Shaking My Groove Thing In the Corporate World

Posted by Pam Thomas on November 14, 2007 11:15 AM PST

Recommend this? YES NO

OK, I have decided it is time to take my coaching practice to the next level; corporate coaching. You see, I have this awesome Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology which is just rotting on the shelf so why not put it to use? Right?! My goal is to add five corporate clients to my practice by April 2008. So beginning January 2008 I am going to start making contact with corporate folks.

Here is the kicker, I have this list of companies to contact given to me by a friend (this friend does not know the folks on the list BTW), and I am still stumbling all over myself trying to figure out a good way to get in the door. (Cold calls make me sweat!) So pretty please, with sugar on top, if anyone has any thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on best ways to get my foot in the door without getting it crushed I would be forever grateful.

Add To:

If you enjoyed this blog entry, subscribe to our newsletter and we'll keep you updated with fresh new content.

6 Comments

Sort comments by: Most Recent | Threaded

Thank you, Nicolette -- you are a star and I really appreciate your support.

Either can work for you...it really depends on your comfort level, who your connection is (what level within the firm, etc), your familiarity and the pitch.

As a general rule, I'd say a call in the early part of the day is a good move with a clear concise pitch. Always ask if it is a good time to chat. If it is, give you pitch and be ready with an email follow up with basic info, contact details, a thank you and a "call to action" that invites them to do business with you. If it isn't, offer to send an email today and follow up at an appointed time.

Hope this helps!
Nicolette

Nicolette, many thanks for the great suggestions. I have spent some time this week thinking about the gaps in the corporate world. I also had a conversation with a friend who is a VP in a major corp to find out if the gaps I identified were on target. In addition, I did a little bit of investigative work on the companies I am looking to contact. I think I am almost ready to hit it; just one question though..is it better to send an e-mail to the contacts and it follow it up with a call or just call?

Thank you again!!! I really appreciate the suggestions and support. :)

Pam,

Great new goal! You have what you need to step into this world. To start, I would suggest three basic steps:

Step One: As you reach out to your contacts, think about relationship building rather than cold calling or selling. This simple shift gives you a powerful context to work from - rather than asking for something you are actually offering something they need!

Step Two: Use what you know about the business, the industry, the market to shape your offerings into the corporate space. If the client can recognize your understanding the relationship is easier to establish.

Step Three Get smart! Pay attention to what resonates with your contacts and where you lose them. Ask for help from friends and family that may offer insight, advice and connections. All of this will help you hone your pitch!

So step up to your goal!

Good luck and keep us posted!
Nicolette

Hey Amanda, many thanks for the support, suggestion, and the shout out to the community. I love this place!! :) OK, I am off to make a list of things corporations need so I can match those needs with my offerings. Cool idea and thanks again!! Looking forward to others' thoughts and suggestions!

Great goal Pam, I'm rooting for you!

I'd think that the best start would be to identify the top 10 list of needs most corporations have. Perhaps our community can help since the majority of us have spent time working in an office for many years.

What does the PeopleJam community have to say? What areas in your company can afford to either loosen its tie or tighten it? What has been your experience with the business world, in general, and what do you think tireless coaches, such as Pam, could do to help?

Thanks