DeepSummary
The podcast episode begins with Jennifer Brown introducing the weekly "DEI Community Call" as a source of support and connection for those working on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She encourages listeners to join by texting a number to receive information about upcoming calls and guests.
Doug Foresta then joins the conversation to discuss the importance of the intake and sales process for consultants. He explains that consultants must ask the right questions to understand the client's objectives, stakeholders, gaps to address, and level of buy-in from leadership. This helps consultants assess if they are a good fit for the client and vice versa.
Foresta shares several key questions from his client questionnaire, such as understanding the origin of urgency, target audiences, goals (inspirational vs. educational), and the level of executive sponsorship. He emphasizes the importance of consultative sales to initiate and deepen relationships while gathering necessary information.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The consultative sales process involves asking the right questions to deeply understand the client's needs, objectives, stakeholders, gaps, and leadership buy-in.
- Asking insightful questions during the sales process helps consultants assess if they are a good fit for the client engagement and if the client is set up for success.
- Probing questions should aim to understand the origin and urgency behind the initiative, target audiences, inspirational vs. educational goals, and the level of senior sponsorship.
- Viewing sales as a consultative, relationship-building process focused on utilizing one's expertise to benefit the client is more effective than a pushy or self-serving approach.
- For successful organizational change, it's critical to secure buy-in and sponsorship from senior leadership as well as a broad committee representing key stakeholders across business lines and geographies.
- The sales process for a consultant provides an opportunity to not only gather information but to help the client better frame and understand their own problem or need.
- Driving change in complex organizations requires a nuanced approach of lining up support, removing roadblocks, managing stakeholders, and embedding change into the organizational DNA over time.
- Both external and internal consultants need strong consultative sales skills to initiate engagements, build relationships, gather insights, and position their expertise to drive impactful change.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “You know, sales isn't a bad word. And if it helps our listeners think about the fact that we're all consultants and we're all selling. Selling at the very core of it is getting your expertise utilized.“ by Doug Foresta
- “You're literally teaching them in the very first conversation about how to think about the problem. You're literally helping them map it.“ by Doug Foresta
- “This is really interesting because it's how change happens in organizations that are complex.“ by Doug Foresta
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Episode Information
The Will To Change: Uncovering True Stories of Diversity & Inclusion
Jennifer Brown
1/15/21
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: In this minisode, Jennifer discusses the importance of asking consultative questions during the sales process. She reveals some of the questions from JBC’s powerful prospective client questionnaire and the thinking behind each question. Discover an empowering way to think about the sales process and why sales is a crucial aspect to ushering in positive change. This episode originally aired in 2018, but is still very relevant today!