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Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on business development and talking about a potential project with a new client.
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Once you've done the hard work in business development of attracting prospects and building relationships, what comes next?
The ultimate goal, of course, is to make a sale.
And the best business development professionals know how to turn a prospect into a client.
In the consulting world, making a sale isn't simply about touting the benefits of a product.
It's more about understanding your client and matching support and solutions to their specific needs.
So, when it comes to an initial conversation, you need to ask about the background, goals and budget.
That will help you suggest the right approach.
And as part of building rapport, you might want to normalize the client's problems and show understanding by echoing their words.
In today's dialogue, we'll listen to Nick, an HR consultant, as he talks with a potential client, Andrea.
Nick met Andrea at an event and has been slowly building a relationship with her.
They're now discussing a specific project.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
One, what problem does Nick tell Andrea is quite common.
Two, what words does Andrea use that Nick repeats back to her as he confirms his understanding?
Three, what expression does Nick use to diplomatically raise the issue of budget?
Yeah, so I was intrigued, let's say, by some of the things we talked about last time.
Good to hear.
And can I ask what it was that prompted you to reach out now?
What's driving this need?
Okay well, we've seen a lot of changes over the past two years in staffing, mostly at all levels on the floor, but also the front office.
In the past six months, we've had a couple of managers leave.
So, dealing with some turnover?
Yes, more than expected, really.
And we're not sure why.
You know, we pride ourselves on taking care of people.
We try pretty hard to create a certain kind of culture.
But at this point, we're not sure whether what we're trying to do is really working.
Well, for what it's worth, you're not alone.
We've been hearing a lot about exactly this kind of thing from different clients.
I can't say I'm surprised.
It seems like what we're dealing with is wrapped up in bigger trends.
Regardless, we thought it would be a good thing to bring someone in.
Get an outside perspective, you know?
Work with us, with our employees, for a month or two.
Help us take the temperature.
At least, that's how we've been thinking about it.
Yeah, makes sense.
An external perspective can be very helpful, especially for that sort of temperature-taking you're talking about.
Exactly.
When you're on the inside, it can be hard to see what's going on clearly sometimes.
Right.
So if we were to come in and work with the employees and do this kind of assessment, what would success look like at the end of it?
I mean, what are the outcomes you want to see from this?
Well generally, I'd say a better understanding of the situation, culture at ground level for the leadership team, but also something to feed back to the staff, a sort of what we learned report or presentation.
Yes, and that's a good way to help improve engagement.
And can I ask, do you have an idea how much you're looking to spend on this work?
Well, I'll have to see, but we're thinking something in the 10 to 20K range.
But it's really about value.
So I'd like to see things laid out in a proposal and we can take it from there.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Nick used during the meeting.
Remember that previously Nick had told Andrea about some of his company's services related to HR and employee engagement.
Yeah, so I was intrigued, let's say, by some of the things we talked about last time.
Good to hear.
And can I ask what it was that prompted you to reach out now?
What's driving this need?
In this type of conversation, Nick needs to learn about his potential client's situation.
Helping people solve problems starts with understanding the problem, and he lets Andrea identify what she thinks is most relevant by asking a very open question.
He wants to know what caused or prompted her to contact them or reach out.
There are many ways to ask for background information.
You can ask a general question about the need or reasons for seeking help.
Or you could invite information with a statement that says you're curious or want to know more.
Let's practice some of these ways of asking for background with some more examples.
For starters, maybe you could tell me why you think you need help with this?
I'm curious to learn more about what is driving this need.
I'd love to know more about the situation you're facing.
So what was it exactly that led you to reach out to us?
Now let's hear Andrea explain their situation.
Okay well, we've seen a lot of changes over the past two years in staffing, mostly at all levels on the floor, but also the front office.
In the past six months, we've had a couple of managers leave.
So, dealing with some turnover?
Yes, more than expected, really.
And we're not sure why.
As Andrea describes their situation, Nick encourages her by summarizing her key ideas.
In particular, he identifies that they're dealing with turnover or employees leaving and having to be replaced.
What does Dink do once Andrea has given her explanation?
Let's listen.
Well, for what it's worth, you're not alone.
We've been hearing a lot about exactly this kind of thing from different clients.
The expression for what it's worth is just a way of saying this.
Information may or may not be useful.
This is part of what you might notice is Nick's gentle or low-key approach to this conversation.
And the information he's offering is the observation that many companies are dealing with the same issue.
By normalizing the problem, Nick is both reassuring the client and demonstrating his understanding of current trends.
This will help build trust with the client.
Let's run through some more ways of normalizing problems when talking to a client.
This is actually a pretty common challenge for organizations of your size.
It's not unusual to experience this around this time of year.
Small companies like yours often face capacity problems.
Now let's listen as Andrea moves on from talking about the problem to discussing the help they need.
I can't say I'm surprised.
It seems like what we're dealing with is wrapped up in bigger trends.
Regardless, we thought it would be a good thing to bring someone in, get an outside perspective, you know.
Work with us, with our employees, for a month or two.
Help us take the temperature.
At least that's how we've been thinking about it.
Yeah, makes sense.
