Before most clients buy services, they expect evidence that you can answer three questions: Do you understand the state that creates the need for outside help? Do you have a vision of the future in which the current problem becomes a distant memory? And, what is that path to a brighter future? If your service offer misses on any of these three questions, it needs work.
As the global economy continues to struggle, there are more experts telling us how to survive the debacle than there are economists trying to figure out how to reverse the slide. The advantage of being a consultant is that clients need help in good and bad times, so there’s still plenty of work to go around.
That’s not to say you don’t need to adapt your business and your marketing to the new environment. You do, and one adjustment you can benefit from making, particularly in a tough market, is to your service offer. The more precise and compelling that service offer is, the better chance you have of getting your phone to ring.
Before most clients buy services, they expect evidence that you can answer three questions: Do you understand the state that creates the need for outside help? Do you have a vision of the future in which the current problem becomes a distant memory? And, what is that path to a brighter future? If your service offer misses on any of these three questions, it needs work.
You can’t predict with certainty the nature of every client’s focus, so it’s tempting to put forward a sweeping view of “typical” client issues and alternatives for resolution.
One consultant, who is an individual practitioner, has adopted the “handyman” approach by claiming mastery of nearly everything, including information technology consulting, human resources management, financial management, strategic planning, customer relationship management, market entry strategy, quality assurance, and the list goes on.
There’s no doubt that many consultants’ expertise spans a wide spectrum, and their experience enriches the quality of every assignment they undertake. But few clients will believe that any consultant can excel in so many areas. Those who do respond to such lofty claims are likely to be bargain hunters who haggle endlessly over fees and scope.
Most clients will demand proof of your answers to the big three questions above, and it’s unlikely many small consulting firms can meet that burden of proof for more than a few areas of service. Oh, and just because you’ve done it before doesn’t mean you can, or should, try to sell it.
When you cast your net too widely, all fish swim through.
No Such Thing as a Commodity
Marketing guru Theodore Levitt reminded us that every service is differentiated, in some way, no matter what the experts proclaim. It’s true that what many consultants actually do for clients is similar, but how they do it and express that to the market offer rich sources of differentiation.
Clients are usually in the market for a core service like a cost reduction program, a systems upgrade, or an operations improvement initiative–with the hope of achieving a desired future state. But most clients also value the distinctive benefits of working with a particular consultant. Those extra benefits present opportunities to differentiate any service offer.
Your ability to deliver your core services–which may not differ all that much from what others do–qualifies you to compete for projects. The distinctive benefits you provide set you apart, and often seal the deal. Clients will recognize the difference, for example, between a service offer to reduce indirect expenses, and one that reduces indirect expenses and helps them develop the internal capability to carry the program forward without the consultant.
Consultants have more options for differentiating their core service offers than channels to watch on TV. For instance, some clients value how you manage risk during a project, while for others, access to your firm’s resources may be more important. Almost any aspect of your service delivery approach can form the basis for differentiation, whether it’s how you conduct the work, communicate with clients, or charge for your services.
To illustrate the point, compare the core service offers of two consultants who help clients tap the creativity of the people in their organizations:
One consultant offers on-site facilitation and “customized programs and processes that reveal and highlight the strengths of your executives, teams, and team leaders.” This consultant’s intent is good, but the service is undifferentiated regarding the core offer, and thus it could be a description for dozens of other consultants who do the same kind of work.
Another consultant has a similar service, but zeroes in on the value and differentiation of the core offering. Instead of working in the client’s too-familiar conference room, this consultant uses a specially designed, off-site facility dedicated to “making meaningful changes in the ways you create, define, optimize, and refine winning ideas.”
Both firms provide essentially the same service, but the approach to the core offer couldn’t be more different. Examine every element of how you deliver your services and find ways to set your offer apart. Your choices are limited only by your imagination.
The Buzz You Need
But differentiating your core service is rarely sufficient to ensure that you have a compelling offer. After all, a client won’t care about your cool off-site facility if you can’t make a credible claim to competence in your core service. Most consultants understand this reality, but many struggle to prove their competence in a convincing manner.
We all understand that it’s okay to pile on the evidence of our capabilities with testimonials, references, accomplishments, case studies, and qualifications. But too many consultants use warmed-over testimonials and references that shed little insight on their specific capabilities.
It’s common to read generic testimonials that say clients were so happy with you that they’d welcome you back anytime. That’s gratifying affirmation for you, but it doesn’t really help new clients evaluate your competency to handle their specific issues. Plus, everyone knows that a bad testimonial will never see the light of day.
If you use testimonials and references, seek out those that are specific, results-focused, and speak directly to your claims of service excellence. Feel-good testimonials–often more than half of those consultants rely on–have far less selling power than those that support your expertise.
Most clients won’t read all your supporting material, by the way. But if they know the material is there, they will find it comforting.
Show Results before Approach
Similar advice applies to the description of services you offer. Too many consultants put the spotlight on their consulting process prematurely. What most clients want to know first is what specific results you can deliver. Once they’re satisfied on that point, your consulting process and approach take center stage.
Without a clear, ready explanation of how you work, you’ll fumble the big three client questions. And when clients ask how you plan to help them reach the desired future, you’ll resort to consultant-speak. So be ready to showcase your approach, but hold it until after you’ve highlighted the results you help clients achieve.
A compelling offer communicates depth of capability in the core service and a distinctive set of benefits, which should be an integral part of your service delivery approach. You’ll move clients to call you when you’ve found just the right balance between those elements of your offer. Once that phone rings, the rest is up to you.
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Michael W. McLaughlin is a principal with MindShare Consulting LLC, a firm that creates innovative sales and marketing strategies for professional services companies. He’s the author of Winning the Professional Services Sale, and the coauthor of Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants. His newsletters, Management Consulting News and The Guerrilla Consultant, reach a global audience. Before founding MindShare Consulting, he was a partner with Deloitte Consulting, where he served clients and mentored consultants for more than two decades.
