Latest / Black Girls Consult TOO! / Episode 158: Demand Decoded: Stop Chasing Clients. Start Capturing Demand. (Series Finale)

Transcript

Episode 158: Demand Decoded: Stop Chasing Clients. Start Capturing Demand. (Series Finale) · Black Girls Consult TOO!

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: I want to start this last conversation in our demand decoded series by taking a little pressure off of you.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: You do not need everybody to want what you sell.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: You don't.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need everybody in your audience to understand why they need a consultant.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need every person you meet at a networking event to become a lead.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: You do not need to convince every organization experiencing the problem you solve that now is the time to fix it.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: And you certainly don't need to spend your days chasing people who keep telling you, you know, maybe next quarter or maybe next year, or circle back to me in six months.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you've been listening to this series, you know something that changes this entire conversation.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: There are buyers who are already looking for what you offer.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: They've already recognized the problem, they've already decided that solving it is a priority, they're already willing and able to invest, and now they're trying to figure out what to do, which direction to go, and ultimately who they should trust to help them with it.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's where I want us to spend our time today.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because your job isn't always to create demand.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the biggest opportunity is really learning how to capture the demand that's already there.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is especially important for us as women, especially as women of color, because throughout this series, I've tried to be very intentional about acknowledging something I don't want us to forget simply because we're now talking about solutions.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: We don't all compete on a level playing field.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: We don't.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Some people enter this industry with networks that we don't have.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: They have relationships that get them into rooms before anyone else knows that there's an opportunity that exists.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: They already have institutional credibility.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: They have social capital.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: They have people willing to vouch for them.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes they simply, to be honest with you, look more like what people have historically expected an expert or a consultant to look like.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: We cannot pretend that those things don't matter.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: But here's what I also don't want you to do.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want you to hear all of that and then walk away thinking, well, what am I supposed to do about it?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Because there are things that we can do.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot control every introduction, relationship, and inherited advantage.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: But you can become much more deliberate about where you compete, what you're known for, which buyers you pursue, and how easy you make the buying decision.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Those are advantages that we can build.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: We have more power than we know.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I want to talk about today.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Not how to become better, not how to work harder.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: You're already working hard enough, not how to collect another certification to rack up with the 10 or 20, I'm exaggerating, but 10 or 20 you already have.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: And not how to somehow force your way into every room that you weren't invited into.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: I want to talk about how we become much more strategic about the things we can control so that we're in a stronger position to capture the man that already exists.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get into it.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: They say the odds are stacked against us as women, especially women of color, trying to thrive in the consulting world.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: But rather than wait for a seat at the table that may never come, what if we build our own table?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: What if we channel our talent into guidance each other towards the success we deserve?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Black Girls Control to buy past your hosts that can enter in a data class block the path from healthcare consultant to a mentor for women like you, and business, unstoppable, and ready to make waves in the consulting world.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast is your goal-to spot for all these entrepreneurial consultants.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: For us as women, especially women of color, be free to enter a weekly coffee date with a friend who's here to dish out real talk on building a solid business, elevating your thought leadership, and mastering that all-important mindset.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And let's not forget, we're doing all of this while balancing day jobs, family life, and running teams.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we can do it all.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're ready to dive into how you can grow a thriving consultancy or get strategies and insights that actually fit your busy lifestyle, then you're in the right place.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, hello.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the Black Girls Consult 2 Podcast.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Dr.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Angelina Davis.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: And if you've been with me throughout the demand-coded series, think about where we started.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: We started with the frustrating question: why does the better consultant sometimes lose?
