The One About Winning New Business

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges consultants face when transitioning from delivery-focused roles to business development and sales.

There's a train of thought that says all consultants are in sales. Maybe. But there is definitely a change in bizdev as you progress from Analyst to Partner. Making the transition from a delivery-focused consulting role to one that requires business development can feel like stepping into an entirely new career, especially when you haven't spent years cultivating relationships with potential buyers. Developing the skills to identify opportunities, build meaningful client relationships, and contribute to sales requires a different mindset and approach that many consultants find challenging to navigate. Oh and your performance appraisal increasingly depends on what work you can bring in. Deep in the ol' Reddit r/Consulting forum, I found a post by a newly promoted consultant who now faced the prospect of needing to sell. So of course we talked about it on the show... We Discuss: How do you begin to build relationships with potential buyers when you haven't had much opportunity to create those connections until now? Is business development and relationship building a learned skill, or do you need natural EQ/people skills to succeed? When using social media (particularly LinkedIn)…

Topics covered

• business development
• consulting
• relationship building
• sales skills
• career transition

Keywords

• consultants
• sales
• client relationships
• LinkedIn
• EQ

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