It's been a strange week. The UK Government announced the move into Lockdown 2.0 (November 2020). Then had to revamp the key charts used to justify
Getting paid what you’re worth
I've noticed how often consultants underplay their expert contribution to client results. This manifests in different ways, including: Pricing
Thought Leadership – in less than two minutes
Years ago, at a futurists' workshop for a telecommunications business, the workshop participants were briefed on technological, industry, social, and
The best sales letter ever written
Recently I've had trouble breathing. It's not Coronavirus. It's been a bit random. I'm allergic to cats and this has the same wheezy symptoms. It's
An unusual perspective on knowledge-work
In the 1930s my great grandparents won contracts to transport goods by canal from London to the Midlands, using horse-drawn narrowboats. The canal
Rapport factors you shouldn’t ignore
Rapport factors you shouldn't ignore Last week's brief was based on a single question, "Do I consistently focus my attention on what I don't want,
The challenge of creation in a problem solving world
When I run possibility thinking workshops my opening question is obscure. "What do you get when you solve a problem?" I was reminded of this on
Going from okay to excellent
This week I saw another example of deliberate practice and how small, incremental changes can make a massive difference to a consultant's
3 habits to make yourself a better consultant
If you want to establish a new habit it seems that micro-changes to existing behaviour are the way to go. I've experimented with this and it works for
How to sow seeds in a recession
Many consultants are quite content to wait for their client base to initiate opportunities. We call this order-taking, and in good times it works to a
Now tell me what you really think
If you think it's easy for clients to decide which consultant to work with, think again. They have lots to consider: 1. Why do we need to change
Uselessly vague prospecting
When we say "Acme Construction" is a prospect it’s uselessly vague. Even when we say "The Operations Director at "Acme Construction" it's not
Are you an empathic authority?
Too many consultants relegate themselves to a position of order-taker. You must position yourself as an empathic authority, so you don’t fall into
Reboot your network
A while ago there was a meme, something along the lines of “advice for my younger self”. Recently that’s morphed into “advice for my pre-lockdown
Here are the reasons clients don’t want your consulting …
Are you excited by the idea of getting a puncture? Probably not. But, when you get a puncture the chances are you’ll have the tyre replaced. But
Jumping in too early.
Consultants who are subject matter experts get kudos by demonstrating they know stuff. It’s therefore not surprising they can jump in too early with
Avoiding the gravitational pull of black hole communication Part II
That's really just the third step to ensure you don't disappear into communication black hole. The first two are about channels of communication and
The single most important thing to do
I previously wrote the briefing - Is "attraction marketing" the best way to find new clients? It's worth reading again if you've already seen it,
Living with extremely high-drive individuals
Let me introduce you to the dogs. Chile (Waggerland Chile) and Vela (Stardell Avela). They're both Border Collies. We don't call them sheepdogs,
Consultancy is just a means to an end
What if there are only two reasons for hiring you? Because they probably are! 1. To enable decision-making. This is where clients want insight
What’s really going on
“ … all of us hold on tightly to many things we don’t really have.” This line from Patrick Rhone’s book - This Could Help - got me thinking about
What does good look like?
Bruce Henderson, founder of Boston Consulting Group, was sending executives strategy perspectives way back in 1964. So, content marketing for
Before and after
Let's think about before and after. That is, what was it like for clients before they used your services (or product) and what was life like
Superconnect by Richard Koch & Greg Lockwood
Interesting book with some unexpected perspectives about networks and networking. Especially how the unlikely connections can lead to big
One free app – 7 questions – personal status update
If you're a consultant with business development responsibilities you may want to hold yourself accountability on a weekly basis. There's a great
Leave something for the client to say
Many of us are conditioned, while growing up at school, that solving problems means having all the answers. Later in life this manifests in our
3 reasons ‘ghosting’ happens after you’ve sent a consulting proposal
Coming up to Halloween it seems the right time to write about this. If you’re not familiar with the term ‘ghosting’ it’s defined on Wikipedia
Is “attraction marketing” the best way to find new clients?
