With the rise of content marketing, attraction strategies are very popular ... writing articles, posting on social media, conducting webinars,
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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