Our Espresso Shot Learning sessions are punchy and effective 30 minute webinars, specifically designed to deliver your team the key points and latest thinking in Business Development and Client Relationship Management.
These bite sized learning sessions are delivered on a virtual platform to suit you, and are good for all teams. You can also register as many participants to the session as you need.
Book now, and let’s get everyone contributing to business growth.
Cost: £500
Turning up the listening to 11!
Active listening has long been spoken about as a key skill for anyone involved in sales.
There is a case to say that now we are selling online AND that it is getting more competitive, we need to be even better at listening than ever. It is often extremely difficult to come up with strong USPs and differentiators, but those who listen best will understand more and are more likely to find that little ‘nugget’ they can use to motivate the client to choose them.
To arrange your training, you can email hello@questas.co.uk or click the button below to get in touch.
Whether the ‘table’ you’re trying to get to is real or virtual, we must generate new business with clients and potential clients. If we are not regularly speaking to these people our competitors (who are speaking to them) will increase their market share at the expense of ours. Whatever you call it, all successful firms see this activity at least as important if not more important than fee earning work.
To arrange your training, you can email hello@questas.co.uk or click the button below to get in touch.
Technical experts need to be able to sell but many people in this area would consider selling to be, at best, unnatural. At worst, something they feel they simply can’t do! In our experience, part of the challenge is knowing how to structure a BD (‘sales’ if you prefer) call. Our definition of this conversation is ‘building the client’s motivation to buy’.
To arrange your training, you can email hello@questas.co.uk or click the button below to get in touch.
Cross Selling: how to achieve growth by cross selling in professional services
‘Cross-Selling’ is the key to smart business growth but why is it so difficult? Questas CEO & Founder, Gary Williams reveals how to overcome the barriers and generate significant opportunities from existing clients.
What is cross selling?
Cross-selling is best described as ‘collaborating with other specialists within your company, working in partnership on behalf of the client’s best interest.’ It is a proactive, ongoing process designed to provide your existing customers with a range of your company’s services that will help them achieve their objectives.
Having worked with many professional services firms operating in the built and natural environment, we see many companies who are not optimising their cross-selling opportunities, missing obvious areas of growth in their organisation. Many of them have key client management programmes, with one of the measures of success being the number of services their clients buy from them. On average, supplier firms provide only 20% of their services to clients. There’s nothing worse than a client who tells you, “I didn’t know you provided that service, if I had I wouldn’t have given the project to your biggest competitor…”
On average supplier firms provide just 20% of their services to clients.
A client who buys multiple services is harder to lose to a competitor.
Cross selling from the supplier’s perspective
Existing customers are easier to sell to, by a long shot. You’re 60-70% likely to sell to an existing customer, compared to the 5-20% likelihood of selling to a new prospect (according to book of Marketing Metrics). So concentrating efforts on cross-selling makes sense. A client who buys multiple services is harder to lose to a competitor than a single service client.
A professional services company can also forge better relationships, moving up the ‘Trusted Advisor’ curve and ultimately being seen as a partner organisation who helps the client achieve their long-term objectives as opposed to a provider of commodity services who can be substituted at very short notice.
Cross selling from the client’s perspective
Managing the supply chain can be an onerous task. Keeping on top of providers, ensuring deliverables are met, not to mention procurement and tendering, this can be extremely time consuming and costly.
Our clients are human beings (in the main!) and one thing I know to be universal is that we live in ever more complicated, busy and often challenging worlds. We all strive for an easy life and if a client can trust a supplier to deliver more than one service, confident that “they know how we work and what our expectations are…” that is one less thing to worry about.
There are potential economic benefits as well. Clients can achieve their objectives in the most economic way. They can potentially reduce the cost of managing multiple suppliers and, hopefully, they can speed up projects by having fewer ‘players’ in the supply chain.
Clients can achieve their objectives in the most economic way.
