We always try to have value creation conversations with clients before pitching. Let me give you a reverse story to address the value creation. I had one of my team members in my previous job who came to me and said that he got me a lead and I should go meet the client. He said it was a done deal. He told the client about what we do, and they were ready to buy, so all I had to do was sell. I asked him if he knew what their problem was, and he said it didn’t matter as they were ready to buy. I went and spoke to the client and realised that it was not something they needed.
My team member heard about the call and asked me why I was shutting the door on the leads that he was trying to bring in. I told him that we don’t open doors by just closing one deal. It is easy to win a deal today and make everybody happy, but it does not create any value for the client and it’s not what they need. When I spoke to that client, I told them that this was not what they needed, and I offered them what would add value for them, and I converted it into a $300,000 deal. The client was happy and asked us to come in and do the job. They understood that I would not sell them something they didn’t need.
The whole point of my job is to create value. It doesn’t matter whether it’s $5,000 or 5 million. I need the client to remember me after the sales, after the delivery, after the payment and even after the celebration. I want to hear a good story after its been implemented. To hear the client say that the reason they are here today is because of Protiviti and because of the conversations we had with them.
