Services and Consulting Sales: What the world's best are doing different than you.

1. Services and Consulting Sales: What the world's best are
doing different than you.
Currently, methods of sales and standard solutions used by service providers and consultancies start-ups
to companies of various size unfortunately, are not working as before. Driven by the Internet, the
commoditization of many products and consulting
services, as the impact of this recently great recession
and the radical intensification of competition in many
industries. As a result the purchase of services and
consulting to companies are definitely changing,
despite marketing efforts and activities such as
events, visiting customers, social networking, and
networking with potential and existing customers.
Nowadays, the idea that you need to push
aggressively the benefits of your business to potential client until someone learns, is not as valid as it
used to be until 2011 and 2012. Sales in Europe today, in some Asian countries, North America and Latin
America are undergoing a significant transformation in the field of services and consulting.
We are all bombarded daily with ads and messages and we end up training our brains to "turn off" when
we see commercials and promotions! We do not want to buy anymore, by incessant attacks of
information, whether products, services or consultancy.
The new way to sell
A new way to sell is called a soft sales or bland sales, no longer through aggressive and incessant
slogans, advertisements or sales slogans saying: how your services are wonderful and better you’re your
competitors, because it simply discourages potential customers.
The way to sell now relies heavily on its educational approach, where the more knowledge you bring to
people and more value with great targeted content to your potential customers, the more they see will
see your company and you as an authority in your sector. The results of these approaches at this time,
which only began to emerge from the global crisis is working for almost all small, medium and large
companies and specially for consulting and services providers such as small practices, startups and
giants like Oracle, SAP, SAS, Ericsson. The same happens with several global banks and companies that
sell services. It was interesting to see the changes that Oracle and some of my customers have come in
recent years.
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2. Authority vs. Experts
I find it important to mention that currently be an expert in your area, honestly, it will not help you a lot
in this highly competitive market! That's because there are many experts and companies in your sector,
but people who really are authorities in their field with experience, credibility, and ability to turn talk
into real and positive results are few. Therefore, if you or your company positions yourself as an
authority, you will see much more success in selling your services and consulting offers. Remember also
that this does not necessarily happen tomorrow or later, this achievement is a process. The game has
changed!
The idea to give free tips and advice are not well accepted by many service providers and consultants.
Actually in the beginning, even I had difficulties to accept this new way of making sales, this new
approach. Companies and consultants often feel that the advices and ideas are your product so why do
it for free and give it away? This way of thinking is understandable, but it shows a lack of comprehension
of the 2013 forward sales approaches. Remember, your new potential customers are just beginning to
come out of the global crisis, here in Europe for instance, we are still in crisis, and it affected the
changing the way we sell services and consulting.
Sharing knowledge is to add value
If you start to open up and share some of your knowledge with potential and existing clients, trying to
add value to customers since the first moment, you will find yourself surrounded with more
opportunities. I know these sounds kind of surprising, but imagine you with a lot of knowledge, without
sharing with others, it is not a waste? Focusing in demonstrate your company ability to resolve the
concerns of your client can bring you more sales and authority within your field, is that worth to store
your knowledge? Think if this can help your company to sell.
Opening up unafraid to deliver added value to customers in pre-sales and post-sales also have proved
day after day that generates the best results for your company or for you. Obviously, it helps to create
to the potential customer the perception that you are the authority in your area, so imagine when he
need someone in this area, who will him get in contact with? ...
If you participate in a sales process as a partner and not as the seller of services, bringing added value
since the beginning, your chances increase significantly to win the opportunity. By the customer
perceiving you as an authority, he will buy from you or your company, these are working for many
companies today and can work for yours too in case you like it.
This is working independent of what kind of services or consulting you are selling. At some point,
customers will need to buy and if you have a portfolio of well-organized and attractive services even
better. Nowadays the consultant educates and guides offers added value, helping the customer to make
the right decisions, without pushing your "fish". These have greater
sales potential than the old approaches, which just talks and mentions how wonderful are your services
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3. and consulting.
After you have shared your knowledge with your customer, it probably they will still see some of your
competitors in your niche market, but if the other consultant and services providers does not offer
added value as you already have done, who do you think will be the authority on your clients head?Fact
that increase significantly, your chances of successful sales.
The secret
The secret here is that you do not need to give everything in detail about what you know. In fact, you
should avoid give all details. When a potential customer or interested persons asks you a question or
ask your advice, you should be happy to be able to respond and help without thinking, whether you are
saying too much or not. Always offer your best, so you will have much more success in your specific
area, sharing with their customer’s thoughts on the subject only will help you and your company.
I hope that this new approach will make you rethink the sale of services and consulting that your
company is pursuing.
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