Streamlining Consulting Workflows

🎤 “I promise you’ll never find another like me” - “ME” by Taylor Swift 📕 Let's talk about how to move down-market... 📈 In the latest G2 grid for #CustomerSuccess software, Gainsight is far and away the furthest up and to the right - both in terms of market share as well as customer satisfaction. 🏆 This has been true for a while, but now we are also a clear leader (along with our friends ChurnZero) in mid-market CS software (50-1000 employees) - see below. How did we make progress in the mid-market? Here’s what we learned… 💿 Product: Of course, it always starts here. Mid-market leaders want to start fast. But they also want to scale and not have to switch platforms as they grow. So we created templates in our product for the most common scenarios our clients encounter (e.g., NPS followup, renewal alerts). Since companies of all sizes change rapidly, we also put more power in the hands of end users - to create reports, personalize their workspace and more. 💲 Pricing: Enterprise pricing is always complex; but mid-market companies want clarity - so we moved to very simple, competitive and transparent pricing model. 📣 Marketing: Part of simplifying is simplifying the message. Our CMO Scott S. and his team drove a whole new approach. They cut down our slide deck significantly. They created a dedicated site for our Essentials offering. And they focused more on actual customer evidence (hence G2!) 💰 Sales: Mid-market companies want to move fast - even in the sales process. So we created a streamlined workflow to reduce the number of hops in our go-to-market and pushed prospects into our trial environment that we call Joy Ride. ⏱️ Time-to-value: Time-to-value matters for all companies. But for mid-sized firms, speedy deployments are essential. At the same time, companies don’t necessarily have budget for a a full Professional Services engagement. So we designed a rapid onboarding to help customers go live in 2-4 weeks at a very affordable price point. 🥇 Customer Success: Best practices don’t stop in implementation. Indeed, clients come to SaaS vendors these days for ongoing advice. We created an “accelerator” program to bring new clients into cohort groups with similarly-sized companies to learn from CS experts in small virtual sessions. In parallel, we included a Customer Success Solutions Consultant to eliminate the need for a Gainsight Administrator and instead offer on-demand configuration, guided by a CS leader or Sales Operations professional. The results: 📈 300+ clients are now using Gainsight Essentials 💻 Most have no dedicated Gainsight Administrator, though they all plan to hire one as they scale. ❤️ These clients now report NPS between 50 and 70 👏🏾 And of course, the G2 results below Moving down market isn’t easy but it’s incredibly rewarding when it happens. How about you? What have you learned if you moved from a focus on enterprise to targeting both enterprise and mid-market in your company? 

Beware of Creating the "Airport Experience" for Your Legal Team Users ✈️ Airports have lots of processes, queues, information screens, directional arrows, emails, texts, unique numbers, checks, special documents etc. On the surface, it all gives the impression of extreme organization and information sharing. But as a user, particularly if you only navigate an airport once or twice a year, the experience can be overwhelming, tense, confusing, and frustrating. 😵💫 This made me think that while processes, self-service, and information sharing are critical components of a well-run legal department, there's a danger of overdoing it. We must never forget that the average user's ability to comprehend and interact with our department can easily be compromised by overly complex systems and communication channels. I thought of these watch outs to make sure you're not turning your legal department into a bustling airport terminal: Avoid Multiple System Channels of Entry for Queries: Stick to a streamlined process with one or two clear channels for submitting queries. Having multiple systems can confuse users and lead to queries being lost or mishandled. Keep it simple, and ensure that users know exactly where to go when they need help. 🛣️ Simplify Communication: Be realistic about what your business stakeholders are going to read and digest. Focus on clear, concise, and targeted communication that gets straight to the point. Your goal should be to make information easy to digest and actionable, providing it in the place and at the time they need to consume it. ✉️ Cater to Infrequent Flyers: Even frequent users of legal team services won't fully understand or appreciate the process or what's needed as part of their request. For infrequent or first-time users, it can be even more confusing. Be prepared to tell them upfront exactly what you need from them and why, so you can get the request off to the best start. 🚦 #LegalOps #Legal #Law #Business #Efficiency #Communication

