Unlock Corporate Deals: Mastering Niches, Gatekeepers & Value
Oh, the allure of corporate clients—prestige, impact, and those juicy contracts that make your bank account sing.
Yet, cracking the corporate code feels like you're trying to solve a Rubik's Cube with a blindfold on.
You're sitting there, expertise in hand, wondering, "Why the cold shoulder from these companies?"
From doing 1000s of assessments over the past 3 years, I've pinpointed three critical zones where many of us—coaches, consultants, and service-based professionals typically fumble.
I’ll break it down one by one.
1. The Art of Niching
You might think casting a wide net with your expertise is the way to go.
Here’s the kicker: corporates aren't searching for just any expert; they crave specialists who get the nitty-gritty of their industry's headaches.
Take Mike, for example - a leadership coach offering generic wisdom to any executive who would listen. Despite quality content, he struggled to get decision-maker traction and calls with his positioning.
It wasn't until Mike laser-focused exclusively on the tech industry that interest took off. He invested time in becoming fluent in the never-ending change management and employee burnout plaguing these rapidly scaled startups.
This allowed Mike to address niche pain points other providers missed. Suddenly he found serious inquiries from tech execs wanting custom leadership coaching grounded in the realities of their volatile work environment.
Rather than a generalist throwing around buzzwords, Mike built corporate appeal by narrowing his positioning into an industry-specific specialist.
Another example is Amy, a time management consultant who tightly targeted attorneys at large multi-practice law firms. These lawyers constantly drown under 80+ hour work weeks yet hesitate to appear overworked to partners.
By intimately researching these lawyers' realities, Amy crafted content on reducing billable hours while maintaining partner track perceptions - something no other coach addressed. She knew exactly how to resonate by embracing the nuances of this niche.
Her hyper-targeted positioning made Amy an invaluable insider guide to an influential audience other consultants overlooked. She gets constant corporate training requests as word spreads of her unique value.
As you can see, successfully niching to corporates is about becoming the most credible voice around the pains and priorities of a tightly defined audience.
Research then showcases that intimate fluency attracts those fighting similar challenges every day.
2. Finding The Gatekeepers
Figuring out who holds the keys to the kingdom in these corporate mazes is another beast.
It’s not always the usual suspects. While you might bet your bottom dollar on HR for your wellness program pitch, it could very well be department heads who are scouting for lifelines for their overworked teams.
Take Angela, a workplace wellness guru intent on selling her program through HR departments. She contacted me after pivoting her focus and targeting prospective clients who couldn’t make decisions. It's rarely who you initially assume.
After our initial assessments, I helped her to discover a backchannel - operations managers dealing with the insurance costs of burnt-out, unhealthy employees.
These behind-the-scenes budget influencers became Angela's true champions. They shared her LinkedIn content with decision-makers as a clear innovation path to curtail expenses and boost retention.
Had Angela stuck to her HR-focused plan, she would still be waiting. But by identifying alternative (yet powerful) buyers tied to her true value, more doors opened to meeting with decision makers.
The lesson? Corporate decision chains are filled with unintuitive influencers at every stage.
Rather than fixating on one linear signing route, make a network map of various titles impacted by what you provide. Then, introduce yourself to decision-makers you may have overlooked.
In some cases, HR may still write the check, but whispers in their ear could come from all sides. Understand the ecosystem, then build diverse relationships.
This multi-pronged approach ensures your solutions receive fair visibility from unexpected allies. Savvy service providers know deals rely as much on internal networking as external pitches.
3. The Double-Edged Sword of Value Communication
This is where many miss the mark: failing to paint a vivid picture of their value proposition, not just for the day-to-day operations but for the grand corporate strategy.
It's like when I teamed up with a communication coach. We didn’t just talk about smoothing over team chats. We showcased how these improvements were a stepping stone to greater innovation and agility in the market.
This two-pronged pitch made us stand out, opening doors to conversations we hadn’t had before.
Tapping into the corporate vein is more than flaunting your expertise… it's about diving deep into their ecosystem and addressing their hunger pangs.
Once you get this down, those elusive corporate doors don't just creak open. They swing wide, inviting you into the world of lucrative contracts.
If you feel unclear about how to start or navigate this process, I can help you with this in my exclusive 6-week 1:1 consulting intensive for coaches, consultants, and service providers.
This level of clarity will help corporates instantly recognize that you can solve their problem And the compound benefits are well worth it for your business growth and impact.
In the 6-week intensive, I also help you:
Create content that attracts decision-makers
Craft a compelling offer tied to corporate outcomes
Identify and connect with ideal prospects on LinkedIn
Structure sales conversations that lead to yeses
This is for experienced coaches, consultants and service-based business owners who would like to make at least an additional six figures per year from workshops and/or consulting with a small number of corporates and organizations.
The investment is $9K, which is reasonable considering the level of personalization, my proven methodology, and the results achieved.
My clients typically add multiple 6-figures in revenue and often triple their prices after working with me.
Complete the form in the Work with Me tab.