In thinking about the challenges to selling (you don’t feel like you have the best selling skills, you are afraid of failure, you have too many competing priorities, you don’t have your heart in the game, you think selling is distasteful), do you feel you now have the tools in your grasp to get in the game?
I have always viewed “selling” in a somewhat negative way. I, like the book references, pictured a pushy, salesperson who “won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I have enjoyed the lessons that were included in this course because it confronted those perceptions, and others, head-on. One thing that stuck out to me the most throughout the course lessons, readings, and my interview with a consultant, is that building a thorough and realistic Marketing Plan is an essential start to a successful consulting firm. The components that we worked out throughout this semester have provided me with the tools to be more confident in selling.
Now that the class is finished, what are the most important things that you have come to discover about yourself, in the context of marketing OD? What have you learned about yourself that you will take with you to your next classes? Did you have any “Aha!” moments that you want to make sure you don’t forget about?
I must admit that prior to this course, I was skeptical about how “Marketing OD” would fit into my career goals. The idea of becoming an OD Consultant was intimidating to me. I believe that I have made strong relationships with prospective clients, however, the thought of having to build upon that base is a scary thing. What I enjoyed about this course, is that it confronted all of the myths about selling and provided sound recommendations for pursuing a career in consulting services. One “aha” moment for me during this class came out of my interview with Steven Morgan, President of Performance Insights, LLC. Steven was talking about how he continues to retain the customer base that his firm has had since he started in 2000. He mentioned that in order to keep a pulse on his competition, he inquires about them to his customers. He will frequently ask his clients what they are hearing in the business, and what “offers” they are aware of from other consultants in the same field. He said that his relationships are very strong because they are built on trust and transparency. This was common sense to me, although, I had not thought about it in that way before.