Demonstrate, don't assert

I seem to be linking to David Maister a lot (hope he sends me a copy of his new book when it's ready, hint hint!)

This is a really good video about how to sell professional services. I love the mantra 'demonstrate, don't assert' - meaning that the best way to win new clients is to SHOW them that you are knowledgeable and helpful by putting in the time and effort up front to quickly give some value to the client when you first start talking to them. Much better than telling the client how great you are / how impressive your client list is / how many awards you have won, which are things that you might be proud of, but don't help the client with his problem.

This is also very relevant on the web. Today, it's not enough to have a website that tells clients about your lovely products and services and the amazing results you will generate for them.  You need to give away knowledge and actually demonstrate that you do indeed know what you are talking about, and that you're living and breathing your area of specialism. Think blogs, e-books, articles, forums...

Comments

[Alex Farran]

Good find. I've added David's RSS feed to my AAA list.

I've heard similar advice before, and his story illustrates it perfectly. It's definitely worth the effort to give potential clients something more useful than a list of past achievments.