As the second step in the business development process, sales is the function responsible for turning leads into revenue. It’s an important part of every business, large or small. Without revenue (or donations, depending on your business model), you don’t have the resources you need to keep your doors open and continue providing the same high-quality products or services.
Sales professionals have the benefit of extensive training, but not many small business owners have that luxury. As with so many other aspects of business, the small business owner improvises, learns on the job, and picks up resources whenever possible.
Business consultants are often in the same category. Their background may have been in finance or operations, but chances are they don’t have any formal sales training. Their livelihood depends on a steady flow of clients, which makes sales a critical part of their business.
While there are many factors that go into a successful sale, there are two common mistakes that can easily be avoided.
Giving away too much, too soon. As a business consultant, you have a wealth of knowledge to impart. Essentially, you’re selling your knowledge and experience as valuable shortcuts to help business owners get further, faster. In your eagerness to close a deal, don’t be too quick to give away all that hard-earned information for free. It’s common for the prospect to ask questions—and understandable that you want to provide solid answers. After all, part of the sales pitch is demonstrating your proficiency. But be aware that people are more than happy to take what they can get for free. If you’re willing to answer any and all questions the prospect has, you may very well be selling yourself short. Wait until the contract is signed before divulging all the answers.
Hearing what you want to hear. Are you hearing what someone is saying? Or are you hearing what you want to hear? Selective listening is something we’ve all been guilty of at one time or another. Maybe not in a sales situation, but almost certainly with close friends and family. Sometimes, it’s almost impossible to hear what a person is saying because you want so much to hear a particular answer. It’s almost like having a filter over your ears that screens out anything negative and replaces it with the answer you’re looking for. When a prospect says, “That seems like it could really be a useful product for me,” what you hear instead is, “Sign me up! I’m ready to get started.” Take them at their word and proceed accordingly—you’ll save yourself from unwisely using your time.
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