The Art of the Client Interview

A BeTuitive post linked me to a Guerrilla Consultant article by Mike McLaughlin, The Art of the Client Interview.  Here are several excerpts:

When a prospective client calls about a project, it's natural for your pulse rate to rise a bit. After all, it means your marketing worked. As you settle into the conversation with the client, the first and most important step you take is to learn more about the opportunity. How you handle this essential activity can make the difference between winning the job or heading home empty handed.

First Impressions Are Tenacious

Whether we like it or not, a client's early impression of us influences the outcome of a sales opportunity, and that impression is formed in the initial sales interview. A client's first impression may not last forever, but beginning the sales process with a good impression beats having to overcome the fallout from a poor one.

Creating a positive, initial impression means emphasizing substance over technique. Instead of relying on canned sales questions, PowerPoint slides, and body language 'techniques,' lead your client through an insight-based discussion of the issues. You may not win the 'Smooth Salesperson of the Month' award that way, but you'll win in the client's mind and that's what counts.

Of course you'll need a few questions to get the conversation rolling, but expect to develop most of those questions as your understanding of the client's issue evolves. And if you're ever tempted to ask a client, 'what keeps you up at night,' cover your mouth and count to ten.

When you first step into a client's office to discuss a project, you're likely to be viewed as a salesperson, and that can be a tough impression to shake. But using the power of insightful questions and discussion during the interview, you can shed the salesperson label and replace it with that of business adviser. That will add immeasurable strength to your sales process.

Discover Differentiation

Professional service marketers know that every project opportunity deserves its own 'win theme.' It's rarely enough to compete solely on a firm's expertise. Instead, successful firms compete on the basis of both expertise and client-specific insight.

You can search the Internet about a company's issues until your fingertips are numb, but that search can't replace the insight you'll develop from a client's answers to your relevant questions. If you uncover just one nuance about the proposed project, whether it's about the specific client issue or potential barriers to completing the project, you have the basis for crafting a differentiated--and winning--proposal.

But you have to dig for those subtleties. It takes time and, more importantly, trust for a prospective client to open up to you. After all, the client is probably talking with other consultants and hearing similar questions. So your ability to conduct an interview that forges trust with the client and encourages candor gives you an important differentiator--client insight.

You'll also eliminate needless guesswork about how to frame your proposal if you've conducted thorough interviews. And if you have a need to follow up with the client after the interview, you'll have substantive matters to discuss. The information you glean from the client interview will advance your sales effort by providing you with the raw material to create a compelling and differentiated offer.

The Rest of the Story

The business world is full of sales advice, and much of it is very good. One thing is certain, though: If you do a great job in the early stages of the sales process, you're more likely to benefit from all that great advice. Stumble out of the gate, and you're likely to play catch up just to stay in the race.

The sales interview gives you a chance to put your best foot forward as you demonstrate your skills at analysis, diagnosis, creativity, and empathy. And few things serve your sales process more effectively than great interviewing skills. It's not unheard of for a client to hire a service provider on the spot after a great interview.

So keep this skill in top form, and odds are you'll be able to use the rest of that good advice about sales--from crafting great proposals and closing, to execution, follow through, and building long-term client relationships.