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June 24 - July 8, 2018
You boost your self-confidence by reflecting less on yourself and more on your targets’ problems and aspirations. You’ll find your confidence soars when you’re on the exact same wavelength as your prospects.
If you can’t find any evidence that you have solved your clients’ problem or the evidence is very, very shaky, and you still want to stick with your current focus, then I recommend two immediate, remedial actions. Both will make you a better consultant and boost your confidence in yourself: Take on a pro bono project or two. Get a solid win under your belt. Then you’ll have the evidence you need that your skill set is sufficient. Call other consultants and seek out a subcontracting gig in your area of focus. If you can’t point to your own success, then build your chops under the guidance of
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Your single, highly-effective strategy for exposing need is using a diagnostic.
It’s easier to sell services desired by the people you can reach than it is to find people who desire the services you want to sell.
“Have a clear focus, and become the expert at that. Don’t get sucked into doing other work every time someone asks if you can do it. I’m an executive coach. I don’t do strategic consulting or give how-to speeches. There’s nothing wrong with those; they’re just not what I do.”
“What problems have you found so pressing and important that you’ve actually spent money bringing in outside help to solve them over the past few years?”
Learn what clients have actually spent money on in the past, not what they say they’ll do in the future.
Laser focus your core offering on one problem that is pervasive, urgent, expensive to leave unresolved, and connects to your skill set.
The fact is, you can always build your skill set, but you can’t build client problems. (At least, you shouldn’t build client problems!)
Your Fishing Line is a ten-to-fifteen word statement that succinctly, precisely describes your target and the issue you address (a problem or aspiration). Your Fishing Line does not include your solution. Hold that in reserve—sort of like the net that allows you to scoop the fish up once you’ve reeled it in.
Based on my work with consulting firms across a wide range of disciplines, I’ve found Five Marketing Musts that are the backbone of increasing your visibility. They are: • Writing • Speaking • Trade Associations • Digital Presence • Networking
Your website may offer a bit of information about you, but the focus of the site shouldn’t really be about you… it should be about your prospects!
Never, ever, finish a conversation with an active prospect without agreeing to the date and time for the next conversation.
As a reminder, the six stages of the Context Discussion that you’re going to recap in the Context Document are: 1. Situation 2. Desired Outcomes 3. Indicators of Success 4. Perceived Risks and Concerns 5. Value 6. Parameters
The underpinnings of emotional persuasion were captured succinctly by Blair Warren, author of The One Sentence Persuasion Course, in 27 words: “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”