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a question that many of us, including myself, have asked ourselves time and time again.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Why does someone with less experience get the opportunity?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Why does someone with fewer credentials get the contract?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Why can you know without question that you are capable of doing the work and you're still watching someone else get chosen?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And throughout this series, we peel back the layers.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: We've learned that buyers aren't simply trying to identify the smartest or the most qualified person in the room.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: They're trying to make a decision they can feel confident about making.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then we talked about the uneven starting line that many of us start with.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: The fact that some consultants walk into this market already possessing advantages.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that helps them create the confidence that they need to succeed.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And many of us don't have that same starting line.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: We talked about the trust deficit and how when trust isn't automatically given or borrowed, we can become much more intentional about building it.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to accept that we don't have the same opportunities or the same access around us.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And in our last conversation, we even talked about something I think is really critical.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Having a problem doesn't necessarily mean that someone is ready to buy.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And we understand now that the problem has to become a priority.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: So now we're at the point where you're probably thinking, okay, Angelina, that's great.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: I get it.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: I understand buyers differently.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I understand demand differently.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: That was all nice and good.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's a great educational lesson, kind of insightful.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: But listen, I need clients.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that is nice to know, but it's not going to help me land more clients today.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: So, okay, I hear you.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about getting clients.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because ultimately, what this entire conversation was designed to do is help us get to this point.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: So now I want us to get very deliberate about a number of things because how deliberate we are about what I'm about to share with you will determine how successful we're going to be moving forward.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm saying this and having this conversation with you, but I'm also saying this as a reminder for me as well.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the first things that we need to become deliberate about is where we compete.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing I want us to do is to become much more intentional about where we're choosing to show up.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: And when I say where, I'm not necessarily talking about geographically or which room you're going to walk into.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not, I'm not really talking about the location.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm talking about where you're putting your business development energy.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Because one of the things I see happen all the time is that we identify an ideal, I'm doing kind of like those air quotes, ideal client, and then assume that everyone who fits that description is equally valuable to pursue.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: And they're not.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go back to what we talked about in the last episode.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you listen to that, if you haven't, go back, download it, listen.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's a good listen.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think you'll enjoy it.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: But one of the things that we were talking about is the fact that there are people who don't recognize the problem yet.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: There are people who recognize it, but solving it isn't a priority for them.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then there are people who said, you know what?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is a problem.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: We got to solve this right away.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Those are very different buyers.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: All three of them, very different.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if someone doesn't recognize the problem, you're going to spend a lot of time and energy educating them.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: If they recognize the problem but they don't believe it's a priority and they don't want to do anything about it right now, you're going to spend a lot of time trying to convince them.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: But when someone has already decided that this needs to, has to change, then you're starting to have a different conversation.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: The conversation goes from trying to convince the person that the house is on fire to already looking for the extinguisher.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where I want us to become smarter about where we're spending our energy because our energy is finite.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have an infinite amount of energy.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Our time is finite, our energy is finite, our resources are finite.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: All of these things are set.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: We cannot change, extend, prolong any of it.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: And this matters even more when you're an independent consultant or you're running a small consulting firm.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot be everywhere at all times.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: You can't talk to everybody, you can't nurture everybody personally.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: You just can't.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I want us to stop treating every person who could buy from us as if they're equally close to buying.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: They're not.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, what we have to do is we have to start paying closer attention to where you see evidence that a client or an organization is already investing.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what problems are receiving budgets.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: What issues are showing up repeatedly in conversations when you are at those networking events?
