SPARK Survey
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Performance Review
1 - What was your past 12 months revenue?
< $100K
$100K - $200K
$200K - $350K
$350K - $600K
>$600K
2 - How confident are you that you can meet or exceed the past 12 months' revenue in the next 12 months?
Very low confidence
Low confidence
Cautiously optimistic
High confidence
No doubt whatsoever
3 - What % of your projects are delivered on time, on budget, with client delight?
<70%
70-80%
80-90%
90-95%
95-100%
4 - How confident are you that you could deliver 20% more projects on time, on budget and with client delight?
Very low confidence
Low confidence
Cautiously optimistic
High confidence
No doubt whatsoever
5 - How well did your past 12-month plan deliver against your goals?
No plan
Total miss
Mostly missed
Mostly met
Exceeded
6 - To what extent do you have a plan that you think will grow your practice?
No clue
Vague idea, no plan
Some plan that could work
Good plan and high confidence
Totally have it nailed
7 - How would you describe your current work/life balance?
Life's in the crapper
I have some life, but really need to work less
It's okay, but could be better
Good balance, but need to cut work down just a bit
I work only when I want, not a minute more
8 - How confident are you that you can improve work/life balance while growing your business?
Very low confidence
Low confidence
Cautiously optimistic
High confidence
No doubt whatsoever
Strategic Health
9 - How well have you defined your aspirations and what "winning" is for you?
No clue
I've thought about this some
I've pondered this and have given it thought, but I haven't written it down
I've pondered this and have given it thought, and I have written it down, but it needs some work.
I have this totally nailed
10 - How well have you defined the narrow type of consulting services you'll offer? (Strategy vs. Plan vs. Implementation?)
I haven't really defined this
I offer all three
I've given a bit of thought to this, but haven't really chosen the one or two areas
I've given this a lot of thought, but am not 100% sure about it
I have this nailed
11 - For how many months could you stay afloat without winning any more business?
< 6 months
6-12 months
12-18 months
18-24 months
24 + months
12 - What's the size of a typical project/engagement? (Not all engagements with one client.)
< $10K
$10 - 50K
$50 - 100K
$100K - $150K
> $150k
13 - How narrowly and precisely have you defined your target prospect and the problem you solve?
Targets? Problems solved? I have no clue on either
Not at all - I target many industries and solve many problems
Moderately narrow target and/or range of problems solved
Tight target or precise problem, but not both
Very tight target and precisely defined problem
14 - Thinking of the (primary) problem you solve for clients, how common, urgent, and costly to leave unsolved is that problem?
I don't really focus on one problem or aspiration
All three are weak
The problem I solve is common or urgent or expensive to leave unsolved. (i.e., 1 of 3 is strong)
My problem is strong on two of the three
The problem I solve is high/very high on pervasiveness, urgency and expensiveness.
15 - What percentage of the past 12 months revenue was derived from three or fewer clients?
90 - 100%
70 - 90%
50 - 70%
30 - 50%
<30%
16 - What percentage of your clients engage you for more than 12 months? (single or repeat engagements)
< 20%
20 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 80%
> 80%
Create Value
17 - On a 1-100 scale of quality, what level of work is considered acceptable to submit to clients?
<70%
70-80%
80-90%
95-100%
90-95%
18 - To what extent do you have the industry knowledge, technical skills, document creation skills and presentation skills to wow clients?
I am weak in these areas
I'm strong at one or moderately good across the board
I'm strong in two areas, but not all
I'm strong in most areas, but am weak in one
I knock it out of the park in all four areas
19 - To what extent do you know your own, personal, âsignature strengthsâ?
I'm not really sure or I've not thought about this
I think I have an idea what my strengths are
I've thought about this quite a bit
I've asked others and received feedback on my strengths
I've spent a lot of time and have taken tests to identify my one or two signature strengths
20 - What percent of your time is spent working on tasks that are outside your signature strengths?
76 - 100%
51 - 75%
31 - 50%
15 - 30%
0 - 15%
21 - To what extent is there a formal, robust, client experience process in place?
Client experience?
Ad hoc efforts
Inconsistent process and efforts
Process in place, but inconsistently followed
Detailed processes in place and followed
22 - How consistently do you solicit client feedback during and after your projects?
No client feedback
Ad hoc - not a deeply ingrained habit
Fairly regular habit, no formal process
Formal process and fairly regular habit
Detailed processes in place and followed
23 - How strong are your processes for tracking relationships, visibility building, delivery, and administration?
Processes?
I have some processes, but I haven't really formalized them in any way
Some of these processes have been formalized, but they're not written down or captured anywhere
Some of these processes are thought through, codified and in a process manual
All these processes are completely thought through, codified, and in a process manual
24 - To what extent is the delivery of your offering systemized and templated (so subcontractors and assistants could do the work) and/or automated?
I don't offer any consistent solutions, with repeatable approaches
I offer some repeatable solutions, but I haven't systemized, templated or automated at all
I have a few, core parts of my delivery process systemized, but not to the extent I could hand it to someone else
Quite a bit of my delivery approach is systemized/templated/automated, but not ready to hand off to others; or I have parts ready to hand off to others, but not most of my offering approach
My offering is totally systemized, templated and/or automated. It's easy to hand off to others to perform
Infrastructure
25 - How strong are your systems for client management (CRM), project management, client/team communications, and marketing?
