Media & Professional Services
Media & Professional Services
When professional service firms target growth, they look to their client-facing staff.
Yet these experts and consultants often don’t see themselves as salespeople, and some even regard sales as pulling them away from client service, both in principle and in attention. Many also lack the skill to create, differentiate, protect, deliver, defend, and expand value around the client’s buying cycle.
And yet… client-centricity is at the heart of successful selling in professional services, and although these executives may not identify themselves as salespeople, they are entirely comfortable with the idea of being a trusted advisor. Resistance to selling can be overcome by showing them that the most effective way to sell is indeed to earn the trust of their clients, to bring insights around their needs and potential solutions, and to help them navigate their own internal decision-making.
Imparta has extensive experience training professional service organizations from multiple disciplines, including major law firms, consultancies, the world’s largest media and communications businesses, and many others.
Some of Imparta’s Professional Services & Media Clients:
Industry issues & how we can help…
Helping Client-Facing Staff to Sell
We are experts in creating a culture of professional business development among staff who don’t typically see themselves as salespeople. We build sales capability around the whole client buying cycle, adding a toolkit of influencing skills to the inherent strengths of client-facing staff in the dimensions of insight and trust.
Getting Account Managers Out of Their Comfort Zone
We build the proactivity and skill needed to move away from ‘Friendly Helper’ or ‘Consultant’ status and to maximize share of wallet. We also help to reduce missed opportunities by training teams to develop robust and meaningful account plans.
Profit Leakage
Our Commercial Acumen and Negotiation programs help to reduce profit leakage, through better deals, and better management of the client service teams who perform the work.
Poor Forecasting
Forecasting is often especially difficult in professional services. We help to improve forecasting ability, and train managers (or often, peer coaches) in pipeline management and forecasting
Poor Pitch Performance
We help client-facing staff to understand and manage the full range of decision criteria that clients look at during a pitch, rather than fixating on ‘the big idea’
Selling to the C-Suite
Selling professional services often means being able to access a wide group of stakeholders, and in many cases the C-Suite. This is a challenge that our Business Acumen program has helped to overcome for many clients.
Imparta’s own experience with a broad range of professional service companies brought to life the process through the client’s eyes, and Imparta’s consultancy background delivered a real rigour and stretch for the participants. Many thanks – we are going to be a much better company because of you.
Chief Learning Officer, Global Advertising Agency
