Have you ever wondered how some coaches and consultants land 5 to 6 figure corporate contracts?
Meanwhile, you might be sitting over here trying to up your prices or figure out how to make that little baby nugget offer work.
But what if YOUR offer could work for a corporate client?
Or what companies were looking for workshop speakers to teach on the EXACT topic that you are the expert in?
Open up your google docs and get ready to take ALLTHENOTES because this week’s guest is bringing the FIRE.
Meet RJ Connell.
She’s the CEO of RJC Consulting –– a corporate consulting firm that provides training for BIPOC entrepreneurs and allies to help them land their first, next, or biggest corporate contract. They teach scalable business systems, using research-based sales and business techniques, equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to navigate entrepreneurship successfully through a corporate lens.
When I met RJ last year I knew immediately that she was someone that I wanted to know and learn from and I was delighted when she agreed to come on the show!
Here’s what we cover:
- What kinds of things could you be thinking about and how you specifically can position your offer for a corporate contract
- Specific ways that you can make your offer more enticing to a client
- Understanding how to speak in corporate language without going down the jargon trail
- The 6 most common corporate objectives you’ll need to know to speak the language of decision makers.
- How to actually position yourself as someone that they truly need and will see benefit from
We also get all heated talking about premium pricing and have a shared position on the common saying “charge what you’re worth” (spoiler alert, we both despise that saying).
A special note about paid speaking: if you want to become a paid speaker, lean in and listen up because although we’re talking specifically about consulting packages, these are similar techniques to the ones I use to negotiate my fees when I’m speaking on corporate stages.
Episode Show Notes
In exploring whether or not working with corporate companies might be something that could be a good decision for your business
(09:27) There’s an opportunity for everybody and what’s important to know is the stage that you’re at in your business. If you feel that you are capable and ready to serve at a higher level, then I would consider looking at corporate as an additional income stream to what you’re already doing.
What products or packages you can offer and sell to corporate
(13:08) There’s so many different creative ways you can enter into the corporate world with your services. What’s important to know is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You’re going to take the expertise you already have, and you’re going to find a problem that you can solve. And of course, you’re just repositioning it, making some tweaks, and you’re going to slide yourself right into their coins.
6 Most Common Corporate Objectives:
- Increased Revenue
- Increased Productivity or Operational Efficiency
- Cost change (Decreasing cost)
- Increasing Employee Retention
- Increased Consumers
- Good Public Relations
How to identify if your message can really fit into the corporate?
(15:15) When you can take what it is you’re offering and seeing, can align with any one of these corporate objectives… So you take the message that you already have on the stages that you already speak on, and you take the feedback, especially from what people are saying to you and then you say, ‘Okay, well, based on this, the problem that I solve with my message, how does it align with one of these corporate objectives?’ And if it doesn’t, or if you’re having a hard time finding a good place to kind of match the two or align the two, your message with an objective, then I encourage you to always do some additional research.
How to tie back your offer to the company’s bottom line?
(17:56) There are different ways you can get in. At the end of the day, when it comes to corporate, you are always going to want to tie it to their bottom line, because that does matter to them. It’s just the reality…You’re saying here is how this is the impact of or this is the result that I’m able to deliver, and the impact on the bottom line that it can have.
(19:06) You don’t have to change your whole model..You stay true to who you are and you have alignment with what they’re looking for as well.
How do you position or transition your current offerings?
1. Start with market research
(20:48) See who is out there, what other companies are out there that provide a similar service to what you’re looking to provide. Why are we looking to do this is to validate that there is already a need and a market for what you’re trying to offer.
(21:28) You’re never going to walk into a room blind. Think about it that way, when you’re looking to position your service for a new set of clientele, you want to get to know them better, and know the context that you’re entering into better.
2. Differentiate yourself and the service that you’re offering
(22:56) You have to take that message that you are bringing to the corporate world, and you have to make sure it’s unique to you and very different from what’s already out there as well.
DO’s and DON’Ts in PRICING
Definitely when it comes to pricing, best to do your research before you price. Take the time to first understand what makes you different, and go in with both confidence and clarity why your price point is going to be what it is. RJ shares very simple three things to do and not to do when it comes to pricing:
✗ Don’t price match your services.
✗ Don’t charge what you’re worth.
✗ Don’t wing it.
✔ Do some research and understand your potential clients and your market.
✔ Use a pricing strategy.
✔ Be willing to negotiate
Strategies to keep in mind when doing negotiations
- You don’t have to negotiate from a price perspective
(33:55) Think of what could you add that isn’t a bunch of exhaustive work, but it has a really high perception of value, and not reduce your fee.
- If it’s outside of the budget, then instead of negotiating the price, always negotiate the payment terms.
(35:42) It’s a great way to make sure that you are still receiving the full value of your service but as much as possible, you don’t have to lose out on a potential client, because it’s something that could be really easy to fix with just some creative problem solving.
- (36:00) Offer them a discount if they pay in cash
How would one get to find a corporate client?
(37:19) The best way to do this is to reach out to your existing network, especially if you have peers who provide similar services as you. Just starting with the people you already know, low hanging fruit, right? It doesn’t have to be again, this huge endeavor. You can start with the people who are already closest to you. Reach out to your network,
How do you navigate your messaging if it is focused really on that entrepreneur using really casual language and you’re planning to shift into corporate? Do you have to change messaging?
(43:18) The simple answer is no, you do not have to change that messaging, but you do have to split it
If you’re looking to add in now a corporate clientele, you do have to give them separate places to go. The easiest way I suggest doing this is to add a pop up page to your website, where if anybody types in your website, the first thing that they would see before being able to click anything else is they have to identify who they are. Are you an entrepreneur, looking to clarify your message? Are you a corporation looking for help with communication within your team, or however you want. You give them the option to identify what it is they’re looking for.
Your Turn: what was your favorite part of the episode?
I hope you loved the interview as much as I did. And if you did, be sure to show RJ some love on social media. Post your favorite nugget to stories and tag us – @theheather + @rjconnellofficial
Connect with RJ Connell
Website: https://rjcconsulting.com/workwithus/ Email: info@rjcconsulting.com
RJ Connell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjconnellofficial/
The Profit Scale Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/OrVMKRjb
August Coin-versations: https://info-rjconnell-ca.ck.page/da9865dec5
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Embrace these 4 Pitching Truths to Land Your Next YES – Ep #23
