People still ask if I miss working for a Fortune 500 company. I tell them the only times I do are on the 15th and 31st of the month.
That line always gets a laugh.
When you are in an entrepreneurial venture, the paydays aren't on a predictable schedule. Yet, since The Brainzooming Group works with many major corporations, it's not like I don't retain a sense of the upsides and challenges of working in the corporate world.
For today, at least, it is great to be out of the corporate world.
That sentiment all revolves around our content marketing strategy.
The client we're onsite with today working on an innovation strategy comes with an intriguing history.
Our primary contact saw me speak in 2014 at Compete Through Service Symposium produced by the Arizona State University Center for Services Leadership and subscribed to the Brainzooming blog email. At the company he was at, there was no opportunity to work with us.
He changed jobs early in 2017 and re-subscribed to the blog with his new company’s email address. By mid-year, he completed a Contact Us form on the website, wanting to discuss his brand's innovation strategy. Coincidentally, we were headed to his city the next Monday to host another client's annual customer forum. We arranged a meeting and subsequently developed a scope of work. It changed a few times as he worked to sell-in the initiative. Several months later, the deal seemed in question, but we got an opportunity to do a 30-minute phone conference with the company president to address his questions. That led to another spin on the scope of work.
Right after 2018 started, they signed the scope of work to begin. Following an online input survey with both internal team members and external partners, three of us are onsite TODAY for a full-day innovation strategy and new product development workshop.
So, why does this story make me glad I'm not in the corporate world anymore?
It’s because I can’t fathom trying to assign credit for this deal if it unfolded in a Fortune 500 company:
- The relationship started multiple years ago through a speaking engagement.
- The only client contact for nearly three years was the blog email and an eBook download.
- Once we moved into active business development mode, three of us participated in developing the scope of work.
- I led the call that moved us toward winning the business.
- Four of us contributed toward creating the Brainzooming experience we’ll deliver today.
In a Fortune 500 company, this could lead to a huge tug-of-war for credit.
In an entrepreneurial venture, we can talk through the best approach to assign credit that equitable for everyone without needing a system to track and allocate effort.
Here's to a wonderful, productive, and beneficial workshop with our new client, and our hope that it leads to a long relationship. And even better, as we move forward, here’s to nobody even remembering exactly did what to win it. – Mike Brown
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