| Most consultants are like cab drivers. Cab
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| | "Good" listeners use surface tricks and
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| drivers run the meter. They throw the
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| | techniques like "active listening" and
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| luggage in the trunk (that's a $1.00 bag
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| | "matching and mirroring." Deep listeners
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| charge). They may or may not be
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| | listen with no agenda. Your listening
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| personable. If you have extra passengers,
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| | focus should be on empathy - literally
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| that's $1.50 each on top of the mileage.
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| | "feeling WITH" the client - and
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| No smoking. And the radio is tuned to
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| | understanding the issues behind the
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| their favorite station - not yours.Most
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| | issues. This isn't a trick you learn in
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| consultants charge by the hour or the day.
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| | "consulting school." This comes from your
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| The meter is running. When you need a
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| | heart and your genuine interest in helping
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| special report or their attendance at an
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| | the client improve their situation. Deep
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| onsite meeting, there's your bag charge.
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| | listening will help you understand the
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| They may or may not be personable to
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| | real value that the client seeks from
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| anyone other than the executive who hired
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| | you.3. Successful consultants are easy to
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| them. If you need additional work or
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| | do business with. One of the world's
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| facilitation or expertise, there's a fee
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| | finest consultants, Alan Weiss, says in
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| "on top of the mileage." And most times,
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| | his book Million Dollar Consulting, "you
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| you're locked into their "radio station" -
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| | have to spend money to make money." Part
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| tuned to their methodologies, their
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| | of that money should be spent on things
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| licensed tools, their processes - not
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| | that will make you easy to do business
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| yours.What if you came across a
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| | with. Some of these things are almost
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| dramatically different kind of cab driver?
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| | trivial - being able to accept credit
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| Let's call him Ike.1. Ike has his own
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| | cards, having an 800 number, etc. And some
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| business card with his personal cell phone
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| | of these things will be a major investment
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| number, a rocket logo and a humorous
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| | of time, effort, thought, and energy. Like
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| tagline, such as "Strap in. Hang on. Here
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| | designing a resource-rich web presence or
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| we go!" One of his cab's notable features
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| | moving to value-based fee-setting so
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| is the Hot Wheels steering wheel cover.
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| | people get you and your expertise without
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| Your initial impression might be that he
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| | concern over when you punch in and out on
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| is direct and, most importantly, fast.2.
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| | the time clock.4. Successful consultants
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| In addition, Ike is a great listener. This
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| | are proactive and offer suggestions.
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| would be in contrast to some "real
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| | Flexibility is a great source of strength.
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| character" cab drivers, who are great
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| | So is forward movement. When consulting
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| talkers.3. Ike takes credit cards and
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| | with large organizations, it is easy to
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| proudly displays the Visa and American
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| | fall into their trap of "analysis
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| Express decals inside his cab. A credit
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| | paralysis." Especially with all the hype
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| card transaction costs him between 2 and
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| | around "getting close to the customer."
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| 4% of every sale. (The cab company does
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| | The danger for consultants in getting too
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| NOT subsidize this fee - it's up to each
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| | close to the customer is that you'll get
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| individual driver to decide whether to
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| | mired in the same quicksand you've been
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| accept credit cards or not.) But it also
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| | brought in to rescue them from! Keep
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| makes him easy to do business with - and,
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| | moving, and always offer options. It could
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| coincidentally, increases the likelihood
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| | be as simple as "Plan A or B or C," but
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| of getting a nice tip.4. Ike is proactive
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| | giving choices always enhances
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| and offers suggestions. For example, when
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| | collaboration and provides a sense of
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| a passenger asks Ike for a good restaurant
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| | shared responsibility for outcomes. And
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| recommendation, he has a few of his
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| | it's harder to say "No" when asked
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| favorite places in mind and a restaurant
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| | "Chocolate or Vanilla or Strawberry?"
