While most of our clients engage with us for our science-based technical copy, we sometimes engage with external partners if additional services, knowledge and expertise are required. This post is about one of those partners, Strong Brand Strong Business, who helped me turn my scientific expertise into a business, and how they still help us now.
The Importance of External Input
When ConsultaChem was founded, it was very much a baptism of fire. Having previously worked in academia, where most transactions were completed with a nod and a handshake, and then moving into a commercial position as head of R+D where exposure to external clients was limited, working out exactly what ConsultaChem should offer was hard. And, while I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew that I had the technical knowledge to back it up, I had no idea how to go out and sell it.
Which is when I turned to Suzannah Cranwell, from Strong Brand Strong Business.
Suzannah Cranwell, Marketing Strategist at Strong Brand Strong Business.
In the interests of transparency, Suzannah is my sister, and while I’d always known she’d “done stuff in marketing”, I hadn’t fully appreciated that this meant more than 16 years in senior eCommerce and retail roles. Asking her for help was one of the best things I did for the business.
First Things First: Building a Brand Identity
We started with the brand identity, because it helped me to take what was in my head conceptually and commit it to something real – essentially creating a nucleus to then shape the business. I knew that the business was always going to be chemistry-orientated, so Suzannah’s brief was for the design and imagery to make it clear, visually.
The only thing that I stipulated was that the core colour needed to be azulene blue, and ideally we’d find a way to incorporate the chemical structure into the logo. There was no real thinking behind this, other than it’s a beautiful colour and also because I am a closet nerd when it comes to chemical trivia.*
Suzannah then developed these nascent ideas into a logo, colour palette, and – something that’s attracted a lot of admiring feedback – my very own periodic table.
She then brought this to life through the website.
*blue organic compounds are rare, and it’s an aromatic species containing two fused rings, one is electron-rich and one is electron-poor, which has significant impact on the reactivity of each…thus far only 2 clients have noticed that our logo is azulene and then commented on it.
Website Done: Building a Commercial Framework
Clearly a website on its own doesn’t bring in work, so Suzannah then gave me a crash course in the commercial side of running a business. She took me through a workshop where we considered services that ConsultaChem could offer, as well as giving me a marketing 101 lesson in how, why and when to post to social media and the website. This included setting up new media streams – invaluable for leadgen.
There was also the important part of getting a process – and a tool – in place for setting up commercial contracts and sending and finalising proposals. To get the ball rolling, she also joined me at SCS Formulate and a few other industry-leading shows, helping me with the process of setting up client-facing meetings, learning how to identify “the ask”, and also looking for new places to find clients.
Needless to say, she’s still the person I call when I’m defining what’s next for the business – what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.
Where We Are Now
Armed with a website, social channels, a clear set of services, a lead-to-close system, and a plan for growth, ConsultaChem immediately saw traction – and we’ve been growing year on year. We’re now over three years in, the team’s bulding, and we’re working with a wide range of clients. Even better, 95% of our clients stay with us for at least two years.
The science is our side of things, but the business development came from working with Strong Brand Strong Business. It gave us the confidence to make it happen, and also to keep growing at a pace that we can sustain.
If you’re an expert in your field who knows the work inside out but isn’t sure what to sell, who to sell it to or how to win the work, I can recommend talking to Suzannah. She helped me build the brand, decide on our services, put a process in place for proposals and contracts, and get in front of clients at industry shows, and she can do the same for your business.
The best place to start is a conversation, so you can find her at Strong Brand Strong Business or connect with her on LinkedIn. Thank you, Suzannah!