A Client Story

"I was stuck in a rut. Going round in endless circles, in a spiral and spinning too many plates. We weren’t attracting the right clients and having to, but not wanting to say yes to everything to keep my team fully employed.

My team are brilliant but there was one who was causing more than their fair share of upset and disruption. I’d tried to focus him and still thought I could turn him around. I had had a coach before, but it was a coach who popped in for a coffee and a chat and then sent me an invoice. In hindsight I didn't gain any value.

I wanted a strong coach to keep me focused and accountable for delivering the plan; for taking action and making sure I was following through.

That's when Zoe Cairns referred me to Shirley Mansfield.

Working with Shirley we clarified the next steps, the most important things that must be done and done well to get our business and our new product back on track.

Project management was an area that needed to be changed. The balance was not right which resulted in projects not being run correctly and to my satisfaction as I built my agency on word-of-mouth and good communication. I turned to Shirley to seek options. Shirley suggested restructuring. The outcome is positive and mitigates the main problem of an over-stretched project manager and a drop in customer service.

We re-focused and developed an improved sales process. We embraced value-based pricing. We uncovered clear target segments. Our new product was back on a clear pathway and progressing well.

Positive notes sounding everywhere.

Then COVID-19 hit the UK.

We'd been building resilience into the business but the new product, wasn't quite ready. The office was closed; the team working from home, thank heavens for technology. Our project manager furloughed, and the team pulled together and we knew we could make it work.

A few days after lockdown we had a new plan in place.

I was reluctant to ‘sell’ but the business had to ‘sell’. With Shirley's help we reframed sell into ‘let's solve the client’s problems’ and ‘what can we do to help you at this time’ and ‘how can we help you to help your client’.

Some e-commerce businesses saw trade quadruple, they needed new solutions and quickly! Other clients’ immediate reaction was to batten down the hatches. But with our ideas and proactive support it meant most of our clients started working towards post lockdown. New business was won too.

20 weeks after lockdown, business is good. Our new product launches soon. We’ve won new clients. Old clients have started new projects. The office has gone, home working is working for everyone in the team. Extra profit to the bottom line and we have a very happy team, and my old project manager has now embarked on a new career.

Another bonus of home working is seeing more of my twin boys than I did before lockdown. And that’s a big win, win! My confidence is flying high; I'm crystal clear on our goals, actions, targets, clients, in fact everything.

I know we have the capability and commitment and now we're ready to execute.

A Happy Client