working with
mutual value
The Mutual Value model, supported by practical processes and tools, transforms the intent to build trust into repeatable behaviour.
This turns values into value and transactions into relationships that form the basis of sustained growth.
We believe in living our ideas – collaboration, trust, clarity, and the importance of relationship over transaction – and we will apply that in the way we show up at every meeting and in every piece of work we do with you. We have some fundamental ideas we consistently use in our work.
What makes the difference – the Mutual Value Trust Model
Central to the programmes we offer is a focus on the conscious design of trust-based relationships.
Many organisations talk about trust, the importance of relationships, even the power of collaboration, but they see this as a technique to be applied to win more business. Once the business is won people can revert to transactional behaviours that destroy trust and do not support long term thinking.
The Mutual Value approach is different. We believe that the best relationships are built on shared ambition, supported by clear commitments about behaviours every time we show up. Central to this approach is the recognition that success depends on everyone involved collaborating in the delivery of the work, and so the capabilities are collectively developed.
These three dimensions – Clarity, Character and Capability – are the components of the Mutual Value Trust Model, which we use as a foundation for consciously designing more ambitious commercial relationships. It features heavily in all of our consultancy, training and coaching as a way of identifying strengths and weaknesses in building trust-based relationships.
Your most undervalued asset
If you start to consider the time and money you spend on acquiring, maintaining and managing relationships then you will realise you have invested hugely in Relationship Capital, but probably done so in an unconscious, unmanaged and unmeasured way. You may measure outcomes – such as bids, sales etc – but not the critical foundation that makes these more likely to be successful.
That is the quality, dimension and impact of the relationships you have – the Relationship Capital you possess, possibly unknowingly. This is about putting the ‘R’ into CRM.
If you consciously measure, manage and act upon your Relationship Capital, the Return on Relationship capital gain (ROR) can be enormous. We set out the potential for ROR in this post and explain it in this video
Through our partnership with Introhive we can offer a way of measuring your Relationship Capital so that you have a ‘stock price’ for each key relationship in the organisation. This means you know where you are strong and weak to inform decision making about where to invest.
In our Major Accounts Programme we have modules that will equip your teams with the mindset, skillset and toolset to create far higher Relationship Capital with your most important clients.
One of the outcomes is to inform your targeting strategy. We suggest you consider which accounts already sit in the top right hand corner of this model, and which gave the potential to do so. The size of the circle shows their value.
It’s how you all show up – slicing through the cake….
You may have read this far and thought: great, we need to train our key account teams in this stuff so that they can sell more. And indeed, that may be a good thing to do. But we believe it is only the starting point.
Your client experience depends on how you all show up – everyone who is involved in serving their needs. The key to maximising the potential of a Mutual Value approach is to develop consistency in behaviour across the organisation – so that it ‘feels different’ to work with your firm. This is not about a service ethos, but about the establishment of a grown up mindset that focuses on value creation for the client and the firm and engages in open, honest and collaborative ways of working together. We all know what that looks and feels like when it exists. We’re advocating making it business as usual for your firm – the ‘way we do things round here’.
Our view of the world puts your client at the centre of the organisation and works backwards. We should start with your account teams, but they depend on those behind them to turn up in a way that is consistent with this approach.
A typical starting point for our Mutual Value Major Account work is to start with a slice of this organisational view. This may be a business unit, a specific major account or group of accounts, a territory or a sector team. We can begin with the account teams and then work with others who are closest to the client, or work with the whole client team at the same time.
Critically, there needs to be support from the leadership for this approach as it will begin to show up differently. If this exists then this slice of the organisation becomes a pilot project to demonstrate the value of this transformative Mutual Value approach, and this then can be scaled as appropriate.
WORKING WITH YOU
Our collaborative approach starts from our very first meeting.
Specifically, we will support you through some key decisions:
1. What problems do you need to solve in your business in this area? What results do you need to achieve? Importantly what is the value to your business of solving these problems or achieving these results?
When you have a clear view of the business case for change, and its clearly worthwhile we move on to the next decision:
2. To what degree can you successfully achieve this change on your own, or what help do you need?
For very good reasons you may wish to turn to outside support at which point we can work with you to decide:
3. What would be the best way to solve the problems and deliver the result?
Our approach is to collaboratively create bespoke solutions with each Client. We have created a 5 step programme, tools and support services that reflect the broad needs of Clients with whom we work. These 5 steps can be found on our Major Accounts programme page.
For further information get in touch now...
SOPHIE@MUTUAL-VALUE.COM
MUTUAL VALUE HELPS YOU BUILD TRUST.
Let's have an open conversation about the value this can bring to your organisation. Contact sophie@mutual-value.com to arrange a free video call with Stuart Maister or Kevin Vaughan-Smith.