21min
Consulting is a particular job, which requires a different approach to the customer, which stands out from the usual marketing mechanisms. In The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients, David A. Fields illustrates his 6 Pillars of Consulting Success, illustrating techniques and secrets that will help us perfect every aspect of our consulting business.
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Analysis and key concepts
01.
Reverse our way of thinking: the focus is not on us, but on our customers
02.
Self-esteem: let's look for it in the right place, that is, not within ourselves, but in others
03.
The measure of our value comes from the results we achieve
04.
It is much better to sell what people want than to look for people who are willing to buy what we want to sell
05.
Stop thinking about the ideal client and instead think about the right person
06.
Finding the right problem is the key to winning customers
07.
It is not necessary to have the solution of the century, it is a question of proposing effective solutions
08.
Use an easy-to-remember phrase that describes what we do
09.
Build your visibility through the kind of communication that leaves a mark on people
10.
The toolbox to get yourself known: writing, speaking, networking, digital presence
11.
Shift the focus from money to relationships, because that is where the real wealth lies
12.
The best way to create new relationships: ask customers to introduce other people to us
13.
There is a precise moment at which the relationship can be moved from a personal to a professional level
14.
Knowing our customers better than anyone else in order to become the natural and obvious choice
15.
Clarify the context in which you will work
16.
Closing a deal is not an isolated achievement, but the consequence of all the work done leading up to it
17.
Even in a negotiation, the customer's point of view comes before ours
18.
Quotes
19.
Take-home message
The method which the author lays out for us in this book is founded on one key concept: that of radically changing the way we think. Like a sock that must be turned inside out if we want to put it in the right direction, so must our thinking be reversed for it to be effective in carrying out a consultant’s work.
This translates into a very simple idea: stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about our customers.
This equates to a paradigm shift, if we are to understand that the world does not revolve around us, but that we revolve around the world. It is not us who are at the centre, but our customers, with their needs, their difficulties, and the objectives they need to achieve.
It may seem like a trivial matter, but it is not, because this change in perception is immediately reflected in all of our actions. We will no longer talk about ourselves, the experiences we have had, the numerous courses we have taken, the skills that distinguish us, but we will always bring the focus of our discourse to the customers. We will take a step back, to really enter their world, understand it well and think about how to make it better.
This new way of thinking is nothing shocking, in fact, we could simply call it common sense. The author provides us with a clear warning: if we make it ours, we will be successful as consultants, if we don't, we will always struggle.
You'll have 7 days free, and if you're not satisfied after 30 days, you can get your money back.
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The author
David A. Fields, co-founder and executive of Ascendant Consulting, is a Consultant for Consultants and works with professionals and companies around the world. Bestselling author, speaker and mentor, Fields boasts partnerships with some the most prominent players in the business world.
Edition
Publishing house:
Morgan James Publishing
Year:
2017
Pages:
272
ISBN:
978-1683501640