Keys for Choosing Great Sales Consulting Services and Getting the Best Results

Sales Consulting Services

Perform a search for “sales consulting services” in Google or Bing and you will find there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals and firms offering sales consulting in some form or other. And guess what – many of these are quite good! If they didn’t produce results, they would be out of business pretty quickly, wouldn’t they?
That being said, if I were searching for sales consulting services for my own business, here are some of the things I would expect.

Utilize a focused process

There are many things which can be addressed by sales consulting services, and the best ones have a formalized process to audit your sales ecosystem and focus on the most important points first.
This could include a brief talk with managers, salespeople, customers, secret shopping, surveys, etc. depending on the level of engagement.
I want my consultant to know me and my business well in order to make the best recommendations possible. And a formalized discovery process would inspire confidence in any firm I was considering.

Incorporate testing

I would expect to be offered a sales aptitude assessment for key sales people and managers. The APQ (advanced personality assessment) is clearly our favorite, but the point is that if sales consulting services do not address putting the right people in the right seats first – the rest of their actions while be less effective.
Define expectations and outcomes
It is more cost-effective to hire consultants based on a project with set outcomes rather than hourly billing, so I would hire consultants who work that way. Project-based contracts allow you to spell out the success benchmarks, plus the exit of the consultant to avoid “bad breakups.” I would work out a deal to retain the consultant on an as-needed basis afterwards to help tidy up loose ends or dive deep into a newly surfaced problem area.

Communicate budget

There is no point in being vague about the budget when hiring sales consulting services. Rather than be coy, I would disclose what I am working with upfront, so bidders can prepare the most realistic offers possible. That way, I don’t waste time with unsuitable firms.

Tech awareness

The best sales consulting services know more about the latest sales and marketing tech than most businesses because they are exposed to many different systems in the course of their work. They likely have seen innovative uses of CRM software, marketing automation, social selling systems, PPC best practices, and other tools to incorporate into my business. I consider this a terrific value-add, so would check for this knowledge when making a decision on which firm to hire. “How will you help me modernize my marketing and sales tech stack within the budget I have named?”
Sales consulting services are like having a personal coach invested in your success, except it’s for your entire business. They provide third-party accountability and an exterior viewpoint which can guide you towards greater growth. Just make sure to choose the right one.