Introducing our contacts to our colleagues creates strong, collaborative networks.
Cross selling from the individual’s perspective
Today’s consultant has to be the ‘rounded professional’, seen to be creating opportunities for other areas of the firm beyond their own. Our personal brand and value grows when we are able to refer a client to a colleague who’s expertise would benefit them. So being generous with our time and sharing our contacts should be something we feel compelled and motivated to do.
So if Cross-Selling is seen as one of the Keys to Growth, why is it so hard for professional services firms to be successful at it?
These are the most common reasons
A lack of understanding of everything the firm can offer
Inability to explore the client’s world broadly enough to uncover opportunities outside of technical disciplines
Poor internal communication
An unwillingness to introduce colleagues to our clients or share valuable relationships
Poor leadership
Measuring things that disincentivize cross-selling and drive the wrong behaviours
Even the most ‘non-sales’ people are able to learn how to explore clients’ worlds.
Five ways to encourage a cross selling culture
The good news is that there is plenty that can be done to counter these barriers. Here are some steps that we have found to be valuable to businesses.
1
Encourage internal marketing programmes and things like:
Lunch and learn sessions delivered by different departments
Attend different service line client and BD meetings
Use your Key Client Management programme to bring representatives of all relevant parties to the table (including those who are not currently working with the client).
2
Even the most ‘non-sales’ minded people are able to learn how to explore clients worlds. They can:
Increase the number of ‘non-project’ client meetings.
Encourage people to understand how to look for opportunities for ‘adjacent’ services.
3
Many firms suffer poor internal communication
The first thing to understand is that the mindset of people is the key to better internal comms – one that is open and sharing for the benefit of the client.
Systems and software – too many firms are still relying on spreadsheets. Investing in CRM (client relationship management) systems is a critical success factor. There is a health warning here… if the first step above is not in place, CRM systems become nothing more than an expensive address book!
Create Convert Retain with Gary Williams. The Questas Podcast: Episode Two In...
Summary
So it’s obvious that not developing a cross-selling program in your organisation really is wasting a serious opportunity for growth.
Remember, it’s critically important that everyone in the organisation buys into the philosophy in order to collaboratively support the efforts of all. That includes leaders and senior managers too!
Companies that fail to implement an effective cross-selling programme do a disservice to their customers and leave the backdoor open to their competitors. Not being proactive about encouraging a culture of cross-selling is a missed opportunity for smart business growth. Check out our Cross-Selling Skills Training here, or individuals can:
There has to be added value for the client to buy additional services from you. If they already buy that second service from an alternative provider, you must clearly ’sell’ the benefit of them buying both services from you.
Course overview
By recognising your own company’s wider business capabilities this course allows you to explore more opportunity to offer these services into your clients.
There are many reasons why cross selling is harder than we think it should be. Our research has shown the same barriers exist in many organisations. We shine the light on each of these and offer solutions as to how to overcome them.
Who’s it for?
Anyone responsible for retaining and building upon existing client relationships, whether to uncover new opportunities or deliver existing projects. This course aligns well with ‘Client Relationship Skills’.
Course format
Face to face: A half-day workshop for up to 12 people. Based on research, this is highly practical session where we design scenarios for participants to practice.
E-learning: A 30 minute ‘plug and play’ course designed for those new to cross-selling.
Live Virtual Classroom: A 2 hr practical workshop covering the dos and don’ts of cross selling along with an opportunity to uncover the cross-selling opportunities in a case study.
Outcomes
Participants will be able to adopt a more strategic approach to addressing clients’ requirements. Delegates will be equipped to look for ways to help their clients grow while offering opportunities to win work for their own business.
Doing an excellent job is a first step to winning more work, but it’s not enough. We need to be proactive in building relationships, understanding our clients and their objectives, and positioning ourselves as trusted advisers. Our Client Relationship Skills course provides tools and skills that will strenthen and broaden client relationships.
