October 2004

As we prepare upcoming columns, Elaine Biech has some words of advice!

The Persistent Consultant Gets the Worm: A Pep Talk from Elaine Biech

If we're on an economic upswing, why am I having such a hard time just keeping my door open?

That question is on the lips of consultants everywhere. Fact is, even as the economy trembles on the brink of recovery, consultants are still feeling the pinch. And small wonder. When a corporation must choose between downsizing hundreds of workers or closing up shop altogether, it tends to put decision-makers in a skeptical mood with regard to buying an outsider's business solutions. But according to consulting expert Elaine Biech, you can make yourself more marketable in a tough economy—you just have to get tough, too. 

"Clients are looking for different things than they were a few years ago," says Biech, author of the new book Marketing Your Consulting Services (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer). "They simply no longer have time for the 'softer' aspects of business. They want to know,'How can you help me make a difference in my bottom line?'If you can help a client make the hard decisions—where to cut excess out of a budget, for example—then you're actually providing value. Then you're offering what clients want . . . no, what they need."

So how do you market yourself to anxious, shell-shocked clients—clients who want to believe the economy is getting better, but aren't confident enough to risk making a costly mistake? Well, the time-tested insight and advice in Marketing Your Consulting

Services holds true in any economy. But in times of uncertainty you might have to make a few more phone calls, send out a few more lumpy envelopes (a Biech standby), write a few more proposals. In short, you must be persistent—as the author phrases it, "In times of difficulty, when everyone else is giving up, the persistent consultant will get the worm."

Let's say that a potential client is showing some interest and you've actually scheduled an appointment. Congratulations! Now the hard part begins. How can you set yourself apart from the pack and show the prospect you've got what he or she needs? Biech offers four tips on how to sell your consulting services in a tough-as-nails marketplace.

• Go in armed with hard facts & figures. Maybe at one time, a consultant could present a concept that sounded workable (and maybe kind of fun) and a client would bite. Obviously, those days are long gone! Now, you have to tell your client why your idea is a good one—and that why must be backed up with cold, hard numbers. Show your client precisely how your services will help him increase his share of customers or cut costs or branch out into a profitable new direction. This means doing lots and lots of research before you meet with your client and engaging in some clear thinking about how you can add value. Intensive? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely!

• Personalize, personalize, personalize. If you have a "formula" that you whip out at every sales call, it's going to come across as, well, a formula. A potential client wants to see that you know a lot about her problems, that you care about her future, that you're confident your services will add value to her organization. This concept relates to Biech's previous tip, because you must do plenty of research in order to ascertain your client's goals. Once her goals are clear in your mind, you fit your services into them. You then structure your presentation around her goals. This is what personalization really means—it's a lot more than merely putting the client's name and logo at the start of your Power Point presentation.

• Once you're there, listen. We're all human, we all have problems, we all need a sympathetic ear. Your potential client is no exception. This is one area in which the uncertain economy may actually benefit you! Generally, busy, stressed-out executives don't have an outlet for their anxiety and frustration. Especially in a time when the people they would like to confide in may be next in line for the chopping block! You have the opportunity to listen to what your prospect may not be able to share with anyone else.

"I've always said that every organization should have its own professional listener," says Biech. "Of course, that's not realistic—so you fill that role. Listening is so important to building strong business relationships. Even if you don't leave the meeting with a signed contract, the fact that you cared enough to hear what the prospect was saying may mean that he calls you later with an assignment. It has happened to me, so I know—and it's all a part of the persistence mindset."

• Follow up—then follow up again. Following up actually has two parts. First, you should send a handwritten note immediately after every meeting, thanking the prospect for her time. This is true even if you are submitting a proposal later. Here in the Internet Age, such niceties are increasingly rare. And they are meaningful: while an e-mail might get deleted right away, people are loath to throw out a handwritten note.

Part two of the follow up happens later, perhaps after you've committed to do a project or even after your proposal has been rejected. Send a "lumpy envelope" containing something your client can keep on her desk: perhaps something "serious" like a notepad imprinted with your logo, or something "silly" accompanied by a clever note—Biech has sent such items as yo-yos, red sand timers, and glass stars. The point is to stand out from your competition and to be remembered. Both the handwritten note and the follow-up gift will help you accomplish this goal.

"When you are certain you have something to offer a potential client, you simply don't give up," concludes Biech. "In a way, it's like pursuing a romantic relationship with someone that you know is right for you. If the compatibility is there, you keep making your case—certainly not in an aggressive, 'stalkerish' way, but gently and persistently, giving the client plenty of space but reminding him or her that you are there.  If it takes a year for the relationship to bear fruit, that's okay. Establishing a business relationship is a long-term process. You can't jerk the client through the door, but you can make sure the client knows the door is always open."