Consultants are the best marketing and salesmen
Market research: jumping on the hype
Whenever a new hype emerges, consultants pop up like mushrooms, portraying themselves as specialists.
Although hardly anybody has any experience with the new media, consultants claim they have the key to unlock its secrets.
The truth is these consultants:
- Happened to get involved into a project that was dealing with these new matters.
- Have spoken at a number of events and written some articles and blog-posts.
- Accidentally became successful (at best)
Marketing: Their main asset is to sell the right stuff on time: when the hype is there and at its’ best.
Sell the fear
Their main objective is to re-use their newly acquired unique experience or knowledge to charge you high fees as they boldly go where no man (of your company) has ever gone before.
In order to state the value they are bringing, they project the image of a hazardous and dangerous journey through this new found territory, requiring specialists to navigate you through if you want to be able to reap the benefits.
They’re selling themselves by fear: claiming that only they are good enough to offset your investment in them and that you will fail miserably if you don’t use them as your guide.
Consultants sell and market themselves
We have seen this happening with SEO consultants, SEA consultants, SEM consultants, Email Marketing consultants, Social Media Marketing consultants, Viral Marketing consultants, Usability consultants, YouTube consultants, … and the latest fad: the Twitter Consultants.
It is all in the image they create in order to bring you more claimed value.
Remember: the price is what the fool wants to pay for it.
Usually, these people’s #1 asset is being able to sell and market themselves using the current hype projecting the image of a quantum leap forward that you as a company will be missing and your competitors will take advantage of.
Most salesmen are selling products or services of their company, whereas consultants sell mainly themselves.
Consultants are top salesmen
Consultants are very good in sales – maybe even the best – as they:
- Sell a concept without much or any hard facts.
- Sell a novelty that still has to prove the business viability.
- Sell at a high price as they have a unique offering.
- Sell fear without really knowing the drawbacks if not applied.
- Sell their skills and knowledge that can be razor thin.
- Sell without any demo.
- Sell the belief they will bring a quantum leap.
Are you as good in sales as a consultant?
How good are you in selling yourself?
The reason consultants are better salesmen is because of their title of consultant. The name brings an image of someone who is coming in to help solve a problem while a salesman is seen as someone who is trying to make a sale. Sure the consultant is trying to do the same thing as a salesman but under the guise of assisting the customer, the consultant often finds less resistance.
[...] we are experiencing the hype about tablets: especially the iPad from the master of hype: Apple. The concept of tablets has been [...]
I totally disagree with you about consultants. Not all consultants fit into your micro-tiny box. That’s like me telling you that all lead generating firms are scams because they can’t guarantee the quality of the leads, only that they will generate them.
Most consultants, that is, the ones that are good at what they do aren’t “big box” firms. Rather, they are smaller boutique type firms who have a very special niche and expertise in one or two areas. Having been a consultant myself for nearly 20 years, I have not ever sold a skill that I can’t do. And, of the consultants that I have worked with, most of them ARE NOT good marketers. In fact, these folks are brilliant, but afraid to over-step or over-sell their skills.
Sounds to me like you are a little bitter about consultants and you obviously don’t know all of them.
@None. We are not bitter about consultants. We just find it amazing how fast they adopt to new trends and technologies.
Of curse we don’t all of them. How could we?