Issue 2: Are You Sales Averse?

In this Issue:

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Let’s face it: professionals hate selling.

Consultants like me hate selling. Architects and surveyors hate selling. Accountants hate selling. And lawyers: lawyers really hate selling.

And we don’t just hate the act of selling. Many of us hate the entire concept of selling. We feel it’s beneath us. It’s demeaning. We’re experts in our field – we shouldn’t need to sell.

Most professional firms can’t even bring themselves to call it selling. It’s business development or client relations. Not selling.

20 years ago – 10 years ago even – that wouldn’t have mattered. Most professionals got enough repeat business and referrals to "keep them busy". Competition was gentlemanly, and clients stuck with the professionals they’d always used.

Nowadays most professions face significant overcapacity, aggressive competition and promiscuous clients who’ve learned to shop around and test the market.

It’s no longer enough for professionals to do great work and expect that clients will hear about them via word of mouth.

Most of us know the research from TARP in the US showing that an unhappy customer will share their bad experience with an average of 12 other people and each of those 12 people will in turn mention it to 6 others. The corollary is less well known – but to my mind far more frightening. A happy customer will share their experience with just a few friends; those friends will not remember much and will not share that information with anyone at all.

So the reality today is that professionals must actively promote themselves and their firm. And they must do it well.

Much of my work as a consultant involves teaching professionals effective ways to market and sell their services. As someone who’s far from a natural salesperson myself, I focus on methods and approaches that work well for people whose first priority is their client work and not on becoming some sort of "professional salesperson".

But despite the proven effectiveness of these methods – they count for nothing if the professional cannot overcome their aversion to selling.

What to do if you’re "Sales Averse"

Rather like alcoholism or other forms of addiction – the first step is to recognise you have a problem.

How do you know if you’re Sales Averse?

  • How many clients or business partners did you call or meet with last week to ask for a referral?

  • How many new potential clients did you meet at networking or social events – and follow-up with?

  • How many seminars or talks to potential clients did you give?

  • How many personal letters to target clients did you send?

If you can count these activities in single digits you’re probably Sales Averse. You are uncomfortable in sales situations and find other activities to do instead.

If you find that in these economic times you’re spending more time in the office or with colleagues and peers than with clients and prospects – then you’re probably Sales Averse.

Read the rest of the article to find out the main types of Sales Aversion and how to cure them: click here

Recommended Site: raintoday.com

Rain Today is the leading on-line magazine site for growing professional services firms.

The site’s content includes articles, white-papers and research reports, webinars and premium content.

There’s a ton of excellent material in the free downloads area – including recent article collections on marketing and fees.

It’s also well worth checking out the online store
too – there are some really great value reports and studies. I
particularly rate the "How to Set Appointments Through Cold Calling"
report. It’s the best guide on effective cold calling techniques for
professional services I’ve seen – moving way beyond the generalities
into what specifically works for professionals.

Visit www.raintoday.com

Quick Tip: Linkedin Headlines

When people find you in searches on Linkedin, or when you contribute to
Group discussions or in the Linkedin Answers Q&A section;
the initial thing they see is a little box with your name, photo, and
your "headline".

What most people have in their headline is their job title. "Owner
at XYZ Company" or "Principal consultant at ABC Ltd". Unfortunately,
this doesn’t give people a clue as to whether you might be able to help
them, or might be interesting to connect to.

You should treat your headline like your introduction when networking. Focus on what you can do to help people.

My headline, for example is "Helping Professional Services Firms Attract More Clients and Win More New Business". It’s much more useful in telling people what I actually do than using an "offical" job title like Managing Director. That will get more
people to click through to my profile and maybe begin to interact with
me.

You can edit your Headline via the Edit My Profile option.

News: Free Pilot of Consultative Selling Course – Volunteers Wanted

Consultative Selling is an approach to business development where prospective clients are guided through a process of exploring their needs and identifying appropriate solutions by a Trusted Advisor.

It’s the most effective and ethical way for professionals like lawyers, consultants and accountants to sell.

I’m currently designing a half-day training course on Consultative Selling specifically tailored for professionals. It will focus on:

  • How to quickly establish credibility in an initial meeting with a prospective client
  • How to use questions to identify underliying client needs and establish your services as the preferred solution
  • How to overcome inertia and help clients make positive decisions

I’m looking for up to 6 volunteers in and around the Manchester area to pilot the course with me in August. The pilot will be free – all I ask in return is feedback to help finalise the course design.

If you’re interested, drop me an email on ian@ianbrodie.com or call 0161 408 0984 or 07866 549 984.

Thanks

Ian's Signature