With the rise of content marketing, attraction strategies are very popular ... writing articles, posting on social media, conducting webinars,
Avoiding the gravitational pull of black hole communication
Consultants who agree the client's next actions at the end of meetings sell more. It's a great habit. Doing so ensures the client understands what's
4 rules for reaching out to executives
Lots of advisors suggest outreach is a numbers game, where you monotonously grind out emails, LinkedIn requests etc. But if you want quality
7 ideas for improving your sales performance
Set standards. It is impossible to have accountability without standards. Separate new business and account development. New business is
Message management
When meeting executives for the first time you might default to your safe zone ... pitching your firm and its 'unique' methodology. Interestingly
My Weekly Review
Once you have clear goals tracking progress weekly helps improve focus and increase confidence. Here are the 7 questions I use: What did you
Who do you want to meet?
Some research this week took me to the Fahrenheit 212 website, the innovation consultancy that was snapped up by CapGemini back in
The sky is falling!
We’re living in unpredictable times, that’s true. But I’m fed up with the doom and gloom merchants out there who talk everything down (and who
Food for thought (or at least to drink)
Do you remember proper milk? As a child my grandparents lived next door to a dairy farm and we’d get our milk in a jug, straight from the cows.
Staying sane in the mad world of sales prospecting
I meet a lot of consultants who get extremely frustrated by the prospecting process. The things which they’d like to be predictable aren’t; the
4 things to do to improve next year’s sales
These can be done at any time of year, but starting at the run up to year end makes a lot of sense. Identify 20 key relationships you need to
They’re just not that into you
You know those suspects and prospects? The ones you're chasing. You've sent them several emails, left voicemails, sent a text ... yet nothing
How do you start a sales sprint?
How do you start a sales sprint? Just choose one aspect of your sales process to accelerate. You can achieve a lot in 13-weeks. You can
Package your message like a zombie attack consultancy
Here's a formula for articulating what you do, what it means for the prospect, and why that's desirable. We (do or are) xxxxx .... ... which
Stretching sales performance targets
A previous brief explored how a rough-cut sales analysis is used to identify business development risks and opportunities. Now we'll look at
How to do a rough-cut sales analysis
For most consulting firms sales analysis comprises deals won / sales revenue / target. This absolute, binary, success/failure measurement is
Why inequality is good for sales
It's politically correct to treat people equally. That may be a good thing for society, it's not a good model for sales. When you analyse it you'll
Patterns, distinctions, and demonstrating authority
It all started with my English Language exam failure. English wasn't my best subject and although I’d done very well in everything else - including
Before you send that email – a quick checklist
It's the most prolific form of business communication. Yet none of us got taught how to write email at school. So we get emails with long,
How prospects view offers and value
Information is cheap. Let's face it everything clients need to know is out there in plain view now. Blogs, books, webinars, video, audio, online
Business development snippets (for reflection)
Here are some snippets I offer clients. Slow down as you read the list and you’ll probably notice a gut reaction to each idea: Reach out to your
5 ways to avoid the feast or famine cycle
a.k.a. Business development when you’re crazy busy with delivery I regularly have conversations with consultants who are stretched by their
Seal the deal – a lesson in mental toughness
There’s a key distinction between professional sales people and order takers. The professionals aren’t afraid to push a little, in order to seal the
What’s happening when a deal stalls?
When one of my mentoring clients asks me about a deal that’s stalled I recommend they go ‘back to basics’ and ask themselves these 3 questions about
What is it you do?
There are 4 common mistakes consultants make describing what they do. The identity parade “I’m an interventionist not an ‘on-site’ consultant. I
How counting to six improves your prospects
You’ll know from previous articles that asking questions and listening to answers are two of the most powerful tools in the consultant's kitbag. Here
Are your prospects dawdling?
