Vertical Differentiation
You can’t turn a corner these days without bumping into a marketing consultant banging on about the importance of a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and differentiation. I’ve written on the topic before – and in my view, for most service businesses it’s actually far more important to focus on creating compelling client value than it is [...]
Vertical Differentiation is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Practical Strategies, Proven Results
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: differentiation, skadden arps slate
Getting the Right Mindset for Selling (and it’s not what you think)
A lot’s often talked about getting the right mindset for selling. The focus is most often on having a positive outlook, a winning mentality, or even a “don’t take no for an answer” attitude. But I’ve found that when you’re selling consulting services (as I do) or other high value professional services (as my clients do) [...]
Getting the Right Mindset for Selling (and it’s not what you think) is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Practical Strategies, Proven Results
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: client, mutual exploration
The Top 10 Ways to Screw Up a Client Relationship
I don’t often do top 10 lists, but most of this one came to me in a dream (which is a pretty sad admission in itself) and it kind of amused me. In reverse order: 10. Bad mouthing a client. We all have clients that we dearly love, but who drive us wild. There’s a terrible temptation [...]
The Top 10 Ways to Screw Up a Client Relationship is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Practical Strategies, Proven Results
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: aggressive competitor, Business Development Mindset, client relationships, screw up
Selling Consulting Services: The Myth of “Killer Closing Techniques”
Mike Schultz’s excellent free report “Selling Consulting Services: Forget Everything You Know About Sales and Begin to Sell Without Selling” has a great section in it on closing techniques. At first I approached this chapter with trepidation. In my professional career I’ve never found closing techniques worked for me. Not only did they feel uncomfortably manipulative [...]
Selling Consulting Services: The Myth of “Killer Closing Techniques” is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Practical Strategies, Proven Results
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: Mike, mike schultz, report, selling consulting services, Selling Professional Services
Do You Hate Cold Calling? Here’s a Way to Eliminate the Fear, Failure and Rejection
If you’re anything like most professionals, me included, you’d rather lose your right arm than make a cold call. It’s uncomfortable, you feel like you’re a used car salesman, and it doesn’t feel at all like the client-focused approach you know you should be using. So most of us put it off, or we ask others to [...]
Do You Hate Cold Calling? Here’s a Way to Eliminate the Fear, Failure and Rejection is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Proven Strategies from Ian Brodie
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: Art, Art Sobczak, Bob Bly, Bob Burg, Book, cold calling, Ho, Ian Brodie, Jill Konrath, Paul McCord, Selling Professional Services, smart calling, Zig Ziglar
How a Simple Piece of Paper can Transform Your Success at Selling
Tick tock, tick tock. You’re standing outside the boardroom waiting to meet the Senior VP of Operations for your #1 target client. Tick tock, tick tock. It’s a vital meeting, crucial to your firm’s success this year, and even more so for your own career. Tick tock, tick tock. The butterflies inside your stomach are bouncing around like competitors on [...]
How a Simple Piece of Paper can Transform Your Success at Selling is a post from: Get Clients
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: checklist, meeting, Mr Jones, sales meeting, Selling Professional Services, target client
Are You Exploiting This Key Strategy To Get More Clients?
We’ve all heard multiple versions of the “it takes 6 touches before a customer will buy from you” saying. But how true is it? In my experience it’s very true. But it’s also very misleading. You see, it kind of gives the impression that all you need to do to win a client is communicate with them in [...]
Are You Exploiting This Key Strategy To Get More Clients? is a post from: Get Clients
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: campaign, campaigns, mail campaign, Marketing Professional Services
Have You Forgotten How To Listen?
We’re sorry, we’ve decided to go with someone else. Aargh. The worst words any professional wants to hear. You did a great job, it’s just we decided to go with a training solution rather than the coaching you proposed. But hang on, I do training. In fact I’m great at it. Let me tell you about the training [...]
Have You Forgotten How To Listen? is a post from: Get Clients
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: client, development responsibilities, Listening, Selling Professional Services
How To Get More Referrals Part 2: A Get Clients Video Tip
In the first Get Clients Video Tip I highlighted the importance of understanding what criteria potential referral partners will use before deciding to refer you. In this tip I explain how you can address those criteria to ensure you get a strong referral. Drop me a comment if you found the video useful. A number of the [...]
How To Get More Referrals Part 2: A Get Clients Video Tip is a post from: Get Clients
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: business poll, joy, referrals, Selling Professional Services, Video
Linkedin Funnies
Sparked by reading a colleague’s rather amusing recommendation on Linkedin, I’ve decided to start collecting “Linkedin Funnies”. If you spot something funny on Linkedin – either in a profile or recommendation or wherever – then please leave a comment on this post. Here are the funnies I’ve found so far: The first recommendation, to my mind, is [...]
Linkedin Funnies is a post from: Get Clients
Categories: Ian Brodie Tags: humour, leadership poll, linkedin, linkedin funnies, News