How to Acquire Clients
Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner
1. Edition April 2002
208 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-0-7879-5514-4
John Wiley & Sons
Follow the expert advice in this book--the fourth in The Ultimate Consultant Series--and you won't fall victim to the success plateau that undermines many consultants. If you feel that your work has become easier, it may be that you're not climbing "up" but rather moving laterally. And, sooner or later, your plateau will begin to erode and you'll find yourself on a decline. In How to Acquire Clients, Alan Weiss, internationally recognized consultant and author of the best-selling Million Dollar Consulting, shows you how to continue to move "up the mountain."
Introduction.
C H A P T E R 1 Identifying Targets of Opportunity: You SeldomAwake in the Morning with People Waving Money in Your Face.
Three Conditions Essential to Successful Selling.
Generalizing and Specializing: The View from ContrarianLand.
Customized Assaults: When There Is a Single Target Too Appealingto Resist.
Strategies for Isolating and Hitting New Targets ofOpportunity.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 2 How to Prepare for Success in Acquiring NewBusiness: The Allies Didn?t Simply Decide to Take a Trip Across theEnglish Channel One Morning.
The Frontal Attack.
The Flanking Maneuver.
Infiltration.
When the Buyer Comes to You (Build It, and They Will Come).
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 3 How to Build Relationships with Economic Buyers:Most Consultants Don?t Stop ?Selling? Long Enough to Really Make aSale.
Behavioral Predispositions: Funny Things That Buyers Do.
Controlling the Discussion (Killing Me Softly with His Song . ..).
Emotional Targeting.
Drawing a Line in the Sand for Unacceptable Behaviors.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 4 Rebutting Objections Once and for All: If YouHear a New Objection, Then You Haven?t Been Listening in thePast.
The Four Major Areas of Objections.
Rebutting Arguments in the Four Basic Areas.
Visualizing the Future.
Sample Objections and Rebuttals.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 5 Sixteen Great Acquisition Sources: Why Go Aroundthe Block to Get Next Door?
The First Four.
The Second Four.
The Third Four.
The Fourth Four.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 6 Winning Friends and Influencing People: How toBuild Support from Those Who Loathe Your Arrival.
Providing Value Early and for Free.
Building Momentum Among Key Advisors.
Dealing with Committees.
Overcoming ?Threat? Factors.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 7 Gaining Market Share from Others: Stealing IsLegal in the Sales Business.
Harvesting ?Low Hanging Fruit?.
Creating High Visibility.
Waiting for Someone Else?s Bad News.
More Techniques to Trespass on Others? Property.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 8 Guaranteeing the Ultimate Business: RepeatBusiness; How to Think of the Fourth Sale First.
What Is the Fourth Sale?
The Three Keys to Cementing Relationships Rather Than SellingBusiness.
Developing Trust Through Pushback.
The Present-Value Discount Principle in Action.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 9 A Dozen New Sources of Clients: The World IsChanging and So Are Your Prospects.
1. Global Alliances.
2. Remote Learning.
3. Entrepreneurs.
4. Universities and Higher Education.
5. The Professions: Medical, Legal, Accounting.
6. Mature High-Tech.
7. The Retired, the Recreating, the Hobbyist.
8. Behavior Modification.
9. Life Balance.
10. Sales Skills.
11. Cultural Accommodation.
12. Knowledge Assimilation/Management Application.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 10 The Process of Selective Acquisition: How toReject and Abandon Business in Order to Grow.
The Ten Very Good Reasons for Rejecting ProspectiveBusiness.
The Five Very Good Reasons for Pulling the Plug on ExistingBusiness.
Managing New Business Potential and Profit.
The Mercedes-Benz Syndrome.
From My Time in the Trenches: Chapter 10.
From My Time in the Trenches: The Book.
Index.
C H A P T E R 1 Identifying Targets of Opportunity: You SeldomAwake in the Morning with People Waving Money in Your Face.
Three Conditions Essential to Successful Selling.
Generalizing and Specializing: The View from ContrarianLand.
Customized Assaults: When There Is a Single Target Too Appealingto Resist.
Strategies for Isolating and Hitting New Targets ofOpportunity.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 2 How to Prepare for Success in Acquiring NewBusiness: The Allies Didn?t Simply Decide to Take a Trip Across theEnglish Channel One Morning.
The Frontal Attack.
The Flanking Maneuver.
Infiltration.
When the Buyer Comes to You (Build It, and They Will Come).
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 3 How to Build Relationships with Economic Buyers:Most Consultants Don?t Stop ?Selling? Long Enough to Really Make aSale.
Behavioral Predispositions: Funny Things That Buyers Do.
Controlling the Discussion (Killing Me Softly with His Song . ..).
Emotional Targeting.
Drawing a Line in the Sand for Unacceptable Behaviors.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 4 Rebutting Objections Once and for All: If YouHear a New Objection, Then You Haven?t Been Listening in thePast.