When a prospect dawdles it's because they don't have a sense of needing to take urgent and immediate action. They are perfectly happy with their
How do clients know you’re any good?
People are judging things (you) all the time. You’ve probably heard people say that they don’t trust men with beards, or that you won’t get a reliable
Selling as a team sport … it’s not what you think
We think of team selling as a bunch of consultants working together to win a client, usually lead by a senior partner. This directive isn't about
Schedule business development time
Whatever is written in your diary today is going to pretty much reflect how you'll invest your time this week. Dental appointments, client meetings,
Mirror, mirror on the wall …
Do you take time to reflect on your performance? If you don't, now is a good time to start. Just slow down, back up, and take stock using this
Practice as a powerful tool for sales success
Pick a single new sales behaviour you want to practice and commit yourself to do something every day, for the next quarter, to develop it. What you
What’s the difference between understanding and empathy?
"When I raise the notion of empathy, she dismisses it as being “a very ‘today’ word” (she prefers understanding)." ~ Vogue interview with Theresa
Build Your Dream Network by J. Kelly Hoey
Great book about having a purposeful networking mindset. Make sure people know the right things about you. Know how you can help others. Make it easy
Which are the best books on selling consultancy?
"Which are the best books on selling consultancy?" she asked. "There are lots out there." I replied. "I know. I looked." "What do you want a book
The relationship frame and business development hokum
There’s a lot of business development hokum out there, especially when it comes to ideas on how best to win consultancy projects. It's so easy
How to alienate prospects
I have an exclusive, priority email address. I only give it to people I know, like and trust. This week I received an email to that address from a
The secret of the puppy dog sale
I know. The headline reads more Enid Blyton than sales story. Perhaps more on writing headlines next week ... until then ... Once upon a time, before
Going against gravity
It's hard to do, but escaping the gravitational pull of delivery work is important if you're going to fit in sales activity. Here are three ways get
Are you interesting, or interested?
As a consultant you've probably felt the pressure to impress clients. Here are some of the patterns I see consultants fall into when they bow to that
The power of simple listening
Earlier this week I was given a 'damn good listening to'. There was something big playing on my mind and I wanted to work it out. I bumbled and
Are you doing value-subtraction?
Last week someone hijacked my weekly nugget of wisdom. They turned the concept I wrote about into a full length blog post on their site. Unfortunately
How many £20/hour tasks are you doing?
You know what I’m talking about, those jobs where you find yourself thinking “why am I doing this” ... but then you do it anyway. But, it's low
Can this executive buy?
Some executives have the power to make decisions. Others evaluate and make recommendations for their boss to consider. These recommenders can say
It’s worth paying attention to attention
Pay attention while you listen. Framing, paraphrasing, analysing, summarising. Those all come later. Attention first. Pay attention while you
Are you problem solving, or creating?
I wrote the Consultant's Handbook 10 years ago in support of the Consulting Skills Workshop I taught for corporate consultancy firms. . A lot of
How do I talk to top executives? (aka the C-suite)
You’re more likely to get access to these busy executives via a politically savvy mid-level manager (aka The Fox) than going direct. Network your way
That resistance you feel
Reaching out to new prospects. That resistance you feel. It’s something you can sort out. You’re far more likely to get up, get going, and take
Stop selling the process
Decision makers don't want to know about your consulting process. Seriously, it doesn’t matter how unique it is. Process is just a series of
Have the courage to say no.
