How to Sell While Serving - The January Issue of The Guerrilla Consultant

Whether you’re an individual practitioner or part of any size firm, you’ve faced the consultant’s conundrum: how to successfully complete the project you’re working on and market other services to the client—without appearing to be just another salesperson.

The January issue of The Guerrilla Consultant discusses how to strike this balance without striking out.

Comments

[Nicholas Paranelle]

Our entire business model is built on creating successful outcomes for our clients and business partners - Turning Lead Into Gold(R) is a promise we make to each and every client we engage with. That said - we tell our clients up front that 'at the end of this engagement we will assess the success of our efforts together using a six axis scorecard. One axis will ask you if you would refer us to three of your closest friends...'. We tell our clients up front that we will ask them for referrals - but only after we have demonstrated our worthiness to them...

[A.J.]

By all means it is the relationship with the buyer of your services that defines additional work. It's great to say that your client is the "Fortune 500 Company", but it is Joe Jones, Division Manager, Department Head or President that has hired you or your organization. So it is that person that needs to be nurtured. If the project at hand does not help him or increases his stature in his company, then additional project opportunities will dwindle...fast.

[Giselle]

I have found that you consistently have to prove yourself project by project. It is never automatic, even after developing a good relationship with your client, that the next project is yours. Of course your track record helps, but you should NEVER get comfortable. You need to constantly improve your last performance. I have, in some cases, painfully realised this with some of my better customers. For 2005 my new approach is to work at my relationships with my customers and do beyond my best with laser like focus on the project at hand. The Universal laws will handle and deliver all that is for me. I refuse to get caught up in how my "giving" is going to get me more projects.