Core Consultancy Behaviours
Effective consultants need:
[geoads2]
- Profound understanding of customer needs
- Systematic analysis of the true priorities and problems within these generic needs
- Ability to position products/services against these customer priorities
- To multiple levels of the customer organisation
- To all relevant members of the “decision making unit”
- Understanding of:
- the customer’s experience level
- their attitude to risk
- real or perceived “idea adoption” factors
- Empathy – the ability to “stand in the customer’s shoes”
- Ability to see the essential value of the sales proposition
- In terms of the underlying business case
- In terms of the specific non-financial benefits
- In terms of the subjective personal benefits to DMU members
- Relational abilities:
- “Win-win” attitude
- Partnership mentality
- Communication to customers varying in knowledge, experience and certainty
- Resilience in an extended Idea Adoption Process
[geoads3]
If you think you’ll make the grade then measure yourself against this core skills, build your knowledge and experience and get going.
