Do you want your burning DOO (Director of Operations) questions answered?
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Today I am joined by my Director of Coaching Amy Lockrin for round three of The DOO Download, where you get the wisdom of two DOOs who have “been there, done that.”
DOO Download
In this series we address common questions that pop up in our community. If you have questions that you would like answered, make sure to submit them!
I am unsure on how to reposition myself as a strategic consultant. How do I take this next step?
- [Amy] Once you step into a consultancy role, your first step is to show up as a consultant.
- You have to lead with who you want to be as a consultant. You have to showcase yourself for that pivot from the start (i.e. you wouldn’t be working under anyone)
- Display authority
- Don’t be scared to have those deep conversations
- Jump in and don’t be scared to share your opinion even if it might cause a little chaos
- [Natalie] I wouldn’t advise you to step into a role that you don’t have a proven expertise in
- Make sure you have your mindset right, and can operate as an authority based on that mindset
- When you are a consultant you are going to be someone who is advising on strategy, so make sure you are looking for clients who have a team
- [Amy] This is something you can do slowly and quietly through conversations with peers or current clients
“Know where your expertise lies, and contractually agree to those things; it will be a lot easier for you to sell those things if you’re really clear”. – Natalie Gingrich
“If there is any permission that needs to be given, you can do this simply by having conversations and not putting all of these roadblocks ahead of yourself.” – Amy Lockrin
I work on retainer for a few clients. How can I make the best use of my time to build my brand alongside serving my clients?
- [Amy] We believe in selling through education, conversations, and connection
- Use your marketing hours to find places where you can show your authority, be resourceful, and have the beginnings of relationships
- [Natalie] Make sure you are having frequent conversations; reverse engineer how you are going to make a zoom call happen
“We have to be comfortable with the steps that lead up to us finding the right clients, and know that entire process is what keeps us away from people who are not a right fit” – Amy Lockrin
I want to start an agency, and I’m wondering when the right time is to start it?
- [Natalie] An agency is a very complex model and it is not right for everyone, so make sure you are someone who enjoys leading other people
- Understand that as the leader, you will be in charge of both the marketing side of the business and building your team so the delivery continues to get better
- [Amy] Understand the difference between scaling your business, and an agency model
- Think about if your business could function if you stepped away for a month (which is necessary for an agency model)
- How do you feel about leading a team?
- Short answer: when you have an established process that you can remove yourself from, and you enjoy leading other people
If you have questions you would like answered, send them over!
For past DOO Download episodes, please see below:
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