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Business Development

Seeking Testimonial #2

I conducted a two-day offsite retreat for a national restaurant corporation, and it was so successful I wanted a letter of reference. Before asking for the reference, I sent the CEO a note of congratulations for his leadership. That primed the pump. Then, I drafted a few ideas, quoted comments made during the meeting, and sent the CEO this e-mail.

From: Bill Frank at CareerLab
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 20— 7:14 AM
To: Hale M. Knisley, III
Subject: Reference Letter for Bill Frank

Hale,

I’d like to ask for your help.

Facilitating leadership retreats is one of our product offerings, and I’d like to do more of them.

Our prospective corporate clients are always asking for references, and rather than have them call and trouble you, I’d like to show them a letter.

Would you mind sending me a letter commenting on my effectiveness in your recent retreat?

I’ve drafted something for your review—not to put words in your mouth, but to stimulate your thinking. The comments from you and your team come from my meeting notes.

If you have questions or comments about this, give me a call on 303-555-1212.

Your letter will be a big help in our marketing efforts.

Many thanks,

This is the document I sent to jog the CEO's mind. The letter is, of course, addressed to me.

DRAFT OF LETTER OF REFERENCE

Bill,
I'm writing to thank you for facilitating our recent leadership retreat. As you know, I felt that growing the company exponentially depended upon identifying our corporate values and imbedding them in the culture. This offsite was very important.

The two days were a remarkable success. We've crossed a threshold, broken through barriers we've not been able to penetrate. This is a huge step--the first time this company has managed to get something on a piece of paper.

After the two-day program, the senior management team said:

I'm totally jazzed about our energy to get better.
Momentum leaning forward.
Jazzed about the amount of passion for the business and the brand.
Everybody made a full commitment this morning.

[Concluding remarks . . . ]

Footnote: The CEO sent his reply by e-mail, but I wanted a more formal letter, so I sent this follow-up:

Result: A frameworthy letter of reference arrived within the week.

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25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank

Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
Variety. Every day is different.
Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.

As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.