Case study: Seema Bye, The Petite Project.
5th of January, 2021
“It’s more rewarding to feel you are a resource, I am not a salesperson, just tell a story and when it resonates with the right person, I will get the right client.” Seema Bye.
After working for BT for over 25 years, Seema was going through a significant life change.
When redundancies were announced in 2019, she saw an opportunity and accepted a package which helped her move on to pastures new.
Having operated within her comfort zone for many years, being out of work was quite a shock to the system but with a great business concept, Seema set up The Petite Project [link] which incorporated her passion, skills, and experience in project management - this time for small /medium businesses.
Seema explains:
“I felt I was in a good place but looking back was a little bit lost. In my previous role I did not have to network to make connections as I was working for such a big company. Setting up on my own I had to start at the very beginning, it was nerve-racking and new to me.
“I met Andrew as a guest at a BNI meeting in Leeds and discussed my situation. He told me about his book; What’s Your URP? I bought it and took it away on holiday.
“Andrew’s methods are quite understated, but the content really resonated with me. As soon as I got home, I put some of the things into practice and it has made big changes in the way I think about getting new business and, it has helped me to win new business!”
The Petite Project helps small businesses and charities with their projects. For example: a B&B which wanted to improve its star rating on Booking.com. Following the success of this project, Seema focused on hotels and with guidance from Andrew was pleasantly surprised that the notorious gatekeepers were putting her through to the decision makers.
Seema was starting the conversation with the solution to a problem. Before making the calls, she would research each hotel and explain that with a current rating of 7.8, for example, she could help them achieve a 9.0, which would help increase online bookings. Getting a positive response, she would then agree a follow-up appointment to explain the strategies.
“Lots of things stood out for me in the book it aligned to my way of thinking; a business cannot always be unique so it’s more about the person and relationships, don’t try to please everyone all the time and ask yourself, what change do you want me to make?
“Andrew has been supporting me since we met, guiding me through the next chat I was going to have with each new contact. He has also been my mentor and as my opposite, has given me a whole new perspective.
“I enjoy working with Andrew. He is generous with his time and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience. All of which make him a phenomenal coach and mentor."
During the pandemic, many of Seema’s clients were affected so she accepted a job offer with a charity, but it didn’t turn out as she had expected.
“I was there for 9 months but didn’t enjoy it, there were a variety of issues that concerned me. The salary was good and maybe in a previous life I would have stuck it out, but What’s Your URP? showed me that it is so important to enjoy what I am doing every day.
“I’m not looking to climb a career ladder, I want to do things that make me, and the client feel good, projects I enjoy and where my skillset and passion make a difference. The book reinforces this, and I also feel confident that once things settle with Covid-19 I will pick The Petite Project back up again. I love tackling new challenges with the strategies I have learnt. Overnight success is not a thing, as it’s all about the journey and not the destination. We need to learn to enjoy the journey!”