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Are You An Expert Or A Delivery Wagon?

Are You An Expert Or A Delivery Wagon?

If you walk into a meeting with a buyer oriented toward a “solution” or methodology, you’re going to default to it like a homing pigeon no matter what the buyer says about his or her needs. If you walk in with the intent to remain “present” and in the moment, you’ll be able to respond to what the buyer is expressing as important.

I’ve heard consultants respond to a buyer who says, “We need to improve our repeat business from existing clients,” with, “We should talk about a 360° assessment approach.” Really? Why would that be? I’d guess it’s because it’s what the consultant has on his or her mind and/or it’s the only reliable offering they possess.

A true expert can provide and express that expertise in any variety of ways—coaching, consulting, training, writing, mentoring, facilitating, and so forth. The means will depend on the ends. But a limited consultant will rely only on the means at his or command, irrespective of whether they are best for the client and the client’s current issues.

When you default to an arbitrary methodology or approach you are on the road at best to a limited, ineffective project and at worst to a quick exit from the meeting. The best projects, after all, provide maximum value to an appreciative client with minimum labor for you.

© Alan Weiss 2015

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

Comments: 6

  • Noah

    January 22, 2014

    fifteen + nineteen = …. C’mon Chad!!!

    This is a message I appreciating hearing again and again.

    Alan, has the 2015 cosmic reinvention already started?

  • Noah

    January 22, 2014

    spelling: appreciate…. I know the typo police keep a watch on you.

  • John W Lewis

    January 22, 2014

    As an inexperienced marketer, this is one of the fundamentals I need to embed in my thinking.
    Before we even think about value-based pricing, let’s have a value-based conversation, then we might describe a value-based solution, only then …

  • Matt Greener

    January 22, 2014

    One’s ability to listen, analyze, respond and plan appropriately is the reason that they would be engaged in the first place. Otherwise why not just buy an off-the-shelf solution?

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