Objectives

Many advanced consultants and professionals have not been taught some of the basics which can transform their results and customer experience. You don't know what you don't know...

• The different stages of the basic consulting process
• Understanding of why to use a process, structure and method
• Different types of questions to follow the basic consulting process

Consulting Process

It is possible to achieve high progress from your first contact and win business however there are 12 key phases in the end to end consultative sales and service process that generate sustainable, profitable, mutually beneficial, long term relationships:

1. Market research, define product or service and target business
2. Lead generation & eCRM data and pipeline
3. Introductory messaging and account based fact finding and relationship building (emails, website / digital content & social proof, direct calls / messages)
4. Opportunity Qualification
5. Needs Analysis
6. Proposal / price quote
7. Negotiation / review
8. Close the Deal / Contracts Agreed & Signed
9. New service implementation and/or integration
10. Service Delivery
11. Evaluation & improvement intentions
12. Maintain relationship and repeat business

What is the Consulting Process?

To gain commitment from someone and sell a product or service what is the first stage?

1. IDENTIFY SPECIFIC NEEDS

• The most effective, successful consultants and sales people invest a large % of time probing in to specific needs and understanding the contact, company, opportunity
• 75% of the process is gathering information and qualifying what is in or out of scope and why
• This stage directly attributes to the end result and outcome
• Any attempt to manipulate, push, force or give orders will result in problems and eventually the loss of business, potentially with major repercussions such as loss of referrals and repeat business
• Appropriate and effective questioning, and listening with note taking, will establish the important and bonus needs and priorities
• Your contact will feel understood which makes all parties feel confident about choosing your recommended service or product

What can you do to ensure you have fully understood the customers needs? How do you know you have all the information?

2. SUMMARY

• Repeat back each main area of discussion as a concise highlight (agenda bullet points or the topics you prepared)
• Demonstrates empathy and compassion (you listened and showed respect by taking notes)
• Check you accurately heard or comprended or interpreted what was discussed
• Helps the customer remember anything they forgot, change their mind, or clarify
• *Star in your notes, the key separate areas of needs, problems, obstacles, challenges and opportunities or strengths

You will also have time to reflect, and bring to mind the most relevant and appropriate areas of your experience, past success and the best solutions or options to offer to your customer and discuss

Ask if there is anything else to add or change at this stage? Discuss. I am sure you have some great ideas on how we can move forwards successfully...

3. CONFIRM / MATCHING

• What are the features of your service, that have advantages, and what is the benefit?
• What is it that you have done before or that you can do that the customer has not utilised before?
• Pick service, method and solutions to the important and/or urgent areas of need and describe it
• Make sure you highlight what the options are, what you propose and why
• Match information to needs is professional and ethically selling... this is the selling stage
• If your probing was appropriate and thorough your customer will enjoy this stage
• This process will avoid customers saying things at the start of the meeting like, "What can you do for me!" or "How much does this cost?"

When you have matched, what do you do next?

4. CLOSE / ASK FOR THE BUSINESS AND COMMITMENT

• Customers need your support in making the best decisions
• When they are ready to buy, then expect to be closed
• You must ask them how they feel about everything discussed?
• Is there anything else they need to know or do before agreeing to work together?
• Terms of business need to be discussed and agreed and it's better for you to raise this point and advise remembering the service you have described above
• You may need to provide a proposal or executive summary
• You may need to send and estimate
• You may need to ask for billing information and send an invoice!

Considerations

• In recruiting and hiring processes, this sales process must be used in parallel to ensure a reliable outcome with hiring managers AND candidates
• Every step of the hiring process, is business critical and knowing where you are at in the sales process
• Many Consultants with a poor conversion rate eg high lead or opportunity : close / invoice paid jump in to selling / matching way too soon. You must fully probe in to needs in order to uncover them all and understand them in order to successfully provide the desired service and outcomes
• Benefits must be given with service or product features with an advantage to avoid customers walking away, abandoning carts or giving "so what" reactions or objections

Accurately identifying needs is the most important part of the sales and consulting process. What method and skills are therefore most important?

Setting Goals, Objectives & Tasks

Any information gleaned from a call or conversation including email, that can demonstrate a better understanding on the next call is beneficial as it differentiates you, helps you stand out, and makes life easier for the contact who is probably busy. Record the information in your customer business system for next time and refer to it before the call.

Have a think about the information and data you could gain from a call, that could lead to creating rapport, knowledge, trust, respect and eventually win business...

Here are some frameworks that facilitate success:

What are LIMB Tasks?

L = Love to achieve

I = Intend to achieve

M = Must achieve

B = Bottom line walk away point leaving the door open

What are SMART Objectives?

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Achievable

R = Realistic

T = Timely

What is the GROW Model?

G = Goal

R = Reality

O = Obstacles or Options

W = Way forward / forward action