Work opportunities with the right kind of clients, Winning those opportunities into the right kind of fees, Ways to retain those clients for the long-term.
This podcast is aimed at anyone who sells business to business services, whether you are an owner or Director of an SME professional/engineering consultancy or someone in a larger firm who has to win work as part of your job, this is for you.
We speak to business leaders and those ‘at the front line’ in the world of construction, engineering consultancy and law and ask them to share their experiences and ideas about what works, and what really doesn’t when growing a professional services business. We discuss strategies and tactics including how to motivate ‘reluctant’ sellers to engage in work-winning thereby unleashing a large, previously hidden salesforce.
There are some great tips and advice in areas such key client management, getting in front of target clients, structuring initial sales meetings, writing winning proposals and so much more.
How to maximise your (and others) impact - Nathan Ott, GC Index
Episode 25
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 • Duration 36:56
People don't go to work to feel impotent, they thrive when they are doing what energises them! Gary speaks with Nathan Ott, co-creator of the GC Index - an organimetric tool that identifies people's preferences and allows them and the organisations for whom they work to thrive.
Gary Williams of Questas chats to Mark Carpenter of Master Storytelling to discuss how humans relate to stories and how they are a vital component to sales and selling. Mark shares some fantastic tips on how to structure stories to make your sales pitches stand out.
Cross Selling in the World of Professional Services
Episode 14
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 • Duration 21:11
In the world of professional services and engineering consultancy services, cross selling is the Holy Grail. Organisations think it's easy, but in this episode of Work Winning Ways, you'll find out why it's very difficult. Join Gary Williams as he discusses why cross selling is important, how it's done, and what are the obstacles to overcome.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In so many jobs you need to be able to encourage, motivate, and persuade clients to work with you and influence others to do so. Word of mouth is one of the best tools at your disposal.
80% of your clients buy 20% of the products you sell.
It's 6 times cheaper to sell to existing clients then try to find new ones.
Don't push a hard sell for products and services your client or prospective client doesn't need. It will essentially just annoy them at the end of the day.
Start with ‘why'. Why does your client want your service in the first place. It has to help them with an objective or goal, if there is no strong ‘why' then the client is unlikely to buy multiple products from you.
You have to show added value to convince the client to put more eggs in your basket. Why should they choose you over other service providers?
Being a trusted advisor means that you have the competence, but this is just one aspect. The other aspects are knowing how your client likes to work, you also need knowledge of their world, and finally having a genuine interest in them, their objectives and challenges.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Bad cross selling is the kind that makes our clients cross'
‘How is about being proactive and curious'
‘You need to build a bank of good deeds for it to be reciprocated'
EPISODE RESOURCES
How to Become a Trusted Advisor
Episode 13
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 • Duration 18:40
On this episode of Work Winning Ways, host Gary Williams of Questas discusses the evolution of the work winning employee and what your client wants from them. Also hear all about what it takes to become a trusted advisor, and just as importantly, how to keep being one.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Clients are becoming more and more demanding. You have to add good commercial acumen, understanding what the client wants to achieve. They also want you to show that you understand the world in which they work.
The differentiator in winning work can often be a grasp of the things that affect the clients environment and the ability to talk in their language with the terms they use.
Under promise and over deliver. If you're saying what the client wants to hear and over promising, then if you don't deliver, trust is broken. Expectation management is crucial.
Clients will also expect you to manage them. Do you make their life and their job easier?
Be proactive about meeting client's needs. To be proactive you need to know your client and what they will need and when. You will also need to know what they need but haven't asked for yet.
BEST MOMENTS
‘You need the ability to talk in the client's language'
‘Projects happen through people'
‘10 pm is not close of business, it's Monday morning'
Working Winning Ways with Edd Stone (Technology Partnership)
Episode 12
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • Duration 36:26
Working Winning Ways is the new name for the podcast and for this shake-up Gary has a fantastic interview with Edd Stone of The Technology Partnership. Hear all about how Edd works with, understands, and builds strong relationships with people that can last over an entire career spanning different companies.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Relationships in business development are very important and should be nurtured over long periods of time. Many of their clients didn't predict that they would need work with The Technology Partnership again, but because those connections were there then the choice of who to go with was easy.
It's the people who are trying to solve the problems within organisations who are the ones who will come to us to help them solve it no matter which business they're working for.
You shouldn't assume you know what is best for a client at a particular time. You need to really listen to their needs and understand the nature of the problem in front of you. To do that you need to recruit great communicators who can make sure you're on the same page.
