The job that taught me to look beyond the brief

Early in my career, I joined a regional ferry business to lead marketing and public relations. Once I had observed the business, I could see that marketing alone would not produce the growth the owners wanted. The customer experience varied depending on who answered the phone, how the booking was handled and what happened on the day of travel.

With the owners' approval, I arranged secret shopping across the full experience. I then brought in customer-service training, introduced standard procedures, led a rebrand, ran marketing and public relations, created a local loyalty program and helped introduce online ticketing.

The business reached about 80% of its local passenger market within twelve months. I also redirected part of the existing marketing budget to create a package-holiday revenue line. It opened a new source of revenue without additional budget and produced a strong return on the funds reallocated.

I have carried the sales number myself

I later founded Change Empire Books, an international book-coaching and author-services business working across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. I built the business from myself alone to a team of 21 and sold it in 2023.

I was the primary revenue driver and personally converted more than 80% of inbound sales calls for programs priced from $5,000 to $95,000. During COVID, I changed the offers and delivery model and grew revenue by roughly 400% over two years.

That experience gave me a close view of what happens on both sides of a high-value sale: what a prospect needs to feel confident, what a salesperson needs to understand, and what the business must have in place so good opportunities are followed through.

The follow-up can be worth more than the campaign

In later contract work for a national broadband retailer, I helped turn a cold database of about 900,000 people back into a usable opportunity. I also rebuilt a ten-day enquiry follow-up sequence, which increased website visits by 1,500% within four weeks.

Those were separate pieces of work, but they reinforced the same lesson: a business can have demand, data and software and still leave a large commercial opportunity unused because the process and message have not been built around the customer.

Why Kindred Systems focuses on lead conversion

High-value service businesses spend a great deal to earn trust and generate enquiries. They also tend to be busy delivering the work. Dentists and surgeons are with patients, lawyers are with clients or in court, advisers are in meetings, agents are at appointments, and builders are on site.

That creates a predictable risk. An enquiry arrives while the right person is unavailable, the response is delayed, and the potential client continues looking. Other losses happen later, after a consultation, quote, proposal or finance discussion.

Kindred Systems helps owners find those gaps and fix the ones with the greatest commercial value. The work may involve people, process, messaging, systems, automation or AI. The customer experience comes first because faster administration has little value if the person buying feels ignored, confused or pushed away.

What you can expect from me

I will ask detailed questions, follow the customer journey further than one department, and tell you when the issue appears somewhere other than where you expected. I will also work with the systems and people you already have before recommending extra software.

The work is commercial and practical. We agree what needs to improve, create the assets required to improve it, and measure the result. My aim is to leave your business with a process your team can continue using.

Talk to me about what happens after the enquiry

If your business generates good enquiries but too few become clients, book a Discovery Call. We can discuss what you are seeing, what one extra client may be worth and whether Lead Conversion Advisory is a suitable fit.

Book a Discovery Call