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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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 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.
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
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
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.
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