Winning New Clients

Success in winning new clients requires a combination of process, skills and behaviours. 

The process includes everything from how to manage the activity required to generate selling opportunities to how to manage the selling process when dialogue has commenced with a potential client.

Our experience, and that of our clients, over many years has helped us to establish what the most effective approach to selling is, and isn’t, in a professional services environment:

It isn’t:

  • Sell, sell, sell
  • Pouncing on the first opportunity
  • Focusing only on the opportunities for you
  • Pressure, manipulation
  • Short term greed

It is:

  • Looking through the client’s eyes
  • Having (and demonstrating) genuine interest in the client
  • Moving at the client’s pace
  • Building a relationship of TRUST based on credibility, competence, compatibility and consistency
  • Building lifetime value for both parties

There are many definitions of selling. Many of them use the words ‘persuasion’ and ‘convincing’. We believe that the most effective approach is best described as: ‘building the motivation to buy’ In other words: invest time to develop a deep understanding of an individual’s unique situation, requirements, needs and wants. Then create an approach where a client willingly moves to the next stage of the selling process with you leading to the point where they are motivated to give you the first fee-earning assignment.

The PACES™ selling skills approach provides professionals with a framework to ensure a deep understanding is developed prior to offering a compelling solution in a way that is easy for clients to say ‘yes’ to!

The secrets to successful pitch coaching – Part 1

pitchcoaching

 

Professional service firms are not usually full of natural presenters. How comfortable, confident and effective are your people in pitch situations? In our experience most firms have a few fee earners who do enjoy pitching, they also have a small percentage of individuals who should never be put in front of clients at any cost (you know who they are!). The rest of the firm is then made up of people who have never really been shown how to pitch successfully, and many of these would rather not be part of any pitch – if they could avoid it they would! Read more here

Winning New Clients

Successful firms recognise the importance of managing their current clients and have a real desire to win high value new clients. Winning high quality clients takes time.  All firms have limited time and resource available for business development. Firms work with PACE to ensure their business development efforts generate the best returns.  We help professionals develop:
  • The highest possible level of skills and confidence based on the PACES™ approach to consultative selling
  • A project management approach to business development based on the proven PACE Pipeline™ model
  • The most practical and focussed business development strategies
The nature of our work varies according to each client. It includes:
  • Understanding and assessing current client development strategies
  • Designing the ‘perfect client base of the future’
  • Developing selection criteria for target clients
  • Creating business development plans
  • Identifying who should be involved in winning new clients
  • Establishing a ‘project management’ approach to the process of business development
  • Training and developing individuals in the skills and behaviours of winning business
  • Coaching individuals to implement plans and win new work
  • Guiding people to lead, manage and measure business development activities
  • Coaching support and a helping hand with pitches, tenders, proposals and presentations
We help our clients to win more of the right work, from the right clients at the right fee!

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