Beyond Arrogance: YCA's Strategy to Boost Client Revenue
Evolving from an Analyst position at the World Bank to Consultant at Sia Partners, then from Manager at PWC and IBM to Associate Director at Bearingpoint, a question that deserves to be asked of Isabelle is: what methods, given her years of observing effective and ineffective practices in management and entrepreneurship, did she choose to employ for YCA?
She explains to us that she first opted for the art of communicating, of making herself known and noticed.
For the launch of YourCompanionAgency, she organized “an extraordinary launch event” where she invited nearly two hundred influential people to the Atelier des Lumières in Paris.
As well as partners, employees and former customers.
A wise idea: within a few days, all of Paris was informed of the launch of his consulting company.
Result: it generated a significant turnover.
Furthermore, through YCA, she aspires to move away from “the arrogance of large consultancies”.
You have to be humble, says Isabelle, “propose ideas, support your clients, listen to them”.
She admits to having gotten a little lost in large firms and multinationals, because they focus on major subjects linked to information systems and cost reduction.
The most profitable areas for consulting firms.
“
For my part, I am focused on increasing turnover.
My approach is therefore different
". A challenge that it addresses through three angles of attack. Firstly, incremental innovation: how to develop and improve the existing portfolio of offers to increase turnover. Secondly , and this is Isabelle's true passion, to the point of publishing a book on the subject "The DNA of the innovative company", she is committed to promoting disruptive innovation and identifying how a A company can develop areas that do not yet exist, but which can bring significant value to the company. Isabelle has thus enabled companies in the retail and telecommunications sectors to renew and challenge themselves. “
It’s quite extraordinary, because we find ourselves with teams who also need to challenge themselves and renew themselves, and who are generally in an area where they are not comfortable.
Because developing disruptive innovation within large companies is not easy
. What hinders change in these large companies is fear, says Isabelle. But also the presence of demanding processes that require months or even years of validation and approval to be modified. Moreover, notes Isabelle, those who work on disruptive innovation projects within these companies are often isolated, no one really supports them. It is therefore difficult to bring out new ideas.
YourCompanionAgency's elite network
By surrounding itself with high profile specialists, YourCompanionAgency (YCA) has already been able to get involved in major projects.
Indeed, the network formed by YourCompanionAgency is impressive.
Structured on three levels, it firstly includes a network of 120 multidisciplinary experts, including consultants, industrialists, coaches and branding experts, in order to be able to offer tailor-made solutions to its clients.
Isabelle also formed a board of directors made up of seven members, all former or current members of the executive committee of large Parisian companies.
An approach which aims to legitimize her business, she explains.
"
I know from experience that establishing the legitimacy of a brand takes time. But being supported by leaders of large companies, known in the Parisian environment, helps.
" She has also established links with a center of recruitment within the prestigious McGill University in Canada, which allowed him to surround himself with highly qualified and international consultants, opening up opportunities in the North African region.
This strategy has paid off.
Because surrounded by such eminent profiles, YCA was immediately able to engage in high-level missions, winning nearly ten contracts, mainly on general management matters.
So many challenges that the innovation, transformation and marketing consulting firm YourCompanionAgency faces.
Thus, as Just Search, an agency specializing in internet marketing solutions, and YCA partner, said, “
Provide the different dimensions of expertise required to successfully carry out the complex transformations of organizations.
This is what makes the innovative approach of YourCompanionAgency so original
.”
Diane Vanderschelden