Words
The Sunday Dispatches archive...
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 that trap. That means taking a leading role in your dealings with clients. Like this: 1. Seek empathy. Show the client that you ‘get’ them
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 self”. I've asked consultants about this and alongside the personal advice about flour and Netflix I've heard insights about
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 you don’t want a new tyre, you’re not excited by the prospect of a new tyre. You need a new
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 their point-of-view. That might look like this. A client asks a question and before they’ve finished talking the consultant interrupts them with
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 our attitudes toward pipelines, relationships, and services.
The single most important thing to do
So why do most consultants - and the agents they hire - focus entirely on abstract 'attraction' methods of marketing? I feel the answer to this question has something to do with focus and confidence.
Consultancy is just a means to an end
What if there are only two reasons for hiring you? Because they probably are!
Living with extremely high-drive individuals
Selling new business is tough because you're certain to ruffle feathers and upset some people. However, be assured, high-drive executives like to be challenged - providing it is done with respect and rapport. They are looking for people who bring fresh ideas, who are prepared to take risks, break th
What does good look like?
Today’s challenge, for our time starved prospects, is the sheer volume of content and perspectives available to them. Blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics, articles, ebooks, case-studies … phew! How do they sort out what’s worthwhile from what’s not? Just take a look at a big consultancy website yo
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 an agreed failsafe. Step 1: Agree the best channel for staying in touch throughout the process. "What’s the best way