This Week: Finance pillar focus — Inbound infrastructure + UNO delivery prep + workflow mapping
Sprint: Mar 16-22 | Active: Cold outreach + UNO delivery
Workflow & Trust Ladder
Client progression, consulting phases, pricing, retainer positioning.
Trust Ladder -- 6 Stages
Don't sell a $10K engagement to someone who's never heard of you. Build trust in stages. Each step delivers value AND gives you intelligence.
Deliver: AI Readiness Assessment (15 min via Cal.com) + 2-3 recommendations + follow-up email with 1-page summary
Learn: Pain points (their words), CRM used, decision maker, budget signals, fit
Target: 30-50% move to Stage 2 | Cost: 15-30 min per call
Rule: Give them the WHAT, not the HOW. Save HOW for paid work.
Deliver: Data Health Check -- CRM audit, data quality score, recommendations report, 30-min debrief
Learn: Actual data quality, team workflows, internal politics, decision process, budget cycle
Target: 50-70% move to Stage 3 | ED can approve without board
Deliver: CRM Jumpstart -- configure features, 2-3 dashboards, 1 key integration, staff training
Learn: Staff adoption speed, real bottlenecks, vendor relationships, next initiative
Target: 40-60% move to Stage 4 | This is where you earn bigger work
Deliver: Systems Connect / Automation Build -- full integration, custom workflows, documentation, 3-month check-ins
Learn: Full tech stack, funding sources, strategic priorities, AI opportunities, retainer candidacy
Target: 30-50% move to Stage 5 | Plant the AI seed here
Deliver: AI Readiness Program -- AI strategy, tool selection, pilot, governance, training, measurement
Learn: Innovation appetite, multi-year potential, referral network
You become "their technology person"
Deliver: Monthly retainer -- monitoring, optimization (3 hrs/mo), quarterly review call, annual re-assessment, priority access
3 retainers x $1,000/mo = $3,000/mo recurring baseline
Retainer Tiers
| Tier | Hours/Mo | Price | Best For |
|---|
| Light | 2-3 hrs | $500/mo | Simple systems (1 CRM, 1-2 integrations) |
| Standard | 4-5 hrs | $750-$1,000/mo | Connected systems (CRM + email + accounting) |
| Premium | 6-8 hrs | $1,250-$1,500/mo | Complex setups or active AI adoption |
Retainer Pitch Script
"Everything's running well right now. Here's the documentation so your team can handle the basics. But I want to be honest -- the systems we built need some ongoing attention. CRMs accumulate bad data, integrations break when vendors push updates, and your board is going to ask for new reports every quarter. I've seen orgs invest in a great setup and then watch it degrade over 12-18 months because nobody was minding the store.
I offer a monthly retainer for clients who want to protect that investment. It's $750 a month -- that gets you a monthly health check, up to 3 hours of maintenance and optimization, and priority access if something breaks. Once a quarter we hop on a 30-minute call to review.
It's not for everyone, and you don't have to decide now. But if you're interested, I'll send over a simple one-pager."
The Funding Intelligence Play
| Funding Source | How to Use |
|---|
| Capacity-building grants | Include "CRM optimization" or "data infrastructure" as a line item. Many funders specifically fund tech. |
| General operating grants | Position as "operational efficiency" -- saves staff time, their biggest cost. |
| Capital campaign tech line items | Capital campaigns often have a "technology" budget. Get included. |
| Board-designated tech funds | Ask about this in discovery. Some boards set aside annual tech budgets. |
| Annual budget cycle | Learn fiscal year start. Propose 2-3 months before so you're in next year's budget. |
"I know technology consulting isn't always easy to budget for. One thing I've seen work well is including data infrastructure as a line item in capacity-building grant proposals. If you're applying for any grants this year, I'd be happy to help you articulate the technology needs -- it strengthens the proposal and gets the work funded."
Consulting Workflow -- 11 Phases
0 Lead Triage
1 Inbound
2 Discovery
3 Proposal
4 Kickoff
5 Audit
6 Roadmap
7 Build
8 Review
9 Handoff
10 Close
11 Nurture
Inbound qualification, lead scoring, no-show management. Form submission → CRM record + auto-response.
LinkedIn content, case studies, community engagement (NTEN, AFP), referral nurture, Loom demos.
30 min call: current systems, what's broken, qualifying questions, pain documentation, fit decision.
Scope doc, pricing, Loom walkthrough option, payment terms (50/50 or milestone), out-of-scope definition.
45 min call: logistics, access collection, expectations, shared workspace, timeline confirmation.
System audit, data quality review, staff interviews, benchmark comparison, findings document.
Findings walkthrough, prioritized recommendations, visual roadmap, then configuration/development with docs-as-you-go.
Client review, 5 biz day feedback window, 1-3 rounds (set in SOW), edge case testing, sign-off.
Deliverables package, documentation, training session (recorded), credential transfer, Loom library.
Retainer pitch, Phase 2 opportunities (from scope flags), testimonial/case study request, referral ask, post-project survey.
30/60/90 check-ins, quarterly touchpoints, annual re-engagement, referral network maintenance.
Automation Priority
| Priority | What | Why |
|---|
| P0: Now | Proposal gen + follow-up | Close rate + speed to revenue |
| P0: Now | Scope change management | #1 solo consultant revenue leak |
| P0: Now | Invoice triggers | Cash flow = timely billing |
| P1: Next | Discovery prep + post-call | 30-45 min saved per prospect |
| P1: Next | Client onboarding sequence | Reduces kickoff friction |
| P2: Soon | Post-project close sequence | Retainer + referral engine |
Current Client Mapping
UNO Chicago
Trust: Stage 3 (Quick Win) | AI Readiness: Stage 2 → 3
Pipeline: $2,500 CRM Activation + $400/mo retainer potential + $2K-$3.5K event = $8.4K-$13.4K in 2026
Training Mar 25. Retainer pitch at closeout. Draper & Kramer $50K grant = QuickBooks sync seed.
Urbanity Dance
Trust: Stage 3 (Complete, dormant) | AI Readiness: Stage 3
Re-engage Q2 2026. Quarterly check-in, referral ask, case study permission.
Illinois Joining Forces
Trust: Stage 1 → 2 boundary | AI Readiness: Stage 1 (est.)
Stalled. Needs follow-up. Target: Data Health Check ($500-$1,500).
Capacity Model (Solo)
| Work Type | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|
| Retainer clients (3) | 3 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Active project delivery | 15 hrs | 60 hrs |
| Discovery + outreach | 5 hrs | 20 hrs |
| Proposals + admin | 2 hrs | 8 hrs |
| Total | 25 hrs | 100 hrs |
Retainer ceiling (solo): 4-5 clients max. At 5 retainers x $750/mo = $3,750/mo recurring + 1-2 projects = $7K-$12K/month.