Free Consulting?
I am currently enrolled in the Sandler Training program; through Trustepoint I am really enjoying the program, because it is forcing me to rethink my long standing beliefs on the sales process.
One of the important elements of the program is the notion of not giving away “free consulting” as a way to make a sale. The folks at Sandler don’t believe this really works, and they are starting to get me to believe it too.
Then I read this post by Seth Godin about the “first transaction. In it he advocates, that the first time we “transact, it is ludicrous for me to expect there will be money involved. Is he really saying the opposite of Sandler?
Not really, he suggests:
Digital transactions are essentially free for you to provide. I can give you permission to teach me something. I can watch a video. I can engage in a conversation. We can connect, transfer knowledge, engage in a way that builds trust… all of these things make it more likely that I’ll trust you enough to send you some money one day.
This feels like “free consulting to the prospect, but not to me. There is nothing lost when I share what I have done with others, or what I know through books, blog posts and video. The trick is to find the balance, build trust and credibility, without giving up what I get paid for.
I am still learning to find where the line is, so I guess I will continue to spend time with my sales coach, Matt Nettleton, who by they way, looks a lot like Seth Godin.
At least when they are sitting down 
It’s counter intuitive,but I am a strong believer in not offering “free consultating”. Prospects typically do not perceive value in anything that is free. Also, often when something is offered for free the first question that comes to mind is–What’s the catch? I think Trustpointe is right on by advocating not giving away free consulting.
This is a subject that can really get you thinking and talking. Personally, I think sharing things I have found that are readily available free helps build trust and credibility and invites closer contact. I am going to add another quote from the end of Seth’s post because I think his question is so well phrased:
“The question then, is how much time and effort does your non-profit/consulting firm/widget factory spend on pre-purchase transactions and how much do you spend on trying to simply close the sale?”
It just isn’t an easy question and I change my mind about what I think frequently. I hope you will write more on this topic as you continue to discuss it in Sandler class with Matt.