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logoDarcie S. Davis
President
Davis, Kingsley & Company

I'm not sure when I realized that my focus is on changing behavior in order to Find Clients and Keep Clients. I used to think I was someone who had a good head for business and an ability to develop effective processes. I sounded like a broken record asking, "What is the process or system that is in place?"

My thinking now places more emphasis on people and behaviors to be effective with business development. It evolved from my penchant for asking questions (refer to paragraph above). It's how I get to the heart and substance of whatever issue needs to be revealed. I call it "searching for the gold nuggets." Turning those gold nuggets into something meaningful to my client's business is one of my strengths. Now, my advice and reports make recommendations that may include process adjustments but will include changes in behavior. The byproduct is business growth. When you need to develop business, you must know more, be focused, and behave more persuasively than your competition!

It's not about changing behavior so that everyone gets along. No, it's about changing behavior to keep a business thriving. For instance, one of my clients (whose billings were down) told me that the professionals were complaining that they were embarrassed to market themselves because their firm did not have attractive brochures. Their solution? You guessed it, they called in a graphic designer. With my client's permission, I interviewed selected professionals and uncovered that they lacked the confidence and the skills to market themselves. The brochure was just an excuse.

Often, the first solution or response is the easiest to understand but may be farthest from the truth. Another example: I worked for many years with professional services firms. I directed an initiative to understand the factors affecting the success rates of proposals. "Fees too high" was the most common reason given for a proposal loss. That was the first response and it smelled contrived. It motivated me to develop a formal debriefing program. I visited the prospects who turned us down. I asked a series of questions about their perceptions of our firm and uncovered many profound and often painful reasons on why our firm was not selected (it was rarely about fees). We used that information to change our behavior in order to change the perceptions of our prospects.

One essential ingredient my clients must tolerate from me is humor. I learned that I am a mortal (yes!), and fun has become more important to me. Laughing and being creative allows our minds to see things from a novel perspective. It's important that the reports generated by my company have personality, levity, and lots of behavior-changing gold nuggets. I don't ever want to see our reports gathering dust. Behavior won't get changed if our advice sits on a shelf.

Call us. We would be pleased to help your business thrive. It's what we do best.

  • 20 years experience in marketing and management
    • Former Regional Marketing Director for Deloitte & Touche LLP
    • Former Associate Planner for WilTel
    • Former head of marketing for architectural and engineering firms
  • Degree earned from Southern Methodist University: Humanities
  • Travels well

 


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East Region
Davis, Kingsley & Co.
1706 Putter Lane
Reston, VA 20190
703.742.3761
www.daviskingsley.com
Southwest Region
Strategic Marketing Partners
11999 Katy Freeway, Suite 290
Houston, TX 77079
281.752.6584
Southeast Region
Fulghum Fisher Marketing
P.O. Box 24961
New Orleans, LA 70184
504.908.4903

 

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The Unstuck Series