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| guide available right in the front seat of
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| | Ideally, your clients will say "Wow, they
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| the cab. Ike will offer to take his
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| | ALL sound delicious." Then you are in a
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| passenger to the restaurant, and also to
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| | position to make a recommendation based on
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| come back at an appointed time to save the
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| | your deep listening (See #2!)5. Successful
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| hassle of tracking down another cab. He is
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| | consultants work from passion, knowledge,
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| never late. Does Ike profit from this?
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| | and eagerness to help. The irony of this
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| Sure. Does Ike's passenger? Sure. Will
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| | is that the more easy and effortless the
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| some cab drivers refuse to come back at a
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| | work for the consultant, the greater the
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| set time for fear of losing a juicier fare
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| | value it has for the client. For the
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| or a longer ride that may or may not come
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| | consultant, the intersection of joy and
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| along? You bet.5. When picking up or
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| | business is called profit. Marketer,
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| dropping off from the airport, Ike always
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| | speaker, and author Seth Godin believes
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| finds out a little bit about his
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| | that in any business relationship, the
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| passenger. Is this his first time in town?
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| | sooner you ask for money, the less you
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| How long is his visit? If Ike discovers
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| | will get. This has interesting
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| that his passenger has come for business
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| | implications for the consulting business,
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| and hasn't any time to see the sights or
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| | where knowledge and expertise (and to a
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| experience the city, he offers to take the
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| | certain extent, even conversation) has
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| passenger on a 10-minute sightseeing tour
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| | monetary value.I happen to believe in the
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| of downtown. Pointing out the highlights,
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| | concept of value-first selling. In other
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| sharing a little history, and telling a
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| | words, you should give clients valuable
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| few stories, Ike has his passenger back on
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| | information and point them to resources
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| his way with a real flavor of the city
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| | they need, even before you're hired. You
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| that he loves. Is this a gimmick to add 10
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| | should work to make prospects think, "Wow,
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| minutes to the meter? With some cabbies,
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| | this guy is a goldmine. Imagine what we'd
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| it might be. But Ike's passion and
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| | get if we actually HIRED him."Now a lot of
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| knowledge and eagerness to share it with
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| | sales and consulting experts call this
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| his passengers cannot be faked. Would a
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| | "spilling the candy in the lobby" and they
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| friend do the same for you on your way out
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| | advise strongly against it. And I would
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| of town? Absolutely.Let's turn our focus
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| | advise against it too - if you're only
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| to the lessons for consulting. Feel free
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| | carrying one bowl of candy. But without
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| to compare these consulting tips with the
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| | bragging, I can safely say that among
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| corresponding lessons from the taxi
| |
| | great consultants (people who work at the
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| business above.1. Successful consultants
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| | intersection of passion and knowledge and
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| stand apart - both in form and in
| |
| | eagerness to help), we're a veritable
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| substance. Sales trainer, consultant, and
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| | candy store and are not likely to run out
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| author Jeffrey Gitomer uses a half-dollar
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| | anytime soon by sharing our gifts with
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| sized coin with his image and contact
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| | clients that are hungry for what we have
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| information (and some clever slogans like
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| | to offer.Would you help a friend with your
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| "In Sales We Trust") engraved on it as his
| |
| | knowledge and expertise? Sure you would.
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| business card. People not only remember
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| | Perhaps clients are simply friends that
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| it, they keep it and they show it to their
| |
| | pay you money? Think about it.Beep, beep.
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| friends. Your initial impression might be
| |
| | "Hop in!"Marketing and innovation expert
|
| that he is successful, funny, creative,
| |
| | David Newman has written 8 books and has
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| and different than every other "me-too"
| |
| | been quoted in dozens of national media
|
| sales trainer wearing a nice suit and
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| | outlets. David is also a sought-after
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| carrying sharp white business cards
| |
| | speaker and seminar leader. Visit for
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| (yawn).2. Successful consultants are not
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| | more free articles and resources.
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| good listeners. They're DEEP listeners.
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| |
|
