8: Sara Zessar – Using presentations and relationships with power partners to quickly grow a successful college consulting business

Location: Denver, Colorado

Business: Discovery College Consulting

How we met: I have known Sara for a few years.  We are friends, and I built her website!

Sara is an extrovert who has no problem going to networking events, or doing what it takes to make connections.

For Sara, who has no fear of getting out there and meeting people, the challenge is finding networking opportunities where she can meet potential clients or power partners.  Luckily, she has a good idea of who her clients are, and who can be successful referral partners for her.

Sara has done many things to grow her network, including attending networking events, doing presentations, and reaching out by calling potential power partners. She participates in a group with other college consultants, and she has even gotten referrals from a member of that group whose schedule was too full to take on more clients.

While she has met some clients at networking events, Sara says that she has gotten new clients at many of her presentations.  It makes sense, because the people attending her presentations are actively interested in the college application process.  She is also the expert in the room, and they are therefore more likely to approach her and trust her.

When I asked Sara what she looks for when deciding to attend a networking event, she said she is more likely to attend:

• A group that was recommended by a friend
• An event where she thinks potential clients or power partners will be
• An event where she knows the format and agenda upfront
• An event where she knows she will get a chance to share what she does with others

What makes a great power partner?

Sara really knows who her power partners are.  In talking to her, I thought more about what makes a great power partner.  Here’s what we came up with so far:

• Someone who shares your clients
• Someone for whom you can provide value
• Someone who gets the benefit of power partners
• Someone who is well connected and knows a lot of people

In my business, I have gotten the majority of my clients from power partners.  They are extremely important to have, and I want to explore this relationship further in my next conversations.

Sara really cares about her clients, and they care about her success, too.

It is clear that Sara cares about her clients a lot.  She talks about them frequently, and it is abundantly obvious that she has a deep concern for their success.  Once they have been admitted to college, she stays in touch with them.  She really wants to know if they are happy with their college choice.

Because of this genuine relationship, Sara’s clients refer her to their friends, use her services for multiple siblings, and even connect her with other people whom they believe can help make Sara’s business a success.

My takeaways:

• Presentations are a great way to grow your network, because you get in front of potential clients as the expert.
• Power partners do share certain characteristics, and it’s important to keep these in mind when reaching out to people
• When you show your clients that you really care about their success, they will care about your success too

Sara wants to connect with:

• Parents of high school students
• Other people who work with college-bound students, like college financial planners

Do you want to connect with Sara?  Check out her LinkedIn profile here.

1 step you can take to grow your network today:

Figure out where your ideal clients hang out (i.e. in Meetup groups, at certain community locations) and then plan a presentation there to share your expertise.