Comments on: Rainmaker Resource # 5: Strategy and the Fat Smoker by David Maister http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2008/02/20/123/ Ford Harding's Blog on Rainmaking and Business Development Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:23:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Ford Harding http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2008/02/20/123/comment-page-1/#comment-3802 Ford Harding Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:20:53 +0000 http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2008/02/20/123/#comment-3802 David: All experienced sellers know that people buy on the basis of their emotions and justify their decisions after the fact with logic. Caring about the client, then, is good business, but neither you nor I believe that commercial succes is the main reason for doing so. If you stop caring about your clients, you should get out of the business. We do not agree on the timing of training, especially sales training. You say it should come last. Many advances in the professions are achieved through client work, especially unusual client work. Those advances change who and how we serve our clients. But someone has to sell transforming engagements, and that person must really know how to sell. Effective selling is a part of the growth and development of any firm, and so must be effort to develop professionals' sales skills. It isn't as linear as you suggest. So, that's my chicken to your egg. Will you come back with another egg or will we have resolved an even deeper question that has been asked longer than either of us can remember? Ford David:

All experienced sellers know that people buy on the basis of their emotions and justify their decisions after the fact with logic. Caring about the client, then, is good business, but neither you nor I believe that commercial succes is the main reason for doing so. If you stop caring about your clients, you should get out of the business.

We do not agree on the timing of training, especially sales training. You say it should come last. Many advances in the professions are achieved through client work, especially unusual client work. Those advances change who and how we serve our clients. But someone has to sell transforming engagements, and that person must really know how to sell. Effective selling is a part of the growth and development of any firm, and so must be effort to develop professionals’ sales skills. It isn’t as linear as you suggest.

So, that’s my chicken to your egg. Will you come back with another egg or will we have resolved an even deeper question that has been asked longer than either of us can remember?

Ford

]]> By: David Maister http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2008/02/20/123/comment-page-1/#comment-3801 David Maister Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:46:10 +0000 http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2008/02/20/123/#comment-3801 First, many thanks for a really thoughtful review. And, yes, I'll confess to (occasionally) overstating things for effect! Ford, i know that you and i agree way more than we disagree, and we just tend to stress different elements of "truth." I didn't mean really mean to say that "...if you just give your people the right kinds of thing to work on, you don’t have to teach them anything. Enthusiasm is all they need. .." I was making a point about a necessary condition, (being excited about your work and caring for your clients) not a sufficient condition. Sales training can be wonderfully effective (as your activities show, Ford) but, as I also try to claim, training is a great last step, not a good first one. First, I believe that you have to figure out who you want to serve, and who you can bring yourself to care about. This is not a denial of the fact that professional services are a commercial enterprise, but a simple pragmatic point that you (as a seller) are going to win a much higher percentage of my business if you can convince me that you are interested in helping me, and that this is not "just" a commercial transaction. First, many thanks for a really thoughtful review. And, yes, I’ll confess to (occasionally) overstating things for effect!

Ford, i know that you and i agree way more than we disagree, and we just tend to stress different elements of “truth.” I didn’t mean really mean to say that “…if you just give your people the right kinds of thing to work on, you don’t have to teach them anything. Enthusiasm is all they need. ..”

I was making a point about a necessary condition, (being excited about your work and caring for your clients) not a sufficient condition.

Sales training can be wonderfully effective (as your activities show, Ford) but, as I also try to claim, training is a great last step, not a good first one. First, I believe that you have to figure out who you want to serve, and who you can bring yourself to care about. This is not a denial of the fact that professional services are a commercial enterprise, but a simple pragmatic point that you (as a seller) are going to win a much higher percentage of my business if you can convince me that you are interested in helping me, and that this is not “just” a commercial transaction.

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