Coaching Example
Once we have defined your intentions and selected the clients you will build and prospective clients you will develop, we create an initial client plan as a basis of meeting the client, identifying a compelling client need, presenting a 'straw horse' solution that solves the client's need, and agreeing on next steps in working together in a client relationship.
The basis of client planning is to identify a client need that you can solve and to define an end point from which we identify the major milestones in the journey from that end point back to today. Dr. Wayne Dyer calls this 'Thinking from the End'. For instance, an end point could be when the client signs an engagement letter and we begin delivering our services on a fee basis.
As a metaphor for 'Thinking from the End', we will use an example of planning a trip from my home in Menlo Park, CA (SF Bay Area) to my second home at Northstar Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe. I define the end as arriving at my home on a given day by 10:00 PM.
'Thinking from the End' means I need to consider only the critical points in my initial planning arriving at my home in Northstar back to leaving my home in Menlo Park and to determine what time I need to leave to arrive on-time (notice the reverse numbering below):
7) Identify my desired arrival time at my home in Northstar
6) Identify my route, estimate the amount of time I will spend on each of the seven roads in my journey, and identify when and where I will need to turn to catch the next road
5) Identify where I will re-fill my car with gas en route (for best gas pricing)
4) Identify what I will do about dinner and where I will eat (to keep my family happy)
3) Estimate the time duration of the trip given that I will leave near Rush Hour, Re-fill my car, and eat dinner
2) Since I estimated a travel time of 6 hours including refueling and dinner leave at 4:00 p.m. as a start time so we will arrive by 10:00 p.m.
1) Pack our things and Load the Car and be ready to go at 4:00 p.m.
Creating a client development plan is similar to planning my journey to my home at Northstar. In my mind, I identify the end point in working with my client (frequently when we begin a project). Then I identify each major milestone I need to include in my plan by 'Thinking from the End' back to today.
Managing a client development campaign can be just as straight forward and successful, once I develop the skill of 'Thinking from the End'.
By using this methodology we plan what we need to do with whom so that we can be in the right place at the right time to be awarded the engagement that we want to sell. This methodology helps us achieve our Intentions and not end up being sorry that we didn't think through the major steps of a campaign or begin it early enough to minimize competition to win the engagement.
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