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INNOVATE, ADVISE, DELIVER

At Enlightened, we deliver end-to-end IT solutions with a focus on Cybersecurity, Management Consulting, and Software Development and Integration. Our work keeps our nation safe, helps our government better serve its citizens, and gives corporations the knowledge and power to thrive. Our customer-centric philosophy ensures that each solution is customized to your individual needs to provide you with the greatest value and optimal business impact.

“Innovate, advise, deliver.” These verbs, action words, are key to the Enlightened brand. It’s what Enlightened does. The goal of this seminar is to exchange ideas about the specific things we can do at the engagement site to ensure that our clients see us as true consultants, that is, trusted business advisors and not simply contractors. Clients hand work to contractors; true consultants hand ideas to their clients. In order to play that role:

We must add value
We must be a “king-maker” not the king.
We must think about the customer’s need, not the SOW. The SOW is the baseline.
We must be innovative
We must create and communicate ideas, Ideas, Ideas
We must look for opportunities to grow by adding value
We must Think white papers and prototypes
Thing business transformation when necessary

I

Introduction Exercise

Using keywords, jot down what“value” means to a client.

II

Your Elevator Pitch

This 30 second “pitch” (70-100 words) is brief enough to be recited on a short elevator ride. Less is more. It tells the customer who you are and why your skills make you the best consultant to help them solve their business problem(s).

Example: I’m Dale Smith with Enlightened. I have a unique combination of skills both in business process reengineering and cybersecurity. One of my most recent projects involved a major re-alignment of cyber security assets for a major bank. I’m eager to work with you and other clients at the Department of State, as I am a firm believer in the power of diplomacy.

Key Parts: Who you are, What you can do, What you have done, Why you are here, Who you are as a person.

III

The Enlightened Value Proposition

This is not about you or Enlightened. This is about the client and their business problem. You begin by probing for their “pain points” stated in their own words.

Client: “We have a lot going on, and not enough time to get everything done.”

Consultant: “We see that a lot. What seems to be the most pressing issue?”

Client: “Probably__________________________________________________.”

Consultant: Briefly re-state the issue in terms of the ideas and solutions you will offer, e.g., “We find that ________________ is often because of _________________.

We tend to approach that by:

First Enlightened solution
Second Enlightened solution
Third Enlightened solution”

Listen to and overcome objections. The client should do most of the talking. Restate their problem and your solution(s), then set up a follow-up meeting focused on the idea(s) that seemed most appealing.

IV

The Right Skillset and Habits

We’ve discussed the word value, now let’s discuss “idea. Ideas, ideas, ideas. What’s an idea? The goal is to discuss the skills of a consultant (see Table 1 in workbook) and assess the extent to which we exhibit them at the client site. We will role play “eager consultant meets reluctant client” based on the skills listed below.

General subject matter expertise—e.g., BPR, process mapping, mathematical modeling
Specific subject matter expertise—e.g., the various disciplines within cyber security
Client mission expertise—familiarity with agency mission statement, the Secretary’s biography, agency history and culture
Client mission technical expertise—knowing the specific mission and budget of the organization you serve
Planning—These are PMP (Project Management Professional) level competencies that enable consulting teams to create boundaries and goals for a project
Task and Project Management—managing tasks and day-to-day delivery quality
Interpersonal skills—using social intelligence, building
teamwork within the team, working with the clients one-on-one both formally and informally
Presentation skills—presenting information formally and informally to groups