Selling professional services has been defined as a combination of art and science, with communications being the key element. How many times have you planned the perfect client meeting only to leave the meeting without the sale or client commitment to move forward? Communication might be getting in your way.
One of our biggest problems is not taking into account the communication “noise”. You might not have the undivided attention of your client. I am not talking about telephone interruptions or knocks on the door. I am talking about what is going on in the client’s mind while you are trying to have a conversation. In my “Overcoming Communications Barriers” seminar, I have a slide showing a client at his desk with cartoon balloons above his head showing what is on his mind. He is thinking about dinner with his wife, his son’s soccer game, the MLB baseball results, his car needing an oil change, etc. And, you thought you were the most important thing he would be thinking about today.
When I first got into this business a sales trainer told me the key to selling is getting the client more interested in buying than you are in selling. This means make your conversation less about your company and more about the client. Don’t confuse this with leaving out the key reasons why the client needs your services. Since there isn’t a magic phrase that will make a client want to buy from us, we need to look at how a conversation can take us to the place where the client must buy from us. If you start with a problem he is dealing with at the beginning of the conversation, it is easy to get the client to set aside other things on his mind and focus on you. This is the art of selling.
Understanding how to lead a conversation will put you on the path to gaining information that is critical for your success in selling the client your services. Asking the right questions is the first step. Everyone working in business development or marketing in the professional services industry and all other industries for that matter knows you need to ask open ended questions. Yes and no answers are not the way to build a conversation. Here is an example (How to find a client problem):
“Did you know there are five critical areas of expertise needed to design (fill in the blank with the client’s project)? Conversations are built on body language. Wait and see the client’s reaction to your question. Use the client’s answer and non-verbal cues to build the case for your firm. The conversation might continue with the client saying, “Your expertise is great, but my problem is (blank). Now the client is helping you build the conversation. You just learned a pain point you didn’t know before the meeting. When you answer, you will have the client’s full attention.
“Did you know there are five critical areas of expertise needed to design (fill in the blank with the client’s project)? Conversations are built on body language. Wait and see the client’s reaction to your question. Use the client’s answer and non-verbal cues to build the case for your firm. The conversation might continue with the client saying, “Your expertise is great, but my problem is (blank). Now the client is helping you build the conversation. You just learned a pain point you didn’t know before the meeting. When you answer, you will have the client’s full attention.
Your answer is simply, “Have you ever visited X. The client for this project had the same problem you just mentioned and was initially concerned about using our firm. We were selected not only because our team had experience with the large design issues, but because we had innovators who took care of the small issues that can slow down a major project. We built trust by assuring the client that when you have a problem that no one has ever dealt with, you want us on the team to create a solution. The project has received many awards since its completion”
Your statement will generate a number of questions. It might reveal a competitor who is wired into the project. It might reveal the client’s problem is not what he just stated, but something different. The answer will allow you to continue the conversation. You might follow up with, “I understand how the problem you mentioned could impact the project, but is the project a current priority? Has it been funded? When do you plan to start? Do you have other people on your team working on the problem now or will you leave the solution to the design team?” All of these questions continue the conversation and allow you to gather more information.