When the work isn’t a good fit, or the client relationship seems awkward, or they won’t agree to do an impact assessment, or they’re more interested
4 ways to quickly add value
This article by Mark Lindwall over at Forrester Research highlights how 80% of meetings with sellers fail to meet executive buyer’s expectations and
3 common mistakes in first meetings
Which of these have you been guilty of? Pitching services. This is the biggest complaint I hear from corporate executives. The consultants came
Let’s meet and catch up
It’s obvious, isn’t it. The purpose of the important meeting. We’re meeting to … to what precisely? In our meeting there will be conversation. You’ll
10 decisions clients make before buying consultancy
Here's a list of different sales conversations you'll want to master, so you can guide client decision making: ‘Know, like, trust’ decision -
Mentoring or Coaching
Mentoring Mentors apply their expertise to real-time situations their clients face. They talk things through with clients and interventions are
10 tips for tenacious follow up on emails
(Part 3 of 3) This is the final article in the editing consultant’s prospecting emails series. Part 1 introduced Rapid Context Setting. Part
Sorry I dozed off reading your email
(Part 2 of 3) This is the second article in the editing consultant’s prospecting emails series. The first article introduced Rapid Context Setting
Lessons from editing prospecting emails
(Part 1 of 3) I get to see, critique, and edit a lot of outreach emails written by consultants. I always start by putting myself in their prospect's
Confidence tricks
If you sell consultancy you’ll appreciate how your confidence levels shift, depending on your current success. That’s a good reason to consider
How to enthuse clients about your consultancy offer … more
Last week I wrote about enthusing clients about your consultancy offer. A couple of people ask for more details. Here’s what I teach my clients: Time
How to enthuse clients about your consultancy offer
Decision Makers don’t get enthused over what you do. That’s not how it works. They buy your consultancy offer because they want something else - a
Top of mind consultants
Nowadays our contacts are crazy busy. They have massive pressures on their time and energy. They’re dealing with unclear priorities from higher-ups.
Painting by numbers isn’t art
Some trainers make it out to be so simple, like ‘painting by numbers’. Stay within the lines, use the right colours, and you’ll close the sale. They
It was 20 years ago today …
20 things I’ve learnt since incorporating 20 years ago. It's 20 years since I signed up at Companies House and incorporated my boutique consultancy.
4 signs a prospect relationship is going nowhere
Last week I wrote that senior level decision makers want and value long-term partnerships. They find transactional selling off-putting and time
Meetings with senior level decision makers
Your consultancy has great credentials. You don’t find it difficult to get meetings per se. However, when you analyse these meetings, the majority
Why revenue and profit are rubbish metrics
Do the right things well The outcome most consultants want from business development mentoring is increased revenue and profit. So, when I start
Do it right
I am constantly amazed how many consultants still go into client meetings and ‘wing it’. Even when they are seeing senior executives, or looking to
Be selective. Be directive.
Expert consultants often give clients too much information at the pre-sales stage. This can result in overwhelm and procrastination, because
First Seven Jobs
I’m following the Twitter meme #firstsevenjobs. I started working at 12 years old, so I thought it might be fun to share mine with you ... and the
Getting it
As consultants, we sometimes have prospects who just don’t ‘get it’. They struggle to see, or believe, the benefits of our propositions. When this
How permissive are your clients?
Gaining permission is the first step to getting clients talking openly about project value and decision making. Permission is the client’s explicit
Leave things behind
As the renovation of our Victorian house continues I've noticed is that my builder leaves things behind. A small collection of Acrow props, a 110 volt
Step out of the content
Experts have deep knowledge about a specific subject. Their expertise may be in digital security, business administration, human resources, public
Why objection handing doesn’t work. And what to do about it.
Objections arise when the client puts up some sort of barrier to whatever it is you're proposing. The most widely taught objection handling method is
Are you helping your client look good?
