Words
The Sunday Dispatches archive...
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
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
Have the courage to say no.
When the work isn’t a good fit, or the client relationship seems awkward, or they won’t agree to do an impact assessment, or they’re more interested in price than value. These are all warning signs. You’ll regret it if you say yes. Taking on the wrong
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 add value. Only 20% succeed in getting a 2nd meeting. In particular sellers score low in 1) demonstrating an understanding of executive issues and where they
3 common mistakes in first meetings
Which of these have you been guilty of? 1. Pitching services. This is the biggest complaint I hear from corporate executives. The consultants came and told us all about their company, what they do, their process, and who they’ve worked with. Boring! 2. Not adding value. Yes your client
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 talk. I’ll listen. I’ll talk. You’ll listen. We’ll be polite. We have rapport. I know it’ll be
10 decisions clients make before buying consultancy
Here's a list of different sales conversations you'll want to master, so you can guide client decision making: 1. ‘Know, like, trust’ decision - the marketing conversation (even when you’re not there in person). 2. 'Shall I meet them’ decision - the outreach conversation (email or
Mentoring or Coaching
Mentoring Mentors apply their expertise to real-time situations their clients face. They talk things through with clients and interventions are usually of the expert “tell me what to do” variety. Development comes when clients take the mentors ideas, go away, and take action. Coaching Coaching is different, especially if