I don’t know many professionals that feel comfortable with the idea of selling. Many hope that good service delivery coupled with word of mouth and a bit of glad handing at the local golf club will do the job. Unfortunately that’s only likely to get you so far. Workbooks has come up with a 7-point plan that can help you understand the sales process and overcome some of the more obvious pitfalls. Key to their way of thinking is the combination of a structured approach combined with supporting software. Of course there had to be a hook but it is always good to find a company that isn’t simply churning out code but has thought through the problems.
One thing they mention which I particularly like: the idea of finding champions. Champions want you to succeed. It is a role I play for certain clients. It is enjoyable, especially when you hear the client has won the engagement they were hoping for or that the bit of coaching provided worked well. Recently I listened to someone talking about a piece of technology and saying that it took someone not directly related to the technology in question to explain what it was about. I had to smile but keep quiet. The person they were referring to was someone I’d coached about how to express difficult concepts in an easy to consume manner. It worked. Everyone came out smiling.
