Climb In Consulting

Join Sarah Matthew, consultancy leader, as she delves into sustainable consultancy success. Learn to avoid growth traps, deliver client nirvana, and craft a winning narrative. Embrace your inner swordfish and take your consultancy to the next level with valuable insights and wisdom

The global pandemic threw a huge curveball at most businesses. Face-to-face interactions became a thing of the past, and consultancies offering in-person services found themselves struggling to adapt. But for Total Negotiation Group (TNG), strong leadership and a willingness to diversify helped turn the global crisis into a huge opportunity. In the latest episode of Climb In Consulting, Nick caught up with Mark Grice, Co-founder of Total Negotiation Group (TNG), a successful global consultancy that helps its clients to build more sustainable and valuable commercial partnerships. Nick and Mark explore how a clever pandemic pivot, along with a strong focus on asking the right questions, not only ensured the firm’s survival, but actually fueled phenomenal growth, helping them accelerate from £5m to £10m revenue during that time. They also dive into a huge number of topics, including: - The fascinating career journey that’s taken Mark from accounting to negotiating, via global stints at Guinness and Disney. - Why commercial negotiation has little in common with talking down hostages - despite what the movies would have you believe! - How TNG knew the time was right for them to expand into Australia – even though they were only in their second year of business. - Why finding the right business partner offers far more benefits than simply having two heads rather than one. - Why asking the right questions – and really listening to the answers – is the one crucial skill all business owners need to learn. …and much more besides! Mark’s story is fascinating and this episode is jam-packed with practical advice and insights for you to take away. Reach out to Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgrice1/ Learn more about Total Negotiation Group: https://www.totalnegotiation.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures by Richard D. Lewis Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Marketing expert Nick Synnott shares 4 secrets to boost ROI through content marketing in consultancy. Learn practical steps for successful marketing strategies, leveraging webinars and whitepapers for tangible results.

Learn from David Bailey about the art of M&A deals in consultancies, including specialization strategies, navigating acquisitions, and preparing your business for sale. Discover why being a generalist can deter buyers, how to maximize firm value, and the importance of analyzing employee LinkedIn profiles. Explore the journey of a consultancy founder turned M&A advisor and gain insights into post-acquisition success and strategic decision-making in consultancy firms.

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.

Discover the unconventional journey of Marc Jantzen from managing fast-food franchises to scaling a consulting firm. Explore the challenges specific to consulting firms and the strategies for growth. Learn about the value of team development, addressing underperformance, value-based pricing, and evolving business propositions. Gain insights on career advice, book recommendations, and engaging with a marketing agency for consultancy success.

Exploring unique success strategies in consulting with Hatmill, a grade-less consultancy emphasizing work allocation and team support. Delving into workplace culture, optimizing work allocation, feedback importance, transparent salary structures, crisis management, and community building. Special emphasis on genuine feedback, leadership, and book recommendations for consultants.

Assad Ahmed shares his unconventional path to consulting success, highlighting the importance of taking action over planning. They discuss overcoming challenges like profitable clients hindering growth and thriving during economic downturns. Assad's embrace of planning with 90-day plans, putting people first, and maintaining culture are key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Graeme Curwen, Co-Founder and CEO of Enfuse Group, talks about their journey of starting a consultancy firm, understanding client needs vs. wants, building deep relationships, handling awkward questions, transitioning to a larger organization, the analogy of a rock band and success, and creating a high performing workforce with a positive team culture.

In this episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re bringing you something a little out of the ordinary, as we feature not one, but four industry titans sharing their consulting growth strategies. Nick and Frankie recently attended The Consultancy Growth Network’s (TCGN) annual summit, for a day of hugely insightful talks from leaders from across the industry. Knowing what our audience likes to learn about, we thought that this talk would make a great episode of Climb In Consulting, and are very pleased that TCGN agreed. This was a panel session focused on different strategies for growing your consultancy. The panel session, which was led by Marc Jantzen, Founder of TCGN and seasoned consulting entrepreneur, featured a heavy-weight panel of experts: - Paul Collins - Founder and Chairman of Equiteq, the advisory house specialising in global mergers and acquisitions in the consulting space. - Susan Lohr – Founder of four global businesses during her 30-year career, and currently a Partner in The Vibrant Company, a professional development consultancy. - Fred Akuffo - a renowned supply chain expert, and Founder of Olive Horse, a supply chain management consultancy that was recently acquired by PWC. In this insightful discussion, the panellists share their journeys to success and the growth strategies that worked for them. In a session packed with practical and actionable advice, here are just a few of the highlights: - The importance of making it as straightforward and easy as possible for customers to buy from you - How packaging up your services and productising your consultancy can unlock huge growth - The key questions you need to ask before moving into a new geographical market - The pros and cons of using channel partnerships as a primary growth strategy - Why the partnership model doesn’t work for every firm The panellists also offer advice and insights on a wide range of topics from raising finance, maintaining healthy margins and scaling through acquisitions, to building a strong culture and the challenges involved in setting up overseas. If you’re looking for something to help you start 2024 in the best way possible, then this episode is a must-listen! Reach out to the panel: Marc Jantzen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebusinessgrowthspecialist/?originalSubdomain=uk Paul Collins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pecollins/ Susan Lohr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lohr-12146a/ Fred Akuffo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-akuffo-6a3953/ You can Learn more about The Consultancy Growth Network - https://www.consultancygrowthnetwork.com/