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: What has the leadership for maybe an organization you've been in conversation with, where have they been placing their attention?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Where are people already saying we need help?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that doesn't mean that you ignore everyone else.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that the person who downloaded your lead magnet or maybe put in the inquiry on your website.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that those people should not be part of your marketing strategy.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: They should, but I want you to see them differently.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: You're not looking at them as someone you're trying to convert anytime soon.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: You're just bringing them into your world.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: You're allowing them to get to know you, to understand the problem better.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: And eventually you'll see where they end up.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: And we can get into conversations about how you can do that more strategically as well.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: But for now, you know, that is not the focus.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: Your time is limited, your energy is limited, your resources are limited.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to start thinking about what are those problems that many of your clients or potential clients are ready to invest in and have an immediate need for.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: There is absolutely a place for thought leadership and content that helps people recognize their problems differently and to begin to understand why those problems matter.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: But your highest touch business development energy right now are conversations, follow-ups, and relationships you're intentionally developing.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to moving forward to start putting more of your energy toward the people who are already demonstrating that they're trying to solve the problem.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: They're already demonstrating it.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: They're already putting things in motion.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: They have already hired someone before, whether that's a contractor or even another consultant.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: They have been actively working to solve the problem because that is the demand that's already generated.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: And what we're going to focus on at this point is capturing that demand that already exists.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a nice segue because it leads to the second thing that we need to become more deliberate about.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what you're known for.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's say that you've found a market where people are actively looking.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: You see evidence that they are trying to solve this problem, they have invested in it, they are working towards that goal.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: You have another problem, though, that exists.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just that they need to be searching for these solutions or actively trying to solve them, but they have to be able to associate you with what they're looking for.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because if that connection doesn't exist, then you're not going to be seen as a viable option.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: And this is where I think many brilliant consultants get themselves into trouble because we are problem solvers.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we do.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's what you're in the business of doing.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're great at solving problems.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: We've talked about this.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Someone can come to us with one problem, we solve it.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Someone else comes to us with something adjacent, sure, I can do that too.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: We can solve some problems.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: We can strategize, we can figure it out, we can problem solve.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: That is where our expertise lies.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: But the thing is that when you keep solving all of these different problems from people, even though you're doing it to the best of your ability, you're great at it, and also you're doing it from I would say it's from a business standpoint, but then also from the kindness of your heart sometimes, because you know you can help them.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know you can make a difference, and you are doing a great job at that.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: But the problem is that before long, you started solving so many different problems that you're capable of doing 15 different things and nobody knows which one you do best.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: And when the market doesn't know what to do with you, that becomes a problem.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because when a buyer moves into the market, I don't want them to have to study your resume or try and talk to 20 different people to figure out how you're relevant to their business.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: They have to be able to see their problem and then immediately attach your name to it.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we're trying to build.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's the type of intentionality that we need to have in order to make this work.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to be clear because sometimes specialization makes a highly experienced woman uncomfortable.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: It can feel like you're beginning to minimize everything you know.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: As as women, especially women of color, we have gone through our lives being underestimated or having people second guess what we can do.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so I I think it's part of what we've learned over time to show up in a way that proves that we can do all of these different things.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: We don't want to be seen as being uh narrow or limited.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: We're used to being in the corporate space, and in corporate, the thing that's different there is that you are acknowledged and awarded for being able to wear many hats.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great thing because and hear me when I say this, it's really because they want you to do more jobs for less money.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's a conversation for another day, but that's what they want, and that's why they applaud you when you're doing it while we're retting ourselves bragging.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: But that type of mindset and that energy that we often take from corporate into our businesses can be problematic.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it can feel as if for us, because it's different, because it's different from that corporate environment where we were awarded or recognized for doing the most, it can begin to feel like we're minimizing ourselves.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: And we push back on being more specialized or being more selective or more intentional or more focused, however you want to describe it.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: But you are not minimizing yourself.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: You don't lose your other expertise simply because you choose what you want the market to remember you for.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Remember that what the market remembers you for is not what you're capable of.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a way for you to position yourself so that you become that ideal solution.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's not what you have to even do in your offer.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: When you're working with a client, you can expand into a number of different things if you want to.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: But the thing is that they came to you because they had a specific problem.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: And when you become the person that they remember that can help them, that's where you begin to attract more clients.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's a business decision.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: There's a difference between everything you're capable of doing and what you strategically choose to become known for.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the second one matters tremendously when you're trying to capture existing demand.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because think about what happens when an organization decides to hire a contractor, a consultant, a strategist, whoever it may be.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: They're thinking, okay, we're finally fixing this.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so they're asking colleagues how to do it.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: They're searching online, they put together a task force that's going to look into options.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're reading information on LinkedIn and other websites or talking to people at conferences and other events, they're looking at options.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: And somewhere in that conversation, you need to have someone say, you know what?
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: You need to talk to her.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: She's great at doing this one thing.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: She is the go-to person for XYZ.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some people get that because of the network they inherited.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: We've already talked about that.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: But if your name isn't automatically being carried into those runes by the network, then we have to make that association exist between your name and the problem even stronger.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: This means your content should reinforce it.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Your LinkedIn presence should reinforce it.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your speaking should reinforce it.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: The articles that you decide to write or the posts that you write or the captions if you're online on social media, they should reinforce it.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your methodology should reinforce it.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: The examples you share with others should reinforce it.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your client results should reinforce it.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think you get the picture.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Everything you do should reinforce it.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: It should reinforce it over and over and over and over again.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I know this can feel repetitive.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: I definitely feel like this at times.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I'm always wondering does anyone want to hear about consulting?
