Words
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 pressure: 1. Pitching the process. We want prospects to value how we get the work done ... no matter what the issue
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 rambled for around 90-minutes. My listener offered me time and space to think things through. Perhaps 3 or 4
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 they hid my nugget inside a boulder of padding and promotion. They did what I call value-subtraction. Padding is just one example of value-subtraction.
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 reward work. The time spent on these jobs is time you could invest in business development. Look at it this
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 no, but they can't say yes. That being so. Who do you want to spend your time with?
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 speak. Notice your tone, pace, volume ... and how these affect others listening to you. Pay attention to your internal dialogue. That's the voice inside that distracts, interrupts, and meta-comments.
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 words are bandied about in consultancy and it's important that we make distinctions between them. One of the conversations we'd
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 to the top. Just about all top executives are open to high-quality business advice from consultants. Make sure The Fox understands how your meeting
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 action when you work with a mentor. Imagine the difference when you fully embrace selling as part of your consultancy work.
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 actions for delivering a consistent outcome. The outcome is what they want to know about. Then perhaps they'll be interested in