Building my business on positive attitude.

2009 was a very challenging year for me and just about everyone I know.  I’m looking forward to better times ahead.  I’m an optimist.  I believe a positive attitude helps people endure. A strong support network of family and friends can be a lifesaver too. And if you had the foresight to plan ahead for tough times, that can make all the difference. If you have two of those three, you can get through a lot. If you are blessed with all three, be thankful.  As for me, I’m very thankful.

I came across this brilliant chart and wanted to apply some thoughts to it as it applies to the major adjustment for me this year — unemployment, self-employment.

I have a pretty good sense of where I am on the chart.  I overlap on what I want to do and what I do well.  What’s missing for me is learning how to monetize it.  (Sure I also need to get better at many things and to say no to some things too.)  If I can continue to close more deals on a regular basis then I can continue to operate as I do now — which would be great.  So how do I build a business?  I’ve been taking the approach of an interactive marketer.  I share a lot of information for free and I engage with people who are interested in such conversations.  My online persona is authentic to who I am in real life.  And I take the opportunity to meet and interact with people.  When we find the creative spark and business opportunity, business happens.

I don’t share everything I know for free.  I provide insight and strategy services that have real value to my clients. (Read my LinkedIn profile recommendations to see what some of them say.)   I sell my time and insight to individuals and organizations (large and small) who are looking for someone to be a trusted partner, to provide  an objective and informed perspective on the challenges they face (usually on the topic of social computing and the topics I cover in this blog).  An engagement is successful if my client feels they are on a better path to success, they have more options that could yield positive results, fewer options that would be distracting or destructive.  (And if they pay me, promote me, or extend the contract.)  So far all the business I get comes to me — which tells me I’m doing something right.

One of my clients recently told me that one of the most valuable services I provided for them was participating in a vendor demo with them.  This client engaged me to help them with an intranet redesign.  Their team has been working for quite a while on many elements of the new corporate intranet and they were now ready to identify the right vendor for their intranet.  Sure success is not “about the technology”, but technology is a relevant enabler and important consideration.  Some products are simply better, some are expensive or have hidden costs, some integrate better with the existing infrastructure.  And with my background as an Enterprise Architect  I understand that we are solving a multi-constraint challenge.  My client had narrowed their list to two vendors: the incumbent (who almost always gets their business, regardless of product quality) and another vendor (offering a great product, but there seems to be some weird relationship history with the client).   I also suggested two other vendors they really needed to consider.

My client commented that they were pleased to see how the dynamic changed by having me at the vendor presentations. Not only did I help translate jargon for them, I asked probing questions that my client didn’t know to ask.   By including me in the vendor prep and vendor demo, they felt that their incumbent vendor was being much more responsive and honest with them than ever before. It was better for my client, and the vendor.

I find that companies need someone they can rely upon as a trusted advisor when it comes to a variety of strategic questions around this new field of enterprise social computing.  Sometimes they need an external pair of eyes to review their RFP before they send it out, to make sure that they ask for the information they really need.  Sometimes they need an outsider to review the responses and participate in the demos.  But for many, they need to understand if, when, and how to approach Enterprise 2.0.  For example — I know of many companies that decided to roll out a social network for their customers, but not for their employees.  I think it’s usually better to practice inside first.  But someone needs to raise the question and discuss the options to determine which network to invest in first, and why.  I’ve met with some companies who have already gone down the path of implementing a wiki or a blog here and there, but they have no integrated their efforts into the fabric of the company — and they are really unsure why the good idea never really caught on.

Looking ahead to 2010 I hope that companies recognize that investing in a little bit of consultant advisory can help them save tons of money and create better opportunities for themselves.  The difference between a successful and failed Enterprise 2.0 project can run well into 6 figures (in software licensing alone).  Getting help upfront costs a fraction of the overall project costs and can make the difference in the project’s overall success.  I think the biggest risk a company can face is the risk of making uninformed decisions in this new social business marketplace.  I’m building my business hoping to help companies reduce that risk so they can be in a better position to succeed.  And I hope that I too find success in the year ahead.

Thank you for your positive wishes, they are encouraging to me.  And let me wish that you be blessed with a happy and healthy new year.

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Tagged as: economy, expert, intranet, marketing, personal branding