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm tired of talking about consulting, right?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm guessing that you're listening to this podcast because you know I'm that girl that talks about consulting.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: You see how that works?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's a there's a difference there.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: And when you are recognizable for that thing, then you become the person that is found when they're trying to do discovery.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: You become the person that ends up being brought up in those rooms, even if you don't know who may be saying your name.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's because you have decided to become deliberate about your specialization.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Before we continue, let me just ask you something.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: If buyers are making decisions based upon confidence and not just capability, have you ever sought to ask yourself what conclusions they're actually reaching about you before you ever have a conversation?
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's often where the gap is.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's definitely not that you're not qualified.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's that buyers don't yet have enough confidence to see the full value of what you bring.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a gap there.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly why I created the authority gap quiz.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: In less than two minutes, you'll discover the biggest gap between your expertise and how the market currently perceives it.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Identify your primary authority blocker and get a personalized roadmap to help you build the kind of authority that attracts premium opportunity.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: So listen, if you're ready to stop wondering why your expertise isn't translating into demand, I need you to click the link in the show notes and take the quiz.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: And then need you to head right back into this episode because we got a lot more to uncover.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, this next one is one where I want you to be a little bit more protective of yourself.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's because the third thing we need to become deliberate about is which buyers we pursue.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: Because we need to talk about who gets access to our time.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: Who gets access to your time?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: One of the hardest things to do when you need clients is to walk away from the possibility of a client.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: Listen, I get it.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: We got bills.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: Inflation is high.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: Everything is out the roof.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: And listen, sidebar, I was out shopping the other day.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: I do grocery shopping on the weekend, and I decided to, you know, kind of.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Save a lot of money.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to go to like Sam's Club.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to Publix.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to uh Walmart.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I was just doing all the things, trying to trying to conserve my little pennies, my coins.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: And by the end of that day, I had spent$567 on what I felt was little or nothing in comparison to what I used to buy before.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm telling you, listen, I get it.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: I get it.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: We are all trying to find ways to create more breathing room, more margin in our businesses and our lives.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I understand.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: Someone shows a little interest, and then suddenly we're thinking, you know what?
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, this could turn into something.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: And so we follow up and we follow up again and we send another email, we check in next month.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: We nurture, we nurture, we nurture, we just spend all this time.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then six months later, we're still nurturing somebody who told us in the very first conversation that this isn't really a priority for us right now.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: And although we believe them, that doesn't mean they'll never become a client.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: And because we've been told that sometimes we need to just follow up, follow up, follow up, which is true, but sometimes it does mean that we just need to believe them.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that they won't ever become a client.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: It means that they're telling you right now, they're giving you the information about where they are in the moment.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that we need to stop treating every potential client as if they're equally close to buying.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: Someone saying, you know, this is interesting.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: I love to learn more is not the same as someone saying, you know what?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: I really am understanding and really enjoying what you're saying.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: I want to learn more because I'm looking for that solution.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: This is where I really do want us to become more discerning.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: Who is demonstrating intent?
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Start asking yourself that.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: Who is asking real buying questions?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: Who has an initiative already underway?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: Who has already allocated those resources?
