Winning the Professional Services Sale Unconventional Strategies to Reach More Clients, Land Profitable Work, and Maintain Your Sanity

by McLaughlin, Michael W.

• ISBN13: 9780470455852
• ISBN10: 0470455853
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-20
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

An innovative approach to winning new, more profitable sales in the growing professional services industryIn recent years, professional services providers have had to rethink their sales methods and adapt to profound changes in the way customers buy services. In response, Mastering the Services Sale argues for fundamental changes in the seller's mindset and sales strategies. Rather than pressing the sale, salespeople must help customers buyeven if that means potentially losing the sale. This new approach gives buyers what they now want in a services seller: a consultative problem solver, change agent, and solution integrator, all rolled into one. Author Michael McLaughlin presents a strategy for winning new business with a holistic approach to each customer relationship. Only by fully understanding a sale from every angle, including its impact on the customer's business and career, can salespeople thrive in the new era of the service economy.Michael W. McLaughlin (Portland, OR) is a speaker, writer, and consultant with more than 24 years in the industry. He is the founder and Principal of MindShare Consulting, LLC, which specializes in helping professional services providers improve the profitability of their businesses, and a former partner with Deloitte Consulting.

Author Biography

Michael W. McLaughlin is a management consultant and speaker with more than twenty years in the professional services industry. He is the founder and a principal of MindShare Consulting, LLC, which helps professional services organizations design winning approaches for sales, marketing, and service delivery. For more information, please visit www.MindShareConsulting.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Connect	p. 1
Seven Realities of Selling Services	p. 3
Before You Call (or Meet) Any Client	p. 13
Master the Client Interview	p. 23
Uncover the Real Problem	p. 35
Collaborate	p. 45
When It Pays to Walk Away	p. 47
Five Elements of a Winning Sales Strategy	p. 59
Who Cares about This Sale ... and Why?	p. 75
Shift Happens: Predicting Surprises	p. 85
The Perfect Sales Proposal	p. 95
Commit	p. 111
The Art of the Sales Presentation	p. 113
Seal the Deal: Negotiating to Close the Sale	p. 127
What to Do When You Win ... and When You Don't	p. 139
Making the Second Sale and Beyond	p. 149
Challenges	p. 159
The Seven by Seven Seller	p. 161
Putting It All Together	p. 173
Notes	p. 183
Seller's Resource Guide	p. 187
About the Author	p. 191
Index	p. 193
Also by Michael W. McLaughlin	p. 201
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