It is so important to understand and utilize the voice of your customer (VOC). The VOC is esentially the feedback, opinions, preferences, and expectations of customers about your product, service, or brand. We are taught very early on in #leanmanagement about the importance of understanding and integrating customer feedback, needs, and preferences into the product or service development process. Why? Because VOC helps ensure that products or services align closely with what customers truly want and value, reducing waste, increasing quality and increasing customer satisfaction. Many companies collect data...lots of it...but leave out the crucial step of analyzing this collected data, identifying patterns, and drawing actionable insights. Also, they collect data far too late, often after the work has been done instead of getting input at the start of the creative process. So, here are a few guidelines to help you make the most of your customer voice: 1️⃣ Gather VOC at every critical stage: pre-development, during development, post launch and at critical touchpoints. 2️⃣ Identify Patterns and Prioritize Issues: Group similar content and determine which issues or suggestions are most frequently mentioned or have the most significant impact on customer satisfaction. 3️⃣ Contextualize Feedback: Consider when, where, and how the feedback was provided to better interpret its significance. 4️⃣ Quantify Feedback: Assign metrics or scores where possible to quantify feedback. This helps prioritize improvements based on the magnitude of impact. 5️⃣ Root Cause Analysis: Dig deeper to understand the root causes of recurring issues. Sometimes, the stated problem might not be the actual underlying issue. 6️⃣ Link Feedback to Action: Connect the feedback directly to actionable steps. Develop strategies or changes that directly address the issues raised by customers. 7️⃣ Continual Improvement: Use feedback not just for immediate fixes but as part of an ongoing process for continuous improvement. Regularly revisit feedback to track progress and make further adjustments. What other tips can you add?? #voiceofthecustomer #lean #qualitymanagement #customerfeedback #customersatisfaction Image Source: Lucidchart

The quickest way to create project charters: [after creating 25+ charters in the last 3 years] I view the project initiation as a compass, not just a formality. Then, I begin with the end in mind. This method: -Aligns stakeholders -Sets clear objectives -Maps out project boundaries -Identifies potential risks -Establishes authority and accountability Here's each step of my charter creation: 1. Objective Define the core purpose: -Why is this project essential? -What business problem does it address? -Articulate the expected outcome: -Desired end state after project completion -Key performance indicators to measure 2. Scope Detail out project boundaries: -Inclusions: What's part of the project? -Exclusions: What's out of scope? Establish the deliverables: -Tangible outputs -Milestones to reach -Stakeholders Identify key players: -Who will benefit from this project? -Who has influence over its outcome? 3. Outline roles and responsibilities: -Who’s doing what? -Who holds which authority? 4. Risks & Assumptions Highlight potential pitfalls: -What might derail the project? -Assumptions made and their validation Plan for contingencies: -Risk mitigation strategies -Backup plans 5. Resources Allocate essentials: -Budgetary constraints -Required tools and technology -Team members and their skillsets 6. Timeline Breakdown of project lifecycle: -Start and end dates -Major phase completion dates -Dependencies between tasks 7. Communication Define the communication plan: -Who gets updated and when? -Preferred communication channels 8. Approval Establish authority: -Who signs off on project decisions? -Acceptance criteria for deliverables Outline the revision process: -Feedback loop -Change request protocol 9. Documentation & Archiving Detail out the documentation process: -Where are project files stored? -How to access historical data Establish a post-project review plan: -Lessons learned -Feedback collection -Continuous improvement Follow this charter framework to kick-start your projects with clarity and purpose. What are your project charter best practices?  Leave a reply in the comment section.

Operational bottlenecks are often mistaken for minor distractions. In textiles, challenges such as machine downtime, dye-house delays, working capital spikes, or capacity mismatches between spinning and weaving are not just inconveniences. They are critical leverage points for value creation and significant professional impact. Many leaders focus on optimising every area. However, sustainable throughput comes from identifying and rigorously managing the single constraint that governs the entire system. We apply the Theory of Constraints (TOC) at RSWM to convert operational friction into performance gains. TOC shows that local efficiency can be misleading. Keeping every department busy often creates excess work-in-progress, disrupting flow, increasing costs, and delaying deliveries. Instead, we follow a disciplined process: -First, identify what sets the pace of the value chain. This may include machinery misaligned with current market needs or process challenges like low Right First Time (RFT) rates in the dye house that reduce effective capacity. -Second, exploit the constraint by precise scheduling, strengthening discipline, and improving efficiency to extract more output without immediate capital deployment. -Third, align the rest of the organisation to the bottleneck’s pace to ensure smooth material flow across departments. Fourth, elevate the constraint through capital investment or process redesign, addressing capacity mismatches or refining product lines. -Finally, repeat the cycle, since the constraint shifts as performance improves. This approach has delivered tangible results at RSWM. Addressing dye-house bottlenecks increased throughput, reduced working capital requirements, and improved EBITDA. However, constraints change over time. Market shifts, such as China’s shift from a major yarn importer to an exporter, or recent U.S. tariffs affecting demand, can pose new challenges. In response, we adapt by exploring alternative markets, leveraging domestic opportunities, or innovating products to sustain growth. Our goal is to eliminate internal friction so operational excellence drives expansion. When the market is the only constraint, the organisation is positioned to thrive. #TheoryOfConstraints #OperationalExcellence #Textiles #Leadership #RSWM