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: All of those things are signals.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: And oftentimes those are signals that we know we should be looking for, but we get so busy in the whole process of marketing our offers and our services and trying to get people in conversation and then trying to get them on a call or in a meeting.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: We're trying to pitch, we're trying to sell.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: And we're going through the steps, so we're not thinking about the signals.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: We're not thinking about what we actually see evidence of.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: And to be honest with you, those signals are going to protect you.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to protect that time and energy and those resources that we talked about are so limited.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: And so I really do want you to start paying more attention to them.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: By no means is this to make you more transactional.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's not the goal.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying look and see if they're going to buy from me and that's the only time you help.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: No, we're not saying that.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: You're still building relationships, you're still creating thought leadership, you're still helping people.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: But I guess I'm just stressing that there's a difference between maintaining a relationship with somebody who may become ready one day and pouring your highest touch sales energy into trying to make them ready today.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to convince everybody.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: And frankly, I don't want you building a business that requires you to.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's something that you have to protect.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: So be more deliberate when it comes to which buyers you pursue.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: And the fourth thing, and this is the last one, is that we have to become deliberate about how easy you make the buying decision.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: I left this for last because I really do feel like this is the game changer.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's say you've done all of the above, all the things we've talked about, you've done.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: You've found demand, the buyer has priority, they're in the market, they find you, they feel like you're a good fit, you're known for solving the problem.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: And at that point, you may feel like, hey, this should be a slam dunk, right?
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: No, we gotta we got one more little hoop to go through, but you know, this is gonna make a lot more sense.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: The thing is that despite the fact that all those pieces of the puzzle are falling together, they still have to choose you.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: And this brings us all the way back to one of the earliest conversations that we had, and that was the conversation that we were talking about buyer confidence.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so once again, go back in the series and you can find that episode.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'll try and drop, remember to drop that episode number in the description.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: But when somebody is ready to invest, I want you to ask yourself, how hard or easy am I making this decision?
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: Can they quickly understand the problem I solve?
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: Can they understand who I solve it for?
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: Can they understand how I think about the problem?
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_00: Can they see how I approach the work?
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, all of these are questions that they're gonna have.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: So the thing is, how easy are we making it for them to answer those questions?
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because if we're making it really hard for them to answer those questions, if they can't find that information right away, guess what they're gonna do?
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna move on to the next person.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: And when they're ready to make the next step, you want them to see you as the obvious next step to take.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: And the only way they can do that is to be able to answer these questions in their mind.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to make somebody who's ready to spend money become a detective.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: They shouldn't have to search through all of your past YouTube posts or into your LinkedIn uh comments, or they don't need to go and scour through your website for an hour to figure out the answer.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: Don't make them piece together your expertise from six different places.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta make this easy.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't make them read 12 LinkedIn posts to figure out what you actually do.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta make it easy.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: Don't make them guess what happens after they contact you.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: You got to make it easy.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because you have to remember that the buyer is not only asking, can she do the work?
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: They're also asking, do I feel confident making this decision?
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_00: So much of this uh game that we play in terms of being able to attract and all land clients and to acquire contracts is all about how we're able to reduce the overwhelm that people feel when they're trying to go through the decision-making process.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: And the easier that we make this buying decision, the better off we are gonna be in terms of our business growth and development.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how all these things we talked about really do begin to work together.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_00: Your specialization is gonna help them understand your relevance to their business and to the problem that they have.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: Your consistency in how you're showing up is gonna help them know what to expect if or when they work with you.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: The thought leadership that you share is gonna help them understand how you think and how you may approach the problem that they want solved.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: Your results even help reduce risk.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: So showcasing those is another element that helps them to see that you know what, it's work for someone else, so it can work for me too.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: None of these things operate in isolation.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so when we're thinking about what we need to be more deliberate about doing, it's looking at our business from the buyer's perspective.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you were the buyer and you stumbled upon your website or stumble upon your services page, would you immediately look at it and think to yourself, this person knows exactly what to do.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I know exactly how to contact them.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: I know exactly what to expect.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm eager to to know more and to work with them.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or are they gonna leave with more questions that they had when they first got there?
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there are really four decisions I want you to make differently.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you're thinking right now, okay, what do I actually do with all of this?
