ll get to goals faster and with less effort because they’ll do things that are a natural fit for who they are.
Good stuff.
Amalgamate Winter 2015
This summer, while I finished my first novel The Legend of Mad Gringo, I continued consulting in the healthcare, finance, and professional services areas, even attending a marketing convention for law firms. Fascinating stuff.
Here’s what jumped out at me, across each of these industries, the strategies and tactics for growth looked very similar. As a matter of fact, if you had a blanket big enough, it would cover the strategies of publishing, healthcare, finance, consulting, and law firm marketing. Sure, some of the terms are different, but at their highest level, getting more clients to choose your offering over another, looks the exact same.
So why all the brain damage around business growth and achieving those strategic visions?
I think it comes down to execution. Getting your people to do those activities and use language they can live with. If they don’t like how a tactic fits, they won’t act on it. If it doesn’t get done, nothing happens.
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week,”said General George S. Patton and that pretty much sums it up.
The winter edition of Amalgamate focuses on the idea of fit. The idea that discovering what your people are willing to do and helping them violently execute on those plans, leads to your unfair advantage.
If you received a copy of Amalgamate Summer 2015, expect a copy of Winter 2015 to show up in the mail in the coming weeks. If you prefer the Kindle edition, I should have that done this weekend. And if you want a copy, you can fill out the form here: https://www.chamberspivot.com/amalgamate-winter-2015/
Lessons Learned 2015
Each year, I’ve thrown out three of my biggest lessons learned about the consulting business. This year I have these to share with you:
- Look for everyday stories to communicate points. I worked on this all year and I’m getting the hang of it. A metaphor compares the unfamiliar to the familiar to aid communication. Finding the ones that fit is the challenge. My advice, meet people where they are and go from there.
- Companies hire consultants for more than brains and experiences. Mark Levy convinced me that clients are interested in more than just results. They want people that mesh with their organization because it helps them get more done in a shorter period of time. It’s about fit.
- The value of a commercially published book goes beyond the book itself. I’ve been working on many different styles of writing this year, including a creative writing seminar last autumn. (The Seven Doctors Project)The common wisdom is “publish a book because it’s a great business card” but after working on writing, the real value is the effort that goes into organizing what’s in your brain.
These ideas and others are going into my new book, The Human Being’s Guide to Business Growth: Accelerate sales in way your team can live with, which I am shopping around as you read this. Wish me luck! (and promise to buy copies for everyone in your company when it’s published!)
In Conclusion
Thanks for reading this far. It’s that kind of dedication that got my wife up close to Brett Favre on Thanksgiving. For your reward, here are some goodies from around the web:
Brain Pickings: https://www.brainpickings.org
A meticulously curated culture blog that will put new folds in your brain.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/blog/
Insights into being awesome at life. It’s a bold claim, but he consistently delivers.
Good luck in 2016!
Greg
P.S. I’ll be sending a note about a new newsletter and momentum program in the coming weeks.