FACE THE FUTURE – GROW THROUGH THE CHALLENGES

Winning consultancy Calvert Markham

Elevation Learning

• Formed in 1989• Training for knowledge based businesses: thousands of consultants

and hundreds of practices• Faculty are experienced management consultants• Working in UK and rest of world• Approved CMI centre• Won “Most outstanding centre” for the last two years

Today’s big questions

• Is there any business out there?

• How do I get it?

Which translates to

• Who am I and what am I selling?

• How can I sell my services better?

Observation 1

• Who am I and what am I selling?

• How can I sell my services better?

If you are not clear about what you are selling, it’s difficult for people to buy it!

FAB language

The specific needs and wants of a client (defined by buyer)

Our services

The language we use in describing our proposition when orientated to.....

The generic needs and wants of clients (defined by seller)

BenefitsFeatures Advantages

Observation 2

• Who am I and what am I selling?

• How can I sell my services better?

In consulting, the value of the proposition is related to the client’s perception of the consultant

Creating your own brand

“…tomorrow’s worker is going to operate more like an independent small company than a traditional employee. This is whether or not they are an employee. So self knowledge is going to be important.”

William Bridges: Redefining work

“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”

Jeff Bezos, quoted in: Brand you

People as brands

Core story

1. We are a large, well established, specialist training company– Supporting facts– What this means– Illustration

2. We design and deliver high quality development programmes

3. We work internationally across all sectors

4. We are highly regarded by our clients

5. Our consultants are first rate trainers and developers

6. We have a significant impact on individual and corporate performance

Which translates to

• Who am I and what am I selling?

• How can I sell my services better?

Observation 3

The average consultant is a reluctant sales person

BUT

"The service firms represented by true professionals (i.e. those who can do the work) are far more valuable to their clients than those represented by professional salesmen"

From: How to Buy/Sell Professional Services Warren Wittreich - Harvard Business Review

Fear of rejection

Will you dance with me?

Will she say “no”?

Observation 4

• The more time you spend selling, the more you sell

• But it is easy to be a busy fool!

Key activities

• Conversion: the skill and success involved in moving to the next stage of the process

and

• Qualification: Choosing which opportunities to follow up at each stage of the selling process

The need for extrinsic selling

I don't know you. I don't know your company. I don't know your product or services or how they can help me. I don't know your track record or who your other customers are.

Now, what did you want to sell me?

Different types of selling

Time

Extrinsic selling

Intrinsic selling

Extrinsic selling: Do I want to do business with this person? Intrinsic selling: Is this a piece of business I want to do?

Observation 5

• Not all salespeople are heroes

Customer situations

Complexity of purchasing decision

Experience and expertise of customer

Hi

Lo

Hi

Lo

Sale can be made in one or two contacts with customer

Sale requires an involved effort over an extended period of time

Customer needs a lot of help from salespeople

Customer familiar with product and can competently buy it and use it

Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

CustomersComplexity of purchasing decision

Experience and expertise of customer

Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

Hi

Lo

Hi

Lo

Want a standard productAre buying what everyone else buys

Are buying state of the artAre first time buyers

Want to be firstHave no experience

Are making a complex purchaseAre knowledgeable

Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

Sales people

Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

Hi

Lo

Hi

Lo

The Store ManagerEasy-goingGood team manager

The WizardEnjoys creating solutionsEnjoys the technical aspects and their application

The CloserHigh energy, extroverted, charmingBig-time need to succeed

The FixerHard working in building and maintaining relationships

Complexity of purchasing decision

Experience and expertise of customer

Selling style

Hi

Lo

Hi

Lo

Make it easy for the client to buy

Knowledge is your most important asset

Build the dream

Be your client’s strongest ally

Complexity of purchasing decision

Experience and expertise of customer

Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

The sales funnel

Suspect ProspectTenderinvited

Proposal

…and disappear at any stage

• Performance: better qualification and conversion at each stage

• Value: using this to gather intelligence and build relationships at each stage

...is like a leaky pipeline. Opportunities can arise

Sale or turn-down

Where business comes fromSell-on business

Referrals

New sales

Most business is repeat business

Typical dragons of selling

• Promotion: – The dragon of call reluctance

• Prospection:– The dragon of self doubt

• Proposition design:– The dragon of falling in love with your solution

• Pitching:– The dragon of self obsession

And finally...

• Selling consultancy is about making it easy for people to buy

• When you’re not talking, you’re not screwing up

Contact details

Calvert Markham

• www.elevationlearning.co.uk

• calvert.markham@elevationlearning.co.uk

• +44 (0) 20 8642 9568

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElevationLearn

• Blog: www.elevationlearning.wordpress.com