Systems? I'm supposed to have systems?
I have one or two of these systems in place
I have three or four of these systems in place, but they don't work terribly well
I have three or four of these systems in place, but at least a couple don't work well
All four types of systems (and more) are in place and running like clockwork
26 - Do you have a website, professional email, organized filing systems (electronic and physical) and secure backups for your electronic files?
Uh, no. I don't have any of those
I only have one of these in place, of I have more, but they need a lot of work
I have a couple of these in place, but not the others
I have three of the four in place or all four, but at least one needs work
I have all four of these areas completely nailed
27 - How strong is your support system, including a significant other, a mentor/coach, and colleagues to whom you can turn?
I'm pretty much on my own out here
I have someone I can turn to, but not regularly
I have a few supporters, and my significant other is encouraging
My support structure is mostly in place, but I either don't have a coach/mentor, or my significant other isn't supportive, or I don't have other colleagues who I talk with regualrly
My support system ROCKS! I am surround by great people who support and advise me
28 - Do you have a virtual assistant, an accountant, an attorney, a bookkeeper, an insurance agent, and subcontractors lined up and/or contracted?
Nope. I do it all myself
I've looked into some of these resources and occasionally use one or two.
I know of most of these resources, and occasionally turn to them, but don't have them budgeted
I have four of these resources locked in
I have all six of these resources locked in
29 - How well is your physical workspace set up to create a professional, supportive, uninterrupted work environment?
I'm working in the kitchen, garage or den - it's pretty ad hoc
I have a designated workspace, but that's all I can say for it.
I have a designated workspace and it's set up with what I need to run a business, but personal stuff intrudes and there are frequent family interruptions
My workspace is pretty good, but it's also used for personal stuff
My workspace is awesome and allows me to run my business professonally
30 - To what extent do you have set routines for starting your work day and ending your work day that set you up for success?
I face every moment as it comes, man!
I've given some thought to routines, or tried them, but I don't really have any
I occasionally follow a routine, but I fall off the wagon frequently
I follow a morning routine or an end-of-day routine, but not both
I follow morning and end-of-day routines religiously
Win Engagements
31 - How much consulting business can you realistically picture yourself winning and delivering in a year?
< $100K
$100K - $250K
$250K - $500K
$500K - $1.0M
> $1M
32 - To what extent do you enjoy finding business, vs. delivering results to clients?
I dread finding new clients and projects and avoid it at all costs
I deal with having to find new business but dislike it intensely
I'm okay with finding new business--don't love it, but don't hate it either
I enjoy finding new business
I love finding business -- it's my favorite part of consulting
33 - How many of the Five Marketing Musts (writing, speaking, trade associations, digital presence, networking) do you regularly engage in?
I don't do any marketing
I do a little marketing occasionally
I am pretty consistent with one or two of the Five Marketing Musts
I consistently engaged in three or four of the Five Marketing Musts
I rock all Five Marketing Musts
34 - On average, what percent of your total work time is devoted to marketing and business development?
<5%
5 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 25%
> 25%
35 - How regularly do you reach out to prospects?
Reach out? You mean I'm supposed actively connect with people?
I reach out to my network with personal emails or phone calls sporadically
I reach out fairly regularly, but mostly by email
I reach out fairly regularly by phone and email
I reach out very regularly and capture everything in my CRM
36 - How extensive is your network of decision makers?
Solid relationships with < 10 decision makers
Solid relationships with 10 - 50 decision makers
Solid relationships with 51 - 100 decision makers
Solid relationships with 101 - 300 decision makers
Solid relationships with > 300 decision makers
37 - During your pre-proposal discovery process, do you uncover the factor(s) motivating your prospect to act now, the reasons the prospect is turning to a consultant, the concrete and soft value of a successful project, and the prospectâs concerns with hiring
I rarely uncover this information
Mostly I don't uncover this information
I get some of this information or get all of it occasionally
I usually get most of this information
Yes, I consistently get all of these
38 - Thinking of the (primary) solution you offer clients, is it easily articulated and explained, and perceived as highly credible and reliable?
I don't have a consistent solution
I have a consistent solution, but it's difficult for me to explain it and it's not regardled as highly credible and reliable by prospects
My solution is easily simple and easily explained and repeated, but it's not regarded as a highly credible, reliable solution
My solution is regarded as a highly credible, reliable solution, but it's not easy for me to explain or for others to repeat
My solution is simple, easily explained and repeated, and regarded as highly credible
39 - To what extent do proposals contain alternative approaches and/or fee structures?
I've never proposed more than one approach/fee
I've occasionally included an alternative approach/fee in my proposals, but it's rare
On occasion, I include an alternative approach/fee in my proposal
I usually include one or two alternative approaches/fee structures in my proposals
My proposals always include a few alternative approaches and/or fee structures
40 - To what extent are you able to win premium fees on your projects?
I usually win projects by undercutting the competition on costs/fees
My fees are typically in line with the market--I'm not a premium provider
I occasionally win projects at a premium vs. the market
I can frequently win projects at a premium vs. the market
I virtually always command a super-premium fee
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