Dear Jim,
I wish the boom was back because selling was so easy. I would write a pleasant e-mail that would chat in a non-specific, wooly way that tends to provide the comfort that over-busy executives like yourself. It would repeat a few 'hot buttons' from any received scope and talk about delivery in such a way that a skim read would infer we said we could do it while a more detailed read would reveal nothing but 5 different ways to say how loverly everything was....
And because you were busy and because reading my e-mail was quick and there was no emotional energy expended in really worrying about value for money; after all you can't seem to spend it fast enough; you simply said yes.
Now you want value for money, I have to work a little harder again.....
Consultant
Monday 23 November 2009
Bringing in hired help....
So, you are looking to develop your business development capabilities. You can take your smart, knowledgeable professionals and inject them with some commercial acumen; provide them with a "business development process", dangle a carrot or two and watch them go....
The main focus of this book / blog is to help you navigate your way through that process, BUT, there may come a time when you may need to bring in some new help. Yes, I'm talking about hiring....
If you are a small professional services company, how do you hire someone to come into your business and sell it with the same passion as you?
You can't - so don't try!!
Don't try and hire someone like you.
The whole premise of this book is that the best professional services salesmen tend to be the best practitioners of professional services: it is often simply portrayed in their body language. Clients will ask themselves "can this person do the assignment" and the answer needs to be yes! So, wherever you are in your staff development, you must always try to encourage your consultants to sell and develop business.
However, you will need to hire at some time (I need to right now at the moment!) and so what questions should you ask:
1. Ask about priorities - client vs lead
2. Ask about process - let them explain a process they have successfully used (you may be able to inherit one here so keep an open mind!)
3. What, in their opinion, is the best marketing tool (we know the answer, do you think they will get it?)
4. How would they prepare for a conference?
5. Do they have a philosophy for professional services sales
6. Key differences between professional services sales and equipment/product sales.
There are more here - write them down; answer them yourself and compare answers. Don't expect a full score and prepare to question them and challenge them.
The main focus of this book / blog is to help you navigate your way through that process, BUT, there may come a time when you may need to bring in some new help. Yes, I'm talking about hiring....
If you are a small professional services company, how do you hire someone to come into your business and sell it with the same passion as you?
You can't - so don't try!!
Don't try and hire someone like you.
The whole premise of this book is that the best professional services salesmen tend to be the best practitioners of professional services: it is often simply portrayed in their body language. Clients will ask themselves "can this person do the assignment" and the answer needs to be yes! So, wherever you are in your staff development, you must always try to encourage your consultants to sell and develop business.
However, you will need to hire at some time (I need to right now at the moment!) and so what questions should you ask:
1. Ask about priorities - client vs lead
2. Ask about process - let them explain a process they have successfully used (you may be able to inherit one here so keep an open mind!)
3. What, in their opinion, is the best marketing tool (we know the answer, do you think they will get it?)
4. How would they prepare for a conference?
5. Do they have a philosophy for professional services sales
6. Key differences between professional services sales and equipment/product sales.
There are more here - write them down; answer them yourself and compare answers. Don't expect a full score and prepare to question them and challenge them.
Sunday 8 November 2009
Farming
Farming is the phrase we use for the soft sell work that a natural consultant does without even thinking about it.
It starts with talking to clients and potential clients regularly - finding a reason to talk with them on a semi-regular basis; say one a quarter or twice a year. What do you think you would talk about? How do you start the conversation?
Well - you would assume that the client and you follow the same market so perhaps there is something to talk about in the market; seems like a good place to start!!
Developing a process to monitor and prompt the calls is not difficult but, as always, it's the DISCIPLINE that makes the difference - was that word in "what world class sales organisations do", oh yes, I think so....
It starts with talking to clients and potential clients regularly - finding a reason to talk with them on a semi-regular basis; say one a quarter or twice a year. What do you think you would talk about? How do you start the conversation?
Well - you would assume that the client and you follow the same market so perhaps there is something to talk about in the market; seems like a good place to start!!
Developing a process to monitor and prompt the calls is not difficult but, as always, it's the DISCIPLINE that makes the difference - was that word in "what world class sales organisations do", oh yes, I think so....
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