The Four Major Areas of Objections.
Rebutting Arguments in the Four Basic Areas.
Visualizing the Future.
Sample Objections and Rebuttals.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 5 Sixteen Great Acquisition Sources: Why Go Aroundthe Block to Get Next Door?
The First Four.
The Second Four.
The Third Four.
The Fourth Four.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 6 Winning Friends and Influencing People: How toBuild Support from Those Who Loathe Your Arrival.
Providing Value Early and for Free.
Building Momentum Among Key Advisors.
Dealing with Committees.
Overcoming ?Threat? Factors.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 7 Gaining Market Share from Others: Stealing IsLegal in the Sales Business.
Harvesting ?Low Hanging Fruit?.
Creating High Visibility.
Waiting for Someone Else?s Bad News.
More Techniques to Trespass on Others? Property.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 8 Guaranteeing the Ultimate Business: RepeatBusiness; How to Think of the Fourth Sale First.
What Is the Fourth Sale?
The Three Keys to Cementing Relationships Rather Than SellingBusiness.
Developing Trust Through Pushback.
The Present-Value Discount Principle in Action.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 9 A Dozen New Sources of Clients: The World IsChanging and So Are Your Prospects.
1. Global Alliances.
2. Remote Learning.
3. Entrepreneurs.
4. Universities and Higher Education.
5. The Professions: Medical, Legal, Accounting.
6. Mature High-Tech.
7. The Retired, the Recreating, the Hobbyist.
8. Behavior Modification.
9. Life Balance.
10. Sales Skills.
11. Cultural Accommodation.
12. Knowledge Assimilation/Management Application.
From My Time in the Trenches.
C H A P T E R 10 The Process of Selective Acquisition: How toReject and Abandon Business in Order to Grow.
The Ten Very Good Reasons for Rejecting ProspectiveBusiness.
The Five Very Good Reasons for Pulling the Plug on ExistingBusiness.
Managing New Business Potential and Profit.
The Mercedes-Benz Syndrome.
From My Time in the Trenches: Chapter 10.
From My Time in the Trenches: The Book.
Index.
"This is the fourth book in Alan Weiss' Ultimate Consultant Series and probably the best in the lot." (APC, 5/02)
"Alan Weiss's wisdom wins contacts, clients, and contracts. Buy
this book and use it every day." --Jeff Gitomer, author, The
Sales Bible and Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer
Loyalty is Priceless
"Concise, practical, real-world strategies to get the contract.
Weiss reveals how to land the big business fast." --Randy Gage,
president, Gage Direct Marketing
"Alan Weiss has done it again! This book is a real eye opener
for those of us who may have fallen into what he describes as 'the
success trap.' Incredible insight into how to recharge your
marketing and sales batteries!" --George Morrisey, author
Morrisey on Planning series
"How to Acquire Clients should be required reading for anyone
who sells for a living. I read this book and was struck by how
relevant Alan's advise is to what we need to do--and keep doing."
--Jarvis Coffin, CEO, BURST! Multimedia, LLC
"Alan Weiss's wisdom wins contacts, clients, and contracts. Buy
this book and use it every day." --Jeff Gitomer, author, The
Sales Bible and Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer
Loyalty is Priceless
"Concise, practical, real-world strategies to get the contract.
Weiss reveals how to land the big business fast." --Randy Gage,
president, Gage Direct Marketing
"Alan Weiss has done it again! This book is a real eye opener
for those of us who may have fallen into what he describes as 'the
success trap.' Incredible insight into how to recharge your
marketing and sales batteries!" --George Morrisey, author
Morrisey on Planning series
"How to Acquire Clients should be required reading for anyone
who sells for a living. I read this book and was struck by how
relevant Alan's advise is to what we need to do--and keep doing."
--Jarvis Coffin, CEO, BURST! Multimedia, LLC
Alan Weiss-author, international consultant, highly sought keynote
speaker-is the founder and president of Summit Consulting Group.
His clients have included Hewlett-Packard, State Street Corp.,
Fleet Bank, Coldwell Banker, Merrill Lynch, American Press
Institute, Chase, Mercedes-Benz, GE, American Institute of
Architects, and Arthur Andersen. He is the author of The Ultimate
Consultant (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001) and Getting Started in
Consulting (John Wiley & Sons, 2000). Weiss resides with his
wife Maria in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
speaker-is the founder and president of Summit Consulting Group.
His clients have included Hewlett-Packard, State Street Corp.,
Fleet Bank, Coldwell Banker, Merrill Lynch, American Press
Institute, Chase, Mercedes-Benz, GE, American Institute of
Architects, and Arthur Andersen. He is the author of The Ultimate
Consultant (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001) and Getting Started in
Consulting (John Wiley & Sons, 2000). Weiss resides with his
wife Maria in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