I’ve delivered 100+ RFPs on time. The secret? The kick off. If you want to deliver an effective RFP, read this: (Btw, the Kick off meeting is as important as the final evaluation meeting) The meeting is not complete unless ✅ The RACI ✅ The Timelines ✅ The Objectives ✅ The Resource Requirements have all been agreed. _________ So here's the framework I use: 1. Prepare for the kick off and ensure the following Attendees ➟ RFP Project Lead ➟ Budget Holder ➟ Technical Lead (IT) ➟ A key end user and issue a clear 'Purpose & Outcomes' agenda. 2. The RACI. Define ➟ Who is Responsible (Procurement & Project lead) ➟ Who is Accountable (Exec sponsor) ➟ Who to Consult (End users) ➟ Who to Inform (Those impacted by change) Agreeing these from the start prevents roadblocks later. 3. The Timelines Work back from the date the solution needs to be delivered. Then factor in fair timelines for: ↳ Document prep ↳ Supplier Responses ↳ Demos ↳ Evaluation ↳ Contracting Project manage this with a simple Gantt chart. 4. The RFP Objectives Alignment of these from the start is key. What's the purpose and what does a good outcome look like? Create 3-4 problem statements that need to be resolved. These form the structure for the evaluation. 5. Resource implications Only once you've been clear on the RACI and timelines can you be clear on resources. What's the availability of end users for evaluation and the Project sponsor for the final decision? Is Project management support required? 6. Note it all down Cascade the agenda with all agreed points & the timeline Gantt to all on the RACI. Clarity now avoid confusion & wasted time late. Refer back to the kick off meeting objectives at the evaluation session and throughout the RFP. ~~~ Has this helped? Let me know in the comments. Feel free to ♻️ repost or share this with your network. ____________________ 📌 Do you want access to all my deep dive articles that go straight to the inbox of 14,000+ Procurement pros weekly? I’m Tom Mills Procurement Protagonist®️ I Simplify Procurement. Simply sign up to my free newsletter here: https://procurebites.com/ You’ll also get 35+ hi-res Procurement cheat sheets for FREE the moment you subscribe.

"Let me know if you have any questions." "Happy to discuss further." "Looking forward to your thoughts." Every time you end a follow-up with these wimpy closes, you're asking busy executives to do work they won't do. They're not going to think of questions. They're not going to schedule a follow-up call. They're not going to send you their thoughts. They're going to delete your email and move on with their actual job. The fix is making the next step so easy that a drunk executive could do it. Instead of "let me know if you have questions," embed your calendar link directly in the email. One click to book time. Instead of "happy to discuss further," Create a simple yes/no decision box: "Ready to see the ROI calculation? Yes | No" Instead of hoping they'll respond with their availability, give them three specific time slots to choose from. The most powerful follow-up technique? Use their exact words from your call. When Jessica said she's "bleeding money on software licenses," don't paraphrase it. Quote it exactly. Reference her Thursday board meeting. Add one insight she didn't know. There's nothing more impossible to ignore than hearing your own words reflected back with new value attached. Your generic templates sound like every other vendor they're ghosting. But your personalized follow-ups that reference specific moments from your conversation get responses. Stop making prospects do the work of figuring out next steps. Start making it obvious how they move forward. Every follow-up is life or death for your deal. Most AEs are committing suicide with their own emails. Don’t be like most AEs.

Ever been thrilled to kick off a new coaching or facilitation project, only to have things unravel before your eyes? You’ve got the green light, your client’s excited, you’re excited... and then: 😬 Deliverables turn into moving targets. 🫨 Tasks start sneaking into the scope. 🙄 Communication becomes reactive. 🙄 And somehow, you're doing more than you signed up for. Sound familiar? These issues can lead to frustrated clients, strained relationships, and results that don’t reflect your expertise. Worse, you’re left questioning your own abilities. The root cause? Poorly initiated projects. The fix? A rock-solid kickoff meeting. Here’s how I run mine to set the stage for smooth sailing: 1️⃣ Set the agenda and introduce the team. Share the agenda in advance so everyone’s prepared. A quick intro sets a collaborative tone. 2️⃣ Review the project overview. Revisit the high-level goals and objectives. Frame it as a partnership—you’re in this together. 3️⃣ Explore hopes and fears. Ask what success looks like for the client, but also what could go wrong. Addressing fears early helps build trust. 4️⃣ Create a risk and opportunity register. Most people track risks, but don’t stop there. Highlight opportunities to amplify success—maybe another internal initiative aligns with your work. 5️⃣ Revisit the timeline. Pull the timeline from your proposal and check if it still works. Revise as needed and confirm key milestones. 6️⃣ Discuss team culture and expectations. How do you want to work together? Align on communication styles and ways of working to avoid surprises later. 7️⃣ Define next steps. End with clarity: What happens next, and who’s responsible for what? 💡 Pro tip: Send pre-work in advance, like a draft risk/opportunity register. The meeting should refine, not start from scratch. The result? ✅ Clarity ✅ Alignment ✅ stronger relationships. A well-run kickoff leads to happy clients, repeat business, and—you guessed it—referrals. Start strong, finish stronger. ~~ ✍️ What’s one thing you always include in your project kickoff? Let me know in the comments! 👇

