Business development at a hyper growth scale up
Accelerate your digital ambitions
AND Digital is a hyper-growth digital agency with the mission to close the digital skills gap.
The Challenge
AND Digital is historically a build company, but is rapidly developing it’s strategic and consulting arms. I have trialed new approaches on client and within the company to engage clients at a strategic level with a focus on business value and discovery rather than building a solution.
The Process
- Commercialising customer centricity: I brought together a working group to experiment with new engagement approaches across the client lifecycle focussed on winning work based on business value. In 2023 we will trial value proposition workshops, product discovery introductions with new and existing clients with a goal to win strategic engagements based on business value.
- Client pitches: In my client work I have shaped and pitched strategies to senior executives to win follow on work. Some of these pitches were taken up to become central planks of corporate strategy.
- Product discovery: the best way to win work is by collecting evidence from customers and business stakeholders in discovery to give a clear roadmap to achieve business value based on evidence. I have several examples of achieving this.
- Discovery leadership: I helped to shape AND Digital’s approach to discovery which is now a formalised training module being rolled out across the company.
- Customer Centricity Training: I shaped and led a 10 month, hands-on training program on customer centricity to help colleagues understand the importance of focussing on business value and empowering them to advocate for this on client.
The Outcome
Engaging clients at a strategic level
Provided innovative approaches to client engagement
Secured work through successful product discovery and client bid work.
Developed a culture where the focus is outcome focussed with measurable business value.
Fahad Ansari
Business Development Manager AND Digital
I have had the pleasure of working with Simon for the past 10 months and can say that Simon has been an amazing colleague to work with.
Simon not only is one of the best Product principals I have come across in all my years of professional services, but also has that rare talent and awareness of the wider aspects of working as a service professional - in that he has a keen commercial awareness and business development acumen, to spot opportunities to expand our offerings with our clients and exceptional influencing skills to land those opportunities.
Simon is always thinking about what comes next and certainly his client's have greatly benefitted from his strategic thinking, whilst also able to tactically implement those ideas.
Key takeaways
During my time as a consultant I’ve enjoyed developing my commercial awareness and strategic sales skills and look forward to applying these in future roles.
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