Episode 141: Beyond the bandwagon: How to carve a unique path to success, with Graeme Freeman
Mar 1, 2024
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Learn how a successful consultancy firm, Freeman Clarke, carved a unique path to success by focusing on mid-market clients, forming strong client relationships, and choosing a hands-on approach. Discover the benefits of targeting a niche market, building strong partnerships, and scaling a consulting business in the IT industry. Explore insights on expanding into the US market, impactful career advice, and the challenges of the consulting industry dynamics.
Success in consultancy can be achieved by providing fractional support to mid-market clients and fostering genuine relationships.
Freeman Clarke's success is attributed to staying true to their core service proposition, focusing on mid-market clients, and prioritizing client satisfaction.
Entering the US market requires selecting the right location based on language, culture, and market density, and adapting networking strategies to American style.
Deep dives
Building a Network of Boutique Consulting Leaders
The Consultancy Growth Network focuses on connecting boutique consulting leaders who have successfully scaled their own boutiques with those looking to replicate their success. By curating a community of seasoned growth experts, the network offers access to valuable insights and resources to help members on their business journeys. This approach emphasizes building a supportive community that fosters learning, problem-solving, and goal achievement.
Fostering Genuine Client Relationships and Niche Market Focus
Freeman Clark, a fractional IT leadership team, has achieved significant success by focusing on the mid-market and prioritizing authentic client relationships. Co-founder Graham Freeman's experience in IT led him to carve a unique path by veering off traditional consultancy models. By staying true to their core service proposition and staying laser-focused on client satisfaction, Freeman Clark has established a successful track record in the mid-market.
Networking Approach vs. Enterprise Client Acquisition
Freeman Clark's strategy centers around networking extensively within the mid-market fabric, leveraging relationships with various advisors, partners, and business service providers to reach potential clients. This approach underscores the significance of being known by trusted advisors and the mid-market business owners, emphasizing relationship-building over targeting individual enterprise clients. The network's commitment to creating lasting connections and community engagement has been instrumental in driving client acquisition and business growth.
Embracing Simplicity, Client Retention, and Value-Based Service
Freeman Clark's success lies in its commitment to simplicity, focusing on a single service line and retaining a client-centered approach. The firm prioritizes client lifetime value and measures success by the longevity of client relationships rather than project-based metrics. By fostering genuine client partnerships, exceeding service expectations, and maintaining a client-centric culture, Freeman Clark has earned a high Net Promoter Score and established world-class client relationships that drive business continuity and growth.
Choosing the Right Market Expansion Location in the US
When considering expanding into the US market, the podcast discusses the importance of selecting the right location based on factors like language, culture, and market density. Through the example of exploring areas like South Africa, Australia, Germany, and finally choosing New York, the speaker highlights the significance of a familiar market with a dense mid-market for easier market entry.
Importance of Understanding Networking Differences in the US
The podcast delves into the differences in networking approaches between the US and the UK, emphasizing the need to adapt to the American networking style. The speaker notes that while networking in the UK focuses on building trust over time, American networking tends to prioritize quick outcomes and business connections. Understanding and adjusting to these networking nuances is crucial for success when entering the US market.
We’re all told that ‘land and expand’ is the only way to grow a consultancy. But what if we told you that you could grow a successful firm by doing the opposite, by providing fractional support to clients that will never need a huge team to help them deliver their goals.
Today’s guest has proven that it can be done, and in this episode we dive into how you can grow a substantial advisory business doing just that.
Graeme Freeman is Co-founder of Freeman Clarke, the largest & most experienced team of fractional IT leaders for the mid-market.
Having run IT services businesses, built commercial software products, and been a corporate CIO and non-executive director, Graeme had deep experience in IT. But stepping out into his own portfolio career, he saw the opportunity for something more. After considering various options and ideas, it was the chance meeting with Steve Clarke that led to launching Freeman Clarke. And the rest, as they say, is history.
By focusing on a niche market, fostering genuine client relationships, and taking a hands-on approach to delivery, Freeman Clarke has carved their own path to success that’s helped the business to scale, on both sides of the pond.
In this episode, Graeme and Nick dive in to the unorthodox path that Freeman Clarke has taken, and share many of the foundations that have led to their success, including:
- Why Freeman Clarke focuses on the mid-market and the benefits to working with clients of this size.
- How Freeman Clarke have built their marketing machine and the long term view they take that’s helped them turn trickles of leads into a volcano of new business.
- And how Freeman Clarke have been able to grow their business so successfully, by being laser focused on client satisfaction and staying true to their core service proposition.
This interview is a fantastic reminder that there’s always ways to do things differently in consulting and that there’s often hidden benefits from taking the path less travelled.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Reach out to Graeme: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freemangraeme?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BKM8CblTiSZubazXv%2Bl36sw%3D%3D
Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Edward de Bono's series of books on thinking
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