Avoiding becoming an unpaid consultant is a challenge many of us face every day in pitching business to prospects. There are no silver bullet answers, but there are a few Best Practices from seasoned pros out there.
One is to ask yourself what an intelligent, ethical and prudent prospect would really need to know about your services to make an logical business-driven decision. Then, try to provide that level of detail and see where the conversation goes.
Another is to practice 'Permission Marketing' by asking the prospect what kind of information from you they want to make that logical business decision. Don't send any more than requested. If he or she asks for too much detail, indicate that and try to negotiate around it.
I often pitch business to prospects dealing with how I would create and deliver a learning intervention to help their organization solve a defined training or development need. In my proposal, I describe the process at a simple '30,000 foot view' and include sample pieces from a handout from a similar situation.
If those prospects are intent on stealing my approach, I can't stop them. If they think they can take my plan and successfully run with it in house, they wouldn't have been willing to invest in my services anyway. So, no loss of potential business is at stake.
Any other ideas from other COSE MindSpring visitors out there?
Phil Stella, MindSpring Networking Editor and president, Effective Training & Communication, Inc.