The 4 Most Effective Feedback Models Yesterday I did a virtual keynote with a Middle Eastern governmental organisation on effective feedback. Feedback is essential to trust and connection. Done well it can strengthen connections further. Here is some of what I shared that you may find useful. 1. SBI + EBI Model (Situation–Behavior–Impact–Even Better If) • Situation: Describe when and where the behavior occurred.  “In yesterday’s client call…” • Behavior: Describe exactly what the person did.  “…you took the lead on explaining our new proposal.” • Impact: Explain the result or effect.  “The client seemed more confident about our expertise.” • Even Better If: Offer a constructive suggestion for improvement.  “It would be even better if you paused to invite questions earlier, to boost engagement.” 2. BOOST + EBI Model (Balanced–Observed–Objective–Specific–Timely–Even Better If) • Balanced: Acknowledge both positives and areas for growth. • Observed: Refer to things you personally witnessed. • Objective: Remove personal bias. • Specific: Provide concrete examples. • Timely: Deliver feedback soon after the event. • Even Better If: Conclude with one actionable recommendation.  “Your presentation was well-paced. It would be even better if you used fewer slides to keep attention high.” 3. COIN + EBI Model (Context–Observation–Impact–Next Steps–Even Better If) • Context: Set the scene for when/where. • Observation: Describe specific behavior. • Impact: Share the effect on results, people, or outcomes. • Next Steps: Co-create solutions together. • Even Better If: Add a stretch goal or aspirational suggestion.  “Your report was clear and data-driven. It would be even better if you added a short executive summary for quick reference.” 4. Radical Candor + EBI (Care Personally–Challenge Directly–Even Better If) • Care Personally: Show genuine respect and support. • Challenge Directly: Be honest and clear about what needs improvement. • Even Better If: Offer a suggestion that supports growth and mutual trust.  “I know you’re deeply committed to excellence. It would be even better if you delegated more so the team can learn from you.” I hope this helps, do share it with anyone having to dole out feedback this time of year. Just one more speaking engagement to go to round out the year! Simone Heng #author #loneliness #humanconnection #keynotespeaker

If your customers need a dictionary, a google search and a couple of phone calls to understand your process, we’ve got a problem. Leaders in regulated industries - like healthcare, banking, insurance and the others often sacrifice customer experiences at the altar of stringent compliance norms. Forms, procedures, and long processes become the standard. Jargons and tech talk get thrown around like confetti. Eventually it leaves customers feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and helpless. When complexity becomes the default, customer relationships suffer. That's why we often see that as soon as a new entrant simplifies things, it triggers a big exodus of even loyal customers of existing brands towards the new option. Sometimes it happens quietly without a whimper. And as brand owners, if we end up noticing it too late, it hits growth, market share and profitability. Regulated industries can, and should create effortless customer experiences. Ease is not about bypassing compliance. It is about designing customer journeys that respect regulations while remaining: ✅ clear, ✅ empathetic, and ✅ straightforward. Here are THREE things I advise my clients who run a compliance-heavy business: 👉🏼 Make simplicity in communication non-negotiable. Replace jargon-filled language with clear, simple explanations. Start with the assumption that your customer does not understand a word of the compliances. The onus is always on you to make it easier to understand. 👉🏼 Proactivity goes a long way. Clarify expectations upfront. Explain the process upfront. Provide guidance and support upfront. This reduces customer effort, eliminates uncertainty and helps smooth sailing through compliance-related processes. 👉🏼 Infuse empathy into every interaction. Train teams to prioritize empathy. Train them on understanding customer perspectives and emotions. Train them to take ownership of the entire customer journey and not just a link in the chain. If you look at it now, these are three very simple things which I'm sure you already know in probably different contexts. But try applying it cohesively and consistently in the context of making your customer's life easy. That's when the magic happens! 🔮 P.S. Tag a company that went above and beyond to make a seemingly complicated task easy for you. Let's give them a shout out today! #CustomerExperience #CustomerDelight #Leadership #CustomerCentricity