Cool Strategies™ has enjoyed success working with a diverse set of clients. If you question whether long-term change can be successfully initiated with short-term consulting projects, take a look at a few examples from Cool Strategies™' own client experiences:

Client Experience #1
Problem: Client was frustrated with the direction of their fundraising appeals, and weren't feeling like donors were responding to requests for financial support. In addition, product sales were sluggish.
Action: Cool Strategies™ assisted management in identifying a broad theme for donor communication, and coordinated greater continuity across their various avenues of communication. Also helped the nonprofit identify a communication strategy that was more conducive to their kind of organization, and created a product sales strategy to help prospective customers identify products that would be appropriate for their interests.
Impact: Donor conversion rates increased ten times, moving from 2% to 18% in the first year of implementation. December 2001 revenue alone rose 41% from December 2000, far exceeding their all-time record for giving in a single month! Client has also begun to receive major gifts from donors who now see and appreciate the broad impact the organization is having. Product sales have skyrocketed as well.

Client Experience #2
Problem: Didn't have a firm grasp on what their core competencies were as an organization, which meant they weren't multiplying the core work of a few pivotal people into a wide variety of valuable products/services.
Action: Cool Strategies™ facilitated management discussions and provided material to help senior management identify core competencies and how to leverage them for future success and expansion. This encouraged the organization to establish a game plan that ultimately led to the creation of a division focused on new product development.
Impact: This new division is expanding the organization's focus and vision, and will eventually serve as a source for new revenue. It has also helped the organization establish a succession plan as they move away from their current founder-oriented structure.

Client Experience #3
Problem: Lack of an annual planning process kept the organization from being fully aligned with their vision.
Action: Cool Strategies™ assisted this client in developing an annual planning process that focuses on translating their vision into a set of annual corporate initiatives, divisional objectives, and individual quarterly goals.
Impact: This directive has created true organizational alignment. Their vision has a much greater chance for success now that it has been linked back to individual responsibilities and operational budgets.

Client Experience #4
Problem: Lack of human resource policies that encourage staff. Symptoms include ineffective communication, lack of internal promotions and reward programs, and building a team for future.
Action: Cool Strategies™ helped senior management make an organizational priority around the need to focus on staff more holistically. This priority was supported by a detailed action plan to provide a healthier, more productive environment.
Impact: Staff retention has improved significantly and morale has strengthened over the last year. Product development and support have also significantly increased, as measured by client satisfaction and a dramatic reduction in customer inquiries.

Client Experience #5
Problem: "Over-servicing" the wrong customers, thus robbing them of resources needed to market to new, more valuable customers.
Action: Cool Strategies™' offered this client the insight and "permission" to end customer relationships that weren't going anywhere and focus on more valuable customers--customers with which the organization could enjoy a more mutually beneficial relationship.
Impact: Identification of a more productive customer base offering long-term growth and profitability.

Client Experience #6
Problem: Substandard performance in the area of new employee orientation, and a lack of recognition among management concerning the impact of poor performance in this area
Action: Cool Strategies™ provided senior management with evidence that highlighted how a lack of orientation was impacting the organization and ultimately costing money. We creatively identified several minor changes that would require no additional time or investment, but would improve productivity as new staff ramp up.
Impact: The tremendous shift in new employee experience lead to a more satisfied and productive staff, reduced ramp-up time and costs, and significantly increased tenure.

Client Experience #7
Problem: Corporate office staff were concerned about growing field staff frustrations with the corporate office's performance and support.
Action: Cool Strategies™ quantitatively identified that branch office staff actually had a more positive view of the organization than was expected within the corporate office! Immediately mitigated the level of concern which had existed previously.
Impact: Relieved staff tension about actual versus perceived levels of performance, and encouraged them to know their efforts were being respected and appreciated in the field, resulting in better, more productive working relationships.

 

Other Common Issues
Beyond the individual client experiences outlined above, there are a number of issues common to nearly every organization with which we work:

Lack of understanding of interrelationships
Most companies don't fully appreciate the impact that under-performance in certain areas is having on the organization. This process aligns them to a common set of concerns and challenges.

Long-standing frustrations
Cool Strategies™ has helped management teams all over the country identify aspects of their organization that are being undervalued, and which, if valued more highly, could turn around long-standing frustrations and lead to greater profitability.

Lack of action planning
Most management teams lack a clear plan for responding to identified priorities. In fact, many have never worked through the process of developing a detailed action plan. Cool Strategies™' engagements take teams with varying levels of experience, comfort, and familiarity, and guide them through this process.

Lack of follow through
Most organizations also lack the systems needed to ensure the operational plans of the organization will actually be accomplished. Cool Strategies™ has identified a number of impediments that prevent plans from being successfully executed, and will assist in establishing proper procedures and tools to help ensure success. Nothing is fail-safe, but it's the next best thing!

If you are looking for a consultative process that will elevate the knowledge and competence of your team, Cool Strategies has something to offer. From beginning to end, our engagements are educational and developmental for everyone involved. Our goal is to prepare your team for both short and long-term success, as measured by greater strategic impact, sustained growth, and financial health.
Contact us if you would like more information on how long-term change in your organization could be initiated via a short-term, relatively low cost engagement.