In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Tom McKeown, B2B Go-to-Market Consultant and former Chief of Staff. We talk about how the skills that made him successful in corporate actually hindered his consulting success, his counterintuitive approach to LinkedIn outreach that landed his first major client, and why he ditched expensive outsourced sales for strategic partnerships that multiplied his reach.
Key Timestamps:
4:30 - The harsh reality check: Why corporate success doesn't guarantee consulting success
18:56 - The exact LinkedIn outreach strategy that closed a deal in 3 weeks
26:24 - The biggest mindset shift from corporate optimization to consultant growth
31:16 - Why outsourcing sales failed and how partnerships succeeded
37:05 - What he'd do differently if starting over
Connect with Tom:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmckeown/
Website: mckeownstrategicinsights.com/
Show Notes:
What happens when a seasoned corporate executive discovers that everything they thought they knew about business development is wrong? How do you go from expecting clients to knock down your door to systematically building a thriving consulting practice?
In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Tom McKeown, B2B Go-to-Market Consultant based in Boston who helps B2B SaaS technology companies optimize their sales cycles and increase revenue share.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• Why your corporate expertise alone won't bring clients to your door (and what actually will)
• The exact LinkedIn outreach formula that converted a job posting into a closed deal in just 3 weeks
• How to conduct discovery conversations that naturally lead to sales opportunities without being pushy
• Why outsourcing your sales process as a solo consultant often backfires (and what to do instead)
• The partnership strategy that's scaling Tom's business through complementary service providers
• The critical mindset shift from corporate optimization to consultant growth mode • What to do differently in your first year to avoid common pitfalls
Why You Should Listen to (or Watch) This Episode: If you're struggling with the transition from corporate success to consulting success, or if you're tired of marketing tactics that don't convert to actual paying clients, this episode provides a roadmap. Tom's honest account of his failures and breakthroughs offers practical strategies you can implement immediately, especially around LinkedIn outreach and building strategic partnerships that multiply your reach without the overhead of hiring staff.
Listen to These Key Moments:
1:48 - The Reality Check: Why Tom's corporate success didn't translate to immediate consulting success
4:28 - The Meta Analysis: How helping companies with go-to-market strategy didn't help him with his own
7:54 - The Discovery Process: How to ask the right questions at networking events to uncover real problems
14:27 - The Turn: When and how to transition from research to sales in conversations
18:56 - The LinkedIn Success: Step-by-step breakdown of the outreach that closed a major deal
26:24 - The Mindset Shift: From corporate optimization to consultant growth mode
31:16 - The Scaling Mistake: Why outsourcing sales didn't work and what he learned
32:47 - The Partnership Strategy: How to build a network of complementary service providers
37:05 - The Time Machine: What Tom would do differently if starting over
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Connect with Tom:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmckeown/
Website: mckeownstrategicinsights.com/
Connect with me
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajriedel/
Book an Exploratory Consultation: https://calendly.com/ajr-2/exploratory-consultation
Thriving Consultant newsletter: https://ajriedel.mykajabi.com/newsletters/the-thriving-consultant
Website: https://www.ajriedel.com/
Email: ajr@4rmg.com
Until next time, keep thriving through!