Mike Schultz, Wellesley Hills Group
When it comes to selling professional services, the primary thing holding people back is their mindset. They don’t want to sound like pushy salesmen, so they approach sales hesitantly and are afraid to tell prospects about themselves. That needs to stop.
In a recent teleseminar with Ian Brodie, Mike Schultz, President of Wellesley Hills Group and co-author of the book Professional Services Marketing, said service professionals must change that mindset if they want to succeed.
“You have to say to yourself, ‘I have value that I can bring to the table. If more clients work with me, they’ll be better for it. If I know I can make a difference, then I should be proud and I should go in with that mindset,’ “said Schultz.
Ian Brodie
But, warned Schultz, stay away from elevator pitches. The idea is to make it a conversation, not a long, complex explanation. You want a natural flow that encourages interaction. Doing so sets the foundation for building the relationship.
“Conversation is so important when selling consulting services to develop the relationship because we are in the relationship business,” he said. “We have to learn to have conversations, and you don’t have conversations when you are pitching something.”
Not sure how to do that? Listen to the teleseminar:
And if you’re afraid of sounding pushy, stop. Research shows clients dislike it more when you hold back and don’t sound enthusiastic. They think that if you aren’t excited about talking about yourself and your services, then you aren’t going to be excited about helping them.
If you’re having difficulty engaging with prospects and aren’t making as many sales as you’d like, give Schultz’s teleseminar a listen. Chances are it will help you identify what you’re doing wrong and get you back on track to winning more sales and growing your business.