Hard technical things are very rarely a solo endeavour, they require lots of people from different backgrounds to work together.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Cambridge is a low-risk place to do risky things'
‘At the end of the day it's got to hinge on commercial viability'
‘That curiosity is an aspect of being a great business developer'
ABOUT THE GUEST
Edd Stone:
“Cell and gene therapies have shown the ability to cure some of the most terrible diseases. I am passionate about finding ways to get these treatments to more patients by revolutionizing how we manufacture them.
For over 15 years, I have been fortunate to work with some of the world's most innovative companies to help bring new life science products to market. The last 7 years I have dedicated to cell and gene therapy manufacturing, spanning from commercial strategy through technology development and onto production.I have worked with clients to develop new technologies, enjoyed the challenges of finding technical solutions, undertaking risk analysis, performing due diligence, creating new IP and meeting with regulators.The Technology Partnership is an independent technology company where scientists and engineers collaborate to invent, design and develop new products and technologies.”
Engineering and Leadership with Pat Sweet
Episode 11
Monday, October 4, 2021 • Duration 47:51
This week we have a fascinating interview with Pat Sweet of the Engineering and Leadership podcast. Pat has some great insights on what it takes to successfully lead professional services firms and his thoughts are likely to remind, reassure and reveal in equal measures! If you are in a leadership position or aspire to be, this is a great listen.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Engineers can do pretty much anything if you give them enough time and money. But you're not going to do that so there has to be a defined mission, and that clarity has to come from a leadership role.
People in engineering often get moved into a management role as a ‘next step in career progression' instead of actually possessing people leading and management skills.
A diversity in a team isn't' just about who we are, it's about creating diversity of thought.
Addressing recently bias is something you need to be aware of, especially when it comes to remote working and those people who are remote missing out on opportunity.
One of the best things a leader can do is demonstrate that's it's okay to be vulnerable. That allows teams to open up and pitch those ideas that could be kept quiet by a bad leader.
A leader ought to be excited about leading, not just for leadings sake, but because they recognise the value they can provide the team and that they can enable the team to do what it does best.
BEST MOMENTS
‘As leaders we're so risk averse that clouds us from perusing interesting opportunities'
‘Good leaders leave their ego at the door'
‘If you're the hero and everyone relies on you, then what's the organisation for?'
‘Decision making improves when you have diversity of thought, and diversity of thought comes when you have a diversity of backgrounds.'
Building Customer Experience Around Trust, Care and Value– Paul Adams
Episode 10
Monday, September 20, 2021 • Duration 37:56
In this episode of Create, Convert, Retain, Gary is joined by Paul Adams of The Project Centre, a professional design consultancy, focused on civil engineering, transport planning, and landscape design for the public sector. Join the conversation about what sales skills you need in professional services and how they differ from other sales-based roles. Also, find out the difference between the tangible and intangible services.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Professional services is all about getting repeat business. Customer care and trust are so important. It's not just a sell them as much as you can and get out of there scenario.
The customer experience is becoming more and more important for winning repeat business. What is the journey of your client? Are you helping them move through the process smoothly with good results?
It's seven times easier to get business from an existing customer than a new one and a lot cheaper too. Not just in terms of cost but in terms of time.
Take into account social value and meaningful social value. For example, are you giving work experience? These things can work their way back up the chain.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Clients are buying into you, you need to build trust with them'
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
Why Client Services, Problem Awareness and Understanding is the Key to Success
Episode 9
Monday, September 6, 2021 • Duration 39:25
In this episode of Create, Convert, Retain, Gary shares insights on what Questas does for companies, how the podcast name came about, and why it is so important for client services. This is a real deep dive into everything Gary does in his day to day working life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Everybody within the company should fully understand the ‘why' of the business. Why does the company exist, and why their role helps fulfil that.
Reputation building is about being clear about your purpose, understanding your marketplace, and making enough noise so that your target market is aware of you.
Only 3% of our market is ready to buy at any one time. That means the sales people need thick skin because they're going to get a lot of nos. Opportunities can come from well-built relationships that have been developed by everyone in the company.
Retaining existing business costs nothing to your marketing budget. Chasing down new leads consumes time and resources. Having a good connection with existing clients and understanding what they will need and when they will need it can create new opportunities.
Create, convert, and retain.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Marketing is about bringing people to our table'
‘Are you problem aware?'
