There’s a train of thought that says all consultants are in sales. Maybe. But there is definitely a change in bizdev as you progress from Analyst to Partner.

Making the transition from a delivery-focused consulting role to one that requires business development can feel like stepping into an entirely new career, especially when you haven’t spent years cultivating relationships with potential buyers.

Developing the skills to identify opportunities, build meaningful client relationships, and contribute to sales requires a different mindset and approach that many consultants find challenging to navigate.

Oh and your performance appraisal increasingly depends on what work you can bring in.

Deep in the ol’ Reddit r/Consulting forum, I found a post by a newly promoted consultant who now faced the prospect of needing to sell. So of course we talked about it on the show…

We Discuss:

• How do you begin to build relationships with potential buyers when you haven’t had much opportunity to create those connections until now?
• Is business development and relationship building a learned skill, or do you need natural EQ/people skills to succeed?
• When using social media (particularly LinkedIn) for business development, is it enough to simply engage and comment, or do you need to develop unique perspectives and content?
• How do you navigate the transition from being a technical/delivery expert to becoming more of a trusted advisor who can identify and sell solutions?

Key Highlights:

• When transitioning from a delivery role to sales in consulting, having internal networks and relationships is crucial, but often these connections aren’t with buyers who have purchasing authority (00:02:13)
• Consultants don’t need to execute the entire sales cycle themselves – it’s acceptable and often beneficial to identify opportunities and have more senior people close deals while getting sales attribution (00:15:33)
• Account planning is critical – consultants should build relationships at their current level and gradually work their way up to senior buyers, rather than trying to immediately reach C-level executives (00:16:46)
• For long-term success in consulting, consistency and focus in a specific domain or industry are more valuable than being scattered across many areas (00:29:40)
• Technical consultants are often well-positioned to identify new opportunities because they see operational pain points firsthand while working with clients (00:23:34)
• When building a professional brand, content should be focused and consistent rather than scattered across various topics – this helps potential clients understand your expertise (00:30:00)
• Having clear career goals and values alignment is essential – consultants should ask themselves if they’ll be satisfied doing their current trajectory in 10 years (00:37:21)
• For LinkedIn engagement, experts recommend making three thoughtful comments per day on potential buyers’ content and posting original content once or twice weekly maximum (00:49:25)
• When building relationships on LinkedIn, it’s important to “give before asking” – contribute value to conversations before requesting meetings or connections (00:46:40)
• Building visibility with potential buyers can be done indirectly by engaging with their network and participating in relevant conversations, rather than approaching them directly (00:48:27)

5 Takeaways:

1. The most effective path for consultants transitioning to sales roles is to leverage existing client relationships where trust has already been established, rather than trying to build entirely new connections under pressure of sales targets.
2. Successful business development in consulting requires a strategic approach to relationship elevation, where consultants work collaboratively with junior client contacts to earn trust before attempting to reach C-level decision makers.
3. Technical consultants can contribute meaningfully to sales by identifying opportunities during project work and channeling them through senior partners, earning sales attribution credit without having to personally close deals.
4. On LinkedIn, the optimal engagement strategy for consultants is to make three thoughtful comments daily on potential buyers’ content while limiting original posts to once or twice per week, focusing on providing value before making any asks.
5. Long-term success in consulting sales requires maintaining a consistent professional focus and expertise in specific areas, rather than taking a scattered approach across multiple topics or industries.

For reference, here’s the Reddit post: https://lnkd.in/ePhFepwu

AND if you stick around till the end… there’s a brilliant bit of advice from one of the top voices on LinkedIn, Richard Bliss ( therichardbliss.com ) who gave us HIS expert perspective on this topic. You cannot miss that bit. And speaking of sales, he usually charges for that advice…

Check out the Audio-Only version of this episode!
Episode 76: The One About Winning New Business