Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

comment a few paragraphs back. Things change. Jobs change. Needs change. People
change. I stay in touch with all the no’s I have had in the past.
If you intend to follow up, you need to learn something new about the client.
You will certainly learn from the questions you ask and the responses you receive.
You can also pick up information by reading their walls. That is, looking around
the office to check the client’s bookshelves and walls. What books line the shelves?
What diplomas and certificates grace the wall? What pictures smile back at you?
What magazines lie waiting on the table? Trophies or memorabilia can tell you
what’s important. All of these are clues. Don’t be so focused on closing the sale that
you forget to learn something about the client as a person. You can use the clues
to open discussion. You can also use these clues as information about the kind of
meaningful follow-up you could complete. What could you do to add personal
value to your relationship with this client?
Leave Behinds
As they wrap up a meeting, many consultants like to provide a “leave behind,” some
written material that the client will most likely keep. It could be your brochure or
an article you’ve written. The purpose is to provide something to remind the client
that you were there. Be sure it represents your image. You may also decide to just
leave your business card. If you leave both a card and material, paper-clip the two
together. A gold paper clip or one in an unusual shape is a nice touch.
The most important step at this point is to ensure that you have a next step.
Next steps might be a meeting scheduled in the near future, information you will
send to the client, some research you may do, or dozens of other things. Before you
leave and after you thank the client for the meeting, briefly reiterate what you have
agreed will happen next. It might sound like this: “Thanks for taking the time to
help me better understand your situation. I look forward to meeting you next
week, and you can expect that article in the mail in a day or two.”
Luick tip . . .
When you make your first sales call, be sure to get the individual’s
e-mail address. Don’t misuse it, but it does guarantee direct access to
the person in the future.
Selling Services: How Do You Sell You? 177