Who I Work With. Could It Be You?

I work exclusively with information technology companies that offer high value to their clients and want to earn commensurately high margins for delivering that value.

Now, I know that's a pretty vague definition. After all, not many IT companies say they want to deliver shitty service to crappy clients for chickenfeed. So, based on that, I've developed a set of characters and attributes of clients with whom I can do my best work, so they can get the biggest bang for their bucks.

This is important both for clients and me since some clients would find my idiosyncrasies valuable, while some others would find it infuriating. So, this Perfect Client Profile is just a match to my character and values, so it gives you a chance to see whether or not I'm the right guy for your company.

It's not about being right or wrong. It's more about matching certain personal and organisational attributes to make sure that our collaboration is a euphoric synergy not a merely tolerable compromise.

My "Perfect Client" Profile

Regarding who I work with, in a nutshell, I can use the words of British film director, Terry Gilliam, member of the Monty Python team...

"I like working with good people because if I come up with an idea, they come up with a better idea, then I come up with an even better idea, and so on: It's a leapfrog process, and the work becomes much better than it would be if I only did exactly what I want."

In some more detail, my Perfect Client profile comes in three parts...

1. The Buyer

I do my best work with buyers who...

...have a clear sense of their values and ethics

...know what they want and are able to express it

...are mature enough to dismiss fairy tales, silver bullets and instant gratification when it comes to client acquisition

...aim for perfection as a lifetime quest but operate on an "excellence on time" basis

...are smart enough to understand that while they are in charge, it's their people who actually run their companies

...focus on progress not effort, achievements not activities

...are more concerned with the value they derive from a product or service than the price of acquiring it. They are savvy buyers

...demonstrate good leadership by being exemplars of organisational values

...accept accountability that comes with their positions. Don't complain about the mysterious "THEY": "THEY don't let me do this" or "THEY block this idea" Have courage, spine, guts and brass balls to stand up for their convictions

2. The Company

I work with small and medium sized IT companies that...

...sell new, complex and/or expensive solutions business to business

...sell or aspire to sell to real buyers through intelligent value exchange as respected and recognised experts, as opposed to chasing and pitching purchasing agents through competitive bidding as fungible vendors

...employ dedicated marketing managers/directors. They are pure marketing professionals not commissioned peddlers with exalted titles like business development manager or similar

...have clearly defined markets and refuse the "We do anything for anyone for money" type business prostitution

...rely on results-accountable direct response marketing to generate sales leads and sales, as opposed to wasting time and money on institutional image marketing to generate "brand awareness"

...are socially responsible and care about the welfare of their employees, suppliers, communities and the environment

3. Engagement

I do work WITH clients but not FOR clients. My work is full collaboration between peers, based on mutual trust, respect and credibility to achieve clients' objectives. I do my best work in engagements where...

...I work as a catalyst for positive change and innovation in close collaboration with cohesive teams of professionals

...I can help with strategic, "big picture" issues

...I can provide objective, unbiased frames of reference, new insights and fresh perspectives

...I can offer my analytical, diagnostic and synthesising skills with intuitive backup

...I can guide your team of subject matter experts through the mazes of the implementation process

...I can act as a contact source for information

...I can lend my broad - well, eclectic - experience and share my knowledge with your people

...The value of my work is in the relationship with clients, our personal trust and unrestricted contact, not in the frequency of in-person meetings, on-site visits or number of hours worked.

In My Work I See My Role As...

...being the facilitator for innovation and positive change

...providing an objective and unbiased opinion "The way I see it"

...lending my broad experience

...offering my strong analytical skills with intuitive backup

...fulfilling the role of the strategist by thinking of the long-term and the "Big Picture"

...acting as an information and contact source

And I Stay Away From The Role Of A...

...cheap contract labourer to abdicate unpleasant work that employees are too lazy to do

...henchman to do management's dirty work

..."yes" man to second the decisions clients have already made and refuse to change

...commissioned huckster, peddling some stuff no one has ever heard about

...miracle worker to single-handedly produce silver bullets to save sinking ships

In a way, in my client work, I've adopted Joe Gold's, the founder of Gold's Gym, management philosophy...

"To keep it simple you run your gym like you run your house. Keep it clean and in good running order. No jerks allowed, members pay on time and if they give you any crap, throw them out. There's peace where there's order."

I regard myself as an easy-going guy, not a typical stiff-arse corporate pinstripe, so it's important that I communicate my boundaries clearly, so I attract only the right kind of opportunities. Yes, I lose about 20% of the revenue I could get, but I don't mind doing that if the prize is working only with nice people.

Now that you know what kind of people and businesses I can help the best, you can review how I work.