Practical Sales Skills for Technical Delivery Consultants. Make it or break it
If you are reading this chances are you are considering or have already started your journey as a consultant. You might have expectations about how this would go and it might differ from reality. This journey into the land of business growth requires a shift in mindset, approach, and daily habits. In this blog post I’ll explore how technical delivery managers can position themselves as trusted consultants, build a client pipeline, and stay motivated even when results don’t come immediately.
What is it that you are bringing to the table? Define your unique value proposition(UVP).
No, I am not joking. Yes, you have heard it right - you have to tell people what makes you unique. The only way they will know how awesome you are before you get to know them is IF you have a cheerleader/ambassador who has praised you and laid ground for your entrance. ( NB. keep your ambassadors happy, do not fail their trust!)
Otherwise, as a delivery manager, your technical expertise is your foundation, but consulting requires you to translate that expertise into tangible benefits for your clients. Ask yourself:
- What problems do I solve? For example, do you optimise delivery pipelines, introduce agile frameworks, or reduce project failure rates?
- What value do I add? Be specific about outcomes like cost savings, faster time-to-market, or improved team productivity.
- What makes me unique? Identify the unique approach, experience, or tools you bring to the table that differentiate you from other consultants.
Take time. A compelling value prop helps potential clients quickly understand WHY they need your expertise. If the value proposition does not yield results - modify it until you have something the market is willing to pay for.
Who Are You Selling To? KYC
You have to know your target audience. For delivery managers, the ideal clients often fall into two categories: C-Level that cares about strategic outcomes like ROI, scalability, and risk reduction and small business owners: they often need help streamlining delivery processes as they grow but lack the internal expertise.
To reach these audiences, understand their pain points:
Are projects missing deadlines?
Is inefficiency causing budget overruns?
Are they struggling to scale delivery teams?
Are they optimally using all tools that they have?
Knowing how to address these pain points will make your outreach more effective
Outreach. How to Get in Front of the Right People.
Now we are talking, right? The holy grail of all questions! A common pitfall for new consultants is inconsistent outreach. To overcome this, adopt a structured, repeatable approach to connecting with potential clients:
Understand where your target customer lives (channels: for example LinkedIn, networking events, webinars, emails). Be there, consistently.
Prepare an achievable plan you are committed to, for example daily or weekly plans based on your availability.
Track & prepare metrics on your results ( helps you understand and build strategies)
Follow up. Consistently
Leverage Your Current Network and Brand
If you are doing a side hustle or transitioning from working at a company, leverage its existing network and reputation by:
sharing case studies and success stories, that highlight projects you have successfully managed under your current company’s logo. They act as proof. Both for your current employer but also for you. Yes. You managed those projects and you have contributed to the success of those clients.
referrals (1st & 2nd degree connections)Reach out to colleagues, clients, or industry contacts for introductions. Warm contacts help you build bridges.
Motivation Matters: Why Staying Consistent Is Key
The ultimate challenge is staying consistent in a noisy world, especially when results are slow. Here are some strategies to stay on track:
focus on process over outcome
Celebrate your effort (track outreach metrics and reward yourself for hitting activity milestones
seek quick wins
Start small with what your network is willing to buy. Small leads create traction through case studies, testimonials and referrals.
know your WHY
Why did you start consulting? What motivated you to do so? Whether it’s to gain autonomy, create impact, or increase income, connecting with your "why" will help you push through tough times.
Tools. We live in 21st century. You work in the technology sector. Use tools.
CRM Tools (choose one which is easy to implement and maintain)
Outreach Automation (streamline processess that make you tired)
Content Creation: Use Canva, Grammerly & co to make your materials more polished for your outreach based on your
Personal Management and Knowledge base orchestration (for example Notion.io)
Tools help you to focus more on building relationships and less on repetitive tasks.
Embrace Feedback. Build on it.
Being independent means - continuously learning and adapting. Not every hypothesis and outreach will work, - use rejection as an opportunity to refine, improve and better understand your audience.
Think strategically.
Evaluate your costs. + Evaluate your opportunity.
To make things simple - you need to understand the business opportunity cost: how much you will earn right now vs year 2 vs year 5 and how much you will need to invest to do so.
If you are planning to transition from your current role you have to evaluate your opportunity. What does it take to win? Year 1-3: how much are you burning? + Monthly growth rate. After the 3rd year 3 and onwards (maturity) things you have to consider will focus on customer acquisition cost, average value per customer, net promotion code, lifetime value
Keep moving. Celebrate small steps, stay consistent and always keep your eyes on the goal. Building a consultancy requires a clear strategy, patience and persistence. By focusing on what you offer, whom you serve, and how you reach them, you can steadily build a pipeline of clients who value your expertise.
And if you are looking for a mentor to help you along your path, make sure to reach out
