Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

Selling has changed over the years. A value-driven relationship is taking over the old
lists of tactics and techniques. It is more important to know the person than a list of
closing techniques. And it is especially more important to ask questions than to tell.
An important aspect of value-added selling is availability. You need to keep yourself
in front of your clients and prospective clients regularly. You need to be helpful
and thoughtful if you want your clients to view you as a resource. We have discussed
how to do that in other parts of this book. You will be seen as a resource when you
send your clients pertinent articles or information about upcoming trade shows or
whatever you do to keep them in the know. You are adding value to your clients when
you take advantage of opportunities to exceed their expectations—being available
and being of value.
Value-added selling goes outside the sales call. It means that you do whatever
you can to help build their businesses as well. I continue to use and sell Land
O’ Lakes and Lands’ End products everywhere I am, even though I have not done
business with them for several years. It means that you put your client first with
few unreasonable demands. It means that you continue to grow and learn so that
you become more valuable to your clients.
What skills are required to be successful conducting value-added selling? First
and foremost, excellent listening and questioning skills. Followed quickly behind
that you need to be knowledgeable about your prospective client and know how
to gather that information. This includes information about the potential client
and the industry. You will need to be articulate about the services you provide and
how you can add value for the client. Knowing how to respond to objections, close
the sale, and follow up after the meeting are important to make the sale. And last
but not least, building trust and relationships should be a natural skill.
What is your selling attitude? Do you send yourself messages such as, “I hate to
sell!” or “I don’t know how to sell”? If these are the messages you plant firmly in
your brain, you will not be successful at selling. However, if you are in business,
you must be selling. My guess is that your selling style is one of value added and
that the definition of selling is not the one to which you subscribe. Selling is about
building relationships and helping. It is about providing value, not taking your
share of the consulting budget. It is about reaching agreement, not manipulation.
In summary, you will want to develop and impart your consulting philosophy.
My philosophy is to build a relationship with my clients, add value in all situations,
and to get up every day to have fun. If you do not have a philosophy to guide your
work, it may be time to determine what it is.
Selling Services: How Do You Sell You? 165