A new business consulting team from Brookfield has established a beachhead as the Power Team Partners, and is increasing its business by creating what it terms a progressive offering of trust and accountability.
Founded at the start of this summer, the Power Team Partners is comprised of Valerie Maitland-Smith, president of SCI Business Consulting; Jill McKean president of Organize It; Joe Garzi, president of Southridge Technology; Robert Davis president of Total Digital Solutions; and Charlie Colman, vice president of United Alarm Services. The partners all met as members of the Brookfield chapter of Business Network International.
“We felt that a power team is a good idea for people who are in a similar sort of line of business who can help each other,” said Maitland-Smith. “The idea was that we would promote ourselves as industry experts in these fields. I think the main thing around it was that we could help each other with the marketplace as it now stands. Of course, what we really have is our own focus sales floor.”
The business offers services in business management, organization, technology, security, and telecommunications.
The group meets once a month. Garzi and Maitland Smith say that not limiting their business interaction with their clients to one industry allows their own company image to be reinforced as well as encourages repeat and referred business. The two team members say that their new collective is a product of service becoming the number-one commodity in any industry.
“These are related fields and natural referral sources,” said Garzi.
According to Garzi, since starting the collective 50 percent of his business comes from the group with a 95 percent close ratio.
“They come so highly qualified,” said Garzi. “There”™s a tremendous amount of trust. Once they trust you, they”™re going to trust the vendors you bring in. When I go into a client who”™s a startup, I find that these businesses need phones, need coaching, need organization and alarms. I have all these resources and it makes these businesses very excited, they”™re receiving the full gamut of the consulting business.”
Maitland-Smith said each of the players performs an assessment and has the benefit of being able to offer a specific referral to clients.
“We have all these contacts to offer them, said Maitland-Smith. “They don”™t have to go shopping around. We all work together and we know we”™re all top of the line. When I call in Joe, I don”™t have to worry.”
According to Maitland-Smith, the team is also able to gain an up-to-date perspective of the marketplace from one another.
“We all have our specialties,” said Garzi. “All these things become an issue, and it allows for your clients to pick and choose. If anything, we go in and we”™re giving them an idea of where their business can go, sometimes for a minimal cost, and sometimes for no cost. I think it”™s great for the small to medium-sized businesses because they”™re always watching their dollars, especially now.”
Garzi said the Power Team allows for their clients to shop through accountability,
“By Valerie bringing me in, they”™ve already established that trust, so I have to be incredibly accountable for what I do every step of the way,” said Garzi. “I don”™t want to damage the relationship Valerie has taken the time to develop; the customer knows that and likes that. These are more focused leads, more real leads. When I get a call from Valerie, I know this business needs something, it”™s a qualified lead right away.”
Maitland-Smith said this kind of relationship can be adapted to any industry.
“In business, it”™s all about relationships; the more our relationships grow together, the harder I work,” said Maitland-Smith. “You have to be careful who you choose. Do it because it really works. It is particularly timely with the economic downturn when many businesses must organize and strategize to stretch their investments.”
