How to Win Bigger Clients and Keep Them Longer With Adrian Stewart

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting... ********************************************************** Adrian Stewart is Managing Partner at Nexus International, where he has spent more than 15 years working around strategic partnerships, business development and customer retention. Before Nexus, Adrian helped build IMSG from an early-stage agency into an international group generating more than $250M in annual revenue, operating across 18 countries and employing thousands of people. In this conversation, we’ll unpack what that experience taught him about winning clients, retaining them and scaling professional service businesses. ********************************************************** Know more about Adrian Stewart Website Link: http://www.nexus.international , https://gridstorm.co.uk/ Connect with Adrian Stewart on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link:   / adrian-stewart-21071313   Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to... ********************************************************** Adrian's Bio: Adrian Stewart is Managing Partner at Nexus International, where he has worked since 2009 with a focus on strategic partnerships, customer retention and new business growth. Previously, he co-founded and led IMSG plc, an international marketing services group that grew from approximately $100K to more than $250M in annual revenue, expanded to 28 agencies across 18 countries, employed around 3,000 full-time staff, and supported more than 100,000 freelance field staff. Under his leadership, IMSG worked with major international companies including Mars, P&G, Pepsi, Xerox, HP, Citibank, American Express and Kingfisher Group. Adrian also played a central role in the company’s successful AIM listing in London. He is additionally co-founder and Managing Partner of Gridstorm, which helps UK organisations reduce energy consumption, costs and carbon emissions through commercially focused energy solutions. ********************************************************** Show Notes: Adrian Stewart is Managing Partner at Nexus International, where his work focuses on strategic partnerships, new business generation and building long-term commercial relationships. His background gives him an unusually deep perspective on scaling service businesses. As co-founder and former Managing Director of IMSG plc, Adrian helped grow the company from roughly $100K in annual turnover to more than $250M, expanding to 28 agencies across 18 countries and working with global brands including P&G, Pepsi, HP, Xerox, Citibank and American Express. The company ultimately listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market. Today, alongside Nexus, Adrian is also co-founder of Gridstorm, helping UK businesses reduce energy costs and make commercial sense of sustainability investments. We’ll explore the lessons he has carried across these businesses, particularly around positioning, sales, strategic partnerships, client retention and building companies that can scale beyond the founder. ********************************************************** Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You’ve built and led service businesses for most of your career. What originally got you into this world, and what eventually led you to Nexus International? 2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through Nexus today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those businesses, who usually holds the decision to bring you in or hire you? 4. How are you attracting new clients for Nexus today, and what have you found works best when it comes to generating new business and building credibility with the right prospects? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Speaking engagements Sub Question: For someone selling expertise and relationships, like you do at Nexus, where do you see podcasts fitting as a marketing tool? Do you think they can genuinely help consultants build trust and generate business? 5. You’ve sold into major organisations and negotiated large commercial relationships. How do you personally take a prospect from initial interest to a signed engagement, especially when the sales cycle is long and multiple decision makers are involved? 6. Once you’ve won a client, what do you personally do to keep them coming back, strengthen the relationship over time and turn an initial engagement into a long-term partnership? 7. With everything you’ve built across Nexus and your other ventures, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a consultant and business owner, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years?