Why Not You?

By Michael W. McLaughlin

It’s tough to find any consultant who can’t answer the typical client question, “Why you?” It comes up in various guises in client meetings, and you address it in sales proposals, on your web site, and in sales presentations. It’s a question that you know to expect and should always be ready for.

In response, most offer a glowing self-testimonial with a laundry list of relevant qualifications, an accomplished track record, and a string of ardent references. Naturally, you use all your creativity to frame a response that is targeted, honest, and persuasive. You can strengthen that response, and uncover opportunities for your practice, by upending that client question and instead thinking about “Why not you?”

In other words, ask yourself why clients might not contact you to discuss an opportunity, or why they would not choose to buy from you. Instead of focusing on what motivates clients to buy, consider what might prevent them from doing so.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Dwelling on the negative can be counterproductive, but answering that question could take your business to a new level. What you’re searching for is a handful of substantive areas for improvement that would benefit your clients and your practice.

The key to making this exercise worthwhile is taking the client’s view. Granted, this can be difficult, but your goal is to see your business through the eyes of your prospective clients. What impressions do they form when they read your marketing communications? Do they see the same ideas from every other consultant? Do your proposals and other written communications spark their interest and emphasize the value you offer? As you communicate with clients, what is the overall impression that you create?

By answering these and similar questions, you’ll identify possibilities you might otherwise miss. But don’t settle for just asking questions. Try to take a client view of everything you do, from lead generation to project delivery. And find areas where you can get more in tune with what your clients really need.

Find Their Top Priority

The easiest starting point is to look back at your past losses, even if it’s painful. But, for now, ignore the opportunities where you believe that a competitor had a baked-in advantage; focus on losses that you think you should have won.

The most important area to explore is your client’s perception of value. Remember, clients’ assessment of value is closely tied to their perception of your ability to do the work. You may have a great pitch for how clients benefits from your solution. But without an equally persuasive argument for how you’ll deliver that value, don’t expect to win.

Some consultants go overboard with their descriptions of the methods and tools they’ll use, while others don’t do enough. If you fail to clearly lay out your project approach, a client might conclude that you are clueless about how to deliver on your promises. And it’s logical for a client to assume that you don’t have a grip on value if your proposal is laden with the details of your 99-step methodology.

Maybe neither assumption is fair, but you can see how clients might draw those conclusions. It’s true that some clients don’t want (or need) the details on your approach; but some do. Be sure you know the difference, because it affects the client’s view of value.

In any loss, it’s possible that your client just wasn’t convinced that you had a good grasp of expected value. Lots of consultants know the value they bring and assume the client understands it too. The result is that proposals and sales presentations can lack sufficient emphasis on the expected value. And that is often the answer to the question, “why not you?”

Your approach to communicating value is often the highest priority for making dramatic improvements in your win rate. So look carefully at how you’ve written about and discussed this aspect with your clients.

Also, be sure that you’ve put to rest any client concerns about your ability to deliver what you promise. Don’t miss any chance to be more persuasive in conveying your understanding and insight about value and your ability to make sure your clients achieve it.

Why They Don’t Call

The quality, depth, and relevance of your marketing communications should shed some light on “why not you?” Your communications must build enough confidence in your capabilities that clients are willing to spend their precious time learning more.

Any prospective client’s decision to call you is based on the perceived value of your services. When clients look through your marketing communications, especially your web site or blog, what decisions will they make? Is your value evident? What sets you apart, even just a bit, from others? Are your capabilities described clearly? Do your service descriptions address the client’s issues?

For many consultants, there’s a gap between what they say they can do and what they really do. Usually, their actual capabilities are far more impressive than how they describe them. Unfortunately, that gap causes clients to pass up chances to work with highly skilled consultants.

It’s All about Alignment

Each person who asks “why not you?” will come up with different answers. Mostly, though, the responses will suggest that some aspect of your practice needs realignment between what you do and how your clients see it. You may need to communicate expected value, or your capabilities, for example, in ways that clients want to hear it–not how you want to say it.

If you spend even a little time asking why clients might not call you or hire you, don’t be surprised if you generate new insights that help bring you more work–with clients you want and at the fees you deserve.