Jeff Thull

If you're in sales, you have probably encountered this scenario. You're trying to convince a potential customer that your great products or services will solve their most pressing problems. To prove the point, you explain precisely how your solution will work. Mr. Potential Customer listens carefully, asks many questions and takes copious notes.

Everything seems to be running smoothly. The customer nods and says all the right things, and you leave convinced that the sale is in the bag. The problem is, when you call to close the sale, Mr. PC is nowhere to be found. Later, you hear that he has decided to buy from your top (and less expensive) competitor.

Frustrated, you find yourself asking, "Where did I go wrong? Why didn't I see it coming?" You realize you've fallen prey to an all-too-common trap: unpaid consulting.

Unpaid consulting potentially starts when we start defining the customer's problem and it certainly starts when we cross the line and begin...