Do you dread negotiations?
Negotations are often seen in terms of winners and losers, but this approach is likely put us on the back foot. Actually the first step to successful negoation is always communication to help both parties feel like winners. Our Negotiation Skills course provides the tools and tips to help you find a position of mutual acceptance with your clients (and colleagues).
Free consultation
Have questions for us? Get your team started today and gain a new competitive advantage.
Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another matter, but the first step is always communication.
Course overview
This course is designed to take you through the theory and practice of ‘Principled Negotiation’. It provides the tools and tips to allow you to separate people from the problem, evaluate options and find a position of mutual acceptance to achieve the win/win with your clients (and colleagues!)
Who’s it for?
Anyone who is involved in internal or external negotiations, particularly in final stages of securing bids and contracts. It is also very useful for those situations where clients are trying to push the boundaries of the contract – commonly known as ‘scope creep’.
Course format
Face to face: A one-day workshop for up to 12 people. This course includes hands-on techniques, working through theory and practical exercises.
Live Virtual Classroom: A 2 hour workshop designed to teach participants the fundamentals of negotiating, The difference between Positions & Interests, where the ZOPA (zone of potential agreement) is and how to ensure a win/win outcome.
Outcomes
This course will leave the participant equipped with:
a variety of negotiation styles and the know-how of when to use them
the methodology to frame your negotiation
the skill to identify your acceptance zone
the ability to manage conflict through to resolution.
Couple with this the ability to think creatively to provide options that focus on the interests of all parties. Finally, delegates will be able to find a mutually satisfactory outcome that helps the client relationship remain strong.
Content Outline
Defining negotiation – what is ‘Principled Negotiation’
Negotiation styles – qualities of a great negotiator
Know your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) and understand your ‘walk-away’ before you start
How do you handle the ‘bad news’ conversations with your clients? Could you do better? We all have to deal with tricky topics such as ‘scope creep’, project delays or unexpected costs. The course ‘Difficult Client Conversations‘ is designed to equip project managers, directors and other staff who need to handle awkard situations with valued clients.
Take what you’ve learnt and use it!
Research suggests that 80% of sales training is lost within 180 days. We also know that it takes at least six weeks to start embedding new behaviours as habits. So how do you maximise your training investment? One great way is one-to-one coaching.
“One-to-one coaching helped me overcome some of the barriers I faced as a technically minded person. I am now much more confident with clients.” Technical Director, RPS.
Free consultation
Have questions for us? Get your team started today and gain a new competitive advantage.
Presenting, especially a pitch, can be a very pressured situation and it is normal to feel anxious. Learning visualisation skills to cope with ‘what if’ scenarios leaves headspace to generate a successful outcome.
Course overview
The focus of this professional development is learning practical skills to deliver excellent presentations and pitches.We look at preparation, both in terms of structure and approach to a pitch, and the practice and visualisation activities to mentally prepare for it.
In this course we challenge our participants at times to operate outside of their comfort zones. This allows us to provide the strategies and tools to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety that so many of us come up against when we are asked to speak publicly.
Who’s it for?
This course is for anyone with a remit to present internally and/or externally. Clients are encouraged to bring along real life scenarios to work through.
Course format
Face to face: a highly practical one-day workshop. Participants will present to a group at least twice in the day and be filmed.
Live Virtual Classroom: A 2-hour workshop. Using the medium we develop online presentation skills. This will include how to prepare and set up the environment, how to create impact, engage the audience and make it memorable!
Outcomes
Present with greater confidence and professionalism.
Learn to plan and structure presentations.
Be clear when pitching, ensuring emphasis on key messages.
Keep an audience engaged.
Content Outline
Who is your audience, what are their expectations?
How to engage your audience
Making it memorable – key messages, unique elements, clear calls to action
Presentation format and structure
Speaking with confidence, controlling your nerves
Body language, gestures, vocal tone and pitch
“It was great to see everyone engaged all the way through and I noted the calibration to our needs during the day.”
