Discover how to use “The Challenger” approach to communicate your insights, opinions and capabilities to attract and close quality business advisory customers.
Prospective, quality business advisory customers are now savvy and mature, no longer tolerating traditional slick and generic sales approaches.
The best selling book by Dixon and Adamson The Challenger Sale indicates customers are instead buying from people who:
- provide a clear point of view and insights into their target’s business
- are able to customise solutions
- challenge established opinions
- demonstrate authenticity
- help manage others involved in the purchase decision, and
- address any aversion to risk.
This approach is called “The Challenger”.
So how can you as a business advisor be “The Challenger” and demonstrate your capability to deliver a fantastic outcome to a prospective customer? Here are five approaches to consider:
1. Webinar
Survey target customers and develop a short, 20 minute webinar based on their top three challenges or opportunities for the year that demonstrates and discusses solutions aligned with your advisory capability. Webinars should contain great, authentic content where you express your point of view, explain practical solutions and close with an opportunity for questions. Market these insight-sharing sessions to your database of prospective customers and to centres of influence.
Here’s an example webinar from Mindshop discussing disruption in professional service firms.
2. PowerPoint with audio recording
Pick a specific tool or process that relates to key issues being faced by a target customer. Pull up a PowerPoint slide on that tool and using a capture programs such as Camtasia or Snagit, you can record a short two minute overview of the issue, how the tool works to provide a solution and a summary of your key points. You could even tailor to a handful of clients and address their specific hurdles, then distribute via email with a customised note.
3. Video demonstration
Consider recording yourself discussing a tool or methodology. This does not need to be heavily scripted, but with good audio and lighting you can cost-effectively produce your own video to demonstrate your capability and insights.
Here’s a “One Page Plan” example featuring Kim Hartsock from Warren Averett.
Another video example – featuring a “Marketing Sweet Spot” discussion, with James Atkins from Vantage Marketing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeaIObVIIEw
4. Skype Interview
Interview and record an existing customer over Skype using a program like Snagit. In just a few minutes, you can discuss the solution provided and reveal tips for success. Simply upload the video to YouTube or Vimeo and distribute a link via email to prospective customers with a customised note.
5. Blog
Lastly, a blog article is a great way to communicate your views on a range of customer challenges. Often a good way to generate content is to review previous customer email correspondence or suggested solutions over the past month and re-write some of the great ideas into a short blog post. This could be on profit, growth or succession for example, but remember to go down to the next layer and provide some practical steps and insights.
Here’s an example of a blog from Mindshop on the topic of “Growing an Advisory Firm”
Overall, demonstrating your proof of capability doesn’t need to be a drawn out, difficult process. You can make a start by reflecting on your target customers’ biggest challenge and selecting one of the methods from above to connect to your prospect database with a clear call to action. Or why not try tailoring the message to three of your biggest opportunities?
The historical “numbers game” of selling may work for commodity services, but when seeking to attract quality customers, demonstrating capability and acting as “The Challenger” will ensure you boost your probability of success.
By James Mason, Managing Director, Mindshop – October 2015