All clients want to look good. Nobody says it openly, but ultimately that's the driving ROI for lots of business decisions. According to David
What wine & zombies teach us about using ‘cred-decks’ to sell
Prospects might ask you for your ‘cred-deck’. They want to see what you’ve done and who you work with. So you dutifully send them the slides in the
13 provocations for consultants who sell
I'm always capturing ideas my mentoring clients can benefit from. This list is just 'snippets' from my notebook. They've come from things I've read
Impact prospects with thinking sessions
You work hard to get a slot in a prospects schedule. What you do in that initial meeting is vitally important. You must ask yourself, "what do
10 questions to encourage clients to speak
Listen so that others speak. Speak so others listen. That seems so simple doesn't it? But in reality we tend to get a bit carried away with our
The myth of average
For some systems 'thinking average' is a mistake. Watch the talk. Fighter pilot performance improved when cockpits designed for average sizes were
What works. A lesson from business legend David Ogilvy
You'll find lots on "attracting clients" written for consultants. And you can easily waste a lot of time on activities that support this type of
How to improve the odds of reaching prospects by email
The owner of a technology firm asked me how to improve the odds of reaching prospects by email. He’d tried in the past without much luck. We talked
The single page quarterly sales focus
Each quarter my clients meet with me for a sales review and planning meeting. One of the challenges consultants have with sales is remaining focused
The simple exercise that dramatically improves sales
Sometimes it's the simplest of activities that get the best results. This is one of those activities. Write down what you want. That’s it. Every
The devil in the detail
Some consultants have a talent for seeing the devil in the detail. They’re masters at analysis, finding patterns and describing trends. They make the
The power of nothing
A recent group facilitation reminded me how hard it can be to reach decisions collectively. Watching the group struggle I wanted to intervene, to
A brief review that turns failures on their head
Do you have a recent failure that keeps playing on your mind? Perhaps it was a client conversation that didn’t go too well, or a sales opportunity
4 steps that dramatically increase results from meetings
This weeks article is short and sweet. I've been teaching this to consultants for years, now it's time to share it here. Here’s a four step
Someone speaks and nobody listens … is that communication.
A brilliant speech - The Power of Listening, a Ted talk by William Ury coauthor of Getting to Yes my favourite book about negotiation.
How predictable is your performance?
One of the ‘thinking games’ I play with clients during the annual planning process is called “What’s predictable? What’s possible?” The first time
The biggest mistake groups make at strategy workshops
I facilitate two distinctly different types of offsite workshops. One focused on group dynamics and the processes people use for working together. One
Personal impact
I’ve attracted some fantastic clients in recent years. They fit into two categories: Boutique consultancy owners. They’re stuck with business
Selling is a game
Have you noticed how a label begets behaviours? Children get labelled naughty. Adults difficult. Dogs dangerous. And because humans have a tendency
What to do when a deal stalls.
This week a mentoring client has a deal that’s stalled. The prospect put them off until the new year. They’ve given two reasons for this. Firstly new
Stop being a process junkie and become a client issue expert
Consultants love to talk about their unique process, even when it’s not that unique. When asked, clients will generally tell you they’re tired of
Erasing the discomfort of feast or famine in consultancy
What kind of a week did you have this week? Were you nose down working flat out on service delivery? Or were you worrying about where your next
The sound of silence
You know how it is. You’ve figured out how to do the job and written a great proposal. Under time pressure you’ve worked late into the night because
Are your executive conversations compelling or commonplace?
Walking into a C-Level executive’s office to sell consultancy takes two things, competence and confidence. Nearly all the consultants I meet have
Hello persuasion … meet resistance
As a group facilitator there’s plenty of opportunity to watch people trying to persuade others. You quickly notice patterns and how well intentioned
The perils of consultant speak and how it kills sales
Consultant speak. We all do it. Some more than others. Defining projects as nominalisations … business transformation … blue sky thinking or
How do you create desire for your consultancy?
Did you know that just before signing the Cuba trade embargo President John F. Kennedy pocketed 1200 H.Upmann cigars? Smart move because overnight
How consultants blow initial prospect meetings
You know those interesting conversations with prospects that end up going nowhere? Did you ever wonder what that's about? This is how it works.
Will these 9 unusual questions to help you qualify and close?
In my post about fact addiction I mentioned that to sell consultancy effectively you must go beyond facts and get clients to think, feel and act. I
How to get amazing email responses – lessons for consultants
This week a client told me about their tremendous 80% take up rate. This was for an email they'd designed to get meetings with
Consultants: Are you working in a proposal factory?
