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Are You Still Interested

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I gave The Birkman leadership assessment to a human resources executive hoping she would use the instrument for her management team. Busy executives often work 60-80 hour weeks, and seldom have time for leisurely chats.  Notice that she took about two weeks to reply.

A brief e-mail can move your sales process along. In this case, I didn't want to drop the ball, but I also didn't want to annoy Lauren. Earlier, she had belonged to TOP-12, the human resources group I started. I used that context to frame my contact with her. As you'll see by her reply, she postponed our meeting, and subsequently took a job out of state.


From: William S. Frank
Sent: June 15, 20— 8:29 AM
To: Lauren Kessler
Subject: Your Senior Leadership Team

Hi Lauren,
I know you're busy, but we've had some interesting presentations at TOP-12 that would interest you. One in particular about Dave Jernigan.

Would you have time for lunch sometime in the next month?  I'd like to share it—as well as catch up.  What works for you?

:Bill


From: William S. Frank
Sent: June 24, 20— 8:06 AM
To: Lauren Kessler
Subject: Your Senior Leadership Team

Lauren,

I'm checking to see if you're still interested in using the Birkman results to develop and align your senior leadership team? If so, we could have a brief breakfast or cup of coffee to discuss what we might do and what the outcomes would be.

Have a great TODAY!

:Bill


From: Lauren Kessler
Sent: July 13, 20— 10:28 PM
To: Bill Frank
Subject: RE: Your Senior Leadership Team

Dear Bill:

Thanks for the inquiry.  Right now I don't think we are interested in moving forward, but I would like to keep you in mind when the time comes that we consider this.
 
Take care,
Lauren

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William S. Frank, M.A.,
            President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. 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."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. 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.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. 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.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. 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."
  12. 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.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. 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.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. 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.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. 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.