Do any two days look the same for you in your business? Mine certainly don’t – it’s one of the things I love about what I do. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be giving you an insight into how my business operates, how I help my clients and the results we achieve. Today I’m sharing the journey of a client I engaged on one of my popular VIP Days. I really hope you find this window into my business useful – don’t forget to leave a comment!

 

How it starts

Leads and referrals come to me in many different ways, but by far the most fruitful are Instagram and LinkedIn. On this occasion it was LinkedIn. This particular case study is from a client I was introduced to on the platform a year or so ago. Right client, with the right challenge at the right time. We messaged and engaged with each-others content for a couple of weeks before he reached out and used my coffee chat booking link to set up a time to speak one to one.

 

During the complimentary call the client explained how he was facing a number of challenges that were stopping him from progressing his business ideas. He was very much stuck in a rut and needed a fresh pair of eyes on his business operations. I listen very carefully to each potential clients’ needs to match my services appropriately. For this scenario, a VIP Day was a neat, concise way to get him past his blocks, get a plan and start making progress. This is how the VIP Day package was broken down in my proposal:

 

• Prep work
• Review of key business priorities and deliverables
• Team structure review
• 90 Day Action Plan
• Accountability Check-ins.

 

Challenge accepted!

And so the prep work begins. Yes, a bit of crucial homework is required from my client at this stage – a detailed review of any reports and processes already documented is provided so I can assess the current scenario. Sometimes I ask them to fill out some of my workbooks prior to the session or I have an extra call with the client to help me prep for the VIP Day. Gathering this allows me to understand how the business is already operating.

 

The VIP Day itself is either a full day or two half days, either on a video call or in person.  We took the opportunity to meet face to face at a gorgeous venue in Sussex (Check out The Kennels on the Goodwood Estate if you’re in West Sussex).

 

The day itself kicked off with the most important thing – coffee and cake, followed by the agenda of the day. We then spent some time reviewing the business mission, vision and key priorities. This really sets the tone for all of the work to come.

 

A key observation came to light fairly quickly during this part of the day – that the key priorities of the business had not been shared with the team nearly enough. By identifying this as a key issue, my client was able to see the importance making sure the priorities and direction of the business is communicated with the team to make it a shared vision. It’s so important.

 

A review of what was and wasn’t working came next, allowing us to make a priority list of what needed to be tackled with key actions for each. We then broke those key actions down against a 3-month time-line and made sure there was enough time to tackle each action.

 

Let’s talk about the team

Lunch and a brisk walk to get some air, it’s time to talk about the team. What is and isn’t working? We spoke about every role needed in the business and then about every person who works for them. There were some clear gaps in the roles and responsibilities of the team and clear gaps where more resources were needed to meet the demand from the external client. Inefficient processes and low staff morale was evident, and a clear indicator that they had reached their Operational Tipping Point –  they needed a team restructure and to bring more staff on board, this time carefully matched to the requirements of the business.

 

The team review is often one of the most painful and challenging aspects of the VIP Day for my clients. Difficult conversations often need to be had – my job as an objective eye is to identify the areas that need improvement. I can see them when the client can’t, and that’s ok.

 

By the end of the day the client had a 90-day plan of action, accountability, and reassurance they now have someone who they can trust to help them see clearly on the path ahead.

 

Some lovely VIP Day feedback from my client:

“Jane made the day structured but free flowing in terms of our discussions. I felt at ease and open to discuss anything, some things I have not spoken about in years. Jane has made me realise what I need to focus on to grow my business and get the right team in place to move forward.”

 

After a week or so I check in with the client to make sure they are on track with their plans – a careful balance of encouragement and accountability is the key thing here.

 

Some clients have a one-off session like this and some choose to book me quarterly for their 90-day planning sessions. It keeps the ball rolling. I provide them with guidance and expertise on what to focus on next. We all have so much going on in our lives so this is a great way to keep things in order, stay on top of the tasks and keep the vision clear and strong.

 

If you would like to have a complimentary chat on how we could work together I would love to hear from you. Follow this link to book one of my discovery calls now and let’s take action on your business. It could be the most important call you make this year. Thanks for reading.