The real benefits of a Six & Flow workshop

Here at Six & Flow, we're huge advocates of workshops. We run them before any new client comes on board. But what actually happens in a workshop and what do you, as the client, get out of it? In this blog, we explore the topic in detail...

Why do we workshop?

It's natural for different people to have different viewpoints. You like one flavour of pizza whilst your friend prefers another. You prefer action films whilst your sister always chooses a comedy.

The same is true in a business context. Different perspectives mean that marketing, sales and ops rarely communicate or agree. Internal politics and information silos create a mediocre solution that lacks direction and no-one is truly happy with.

So whilst variety may be the spice of life, unfortunately, it's these different perspectives that lead to misalignment across companies and cause problems for the business.

When was the last time you had all the key stakeholders from sales, marketing and delivery in the same room? When did you last discuss how internal processes all align to reach your revenue targets?

87% of sales and marketing leaders say collaboration between sales and marketing enables critical business growth.

LinkedIn, 2020

When companies grow, goals and targets change and new projects start. Teams widen and communication shifts. Whilst it's understandable, this changing landscape can lead to misalignment of goals causing issues further down the line. If your focus is on growth, rather than having everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, your business could suffer in the long run.

So what's the solution? Workshops. Our workshops are centred around alignment. They facilitate honest communication between the decision-makers, get buy-in from those involved, and generate a sense of excitement and possibility for the future plans and the subsequent results.

What do you get from a workshop?

Now here's where we could give you some buzz words like "a new perspective" or "greater collaboration" and whilst they're both are positive things, they're intangible, unmeasurable and not something your budget holder wants to hear. The real benefit is a fully outlined document which gives you strategic freedom.

Once we have completed a workshop, we deliver a fully fleshed-out strategy document within 2-3 weeks. These documents give you a bespoke strategy based on the information gathered and external data collection. We don't just explain what we think you should do. Instead, we explain why it makes sense for you to do it and the theory behind it, as well as how you can practically implement it for yourself.

The fully integrated strategy will include some or all of the following elements:

• Persona creation
• Success metrics and KPIs
• Social
• Content
• Video
• Conversational
• Account-based marketing
• Paid media
• Sales enablement and automation
• CRM requirements
  
  

We provide you with a breakdown of tools you could use for tasks so you can tailor them to your needs. We also give you templates to align your current activity with the new plan, and help you to cost out any proposals.

Next, we provide you with a 12-month implementation plan, a 90-day plan to create a quick impact across key areas, and a breakdown of quick wins which can be completed in the first 30 days.

Finally, we give you the opportunity to take the strategy document and have it implemented by whoever you want. We want to provide genuine value to clients, not lock them into impossible tasks or complicated contracts.

Once you have the strategy document, you can put it into action with us internally, another party or do it yourself. It's your property and your prerogative.

What are the benefits?

Within most modern businesses, work is collaborative and complex, requiring ongoing problem-solving and deep engagement.

Our workshops complement that by using discovery-driven learning to help your team make decisions in a collaborative way, and give you a fully fleshed-out strategy to help you to move forward as a business. In essence, the real benefit of a Six & Flow workshop is strategic insight, strategic freedom and alignment for you and your team.