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Information Technology Consultants and Professionals: How to
Avoid Being Seen as
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By Andrew Neitlich
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Here are tips for information technology professionals to meetwith prospects without being seen as an annoying salesperson:
1. Don't make cold calls. An unsolicited phone call is theeasiest tip-off to a prospect that you are a salesperson. How doyou react when strangers call you by phone? Instead, develop aninformation- and trust-based marketing plan that influencesprospects to CALL YOU. You do this by offering educational,valuable information that helps your target market address keyproblems and opportunities related to your area of expertise.You offer this information in any number of ways: seminars, yourweb site, newsletters, audio programs, videos, articles, andpublications.
2. Only give your business card to a prospect if asked.Otherwise, you will be perceived as somebody with something tosell.
3. For business prospects, do research prior to any meeting.Learn everything you can about the prospect's organization andsituation.
4. Consider getting videotaped to see how you really come acrossin meetings. I have videotaped a number of IT professionals inmock prospect meetings, and the experience is almost alwaysilluminating!
5. Make sure that during meetings with prospects, 75% of yoursentences are questions. Ask questions to understand theprospect's situation, what it is costing him or her, how longthey have had the problem, what else they have tried, what willhappen if they don't do anything, and numerous other questionsto help you thoroughly understand the issues.
6. Listen closely, with your undivided attention. Turn off yourcell phone and pager, and eliminate any interruptions.Otherwise, you give your prospect the impression that they arenot important now, and will not be important if they hire you.
7. Try to adapt your style to the prospect's style in order tobuild rapport and make them feel comfortable. Sense their mood,how fast or slow they talk, whether they focus on business ortechnical issues, and their body language.
8. Make eye contact. Don't look down, or at other things in theroom.
9. Empathize by stepping into the prospect's shoes. Nothing ismore powerful than to be able to reflect back the prospect'sfrustration with his or her problem. Similarly, instead ofsaying, "Here is what you should doĦ." say, "If I were in yourshoes, I wouldĦ"
10. Focus on specific business results, not technology. Yourprospect wants a result that will help his or her situation.Technology is a means to that end. If you focus on the resultthe prospect wants to achieve, then you can have an open andhonest discussion about whether you can get that result.
11. Do not make the prospect feel stupid. For instance, if theclient is not tech-savvy, don't use jargon. One client of minedeveloped an IT glossary to give to prospects, which was a greatway to make them feel comfortable.
12. Once you understand the client's situation, offer yourexperience of the problem, suggest solutions, and show how youhave helped others in similar situations before. Try to create asense of urgency by explaining what it will cost the client ifthey don't act quickly. Do all of this in a way that educatesand informs the client, without any gimmicks or tricks.
13. Make a business case to persuade the prospect to hire you.One consulting firm I worked with guaranteed clients a tenfoldreturn on their fees. Show the client how much they can save orearn by hiring you. Show the client the risks of doing nothing,compared to the benefits of hiring you.
14. Invite questions, and answer them professionally, withoutgetting defensive. Don't argue with the client about thequestion or concern. Tell them their point is a good one, andanswer by providing the truth. Prospects will ALWAYS askquestions, sometimes to object but more often just because theyare making a big decision and want to be completely sure thatthey are making the right choice. They may need you to repeat apoint they didn't understand earlier, or they may simply need tohear what you had to say again for reassurance.
15. Show the prospect that you are completely committed to hisor her success, and that you really want to be hired. Create asense of team by explaining what "we" can do together. Listenclosely. Empathize. Give examples of others you have helped.Tell the prospect that you want to work with him or her. Yourenthusiasm might be infectious.
16. Don't use fancy sales closing techniques. Any sales trainingcourse you take (except mine) teach gimmicky formulas like the"double reverse close" or the "ABC three-step close." Yourclients are too savvy for this garbage. If you use thesetechniques, they will immediately recognize you as aninauthentic, untrustworthy hawker of questionable services andproducts. Instead, let the prospect make up his or her own mindabout what to do. For instance, don't ask the client, "Whenshould we start?" or "As you can see, I can solve your problem;just sign this contract." Instead, put the decision in theirhands by saying, "From the information I've provided, Isincerely hope that you understand the importance of acting now."
17. Don't accept a sale unless you can deliver, want to do thework, and the work will advance your business. Closing a baddeal for the sake of a deal is a recipe for disaster. I workedwith a client who won a contract with a major metropolitancounty health system. My client knew that the county was highlypolitical, and that the project would stretch every resource hehad in his small firm. But he was blinded by the size of thecontract. Within three months, the county made the client thescapegoat for all of their problems, and his firm's name wasposted in all the local papers. Six months later, he had to layoff half his staff because he had no work. Be willing to say"no."
18. Follow up. If the prospect hires you, thank him or her andprovide reassurance that they made an excellent decision. Send athank you note soon after. If the prospect doesn't hire you,politely remind him or her of the potential costs of not movingforward quickly, suggest rapid action, and let him or her knowthat you are always available for additional questions or advice.
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