It's easy to become a proposal factory when you sell consultancy. And Invitation to Tenders (ITT) and Requests for Proposals (RFP) take you down
Permission to fail
There’s a thing about failure in the air. Jerry Colonna just released a Podcast “Fail with Honour”. Seth Godin recommends buying Pema Chodren’s new
Are you a fact addict?
To sell consultancy you must influence how clients think, feel and act. In his brilliant book, Change or Die, Alan Deutschman writes about
Qualification is the secret sauce
A prospective client and I were talked about doubling sales without taking more time. They were sceptical until I told them about my clients and my
Sales prevention methods and techniques
Let's face it, you want clients to call asking for help. The idea of attracting new clients without direct outreach is appealing. That's why I was
Sloping shoulders and Teflon underpants
To sell consultancy successfully you must find prospects with buying authority. In large organisations plenty of people claim they have this authority
Five things you can do today to overcome buying inertia
Previously I wrote about buying decisions and what's going on in the client’s mind. Visionary thoughts - about results and value - create desire.
Four fears that stop clients buying consultancy projects
If you sell consultancy you’ll know already that desirable project outcomes aren’t enough to seal the deal. You’ll have had those “interesting
Work is difficulty and drama.
“Work is difficulty and drama, a high-stakes game in which our identity, our self-esteem, and our ability to provide are mixed inside us in volatile,
Empathy before problem solving
We all know how essential it is that we put ourselves in the clients shoes. So how come we don't do what we know? Related post: Four fears that stop
Steal this idea. How you can get good at working with others.
Working as a consultant it's important to set people's minds at ease and quickly gain their trust. Otherwise you can’t effectively gather information,
Minimum viable product and the creative sale
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries presents a method for building and launching new products. It's a good book and not just for startups. One of the
Flight from Shadow
From The Way of Chuang Tzu by Thomas Merton There was a man who was so disturbed by the sight of his own shadow and so displeased with his own
When should you not use your expert mind?
My brother-in-law is an accomplished, self-taught, baker and his sourdough bread is amazing. Certainly the best I’ve tasted outside of France. I
Meetings don’t need to be toxic
Mediocre listening. Something I see a lot when working with groups. Nowadays it seems everyone has a point to make. Our culture rewards show and
Beat the FUD factor and reposition to win the complex sale
In part 1 you saw how the FUD Factor (fear, uncertainly and doubt) and corporate politics threatened my sales success. In this part you’ll read about
What Big Blue taught me about fear, uncertainty and doubt
I needed a strategy to win against IBM. I wanted to get into one of their major accounts. So, after much deliberation, I chose something different -
How outcome framing put a mega-project back on track
Most people can easily tell you what they don't want in a situation - that's negative outcome framing. But when it comes down to saying what they do
Here’s a different approach to client intimacy
I read about Arthur Aron’s study in the New York Times about a month ago. It’s entitled The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness.
How to make hard choices
Did you every think you might be making important decisions all wrong? Ruth Chang's 15 minute Ted talk introduces a fresh approach.
3 simple tweaks to improve your initial meetings
A big frustration consultants have is with seemingly eager prospects who never actually commit to a project. The ugly truth is that many of these
Before and After
Before and after photo shots are used to sell a lot of weight loss and exercise programmes. Why? Because they quickly grab attention and pull the
What are you talking about?
If consultants talk about projects and influence … and salesmen talk about deals and persuasion … when leaders talk about results and commitment. What
Are your frustrated by crazy busy clients?
You want to enable your client to get the outcome they said they want. But their behaviour doesn’t seem to match their words. Clients who: Ask
Are you really listening?
From A Thousand Waves by David K Reynolds “What do you do?” he asked “I listen; I teach,” was the reply. “You listen? What kind of work is