Director, RPS
“Great day! Really fun and innovative way to beat the fear of presenting to an audience.”
We help technical people feel comfortable with the idea of selling – demonstrating that it is not some sort of ‘dark art’ – which can make a radical change to the dialogue they have with existing and potential clients.
Course overview
Our sales training has been developed over years into an approach designed for both natural and ‘unnatural’ salespeople. We have a tried and tested structure which will help participants become more effective at professional sales conversations. Participants practice different tasks to build their skill sets, from listening techniques and questioning skills to building trust and gaining the client’s commitment.
Who’s it for?
This professional development is designed for anyone responsible for building client relationships, uncovering new opportunities and converting them into fee paying work.
Ideally suited for: Consulting Engineers, Planners, Lawyers, Architects, Environmental Consultants, Cost Consultants and all those who encounter sales conversations in this sector in 2019.
Course format
Face to face: A full day workshop aimed at groups of 9 – 15 participants and involves a mixture of theory (our coveted 3i model) and exercises designed to develop consultative selling skills. There is an emphasis on skills practice, and we often use actors to play clients in sales meeting simulations.
Live virtual classroom: Ideal for up to 12 participants, this is a 2 hour session aimed at learning the Questas 3i Model structure and components.
Outcomes
The course is designed to resonate with technically minded individuals and ‘unnatural’ salespeople to develop skills and build confidence.
Having completed the session, our participants tell us they have more face-to-face business development discussions and those conversations are more effective, leading to a greater number of opportunities and improved win-rates.
“I found the day to be really useful. In particular, the realisation that active listening is a true art.”
Exploring the client’s world – developing a differentiator
Planning, structuring and managing business development meetings
Practicing sales meetings and building relationships
Delivering a compelling proposition
“I found the day to be really useful, informative and well delivered. In particular, a realisation that there’s a little of ‘Tigger’ in all of us and that listening really is a true art.”
Does Business Development slip to the bottom of your to-do list?
Our clients often tell us that they struggle to find the time and resources for strategic and planned Business Development activity. Our Business Development Planning course can help you apply tried and tested strategies and tactics to help you unlock more opportunities and win more – and better – work.
Become confident when presenting or pitching
Our Presentation and Pitching training course is the natural next step for engineering and technically minded professionals who are engaged in internal or external pitching to sell a service or opportunity. In this training learners will use real-life simulations to practise presenting and overcome common pitching anxiety.
Free consultation
Have questions for us? Get your team started today and gain a new competitive advantage.
We are a business development consultancy which is passionate about helping our clients develop processes, skills and behaviours that will result in increased sales and improved margins.
‘Selling’ can be a dirty word for some of our clients, but without the ability to sell we will struggle to be successful. Our sales training has been developed over years into an approach designed for our technically-minded clients. Courses include presentation and pitching, sales conversations and negotiation skills.
Bids & tenders
Learning how to write a winning bid is one of the most important business skills you can acquire. The layout, language and style you use may make the difference between a successful bid and one that comes close. See Courses
RETAIN
Client management
Existing clients pay your wages. Proactive client management ensures that you deliver services on time and on budget while meeting their expectations and nurturing a positive working relationship.
Client development
Delivering projects well is the first step in developing further opportunities, but it’s not enough. We need be proactive in building relationships, understanding our clients and their objectives, and positioning ourselves as trusted advisers.
Raising up leaders
Questas offers both one-to-one coaching and leadership training courses. This both embeds newly learned skills and establishes a culture of strong, skilled leadership. See Courses
CREATE
Reputation
According to research, your reputation – and that of your organisation – is the most important factor for clients when choosing who to consider for projects.
Relationships
People matter. It’s people (in most cases!) who make decisions. A strong network of relationships with clients, influencers and referrers will go a long way to helping you create opportunities for work. See Courses