‘One of the most important reasons a client is attracted to a bid is because they understood us and what we need'
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
Work Winning! Speaking with Mike Reader
Episode 8
Monday, August 23, 2021 • Duration 42:54
In this episode of Create, Convert, Retain, Gary is joined by Mike Reader. Mike is the Head of Work Winning at Mace, leading opportunity management, capturing and bidding across Mace's Consult business. Join the discussion on building a team that can work with clients and then developing the team as a whole.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Not everyone in your organisation is client facing, but they can support in other ways that aren't direct. Building teams with different skills and abilities is the best way forward. Build different teams with different people with different skills for different clients.
You don't need to recruit for the senior position because you think it will unlock a relationship, going for the big sales person isn't always the best way to win bids. Instead, it's about building a team and building the people from graduate roles and up. Mike prefers to look for organic growth rather than trying to recruit someone established.
The first step in winning bids is building relationships across the organisation. By doing this you'll understand what their drivers are and their concerns. You'll find out more by getting to know someone than you will from a business proposal. Listen to find out what the other steps are.
BEST MOMENTS
"Clients are multifaceted'" "Building momentum is finding some quick wins for the team'" "You can be more successful with a team rather than just a heavy hitting individual'"
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
How to Uniquely Connect with Clients: Claire Gott MBE
Episode 7
Monday, August 16, 2021 • Duration 30:55
In this episode of Create, Convert, Retain, Gary is joined by Claire Gott MBE, Head of Industry and Corporate Social Responsibility at WSP in the UK. Join the discussion on how to encourage your technical staff to engage better with clients. How to win and keep business. Also hear about how Claire helped found the engineering charity, Cameroon Catalyst.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
When working with very technically adept staff it can be a challenge to get them to connect with clients in the way you need. Strong relationship building skills aren't often found in highly skilled workers. So how do you encourage them to connect with clients. Claire is an advocator of nudge theory. Encouraging and developing very small tweaks that will make your staff more confident when talking with clients.
Another way Claire tackles this is to pair up tech experts with a more sales focused team member. Then in each meeting between you and your clients you have a tag team ready to deal with any issue that comes up. Having adiversityof skills looks after both the client needs and tech solutions.
The importance of repeat business is often overlooked in favour of chasing nclients and new leads. If you're getting more business from your existing client base who you have already worked with and built a relationship with, then there is no need to spend time on bids that may not come off.
BEST MOMENTS
‘We strive to be a trusted advisor to our clients'
‘The client often knows what you can do technically, but in order for you to differentiate, they need to know that you know them'
‘Take the time to follow up on opportunities'
‘Diversity of thought when working in a team can lead to new ideas'
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Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
Pat Sweet, P.Eng., MBA, CSEP, PMP is an experienced engineering leader, project manager, product manager, writer, speaker, and coach. His mission is to help technical organizations thrive. You can find a link to his podcast ‘Engineering and Leadership' below.
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
“Project Centre are a professional design consultancy, transport planning, civil engineering and landscape design consultancy. Most of their clients are public sector, mainly local authorities. In this interview Paul has some great insights into what works in terms of selling to public sector clients and what is vital to keep hold of them and turn them into long-term profitable relationships.”
With over 15 years in the industry Mike has had the opportunity to work with designers, project and cost managers, surveyors and specialists across the sector, supporting clients as varied as local government, energy and utilities companies, complex private sector organisations and contractors.
He has a passion for business strategy, which leverages his skill sets and interests in business development, team leadership, organisational design and marketing.
Through Mike's role at Mace, and through activities outside the work place, he is able to explore his interest in the theory and practical examples of what makes some projects and people successful and others less so.
Mike is driven by the belief that everyone has a part to play in the modernisation of our sector, and that only by trying new things, learning from our mistakes, and working together as one industry, we will meet the global challenges the world faces today.
Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.
ABOUT THE GUEST
As UK Head of Industry, Claire leads a 100 strong team in their work across the pharmaceuticals, life sciences, biotech, gas networks, hydrogen and CCUS, chemicals, food and beverage sectors.
In previous roles she specialised in managing multi-disciplinary design teams on major infrastructure projects. Claire has worked on a number of high-profile projects including the High Speed 2 stations at Birmingham Curzon Street and Euston, the £790m London Bridge Station redevelopment project and the Paddington Cube. She feels strongly about building diversity in the engineering and construction industries and represent the next generation as a board member of the Major Projects Association. Claire is also passionate about making positive sustainable change through her role as UK Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at WSP.
In 2009 Claire played a founding role in independent charity Cameroon Catalyst – which aims to facilitate sustainable development in rural Cameroon. In 2015, she was awarded an MBE in recognition for her “Services to civil engineering and international charity work".
