LinkedIn Posts
Posts published on LinkedIn.
Why do you write all this stuff?
“Why do you write all this stuff?” She asked. Fair question and a simple answer. I get clearer when I write my thoughts down. I’m not writing to persuade you. I’m writing to persuade myself. I’m writing to see things differently. Sometimes when the writing seems useful
Does consultative selling work with public sector clients?
Does consultative selling work with public sector clients? In my last post, I recommended Consultative Selling by Mack Hanan. Reading the book, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s all about commercial business. The language is all about profit improvement. Hanan puts that at the core of client conversations.
Want to become a trusted expert? Start with this book.
Want to become a trusted expert? Start with this book. Most sales books are written for people selling products. But you face a different challenge. You need to demonstrate your expertise by adding value, offering insight into your clients’ priority situations and earning their trust. Consultative Selling by Mack Hanan
I asked the question and the room fell silent.
I asked the question and the room fell silent. Not a good kind of silent. The ‘not going to play’ kind. And that reaction was my error entirely. The group were from a big corporate. Responsible for IT finance, or finance, or something like that. Honestly, I can’t remember.
We used to read newspapers.
We used to read newspapers. I looked around the hotel breakfast room this morning. There were no newspapers in sight. Just people looking at glass portals into a virtual life. Maybe they were reading the news online, but it looked like most were scrolling through social media. Or answering emails,
It starts with capture. Then exploration.
It starts with capture. Then exploration. You know those thoughts? You’re half asleep. They’re blown into your head like autumn leaves. Then soon they're forgotten, and much later just rot away. Yuck. That's because you don't capture them? They don't
Turn technical expertise into commercial effectiveness.
You want to turn technical expertise into commercial effectiveness, right? I've been doing that for over 30 years. Here's what I've seen happen in the field. Experts: - great at solving client problems. - lack skill to identify unconsidered needs. - lack confidence engaging clients about these.
Proposing value, not activity.
What inspired yesterday’s post about value? Well... I’d just been reading a proposal. Actually it was more like a situation diagnosis report and statement of work with a price at the end. Nothing like the investment business case it needed to be. That's something I’ve
Structural Tension
What inspired yesterday's post? It's great when your LinkedIn post gets some interaction. People not just saying "attaboy" but adding and deepening the dialogue. Thanks to those who took time and did. Here's some background. Perhaps explaining why it's difficult
The part-time, poor relation.
In the majority of consulting firms the people who do the work are the ones who have to sell it too. That dual role creates an advantage and a tension. The advantages The advantages make consultants attractive to clients. Insights based on experience. The consultant can talk about the reality
