How can you increase sales with existing and potential clients?

Trust is everything. Merely identifying a target market and understanding a potential client’s challenges is not enough in today’s hypercompetitive world. A conscientious, empathic advisor must feel the pain and operate with the mindset of a healer. Concurrently, the potential client must feel (and trust) the advisor’s drive to serve. This is the outlook I bring to my consultancy.

One way to identify the "right" clients for a firm is to do an internal assessment of the firm's vision and mission, its short-term and long-term goals for the business, and objectives the firm has established to achieve those goals. This is also a great time to do an internal SWOT analysis - strengths, weaknesses (challenges), opportunities in the field and in consulting, and any threats (and mitigation for those threats). Understanding the firm's approach, developing its vision and mission, and identifying its goals and objectives can help the organization focus on what is important to them - and why - and prioritizing the important activities to target the client mix that is right for the firm.

First of all, You don't call it sales. You call it Value! Value the client recognizes is something he will buy. There is no selling.

In my experience, and in today's business landscape, buyers are more educated than ever before. As a management consultant, this shift requires adapting your sales approach to cater to their informed preferences. To boost sales performance, it's crucial to identify your target market and understand their specific needs and challenges. By demonstrating industry knowledge and showcasing the value you bring throughout the consulting project lifecycle, you can build lasting relationships and stay competitive in the market.

As a leader, you can drive sales growth by identifying your target market through in-depth research and analysis. Engage with your team to know their customers, understand their needs, and develop strategies that resonate with them. Empower your team with the necessary tools and resources to implement these tailored approaches. Monitor progress and adapt as needed, ensuring that your strategies are aligned with your customers' evolving needs, leading to a more personalized connection with your audience and increased sales.

Don’t be transactional! Trust is earned and it takes time to earn it! Be there when they need you! Show empathy and be honest in your expectations ! Connect at human level !

One trick I learned about this from a book called Blue Fish and my father did the same in his businesses was to do the small things. Send a letter or article that the client would enjoy or is about their industry with a note "Hey, was thinking of you when I saw this, cheers". Wishing them happy birthday with a card, or their kids birthday (if you have that info). When you talk to people, listen and learn. I write down notes on all my clients I work with and also with all my employers. This gives me things to look back on and pull out later on to surprise them that I remembered or listened to them. People feel they are valued when you remember the small stuff that's important to them.

Establishing a strong relationship with current and past clients is essential. Many firms focus on current clients and neglect their past ones. Checking in with past clients - a "health and wellness check" - is a good way to remind the past clients of the successes the firm helped them achieve and ways the firm can help them now (or in the future). Just make sure that the check-in is respectful and not pushy - and focus on the client.

The greatest value element, within the value chain. Trust is everything and why you'll get the order - you need to keep building, nurturing and protecting it at every opportunity you get.

In today's Digital Age, establishing trust, boosting credibility, and building rapport goes through the online world. This has been made increasingly difficult given the proliferation of AI, the pervasiveness of machine-generated content, and the daily onslaught of spammy emails that feign cordiality. The fact that these methods are here to stay brings to bear the psychological underpinnings of authentic communication in developing business relationships.

Another thing I'd add here is how you plan to measure the achievement. What I mean by that is, if I buy a training program, I want to know the metrics to measure against where I'm at now, and where I'll be after I take the training to know if its worth it or not. Don't just do open ended questions, mirror them to get them to elaborate in many cases on what they are saying or trying to get to. Rarely do I have a client, colleague, boss, direct report answer me straight with what they want. Learn to ask the right questions and mirror to get the results they are wanting and go from there.

Measuring the results of the assessment and SWOT analysis and acting on those measurement results is critical. The regular measurement can help the firm discover whether it is meeting / achieving its goals, focused on its mission, etc. If the measurements show less progress than expected, the firm can explore how to adjust activities to achieve a better result at the next measurement.

My greatest challenge as an advisor is keeping an engagement within scope. Often, the work veers outside the lines of a proposal. The needs of the client have changed. New information becomes available. The ability to course-correct while maintaining a high level of trust and staying on track for the desired outcome defines the agile advisor.

An advisor's challenge is keeping an engagement within scope and on track for the desired outcome. Often, the work veers outside the lines of a proposal. The client's needs have changed. Or new information becomes available. The ability to course-correct while maintaining a high level of trust defines the agile advisor.

Ultimately, closing the deal successfully involves not just selling a service but building a partnership based on mutual trust, understanding, and shared objectives. By going the extra mile to personalize the proposal, address concerns, and nurture a positive relationship, consultants can stand out in the eyes of today's educated buyers and secure long-term business success.

I am laser-focused on designing a superior client experience. Before I prepare a formal service agreement, I arrive at a clear understanding of what my potential client envisions as an ideal outcome. I draw upon my journalism skills and conduct a thorough interview to isolate key concerns and determine the best route to achieve the objectives. The more information I glean during the intake process, the smoother the engagement.

I am laser-focused on designing a superior client experience. Before I prepare a formal service agreement, I arrive at a clear understanding of what my potential client envisions as an ideal outcome. I draw upon my journalism skills and conduct a thorough interview to isolate key concerns and determine the best route to achieve the objectives. The more information I glean during the intake process, the smoother the engagement.

The best way to get new clients and sell more to existing clients is to deliver insane value. Full stop. You can market, position, network all you want. But if you’re not over-delivering on expectations, you’ll never maximize revenue. When you deliver insane value, everything else just becomes fuel.

All valid points in the note and the comments from different contributors here. I would add: 1. WHEN you have the choice, pick client problems you truly want to solve to sustain your energy. 2. Genuinely, try to solve the challenges at the client end and seek to add value as if you were in the client's seat/shoes. 3. The desire to solve has to come from deep. Maybe, you will lose a few billable hours, but "own" temporarily the client's challenges and go beyond the brief of your commitment - be it with your insights or contacts. Insights could be compelling cases, benchmarks you have, OKRs you love (beyond what you had been contracted for) or by introducing your client to other clients you have solved similar challenges.

Consider identifying potential opportunities with your current client while you work on your project. This will allow you to present them to the client sooner and to transition from one project to the next in a seamless manner. It can also add synergy, if the projects can somehow be connected, for example if they have similar end goals.

In my experience, most clients know the answers anyway, but seek validation and reassurance before seeking a timescaled action plan - and often hoping someone will implement it too. A consultants soft-skills and credibility will turn these situations into opportunities for both purchaser and provider.

An advisor must earn the right to ask for repeat business or referrals. That ask is easy if the trust is there from the beginning and the deliverables meet or exceed expectations. I aim to become an advisor who becomes indispensable to the client and referable.

We have conducted a survey of over 2000 partners across Law, Management Consulting and Accounting to understand what are the behaviours that make for successful Business Developers. This is underpinned by the original research conducted for Challenger, and the same team are now doing this for Professional Services. Look out for the Harvard Business Review White Paper being published in October, or connect with me and I can share some high level findings.

Facts are your friends. Establish a "line in the sand" and quantify data gained early on in the project, use this to show actual benefits. All benefits will come back to money in the form of savings or an increase in sales.