Winning the Professional Services Sale: Unconventional Strategies to Reach More Clients, Land Profitable Work, and Maintain Your Sanity

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

PART ONE CONNECT 1

CHAPTER 1 Seven Realities of Selling Services 3

CHAPTER 2 Before You Call (or Meet) Any Client 13

CHAPTER 3 Master the Client Interview 23

CHAPTER 4 Uncover the Real Problem 35

PART TWO COLLABORATE 45

CHAPTER 5 When It Pays to Walk Away 47

CHAPTER 6 Five Elements of a Winning Sales Strategy 59

CHAPTER 7 Who Cares about This Sale . . . and Why? 75

CHAPTER 8 Shift Happens: Predicting Surprises 85

CHAPTER 9 The Perfect Sales Proposal 95

PART THREE COMMIT 111

CHAPTER 10 The Art of the Sales Presentation 113

CHAPTER 11 Seal the Deal: Negotiating to Close the Sale 127

CHAPTER 12 What to Do When You Win . . . and When You Don’t 139

CHAPTER 13 Making the Second Sale and Beyond 149

PART FOUR CHALLENGES 159

CHAPTER 14 The Seven by Seven Seller 161

CHAPTER 15 Putting It All Together 173

Notes 183

Seller’s Resource Guide 187

About the Author 191

Index 193

Also by Michael W. McLaughlin 201