An external perspective can be very helpful, especially for that sort of temperature-taking you're talking about.
Andrea's company is looking for an outside perspective or a viewpoint from someone who's not directly employed by the company.
This is exactly why consultants can be useful.
Andrea describes the work as taking the temperature.
We use this expression to describe activities, when we talk to people to understand the overall situation.
One way to build rapport with clients, or anyone in fact, is by repeating their words back to them.
Nick uses this expression temperature taking to support the fact that Andrea's request is a good one.
Using people's exact words can show them that we're really listening.
So let's practice some more ways of doing this.
Well, as you say, you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
I definitely think we can help create this future map you're talking about.
Yes, we have experience with the kind of impact evaluation you describe.
So have you done this kind of company-wide check-in before?
How does Andrea respond to Nick's comment?
Exactly.
When you're on the inside, it can be hard to see what's going on clearly sometimes.
Andrea agrees with Nick, even though he's done nothing more than state what she's already said.
And now that they've established this kind of rapport of listening, understanding and agreement, what does Nick ask about next?
Right.
So if we were to come in and work with the employees and do this kind of assessment, what would success look like at the end of it?
I mean, what are the outcomes you want to see from this?
Nick isn't rushing to either solve Andrea's problem or tell her what the right approach is at this point.
He still needs more information to understand what the project might require.
He's already asked about the situation, which is about the past and present.
Now he talks about the desired future or the outcomes that Andrea wants to see.
Good consultants think strategically.
What they offer should be designed to achieve some type of goal.
What are some other ways we can ask about desired outcomes when talking with a new client?
Let's try some more examples.
At the end of this process, what are you hoping to see?
Can you tell me what changes you want to see as a result?
And what outcomes is all this work intended to lead to?
So what would success for you look like in terms of outcomes?
So what are Andrea's desired outcomes?
Well, generally, I'd say a better understanding of the situation.
Culture at ground level.
For the leadership team, but also something to feed back to the staff.
A sort of what we learned report or presentation.
Yes, and that's a good way to help improve engagement.
And can I ask, do you have an idea how much you're looking to spend on this work?
Andrea is looking for improved understanding of the culture at ground level, or among the employees.
She also wants to be able to report their findings back to those employees.
These desired outcomes will help Nick propose an effective process, but there's another important bit of information that will help Nick form his proposal, and that relates to money.
Nick doesn't just ask, how much money do you have?
Rather, he uses language to soften his question and make it more diplomatic.
For one thing, he says, can I ask?
For another, he says indirectly about whether she has an idea about how much they want to spend.
That sounds and feels very different than saying, how much are you going to spend?
Let's run through some more ways of asking diplomatically or indirectly about budget.
I'm curious if you're working within a set budget or not.
So have you talked about how much you're looking to spend here?
And on the money side of things, do you have a price in mind?
This part of the conversation finishes off with Andrea giving her thoughts on the budget.
Well, I'll have to see, but we're thinking something in the 10 to 20k range.
But it's really about value.
So I'd like to see things laid out in a proposal and we can take it from there.
Clients may hesitate to give a clear or specific budget to a consultant, since they want to get a good price.
And as Andrea emphasizes, it's not just price, but value that's important.
In other words, she's thinking about what they will get for their money.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you are a consultant talking with a new client about providing help with strategic planning.
You'll hear a cue by the client.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Thanks for that, and thanks for taking the time to chat with me today.
Start by saying, it's your pleasure, and asking about the situation they're facing.
Answer.
It's my pleasure.
And so can I ask about the situation you're facing?
Well, this relates to our strategic plan.
It's really quite dated and doesn't seem relevant anymore.
Now say that this is actually a pretty common situation for many companies.
Answer.
Uh-huh.
This is actually a pretty common situation for many companies.
I see.
And so we're hoping to do a kind of overhaul of the plan.
Next, say that you can definitely help with this kind of strategic overhaul.
Answer.
Right.
We can definitely help with this kind of strategic overhaul.
Good to hear.
And what do you need from us in order to put together a proposal?
Now say that your first question is about what the desired outcomes for the work are.
Answer.
Well, my first question is about what the desired outcomes for the work are.
Right, so what we really want is a relevant and effective plan that reflects the priorities of all stakeholders.
Finally, say that's great and ask if they're working within a set budget for the work.
Answer.
That's great.
And are you working within a set budget for the work?
Now let's practice some of the vocabulary we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear, You can say We hired a consultant to get an outside perspective on our company.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
I think a good marketing campaign will help to sales.
Answer I think a good marketing campaign will help to drive sales.
If you have questions about invoicing, talk to Sam in our front Answer.
If you have questions about invoicing, talk to Sam in our front office.
With 10 people leaving next month, our staff... certainly seems high.
Answer.
With 10 people leaving next month, our staff turnover certainly seems high.
At our company, we ourselves on excellent customer service.
Answer.
At our company, we pride ourselves on excellent customer service.
We've reached the end of this lesson on business development and scoping a new project with a client.
We've learned how to ask about background, normalize problems and repeat a client's words back to them.
We've also looked at asking about desired outcomes and budget.
For more practice.
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Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
