The Power of One-on-One Strategy Meetings
An Interview with GUILD Member Ellen Scanlon
It takes time, energy and trust to break through the walls we build around ourselves. They protect us in crowded public places or at a dinner party where we don’t know anybody, but they can also prevent us from breaking through to engage with new people and make fresh connections. The fear of rejection or an instinct to mistrust strangers pushes us toward the fallacy that these walls make us safe. We see this at many networking events, and it raises a central question: how we can break through the barriers and help women master these unscripted encounters?
We launched the GUILD to create a trusted community and give women a larger purpose and an activity that provides context for deeper conversations. By offering a little bit of upfront information and suggesting a time and place to meet, the GUILD helps overcome some of the traditional hurdles that hold us back from networking.
But this is your journey. Who you meet, and what you make of these connections is unique for each of us. Here’s GUILD member Ellen Scanlon’s experience of her first meeting, her expectations, and how she got the conversation rolling.
As the head of Magellen Ventures, a strategy and marketing consultancy, Ellen Scanlon blends a talent for listening with small business smarts to help her clients make pivotal decisions. She developed her intuition for sensing the needs of business owners while she was working at a relationship-driven investment management start-up soon after graduating from business school. Ellen also has a special acumen for “pattern recognition”, the ability to spot trends and behaviors in particular industries and among clients. Her passion for helping professionals develop new skills informs her practice.
Many of my friends have met great partners through the magic of online dating. As I approached my first meeting within the GUILD’s match-making network of professional women, I wondered if I could use this networking experience to develop new skills for facilitating professional relationships.
I can relate to the challenges my clients face when they are trying new things and may not necessarily feel like an expert. I’m skilled at helping CEOs and small business owners make important changes in their businesses, but I don’t often turn the tables and use this practice on myself. I wanted to use my GUILD meeting as an opportunity to hone some of my own business decisions, in particular ideas I was exploring around redesigning my website and recruiting and retaining new clients.
As it happens, my first match was with the GUILD’s founder and CEO Anne Cocquyt. I had met her a few times and had recently attended the GUILD’s launch party and joined the network. Since my strategy consulting business is driven by my relationships with CEOs and founders, I was excited to spend an hour with her. It was powerful and profound — a short, very effective conversation that tapped into key questions driving my business.
At our meeting, I explained a bit about my work. I had recently updated my website to offer a modular approach to solving the kinds of pain points I experience with my small business prospects. I described my love of building strong relationships, and expressed my satisfaction with the long-term engagements that have naturally developed with many of my clients. Yet while this is admittedly a great outcome, unfortunately it also means I have less time to develop a strong pipeline of new clients.
My goal with the new website content was to offer my insights into the best articles, videos, and guidance I regularly offer my clients, on topics such as brand strategy, storytelling, and growth metrics. Readers can learn about me through my influences, and I can share with them some of the best advice I know. As Anne and I talked, my main question came tumbling out. How can I ensure the website will lead to new clients?
We used the GUILD as a test case, so my questions had the weight of an actual decision. Anne’s insights, and her role as a proxy for my ideal client, sparked my imagination and excitement for the next phase of my business. Anne suggested running seminars with a limited number of people. But, I asked, would that not feel too generic? We agreed that spending a half day together really digging into the challenges specific to her business would be a better use of her time and money.
Building on her advice, I’m now launching custom one-day programs for entrepreneurs that focus on two or three key challenges and provide the support and accountability to create long-term results. What had been a decision I was weighing in a vacuum became a candid conversation around pricing, valuing my time, and providing the best experience for my clients.
And, this wasn’t just a one-way conversation. As the GUILD grows, Anne wants to share and celebrate users’ successes with the network (this blog post was her idea!). The GUILD is built on the principle of group momentum: the collective knowledge of the members carries the whole group forward. Anne often cites the African proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” My meeting with her proved this to be true.
Ellen’s website magellenventures.com now offers an enhanced library of curated business concepts and strategies. If you are a small business owner, check out the modules she’s created on such topics as leadership presence, growth metrics, and branding. And if you have any feedback about her advisory program or want to learn about more about the services she provides, reach out to ellen@magellenventures.com. It’s all about taking the awkward out of networking, by breaking down barriers and creating meaningful connections.
