Twenty-five years ago I went consulting. Like many professionals, I was and still am, uncomfortable about selling myself and saying how good I am. At the start I tried this approach but I don’t think I ever got any business when this was my starting point. First, no one cares about you; and second, it is a real client turn-off.
Part of my solution was to introduce a Process Evaluation Form which I asked each client to complete after each assignment. Before long I had hundreds of other people saying far neater things about me than I would have ever said about myself. With their approval, I used these onto my web site and other marketing material.
But the main breakthrough was to stop thinking about selling me and to start thinking about how I could help them. It took the focus right off me and onto them. This may sound like a minor change in thinking but the results were substantial. The first thing I noticed was that clients became far easier to see. I was a resource that helped them see their issues and had suggestions about how to overcome them. Second, by asking questions about their issues I found a very natural and satisfying route that led directly to opportunities, usually without having to ask for them.
Part of my solution was to introduce a Process Evaluation Form which I asked each client to complete after each assignment. Before long I had hundreds of other people saying far neater things about me than I would have ever said about myself. With their approval, I used these onto my web site and other marketing material.
But the main breakthrough was to stop thinking about selling me and to start thinking about how I could help them. It took the focus right off me and onto them. This may sound like a minor change in thinking but the results were substantial. The first thing I noticed was that clients became far easier to see. I was a resource that helped them see their issues and had suggestions about how to overcome them. Second, by asking questions about their issues I found a very natural and satisfying route that led directly to opportunities, usually without having to ask for them.