So much has changed over the last few years. Some of our best-laid plans from three years ago have gone by the wayside. I and my colleagues have had so many open and enlightening conversations with clients and friends about opportunities. And about what’s been bothering them. Far too often we’ve heard them say “…that was so helpful, but I’d never have guessed from your website you did that sort of thing…”
So we’ve listened, and rebuilt our thinking and our website around what we’ve heard. That is only part of it, though: it’s even only part of the end result. Listening is that powerful.
It’s good to listen…often it helps you to think afresh…
The questions clients ask at first approach
We looked at all of the questions we were being asked when clients first approached us, and expressed them in the way the clients were asking them. We laid them all out and could see three main themes:
- How can we organise for impact?
~ we need help exploring options for the best strategy, organisational structure, governance models and processes to meet our goals, taking into account risk, situational analysis and scenario planning…..and some turnaround…
- How can we build sustainable partnerships, raise capital, and develop our resources?
~ we need help to get the best out of fundraising, merger, demerger, acquisitions, investing well, and understanding what has happened…
- How can we understand, improve and demonstrate the value we create?
~ we need help to understand what is needed, how we might deliver it, measure it and talk about it, and build the processes to make it happen.
So many of these initial questions followed into “…and can you help us make it happen?”
Finding the questions that fit
My vision in creating what is now Sonnet was of a group of specialists with a wide range of skills that could really help those trying to create impact, no matter what. Frequently the problem started with identifying the problem. So I’ve often found myself saying to clients and friends “…so what I think you’re asking is…” Identifying that so often removes some of the worry. So wouldn’t it help if we could express those questions for them, and they could just find the one that fit?
If we have this right we should be expressing, simply and helpfully, what is puzzling our clients and friends: often things that other consultants can’t solve for them.
Maybe it’s the mathematician – or the musician or the artist – in me, but I like symmetry and order. So three themes, with eight detailed question areas in each, appealed to me. It resonated with the rest of the team, and with a few friends we canvassed for views, so that is how we’ve structured it.
So, you see this story has very little to do with our website. It’s about listening well and trying to help.
This story goes beyond a website redesign. It’s about us providing clarity, personalised support, advice and guidance to each organisation sharing these challenges, just as we are committed to working with them to create real, lasting change.
The new Sonnet website is just one part of our broader effort to create a more impactful, sustainable and equitable world. It serves as a tool to help our clients find the information and resources they need to succeed, but it is only a means to an end. Our true goal is to work together with our others to create positive change in the world.
We’ve learned that the first element of help we can offer is to clarify the question.
Does our new website help? We’d love to hear your thoughts…
Jim Clifford, Founder and CEO
