You may not be a salesperson — or even a natural one. That’s okay. Despite this minor setback, you still need to effectively sell your consulting services in order to expand your business. So how can you become the ideal salesperson without looking like a rookie? Here are a few strategies to help you get started:
Have a direct goal with each sales pitch
Don’t bore them with your rabbit trails or lose them in an unnecessary explanation of why they should use your services. Stay on message and find your niche. Essentially, present yourself as the answer to their needs and show how you alone are better than any other consulting options. Be memorable and knowledgeable in each pitch.
Don’t undersell yourself
While you don’t need to fall into serious “humble brag” territory, you want to find the right balance between confidence and humbleness. You don’t want to annoy your potential clients by selling your services as being the “best in the world,” but you don’t want to convince them that they can pass you up either. Have at the ready awards and what you’ve done to make a difference in your industry. If you’re a digital marketer, provide your portfolio digitally. If you’re from a software consulting company, think about customer stories and ways to show the work you’ve done.
In other words: be prepared.
Grow with digital
There is no better way to look more on top of your game than to make your pitch digital. Don’t be the fumbling contractor with pages and pages of nonessential information. Instead, host digital demos and engaging videos to impress potential clients.
Also, why limit yourself to your immediate area? With the right solution, you can hold online conferences and pitches to broaden your consumer base across the country. Video tools enable face-to-face and a personal touch without the expense of driving out to see prospects and customers. You can even let your customers and prospects know, this is a way to reduce the cost of services. If you’re in a high-tech industry, like digital marketing or software consulting, this even makes you look more technically savvy.
Consider pricing
Sometimes, clients don’t need to know what costs you’re passing onto them. If you’re not billing by the hour, consider value-based pricing — where you’re deciding your overall rate including what you think your services are worth and how it competes with others. Many consultants provide three ranges of prices to enable more client control over what works for them. Also, it’s good marketing — a low, medium and higher priced option enables choice. Don’t be surprised if your clients choose the “medium” option.
Many consulting companies continue to research pricing and evaluate. Don’t be afraid to do that or talk with peers about what they’re charging.
