Calvert Markham, writer and acknowledged expert on the consultancy profession, talks to the Institute of Consulting about the challenges the consulting industry is facing.

1. FACE THE FUTURE – GROW
THROUGH THE CHALLENGES
Winning consultancy
Calvert Markham

2. 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

3. Today’s big
questions
• Is there any business out
there?
• How do I get it?

4. Which translates to
• Who am I and what am I selling?
• How can I sell my services better?

5. 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!

6. FAB language
The language we use in describing our proposition
when orientated to.....
Our services The generic needs The specific needs
and wants of and wants of a client
clients (defined by (defined by buyer)
seller)
Features Advantages Benefits

7. 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

8. Creating your own
brand
“Your brand is what people say about you when you are
not in the room.”
Jeff Bezos, quoted in: Brand you
“…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

9. People as brands

10. 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

11. Which translates to
• Who am I and what am I selling?
• How can I sell my services better?

12. 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

13. Fear of rejection
Will she say “no”?
Will you dance with me?

14. Observation 4
• The more time you spend selling, the
more you sell
• But it is easy to be a busy fool!

15. 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

16. 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?

17. Different types of
selling
Intrinsic selling
Extrinsic selling
Time
Extrinsic selling: Do I want to do business with this person?
Intrinsic selling: Is this a piece of business I want to do?

18. Observation 5
• Not all salespeople are heroes

19. Customer
situations
Complexity of
purchasing decision
Hi Sale requires an involved effort
over an extended period of time
Experience and expertise
of customer
Lo Hi
Customer needs a lot of help Customer familiar with product
from salespeople and can competently buy it and
use it
Sale can be made in one or two
contacts with customer
Lo Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

20. Customers
Complexity of
purchasing
decision
Hi
Are buying state of the art Are making a complex purchase
Are first time buyers Are knowledgeable
Experience and
Lo Hi expertise of
customer
Want to be first Want a standard product
Have no experience Are buying what everyone else
buys
Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens
Lo
Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens

21. Sales people
Complexity of
purchasing
decision
Hi
The Wizard The Fixer
Enjoys creating solutions Hard working in building and
Enjoys the technical aspects maintaining relationships
and their application Experience and
Lo Hi expertise of
customer
The Closer The Store Manager
High Easy-going
energy, extroverted, charming Good team manager
Big-time need to succeed
Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens
Lo

22. Selling style
Complexity of
purchasing
decision
Hi
Knowledge is your most Be your client’s strongest ally
important asset
Experience and
Lo Hi expertise of
customer
Build the dream Make it easy for the client to buy
Based on “Selling the wheel”, Cox & Stevens
Lo

23. The sales funnel
...is like a leaky pipeline. Opportunities can arise
Tender
Suspect Prospect Proposal
invited
…and disappear at any stage Sale or
turn-down
• Performance: better qualification and conversion at each
stage
• Value: using this to gather intelligence and build
relationships at each stage

24. Where business
comes from
Sell-on business
Most business is
repeat business
New sales
Referrals

25. 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

26. And finally...
• Selling consultancy is about
making it easy for people to
buy
• When you’re not talking,
you’re not screwing up

27. 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