Is your lack of vulnerability hurting your business?

Should you be concerned about your lack of being vulnerable in your business?

As you think about that let me tell you a story...

Sam and I spoke with Perry Marshall on a cold April afternoon in Chicago.

In the boardroom we brainstormed ideas about how to build a stronger relationship with our community, and the Consulting Success, brand.

We wanted to tell the story more effectively, but were stuck.

Perry then said...

Tell your community about what you do.?Tell them your highs and lows.?Tell them about your past, present, and future.

It hit us.

We made a?film to tell the story of Consulting Success.

Not just any documentary, but one where we are more open and able to explore our lives.

It was time for me to let go of the professional fa?ade and be more vulnerable.

After sharing the documentary for over a full year, I am confident that it was one of the most important things we have done.

The short film has a strong impact on our clients who are from all over the world.

Every business owner who I have spoken to and who has had the courage to share their story, says the same:

It has had a profound effect on their professional lives.

Learn about the importance of being vulnerably as a consultant by watching the video below:

You'll discover why it's so important to be open and vulnerable, and how you can do that.

Two more stories will be shared with you from my own life and one from a client of ours.

It's All About People

You may have felt that you made a mistake, but things turned out well in the end.

15 years ago I began my consulting career in Japan.

I got a phone call one day.?The call was from the managing directors of one of Japan’s largest advertising agencies.?I knew something was wrong. We had worked together on several projects.

"Hello, Michael-san?"

"Yes??How are you?

Omron is furious.?Omron's furious ."

"What's wrong?"

"I got a phone call from Tokyo.?They discovered a problem in one of the advertisements your team produced.?Please come to the office immediately so that we can fix this ...."

I gulped.

Omron, a multi-billion dollar manufacturing company, was one of the biggest clients we had.

The thoughts in my mind and heart were racing.

I ran down to the lobby and grabbed a taxi in order to get to Moriya's office, which is located downtown Osaka.

We spent about an hour trying to find a solution.?Moriya-san finally looked at me and told me "We must go to Tokyo."

The next thing I knew, we were in a cab heading to Shin-Osaka Station to catch the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo.?We were off...

I felt as if my heart was about to burst.?I felt sick and my stomach was twisted.

We would lose Moriya-san and our feature business if we lost Omron.

I heard a little voice telling me that everything I did was wrong.

• You're only 21 Michael. You don't deserve doing business with big companies. Forget about working with men in their 50s or 60s!
• "You are a foreigner and your Japanese isn’t good enough. You won't be accepted ...."
• ..."

"I won't give up!" I said to myself, quickly squelching those voices in my mind.

Shining skyscrapers were all around us as the Shinkansen entered Tokyo.?The streets were crowded with people.

The lion's den was my destination. I had no time to admire the city.

Arriving at Omron Tokyo, I checked in with the front desk.?I sat in the lobby of Omron's Tokyo office for what seemed like an eternity.

Tick-tock, tick-tock...

The receptionist finally took me to the meeting room.

The time froze.?I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what I saw.?The powerful?executives?were able to send me running back.

My instincts took control.

I did not need to use any tactics.?I had no secret that could save me.

It's all about relationships.?I would be honest, tell you what happened and give you advice on how to fix the problem.

It took about four hours.?But my client didn't chew me out.?They listened instead.?They respected and appreciated the fact that Moriya-san had come straight from Osaka for a resolution.

We cared.?It showed that we cared about Omron.

I could have hid behind technology.?I could have called.?I could have asked my advertising partners to take care of it without me.

We went directly to the client.

Relationships are our top priority.?They appreciated it.

It is impossible to be a consultant for two decades without making mistakes.

Instead of hiding my feelings, I often share this story.

Practice what you preach

You've probably invested in something and it didn't work out as you expected.

A few years back, I signed up for?consultation with a well-known "guru.".

What is the price??$45,000.

Sam and I have invested a lot of money in our business.

We understand how important it can be to invest in your career and yourself.?We've invested thousands of dollars into coaching and consulting.

We were ecstatic to start working with the Guru.

We immediately started using the materials after signing up.

We had a great start with some early victories.

Then progress halted.

We were stuck, but we wanted to move forward.?Our guru was needed to help us move forward.

We sent them an e-mail.

Four days later they sent me a vague reply.?It didn't work.

We asked for clarification.

4 more days go by...crickets.

This is not what I expected.?Where was the on-site help??Where was easy access?

After a few days, I received an email.

My temperature was rising.?Sam and I sent a few more emails, and we received similar vague and unhelpful responses.

For $4000 per month, we were getting $49 service.

It was impossible to not scratch our heads.

We got where we are today by investing in coaching and consulting.?This particular coach didn't meet our standards.

What went wrong?

We realized it shortly afterwards: we had violated?one of the most important principles, culture-fit.

Our greatest value is culture and family.?Relationships are of paramount importance to us.

This guru focused on transactional work, not relationship-building.

We made the wrong decision if we couldn't reach the guru to discuss the problem.

Were we a bit burned by this investment?

Sure.?We learned from our mistakes.

We are happy to invest thousands of dollars into coaches and consultants.?Why would we??We provide these services ourselves.?It's also important to live what you preach.

Now, we review our values every time before we hire or work with anyone.?If it's not a good fit, we will move on without them.

Family First

Bet on Yourself

You may have felt stressed or tired in your 9-5 work, and daydreamed about bigger and better things.

Elliot is an elite advisor and consultant in our?Clarity Coaching Program. Here's a story about one of his favorite business experiences.

He was burnt out and bored with the corporate world.

He was given a new chance: he could leave the company with which he worked, return to Northern California and help turn the company around.

Elliot believed that this change in scenery would give the boost he was looking for.

He was unhappy.

He dragged his miserable, angry, and stressed self home after another boring day.

He lost his temper in the kitchen.

Julie, his wife, listened as he rant.?Elliot let?years?of frustration out.

She said something that completely changed the way she saw things.

It's time to bet on yourself.?"It's time to wager on yourself."

Elliot has been thinking about?starting up his own consulting company?for many years.?He had bills to settle.?He had to pay for his two children's college education and he just bought a new house in Northern California.

He decided it was now time to move.

Today is the day...

Elliot founded?TIG Brands?a highly successful consultancy firm.

Every day he is excited to come into work: he gets to work on exciting projects with clients whose company he enjoys.

He has had experiences that he would have never imagined possible. From traveling to Australia with clients, to networking for mastermind groups in Spain and dining with Hollywood celebrities in Hollywood Hills.

He looks back on his corporate career and wonders why he survived so long.

Julie likes the new version of Elliot a lot more.

Elliot would be happy to share his story of success.

He shares the vulnerable, emotional truth.

This makes the story more real and .

Imperfect Action

It's now your turn to be vulnerable.

Answer the following questions honestly and openly.

You can use your business or career...

• What has been your greatest struggle?
• What mistakes did you make?
• What are the lessons you learned from your mistakes?

Conflict is essential to a story.

Answering these questions will help you tell a complete story about yourself, your business, and your skills.

Your clients do not expect you to be perfect.

Your story will resonate more when you include your highs and lows.

Watch our short film below - The Truth Behind Consulting Success - if you need some inspiration.

You'll be able to attract people who are attracted to you by sharing your authentic, true story.

Turn your consulting story into a success story

We'll show you how to build a consulting firm where you get paid for your worth, work on exciting projects and with wonderful clients.

Find out more about our Coaching Program here?or schedule your?FREE Consultancy Success Growth Session, where we will talk about you, about your business and about your next steps in growing your consulting business.