Just like beauty, we know a good consultant when we meet one.
Your perfect consultant may not be mine. Personalities and needs do come
into it so perhaps the main things that universally good sales or
business consultants need are a highly tuned sales sense, extraordinary
interpersonal communication skills, and the right face.
Being Credible as an Expert
If I had to identify one thing as a prerequisite of a good consultant, it would be credibility. Clearly, credibility is fundamental for selling a consulting service. It is also essential in delivery. If clients are to act on a business consultant's advice, they need absolute confidence that the proposed solution will lead to the desired results. Responsibility for demonstrating credibility continues throughout an engagement. Once lost, it is very hard to regain. A lot of consultants have the necessary knowledge, experience, and technical skills yet fail to pass on a sense of unshakable certainty that makes clients feel entirely at ease.
Ability to Read Minds
Mind reading is probably the second most valuable asset for a sales or business consultant. Success depends on ability to persuade clients to take the right course of action.
Quite often, consultants are engaged simply to rubber stamp or add credibility to a plan that the client has already decided to implement. Sometimes the consultant's role is merely to be the fall guy if things go wrong.
Consultants can make a living by doing the clients bidding, regardless of their better judgment yet this 'don't rock the boat' approach doesn't lead to bankable reputation.
Good consultants are able to see through attempts to miss use their credibility and then use their understanding to make things better, or bow out gracefully and avoid the fallout.
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Mind reading skills aren't much use without very good interpersonal communication skills to match them. People do things for their own reasons. It is always better to make it their idea, a feat that is eminently achievable with a little patience, subtlety, good questioning skills, and above all persuasive listening skills.
Business Writing Skills
Less is more yet too little leaves people confused. There is art in business writing. Apart from observing the grammar and spelling rules, business writing needs to be just long enough to make a message clear, just colourful enough to maintain interest, and always compelling. Writers should use facts instead of superlatives, explain benefits rather than list features, and always allow the reader the latitude to draw his or her own conclusions.
Problem Solving Skills
Having prior experience of dealing with particular problems is both an advantage and a curse. It spawns confidence in ability to solve the problem and sows the seeds of an assumption that what worked previously will work now. Good problem solvers apply an effective problem solving methodology to avoid falling foul of the 'assumption' pitfall.
Presentation Skills
There is something about presenting to groups that makes it a more effective than winning over individuals. It's more than simple efficiency. Everyone wants to be with the group.
Imagine perfection. Sway with knowledge and understanding, captivate with personality and vigour, hold attention with enthusiasm and creativity, entertain with humour and spirit, motivate with sincerity and persuasiveness, and end with resolution and certainty.
A powerful speaker can pacify naysayers, strengthen the resolve of supporters, and win consensus in a single presentation.
I have said little about know-how. There are some circumstances where extraordinary brilliance alone is enough, where superior thinking is automatically recognised and any communication shortcomings are tolerated or even ignored. Where such consultants lack comparable interpersonal skills, they do better if they have a buddy, protector, or interpreter who provides an interface with the world.
Being Credible as an Expert
If I had to identify one thing as a prerequisite of a good consultant, it would be credibility. Clearly, credibility is fundamental for selling a consulting service. It is also essential in delivery. If clients are to act on a business consultant's advice, they need absolute confidence that the proposed solution will lead to the desired results. Responsibility for demonstrating credibility continues throughout an engagement. Once lost, it is very hard to regain. A lot of consultants have the necessary knowledge, experience, and technical skills yet fail to pass on a sense of unshakable certainty that makes clients feel entirely at ease.
Ability to Read Minds
Mind reading is probably the second most valuable asset for a sales or business consultant. Success depends on ability to persuade clients to take the right course of action.
Quite often, consultants are engaged simply to rubber stamp or add credibility to a plan that the client has already decided to implement. Sometimes the consultant's role is merely to be the fall guy if things go wrong.
Consultants can make a living by doing the clients bidding, regardless of their better judgment yet this 'don't rock the boat' approach doesn't lead to bankable reputation.
Good consultants are able to see through attempts to miss use their credibility and then use their understanding to make things better, or bow out gracefully and avoid the fallout.
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Mind reading skills aren't much use without very good interpersonal communication skills to match them. People do things for their own reasons. It is always better to make it their idea, a feat that is eminently achievable with a little patience, subtlety, good questioning skills, and above all persuasive listening skills.
Business Writing Skills
Less is more yet too little leaves people confused. There is art in business writing. Apart from observing the grammar and spelling rules, business writing needs to be just long enough to make a message clear, just colourful enough to maintain interest, and always compelling. Writers should use facts instead of superlatives, explain benefits rather than list features, and always allow the reader the latitude to draw his or her own conclusions.
Problem Solving Skills
Having prior experience of dealing with particular problems is both an advantage and a curse. It spawns confidence in ability to solve the problem and sows the seeds of an assumption that what worked previously will work now. Good problem solvers apply an effective problem solving methodology to avoid falling foul of the 'assumption' pitfall.
Presentation Skills
There is something about presenting to groups that makes it a more effective than winning over individuals. It's more than simple efficiency. Everyone wants to be with the group.
Imagine perfection. Sway with knowledge and understanding, captivate with personality and vigour, hold attention with enthusiasm and creativity, entertain with humour and spirit, motivate with sincerity and persuasiveness, and end with resolution and certainty.
A powerful speaker can pacify naysayers, strengthen the resolve of supporters, and win consensus in a single presentation.
I have said little about know-how. There are some circumstances where extraordinary brilliance alone is enough, where superior thinking is automatically recognised and any communication shortcomings are tolerated or even ignored. Where such consultants lack comparable interpersonal skills, they do better if they have a buddy, protector, or interpreter who provides an interface with the world.
Article by Clive Miller. Questions and comments to info@salessense.co.uk.
Advanced Skills for Selling Consulting Services
Specialist help for technical people, engineers, and scientists who find they need to sell.Sales training for individuals and teams who sell technology, software, and know how based solutions to businesses and organisations. Free resources at www.salessense.co.uk.
© SalesSense 1996 - 2011. 20-22 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ, United Kingdom. Telephone 44 (0)118 933 1357.
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Advanced Skills for Selling Consulting Services
Specialist help for technical people, engineers, and scientists who find they need to sell.Sales training for individuals and teams who sell technology, software, and know how based solutions to businesses and organisations. Free resources at www.salessense.co.uk.
© SalesSense 1996 - 2011. 20-22 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ, United Kingdom. Telephone 44 (0)118 933 1357.
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