 MIKE SCHULTZ ADDRESSES THE ART OF SELLING IN KEYNOTE AT SMPS MICHIGAN EVENT FRAMINGHAM, MA – On May 11, Mike Schultz delivered the keynote speech at the Society for Marketing Professional Services' (SMPS) Michigan-based Business Development Symposium. In his speech, he discussed the art of rainmaking for professional services, as well as some common pitfalls to avoid.
Mike's advice was based on research jointly conducted by the Wellesley Hills Group and RainToday.com, titled How Clients Buy: The Benchmark Report On Professional Services Marketing and Selling from the Client Perspective. In the research, 200 buyers of professional services shared the methods service providers use to sell effectively, as well as the mistakes that are made in the selling process.
Mike shared some of these research results at the event, first listing some of the more common problems buyers reported about their service providers' selling techniques, such as "Did not listen to me" and "Did not understand my needs". The audience members whole-heartedly agreed that these were likely problems with selling tactics in general. However, Mike then polled the audience, asking who among them was likely to be making these mistakes, and was left with only a couple of volunteers.
"Either we have the best room full of rainmakers here," Mike began, "or you're not admitting your mistakes… which is fine. Or maybe it's possible that we're not aware of how our selling methods are perceived and the mistakes that we're making."
To help his audience comprehend "rainmaking" as a process and where they may be going wrong, Mike explained the Wellesley Hills Group's system of RAIN Selling. The system is an acronym for: Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Inquiry, and New Reality. "The system of RAIN Selling, " Mike explained, "is really the basis of how to sell professional services in an easy-to-apply format."
Peter Kienle, Chief Marketing Officer of McKim & Creed, as well as the SMPS National President-Elect, was in attendance at the event. "The research conducted by the Wellesley Hills Group on professional services marketing is monumental for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry," stated Peter, continuing, "Many professional services marketers know the importance of listening and understanding client needs in the business development process, but there is little relevant research to support how important these factors are in the selection process. Hopefully, this data will convince firms to spend more money on the front end qualification and relationship building process rather than chasing no-go projects, projects that are a huge waste of time and money."
Mike concluded his speech, offering some familiar words of encouragement to his audience, "Think of selling your services from the buyer's perspective. Sell to others as you'd want them to sell to you."
To learn more about RAIN Selling, read Mike's article, RAIN Selling: How Rainmakers Lead Business Development Conversations.
About Wellesley Hills Group
The Wellesley Hills Group (http://www.WHillsGroup.com) specializes in working with consulting, professional, technology, and financial services companies to increase revenue and generate higher profits. Wellesley Hills Group publishes RainToday.com (http://www.RainToday.com) to provide a premium source of information for professional service firms and service practitioners to help them market and sell their services.
Contact Information
Erica Stritch
Senior Associate
Wellesley Hills Groupestritch@whillsgroup.com
p. 508-626-9991 ext. 201
f. 508-848-3082 |
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