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: Here's what I want you to walk away with.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is what I want you to do.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is the whole the whole premise of this series.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to be deliberate about where you compete.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: Stop assuming that because someone has the problem, they're automatically a good prospect right now.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: Look for where solving the problem is already receiving attention, urgency, and investment.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: Be deliberate about what you're known for.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_00: Decide what commercially relevant problem you want to solve and attach your name to it and build around it so that that association happens consistently.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: Be deliberate about which buyers pursue you.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Stop giving equal business development energy to people who are at completely different stages of the buyer's journey.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: Pay attention to their intent.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally, I want you to be deliberate about how easy you make the buying decision.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_00: Give people what they need.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: When the right person finds you at the right time, don't create more friction, more walls, more obstacles that makes them question whether or not you're the right choice.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: That is demand capture.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: It really is.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: And notice what I didn't tell you.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: This is this is one thing I really do want you to think about.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: Notice what I did not say.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: I did not tell you that you need to be famous.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: I did not say that.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell you that you need a hundred thousand followers.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't say that.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell you that you need to know everybody or be in the right inner circle.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't say that.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell you that you need to spend every evening at networking events and trying to go to conferences so that you can meet the right people.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't say that.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I definitely didn't tell you that you need to prove that you're smarter or better than every other consultant in your industry.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: You have nothing to prove.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because after this entire series, I really do hope that you're seeing this differently.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to spend just a minute here talking specifically to the woman who is listening to me who has recognized themselves throughout this series.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: You know that you're talented, you know that you do great work, you know that your business is meant to be successful.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know that you are meant to build something that is either going to add five or ten thousand extra dollars a month, or maybe it's going to allow you to leave your nine to five that you're in currently, or maybe it's going to catapult you to a million dollars.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know this.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: You don't doubt it.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_00: But you recognize that there are hurdles.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: And especially my black women and other women of color, maybe you don't have the network.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your former employer's name doesn't automatically open doors.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: Mine didn't because it was in a totally different area or space.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there isn't somebody making the introductions for you every week.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've watched people with less experience get opportunities you know you could have handled.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: That part right there, I think, eats most people up.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've had to prove your competence in ways that other people haven't or felt the need to have to prove it.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_00: Those things are real.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: I want to acknowledge that they are real.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_00: You're not making them up.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just in your head, but I also don't want the conclusion of demand decoded to be, well, I guess I just need better connections.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: No, I want the conclusion to be I need to become more strategic about the advantages I can build.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: You have more power than you think.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: You have more power than you realize and that you know.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: You can understand your market better.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can become known for solving something specific.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: You can build a body of work around it, you can demonstrate results, you can reduce uncertainty, you can be intentional about where you put your time, you can make it easier for the right buyer to find you, understand you, trust you, and choose you.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_00: You can do it.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: You, you, you can do it.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: And does that make the plan feel even?
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: No, it doesn't.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not trying to tell you that it does, but it gives you leverage.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_00: And leverage matters because this is a huge difference between waiting for somebody to give you access and intentionally building a business that puts you in a stronger position when opportunity appears.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I want for you.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_00: That is honestly the goal of Excel at consulting.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is to increase the number of successful women consultants in this industry.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: And when I say successful, I mean thriving and sustainable in terms of a business.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: And before I let you go, I just want to remind you that you don't have to figure all of this out yourself.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is the kind of work that I do with my clients.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: I work one-to-one with women consultants in advisory capacity.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_00: I don't try to rebuild everything that you have put together from scratch.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: You have done an amazing job.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: What I do is help you look at your business differently to identify where those gaps exist and to become much more intentional about how you're positioning yourself to attract and capture the option opportunities that you want.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if you've been listening to this series and you had a few moments where you thought, you know, okay, I see this now.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's a little different, or maybe you can see where your business is getting stuck, but not quite sure what you need to change, reach out to me.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: You can find me on Instagram or LinkedIn at Dr.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_00: Angelina Davis, send me a message.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can also use the contact form on my website at excel at consulting.com and just let me know that you listen to the demand decoded series and that you want to talk about where your business is currently and where it's going.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: And we can just start a conversation.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: No pressure, no big production.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just here to help.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_00: And whether we ever work together or not, I really do hope that this series has changed the way you think about demand because you have spent enough time trying to prove how good you are.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's make it easier for the right buyers to recognize it.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: All right, guys.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_00: I so love this series.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_00: I love this episode.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_00: It came from my heart.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that it helps you to grow and build your business in a new way.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, take care.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Testle 2 Podcast.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to leave your review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe, and share it with a friend.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_00: We're on a mission to increase the subscription and longevity of women in consulting.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_00: And you can help us do just that.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: Also, unlocking your funny thing.