This is the part-two of a blog series on selling B2B consulting. Click here for part one.
2. Focus on technical expertise and tactics rather than ‘big picture’ results.
When engaged in selling, it is very easy for consultants to emphasize how great they are at specific tasks or skill sets. While this information become relevant during later stages of the buying process and the delivery phase, it does not help ease your prospects worries concerning risk when they are considering a purchase. In other words, people want holes, not shovels. When selling B2B consulting, you need to help your prospects envision an end-state where their problems are solved before you get into technical details. Only once your prospects share your vision for the future will they listen to the tactical steps of how you are going to take them there.
3. Attempt to maintain control over the prospect and situation.
In any selling situation, there are going to be power dynamics involved. While it is rational to want to maintain some type of control or advantage to reduce perceived risk, this is not the way to get your prospects to trust you. This is because buyers are now used to controlling the sales cycle for most of their purchases and will react negatively if you try to take their buying power away.
Furthermore, because consulting services are perceived as high-risk purchases, selling consulting happens through a process of collaborative solutioning to build trust. The keywords are ‘collaborative’ and ‘trust’. This means anything you can do to make your prospects feel like your relationship is a team-effort (and that you are not trying to ‘pull a fast one’ on them) will help. Helping your customers succeed should always be your ultimate measure of your success.
For more on selling B2B consulting services, watch this quick video on Selling Professional Services. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
