Articles

Avoiding the “Treacle Effect”

Selling services to large companies can often feel like you’re “wading through treacle”. Progress is slow at best, and it often feels like you’ve taken one step forwards only to take two steps back. Often the challenge... Read more

Becoming a Trusted Advisor

It’s the holy grail of Professional Services - to become a trusted advisor to your senior clients. To be viewed - and sought out - as a source of valued advice and support. The benefits from a business development perspective are clear: the... Read more

You Are What You Sell

Selling professional services has always been difficult. The intangible nature of services means that potential clients cannot “touch and feel” or test the product before buying - so all the great benefits of the service can often... Read more

Challenging the 80:20 Rule

It’s probably the best-known and most-repeated rule in sales: 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. The implication is that you should focus the majority of your sales efforts on those 20% to maximise your returns. But it’s... Read more

The Power of Stories in Selling Professional Services

The art of storytelling is dying. We live in an age of soundbites, special effects, snappy comebacks and the 30-second attention span. It seems that no one is interested in taking the time to listen to, or tell a good story. Yet think back to... Read more

“Find Your Style” to Transform Your Business Development Success

Finding a selling “style” congruent with your personality and your experience is a crucial determinant of your business development success. One of the best pieces of advice I received early in my sales career was from a consulting... Read more

In Praise of Passion

The stereotype many people have of salespeople is of an amoral hired gun. A sharp suited, sharp talking huckster who doesn’t care what he’s peddling as long as it brings in the money. But in reality, the opposite is true of all truly... Read more